PENGILAN (The Malay Wedding)

Last Sunday (12/10/08) I attended a malay wedding or Pengilan at a kampung called Kampung Sourabaya Hilir in Kuching. If you're lost trying to locate the venue, don't be, there will always be a flag flying high on a pole sometimes from the roof or on the front porch or the gate to indicate the location of the Pengilan reception...unless there are other weddings going on at the same time and at the same kampung, then you'll need to identify familiar faces to get yourself to the right wedding reception.

The happy pengantin baru (newly weds) dressed in stunning green. The stage is called Pelamin. This is where elders will perform the tepung tawar over the pegantin baru. This ceremony is a must for the malay culture. It is a sort of a blessings if I may say for the newly weds. The Akad Nikah (holy matrimony) ceremony is always performed earlier before the 'Bersanding di atas Pelamin". Actually the Malay wedding has a lot of 'Adat Istiadat' (local customs or cultural practices or belief) depending on the family roots and their ancestors.

Another couple dressed in Pink, also the pengantin baru. They are all in a family. The bride in pink is the sibling of the groom in green.

Some of the guests & relatives at the meja kenduri makan.

Hai, serious nampak kakak tu...!!

There's another thing too, usually the men & women will be devided during makan time...the men will eat first then the women & children will eat later. This is because usually the women folks and children (terpaksalah because kena ikut mak) will be in the house to see and admiring

the "pengantin baru" at the pelamin....

and men don't have time to do that..so that's the reason the men eat first....

And this is always the time when you can see malay women dressed in their best and latest designed baju kurung or kebaya......the more glitter, the better. Even how hot the weather can be but I'm amazed that they can still maintained their fashion before and after the reception...as for me I did try but I only maintained to keep my fresh look and beauty for about 20 mins or so. Then, I reckoned it would be best for me to wear the most comfortable outfit....jeans/slacks & blouse or sometimes nice T-shirt.

The menu served during the kenduri, the usual not to be missed "nasi minyak" (this menu is a must in all malay weddings...so far that I've attended)..When a malay folk asked, "Bila lagi nak makan nasi minyak?" (meaning: When are you getting married?)
Other dishes also includes curry chicken, beef rendang, daging masak itam and acar buah & limo. My old time favourite for such kenduri is always chicken masak merah and acar limo (preserved lime). Oh ya, usually fork & spoon will not be laid on the table (unless you request for it, but it's always best eaten with your fingers for these type of reception) so you need to eat with your fingers but there's always a bowl of water or sometimes a plastic or tin shiny tea-pot (please be warned, it is not meant for drinking) on the table for you to rinse your fingers....but if you must, don't forget to keep handy a packet of 'wet-tissues' in your handbag or pocket.

They always say..men are the better cooks, that's why the best chefs in the world are men.

The men waiting for another batch of food trays to be served. I've always notice that most of the server for a malay wedding are men....I reckoned it's because of the heavy food tray which they have to carry to the meja makan for serving...sometime it can goes to 10 or more rounds of serving depending on the invitees and guests...usually for a malay wedding in a kampung, all the kampung folks are cordially invited with their whole family members.

The canopies at the tempat makan....to shelter the guests & relatives from sun and rain.

After the reception, guests will bersalam-salaman and say thank you to the pengantin's family members.

The proud parents of the pengantin are dressed in red. That's Pakcik Sahari and wife.

The nicely decorated arched entrance to the wedding reception...I reckoned thru my experienced of Pengilan'ing, I've always felt overwhelmed with their occasion...because you can always see that, all kampung folks will come together and assist the family to make the whole ceremony a success and enjoyable eventhough how limited the space could be but thru the cooperation and harmonious of the kampung folks, how small or big the kenduri is going to be makes no difference at all. What matters most is everyone comes together to witness the ceremony of the pengantin baru and the beautifully designed Pelamin (stage) for the newly weds.


(All pictures were snapped from my hp - SE-W660i)