List of Malaysian inventions and discoveries
This is a list of Malaysian inventions details the indigenous arts and techniques, Malaysian inventions, Malaysian discoveries and contributions of the people of Malaysia — both ancient and modern state of Malaysia.
Architecture
A traditional Malay house prior to the arrival of foreign or modern influences.
A traditional Bornean house prior to the arrival of foreign or modern influences.
A traditional colonial architecture of Malaysia, incorporating Malay, Chinese and European architectural styles.
A building used by Malay people for worship and religious instruction. Generally smaller physical structures than a mosque but has similar, its functions.
Food
- Bandung – Invented by the Malays, a drink consists of evaporated milk or condensed milk flavoured with rose cordial syrup, giving its pink colour. Although its name are Bandung, which is a city of Indonesia, the drink is hardly to be found there.[1][2]
Game
A Malay traditional mancala that is often played as indoor activities. Congkak may have been spread from Malacca, as Malacca was once an important trading port of the Malay archipelago.[3][4]
A Malay variant of the board game of draughts.
A popular Malay game since the time of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. The game was usually played at the end of the rice harvest.[5]
A competitive Malay game of gasing in which two or more players compete to strike each other's gasing out of a circle or to make it fall over and stop spinning.
A Malay abstract strategy board game.
An intricately designed kite that is traditionally flown in Kelantan, and one of the national symbols of Malaysia.
Literature
An alternative script for Iban language that was invented by Dunging Anak Gunggu in 1947.[6]
Classical Malay literature that tells the tale of the legendary Malay warrior, Hang Tuah and his four warrior companions - Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu - who lived during the height of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century.
An alternative script for Malay language and several other languages of Malay world, such as Acehnese, Banjarese, Minangkabau and Tausūg. The oldest remains of Malay using the Jawi script have been found on the Terengganu Inscription Stone, dated 702 AH (1303 CE).[7]
Pantun is a form of traditional oral expression. The first examples to be recorded appear in Sejarah Melayu and Hikayat Hang Tuah.
Classical Malay literature that tells the romanticised history of the origin, growth and collapse of the Sultanate of Malacca.
Music
Invented by the indigenous people of Dusun in Sabah, a type of jaw harp instruments.
Invented by the Malay people in Johor.
- Gendang
- Gong
- Kertok
- Krem
- Kulintangan
- Mak Yong
- Malay gamelan
- Malay ghazal
- Rebana
- Sapeh
Invented by the indigenous people of Orang Ulu in Sarawak, a type of string instruments.[8][9]
Invented by the indigenous people of Dusun in Sabah, a type of mouth organ instruments.[9]
Philosophy
Adat Temenggung and Adat perpatih, two variants of Malay customary practices and tradition observed in Malaysia.
A custom of giving out money to the guests during the festival of Hari Raya.
A Malaysian communal work.
A modern idea that emphasises the importance of progress with an Islamic perspective in terms of economic, social, and political fields, as well as diversity and tolerance.
A Malaysian declaration of national allegiance.
A Malay greeting and gesture as a way of demonstrating respect and reverence towards the royalties.
A system of geomancy that was practiced by the Malays. Dukun and bomoh who practice this knowledge would apply the principles of metaphysical and geomantic in the planning, development and construction of buildings.
Ships
A type of sailing vessels of the Iban people of Sarawak.
A type of war boats used by the Iban people of Sarawak.
A type of traditional sailing vessels from Terengganu.
A type of small dugout canoe of the Sama-Bajau people of Sabah.
A type of small dugout canoe of the Sama-Bajau people of Sabah.
A type of ancient sailing vessels used by Malay sailors.
A type of galley-like ships in Malay archipelago.
A type of merchant and warship in Malay archipelago.
A narrow river or coastal fishing boat in Malay archipelago.
A traditional fishing boat from Kelantan.
A type of sailing vessels used in Malay archipelago.
A type of sailing vessel used in Malay archipelago.
A traditional boat used by Sama-Bajau people in Sabah.
A traditional boat in Malay archipelago.
A traditional merchant ship from Malay peninsula.
A type of boats used to carry goods along rivers and coastline in Malay archipelago.
A traditional fishing boat from Terengganu.
- Perahu tambangan
A type of traditional sailing vessels from Terengganu.
A type of fast boats used by Orang Laut in Malay archipelago.
A type of boats used to carry goods along rivers and coastline in Malay archipelago.
Sports
A Malaysian variant of the rugby union.
It was known as Sepak Raga and was mostly played by the royal court of Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. By 1940, the net version of the game was popularised by Malaysia and spread across Southeast Asia and formal rules and regulations were formed for the game.
A combative art of self-defence originated in the Malay archipelago. Silat also has evolved into a practice of physical and spiritual training also encompassing traditional Malay attire, musical instruments and customs.
Technology
- Automatic egg boiler
Invented by Hew Ah Kow, a detachable 4-piece plastic ware.[10]
- Bakakuk
Invented by indigenous people in the state of Sabah, a homemade shotgun used for hunting wild animals and protect traditional farms of the local natives.[11]
- Flipper toothbrush cover
Invented by Goo Yock Tee and Tang Peng Kee, a unique and globally-patented[12] one-touch mechanism flips open/close automatically in response to the gentle tug or push of the toothbrush.[10]
- Greener/cheaper water dispensers
Invented by Ooi Seng Chye, a water dispensing machine which processes raw sewage water into clean drinking water through reverse osmosis method.[10]
Invented by Ren Ng, a camera technology to solves the problem of unfocused photos.[10]
- Nehemiah walls
Invented by Nehemiah Lee, fly-over walls consists of three major components: a facade, reinforcing bars, and soil. The wall comprises hexagonal (honeycomb-shaped) blocks of pre-cast concrete, each interlocked with dowel bars.[10]
Invented by Cheong Choon Ng, a plastic device for turning small rubber bands into jewellery.[10]
- Rubber stamp clone
Invented by Robest Yong, a new technology to make rubber stamp faster which only takes five minutes than need to take only one order for a day or weeks.[10]
- Friendster, a social networking site
Starlight TDR, an automation software turns firewall logs into automated cyber threat incident response[13]
Invented by Malaysian by providing alternative solution to help companies reducing cyber threat attack surfaces
- USB flash drive, a data storage device
Invented by Pua Khein-Seng although there were also claims from other parties.[10]
References
- Cai Yinghong (2014). "Bandung in Bandung?". National Library Board, Singapore. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- Tim Kindseth. "25 Authentic Asian Experiences". Time. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- https://intl.upm.edu.my/artikel/congkak_permainan_tradisi_melayu-43481
- https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1733_2010-11-26.html?s=Games--Singapore
- https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_401_2004-12-09.html
- https://omniglot.com/writing/iban.htm
- http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/mow/nomination_forms/Malaysia+Terengganu.pdf
- "Sarawak Sapeh". Angel Fire. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- Patricia Matusky; Tan Sooi Beng (28 April 2017). The Music of Malaysia: The Classical, Folk and Syncretic Traditions. Taylor & Francis. pp. 261–285. ISBN 978-1-351-83965-5.
- Darian Goh (26 June 2015). "8 Everyday Things You Didn't Know Were Invented By Malaysians". Says.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- D. Raj (4 August 2013). "Bakakuk: A home-made killer". The Star. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- "Goo Yock Tee Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". Patents.justia.com. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- "Starlight Intelligence". www.starlightintel.com. Retrieved 4 February 2021.