Malaysia is the only country of southeast Asia situated on both the mainland of Asia and one of the islands that also make up part of the region. In the west, Malaysia occupies part of the Malay peninsula on the Asian mainland. In the east, it includes sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. The two sections of the country are separated by more than 400 miles ( 645 kilometers ) of south china sea.

        Malaysia was created in two steps. In 1957,what was then Malaya won independence from Britain. The addition of sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963 brought Malaysia into being. Singapore withdrew from the federation in 1965 to form its own independent nation.

        Malaysia's people are a fascinating mixture of races and cultures. The native Malays are the largest single ethnic group, followed by Chinese. There are also people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Most of the population is concentrated on the peninsula, chiefly its western coast. East Malaysia is inhabited mainly by dayaks and other Malay peoples.  

        Originally this baju kurung is worn by women in kedah only. After migration it is now popular to all Malay women in all parts of Malaysia.

        A baju kurung kedah is worn daily at homes by elder women in a kampung.

        its baju is more shorter than a baju kurung's make it easier for the wearer to move about.

          the sleeve which is three quarter of the normal baju kurung sleeve makes it easier for a hand to do things such as washing the dishes and cooking.

          [BELOW] the woman is wearing a pink modern baju kurung kedah.

            In Malaysia too there is the production of batik fabric. It is popular among men and women.

            A man usually wears a baju batik on a formal occasion. There are many types of baju batik : floral design, abstract design or animal design.

            [RIGHT] The man receiving is wearing a green abstract design baju batik at prize giving ceremony and the man sitting is wearing a yellow hand painted batik.

          There are three major races in Malaysia which is Malay, Chinese and Indian. In Sabah and Sarawak are many ethnic groups such as the Iban, Melanau and Dayak. They all have traditional clothes of their own.

          the Malay women wear baju kurung, baju kebaya and baju kebarung. The men wear baju melayu with a songkok on the head. The women wear accessories such as a sanggul on the head if they do not wear tudung. The ladies also wear a selindang on the shoulder.

          Chinese ladies wear cheongsams especially during Chinese new year or a formal gathering. Older women wear a samfoo which looks like a pajamas.

         Indian women wear colorful saris when performing prayer at the temple. The fabric used to make a sari is imported from India because the best quality is made there.

          In Sabah and Sarawak, ethnic groups such as the Iban and Melanau wear colorful beaded clothes. The clothes are made by their elders and is worn on special days like Hari Gawai. Colorful beads are sewed on the fabric to make it attractive. 

          Malay women wears a baju kurung in many occasion such as to school (as a uniform ) , to a wedding, to shop etc.

          There are many colors to choose from when making or buying a baju kurung and the design is either floral, abstract or just plain colors.

          A baju kurung consists of a baju and kain. The baju is of knee length and the sleeve is to the wrist. Meanwhile the kain is of ankle length with a kipas or folds on the left side of the kain. The kipas or folds are made to make movements easier.