Sabah (Kadazan-dusun)

Birth
- Mother cannot eat buffalo meat or she will age quickly.
- She may not wash her hair for a month. If she washes her hair before that, it may
cause her to be mentally impaired when she is older.
- Do not cut her fingernails, the wind may come into her body and make her sick.
Pregnancy
- Not allowed to wander outside for the children born would be ill with skin diseases
or walk away from home.
- Must not ridicule any animals or handicapped person, the baby may be born to
such traits.
- Must not step over the rope to which a buffalo is tied as the birth of the baby will
be delayed to ten or eleven months.
Death
- No one must do any kind of work on the day of the funeral (eg: planting rice). It
brings misfortune.
- While the body is still in the house, all occupants must stay awake. Whoever fall
asleep will be doused with water. The purpose of keeping awake is to watch out
for the devil (a large bird will try to fly away with the body).
- Prevent a cat from jumping over the outstretched corpse, if this happens the dead
man will be transformed into a dangerous and terrifying giant.
Marriage
Cannot cancel engagement
o If not, the one who cancel it need to pay all or half amount that have
been discussed.
Before the bride and groom are allowed step into the house, the host family
man / woman singing or "SelakohanSinding"
o SelakohanSinding >welcoming new bride.
Anything that related to engagement must be settled during morning time.
o No during evening and night.
Engagement date is fixed by the agreement of both parties.
o The days are not in the odd number of odd and in a good month.
Malays
Birth
- Babys hair is shaven clean as hair grows inside the womb is unclean
- Mother undergoes 44-day confinement period to regain their health and energy
levels, as well as their looks.
- Placenta should be buried at the door way together with tamarind, salt, needles,
books and pencils so that the baby will grow up to be a hardworking child and a
smart student.
Pregnancy
- Not allowed to soak her clothes overnight as it is afraid her body will be bloated
during childbirth.
- The pregnant woman is prohibited to see or hear things that may frighten her as
that may make her deliver a handicapped baby.
- The pregnant woman should not laugh, insult or make fun of other people. It is
afraid that the characters of these people will be found in her new born baby.
Death
- If someone is buried without performing the funeral prayer, the whole community
incurs a sin.
- Kid must not cry as the dead person would feel hard to leave the eternity.
- Muslims would throw ash into the river as freedom for the dead person.
Marriage
- Not encouraged to see your future husband or wife within the 40 days before the
ijab Kabul (holy matrimony) is taking place to avoid the future newlyweds from
imputation of society as well as other bad things.
- Its advisable to not eat too much seafood as they may contain a lot of toxic which
may weaken the body and ruin the wedding.
- The couple should avoid bath night. It is not good for the health.