THE COCOS MALAY PEOPLE

The first group of settlers brought to the islands by Alexander Hare were predominately Malay with a number of people of Chinese, Papuan and Indian descent. It is believed the party also comprised a few African individuals. The people came from such places as Bali, Bima, Celebes, Madura, Sumbawa, Timor, Sumatra, Pasir-Kutai, Malacca, Penang, Batavia and Cerebon. They were described by subsequent visitors to the islands as being nominally Muslim and speaking Malay - the trading lingua franca of the then East Indies. Today the Malay dialect spoken by the Cocos Malay people is an unsophisticated oral language. It contains words that reflect the diverse origins of these people and their history of sporadic contacts with outsiders. Of necessity, modern interpretation is given in Bahasa Indonesia/Malay with some adaptation to local usage.

The society that exists today has been held together for eight generations by its very isolation, shared economic endeavour, strong family loyalty, a deepening commitment to Islam and their unique version of the old Malay language of the East Indies. Theirs has been a world sealed off from the outside by geography, politics and language. Few outsiders have lived among them and very little has been recorded of their cultural practices and traditions.

Despite their disparate origins, the Cocos Malay people achieved an identity of their own within one generation of settlement. The "Cocos-born", as they were officially referred to, lived separately from both the Javanese contract labourers and the European owner-settlers. They had their own mosques, their own leaders and their own ceremonies.

Today the cornerstone of the Cocos Malay society and the focus of each individual's life is the Islamic religion. Few depart from its teachings and observances. Elements of the English-Scottish traditions of the early overseeing families have been absorbed into Cocos Malay cultural practices. Certain foods, dances and musical influences have a western flavour.

Throughout the year a large number of ceremonies are held at various houses in the kampong for a wide range of family celebrations. These include: house blessings, welcomes, farewells, boat launchings, remembrances of deceased relatives, circumcisions, Koran readings and other family events. The biggest celebration of the year for the Cocos Malay people is Hari Raya Puasa, the day that marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The Cocos Malay people have shown a remarkable flair for adaptation during their relatively short social history. They have developed the knack of accepting new cultural elements and blending them with traditions of their own.

A cultural night with a western flavour as the dancers perform a type of Scottish Reel in their colourful costumes . photos courtesy of Ms Ann Murray

CULTURAL TIPS

* It is suggested that visitors to Home Island be mindful of the need to dress conservatively out of respect to the Muslim community.
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* Shoes should be removed when entering a house or mosque.

* Unless the front door of the house is wide open, it is considered more polite to go around to the back door than to knock on the front.

* Cocos Malay people use their right hand for eating, giving and receiving and will appreciate if you do the same when meeting them.

* Refrain from touching a person on the head.