Word origins

• BugisA member of a people of southern Sulawesi.
• SingapuraA domestic cat of a small breed with large eyes and ears, brown ticked coat and blunt tail.
• kopiA variety of gypsum found in southern Australia, sometimes containing opal, and traditionally used by Indigenous Australian in powdered form as body ornamentation for mourning ceremonies.
• benneSesame.
• JAPENDepartment of Information, an organisation set up by the Malaysian government to disseminate official information to the public.
• ikatTraditional Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving.
• pendidikanMoral studies, a school subject for non-Muslim students in Malaysia that teaches about personal morality.
• MBSAShah Alam City Council, the city council that governs the city of Shah Alam.
• cootieA louse (Pediculus humanus).
• SandakanThe capital city of Sandakan district, Sabah, Malaysia.
• SerangoonA planning area and new town in the North-East Region of Singapore.
• chopeTo reserve (a place), such as a seat in a fast food restaurant, sometimes by placing a packet of tissue paper on it.
• PuchongA town in the Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia.
• sialThe rocks rich in silicon and aluminum that form the upper layer of the earth's crust, which lies beneath all continental landmasses.
• cassowaryAny of the large, flightless, cursorial birds of the genus Casuarius, family Casuariidae, native to Australia and New Guinea, having a characteristic bony casque on the head.
• kokuA unit of measure in feudal Japan, the amount of rice needed to feed one person for a year.
• angsanaA tree of species Pterocarpus indicus, the source of a desirable tropical hardwood, of southeast Asia.
• pangolinAny of several long-tailed, scale-covered mammals of the family Manidae within the order Pholidota of tropical Africa and Asia.
• sejarahhistory (as a school subject)
• SerembanThe capital city of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
• TuasA planning area in the West Region, Singapore.
• chanduOpium prepared for smoking.
• NusantaraA region of Southeast Asia: generally used to refer to Maritime Southeast Asia, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines.
• seraiA palace.
• teleduA stink badger, a mammal endemic to the island of Java, Mydaus javanensis.
• godownA warehouse.
• laksaA spicy noodle stew from Indonesia or Malaysia.
• tahanTo endure; to bear.
• rambutanA tree of species Nephelium lappaceum, of Southeast Asia.
• pondokA crudely-built hut in parts of Asia.
• merantiAny of various trees of the genus Shorea.
• Reformasithe political and military reformations that began with Fall of Suharto since May 1998 in Indonesia.
• sekaliWhat if, lest (something problematic or unanticipated happens)
• mamakA roadside stall selling Muslim Tamil or Malay cuisine; by extension, a restaurant that sells similar foods.
• balutAsian street food consisting of a developing duck embryo boiled alive and eaten in the shell
• kopitiamA traditional style of eatery having public seating and multiple vendors selling Chinese, Indian, and Malay food.
• pontianakA female vampiric ghost in Malaysian and Indonesian mythology, said to be the spirit of a woman who died while pregnant.
• lepakTo loiter about casually or idly, to hang around unproductively, to laze around or relax.
• susahDifficult.
• upasA tree, Antiaris toxicaria, of the mulberry family, common in the forests of Java and the neighboring islands, with poisonous secretions.
• NyonyaA female Peranakan
• ragiA grain, of species Eleusine coracana, cultivated as a cereal in arid areas of Africa and Asia; finger millet.
• proaA sailing vessel found in the waters of Micronesia and Indonesia; it has a single, large outrigger and a triangular sail.
• kendiA container of Asian derivation, usually handleless, used to hold liquid with a broad opening on top for inserting liquid and usually only one spout for pouring.
• layanTo respond to (a person) through conversation or actions, to entertain.
• salakAny salak palm (Salacca zalacca), native to Indonesia; also called.
• TawauThe district capital of Tawau district, Sabah, Malaysia.
• PeranakanA descendant of the 15th- through 17th-century Chinese immigrants to the Malay Peninsula and Nusantara (Indonesian Archipelago), now part of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Southern Thailand).
• manjaString coated with crushed glass and attached to a kite, used to cut the strings of other kites in kite fighting.
• kosongNot having additional ingredients, such as milk or sugar; plain.
• tolongplease
• buangTo discard or throw something out.
• bajuA traditional Malay jacket worn with a sarong.
• pisangA banana or plantain.
• SengkangA planning area and new town in the northeast of Singapore.
• KinabatanganA town and capital of Kinabatangan Diatrict, Sandakan Division, Sabah, Malaysia
• encikInformal term of address for a male warrant officer in the Singapore Armed Forces.
• @At a rate of (so much each).
• agak-agakTo estimate or guess.
• agar-agarAgar.
• agarationEstimation
• aksi borakStuck up; haughty.
• Alor SetarThe capital city of the state of Kedah, Malaysia.
• anyhow whackTo do something hastily or randomly without real consideration or planning.
• ayam percikA dish of grilled chicken with a spicy curry-like sauce.
• BachokBachok (a district of Kelantan, Malaysia).
• badakA rhinoceros.
• bak kut tehA pork rib dish cooked in broth, popular in Malaysia and Singapore.
• balachongA Malaysian and Singaporean form of ngapi, a Southeast Asian condiment made from fermented and compressed fish or shrimp.
• baleia type of hall, station, or large building for public uses, typically found in present-day Malaysia
• balik kampungan annual travel to one's hometown to meet one's family and relatives.
• balukuA swollen bruise or bump on the head; a goose egg.
• Bandar Seri BegawanThe capital city of Brunei.
• bantengA wild ox, Bos javanicus, found in Borneo, Malaysia and the Indochina peninsula.
• barang-barangOne's personal belongings; or more broadly, miscellaneous articles or things, paraphernalia.
• begedilA deep fried potato patty of Javanese origin, derived from the Dutch meat based frikadel. Introduced to Singapore and Malaysia by Javanese immigrants.
• belachanA Malay condiment made from fermented shrimp paste.
• belanjaTo give someone a treat.
• belimbingstar fruit
• bilianA hardwood tree, Eusideroxylon zwageri, of Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
• bilimbiA tree, Averrhoa bilimbi, related to the carambola.
• binturongA large species of civet, Arctictis binturong, of southern Asia.
• bodohStupid, dumb.
• bomohA Malay shaman or witch doctor.
• BosskuNajib Razak, former prime minister of Malaysia.
• bruangThe Malayan sun bear.
• bruhExpressing amazement or shock.
• Brunei DarussalamThe official name of Brunei, a country in Southeast Asia.
• Bukit AmanThe Royal Malaysia Police; the police.
• Bukit MerahA planning area and town in the Central Region of Singapore.
• cadjanA form of parchment made from leaves of the coconut palm, formerly used in Asia.
• cajuputcajuput oil
• candareenA traditional unit of weight in East Asia, approximately 378 milligrams and equivalent to ten cash. A troy candareen is approximately 374 milligrams.
• caracoaAny of various similar light vessels or proas used by the Malays, and the Indonesians and Filipinos, particularly for raiding.
• catechuA gummy extract of any of several species of Acacieae, but especially Senegalia catechu, produced by boiling the wood of the tree in water and evaporating the resulting liquid.
• cayolaqueSynonym of lakawood.
• ceramah; public talk, speech, political campaign or rally for a certain candidate
• changkolA type of hoe.
• ChanglunChanglun (a town in Kubang Pasu district, Kedah, Malaysia).
• chawatA traditional loincloth of the Malay region.