Regalia of Malaysia
The primary element is gold, to add regality and an imperial aura, and all designs point upwards to indicate that all beings are created by Allah.
The style of folding is called solek, and there are variations depending on the tradition of the royal family of a particular state.
The royal headdress worn by the King of Malaysia during his installation ceremony is called the Tengkolok Diraja.
Made of black fabric embroidered with gold thread, it is folded in the style called Dendam Tak Sudah ("Persistent Vengeance") from the state of Negeri Sembilan (which also inspired the elective monarchical system itself).
The origin of the Muskat can be traced to the ancient kingdom of Muscat, in present-day Oman.
It was the introduced by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj, Malaysia's first prime minister, who was a prince of the Kedah royal house.
The Muskat is made of black wool embroidered with gold thread, in the pattern of the hibiscus, Malaysia's national flower.
The Pending Diraja or Royal Buckle Belt is made of pure gold and decorated with eleven rubies.
The belt is made of heavy ribbed silk, embroidered with floral motifs in gold thread.
The Keris Panjang Diraja or Government Keris symbolises regal power and authority and is thus the image of the continuing pictorial traditions of royalty in Malaysia of the royal ruler being historical warrior chief of his territory, as well as the King's constitutional duty as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
The hilt of the keris is in the form of a horse's hoof with decorations resembling the jering (Archidendron pauciflorum) fruit.
This keris is worn by the reigning King only on certain occasions with the Muskat, and is kissed as a form of reverence during his installation day.
As with the Tiara, the Kalung can be separated into a pair of earrings, brooches, and kerabu (a traditional ornament for the ears).
These two large sceptres or maces form part of the royal regalia and are carried by attendants in state ceremonies escorting the King and Queen.
It consists of a large, conical-shaped head with a golden, five-pointed star and a silver crescent mounted on a long shaft.
The Cokmar, or War Clubs, or Mace are another symbol of power and part of the panoply of authority of the Malaysian Government.
Attendants carrying the War Clubs in royal ceremonies walk after the bearers of the Sceptres.
Currently, only Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and Selangor maintain Nobat ensembles, with the instrumentation differing by state.
Kelantan's, while omitting the nafiri, has an additional serunai plus two rebab lutes, two large gongs, and two more Gendang Anak.
For example, in Kedah, they are known as: Belayar (Sailing), Palu [(The Drums are) Beaten] and Perang (War) respectively[2] - while in Terengganu, the songs are played to the melody of Iskandar Shah (King Alexander), Palu-Palu Melayu [(The) Malay (drums are) Beaten] and Ibrahim Khalil [Abraham, friend (of God)].
One of the taboos in these 3 ensembles is that those who are not from the Orang Kalur clan are forbidden to play or even touch these instruments, for they are considered sacred.
In Perak, the nobat is also sounded during days of Islamic significance: the last 3 afternoons before and final 6 nights of Ramadhan, the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, 3 consecutive afternoons before Eid-ul-Adha, and the mornings of those two days, including the arrival and departure of the Sultan of Perak at the Ubudiah Mosque to perform the congregational Eid prayers.
