In a Sabah night mall, orange lights lit up in the hallways decorated with pumpkins, foam ghosts and spooky costumes. A small child dropped his helmet; his gaze fixed on the undead figure that suddenly appeared from behind the black curtain. Her mother smiled faintly: "It's just fun," she whispered. But in a Malay village residence in Selangor, when the clock shows the evening at the end of October, mothers are preparing side dishes for feasts, children are busy practicing silat or dancing at the village hall, and the question of pumpkin or "trick-or-treat" only appears on social media, as a big city fashion, not part of the daily cultural pulse.
This story opens a question: if Halloween is becoming more popular in Malaysian cities in malls, theme park events, on Instagram posters does that mean it has become "our tradition"? Or is it just a seasonal celebration that is imported, while the heart of Malaysian culture lies in ancestral traditions long before digital globalization? The argument: Halloween is not a Malaysian tradition.
Although the night of October 31 is not recorded as a public holiday in Malaysia, the festivities are getting more striking theme parks, malls, and special Halloween events are popping up. One guide says: "It's not a public holiday, but theme parks, malls, and private events celebrate it every year." (Spoookly) On the other hand, there was discontent: when Tourism Malaysia promoted the "Nights of Fright 11" event at Sunway Lagoon on social media, many netizens protested that the ministry prioritized "western" celebrations over local cultural events. (Marketing-Interactive)
One activist, Firdaus Wong, vehemently questioned: "Since when is Halloween part of Malaysian culture?" (TRP) And the member of parliament, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, stated:
“Halloween is not our culture and not that of the Asian people … Why can’t we hold a large programmed for Deepavali instead of the Halloween?” (The Star)
This small confrontation shows that Halloween although increasingly visible has not yet been widely accepted as an integral part of the "Malaysian identity". He was present but still felt like a foreign guest.
To understand why Halloween feels like an "import", it's not enough to look at the glittering of the day we have to track its origins. The festival originated in the tradition of All Hallows' Eve in the West, which later incorporated pagan Celtic and early Christian elements. (Wikipedia)
In this sense, Halloween has its roots in the cultures of Northern Europe and America, then through globalization it entered various countries including Asian countries such as Malaysia. However, because it does not have direct roots in Malay, Chinese, Indian or indigenous traditions in Malaysia, many feel that it has not been "rooted". Add to that: the Malaysian calendar in 2024 records the day of October 31 to coincide with the Hindu festival of Deepavali. The SCMP article noted the concern of many: malls that decorate more pumpkins and zombies than lamps and rangoli. (South China Morning Post)
In other words: Halloween comes, but not through the same traditional cultural chain as Kaamatan, Gawai, National Day, or the tradition of silat and wau. It exists through consumption, entertainment and commercial and not through the generation that shaped it as a legacy.
Malaysia is a mosaic of cultures: Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and many more. Each ethnic group has a celebration that grows out of community and has a long history. For example, the Kaamatan festival in Sabah is a celebration of rice crops, with Sumazau dance, vegetables and real Kadazan-Dusun culture. An article mentions it being celebrated by ethnic Kadazan-Dusun and others on May 30-31 every year. (Wikipedia)
Similarly, the choice of mall decorations that if you pay attention tend to decorate the local festival more (such as Deepavali, Chinese New Year, Malaysia Day) and not Halloween as the cultural core.
Meanwhile, Halloween in Malaysia is more likely to be an entertainment event, for theme nights, costumes and faux pumpkins. The spooky guide says: "theme parks, malls, and private events celebrate it every year." (Spoookly) These artifacts have more to do with the entertainment economy not the cultural rituals of generations.
Criticism arises when institutions such as Tourism Malaysia are promoting Halloween as one of the cultural products. It raises the question: is this part of the "Malaysian identity" or is it just a global trend that is acceptable but not heritage?
Why Halloween Doesn't "Become" a Malaysian Tradition
1. No Generation Formation
Traditions are usually born and passed on through generations through houses, villages, rituals, stories. Halloween, in Malaysia, enters through malls, theme parks, social media. It is not a ritual that is passed down from generation to generation by the Malay community or the Indians or Chinese. As a result, the feeling of "this is ours" has not yet formed.
2. Cultural Identity and Sensitivity
Malaysia is not a monoculture country. Religion and culture are important components of national identity. While Halloween has emerged as an event that looks "like a costume and pumpkin party", some feel it is less sensitive to the socio-religious context. As Mas Ermieyati said: "... Halloween celebrations are not our culture... why not hold a big program for Deepavali?" (The Star)
This unease reflects that generic acceptance of extra-cultural events requires adaptation and reflection on local identity and Halloween has not yet passed through that stage.
3. The Main Purpose of Entertainment & Consumption
One of the reasons why Halloween feels like a non-tradition: the motive is more entertainment. The malls and theme parks saw it as an economic opportunity: "trick-or-treat", pumpkins, costumes, spooky effects. The event guide mentions "get your tickets early", "NEON Night Run", and the like. (Spoookly)
Compare it to local traditions that have ritual, social and spiritual meaning more than just costumes or evening parties.
4. Lack of Resonance with Local Culture
Many Malaysians feel that Halloween does not have historical resonance in the country. Netizens wrote: "We should know our priorities and culture." (South China Morning Post) This understanding suggests that when a foreign culture enters, it needs to be "in tune with" the local cultural narrative in order to be deeply accepted.
In October 2025, the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism sparked a considerable controversy. Posts on her social media accounts promote the Nights of Fright 11 event, using the hashtags #MalaysiaTrulyAsia and #CutiCutiMalaysia. (Marketing-Interactive) Many netizens expressed their frustration: why are Western celebrations being promoted when local cultural festivals like Deepavali are just around the corner?
Mas Ermieyati called:
“Why can’t we hold a large programmed for Deepavali instead of the Halloween, which is not our culture and that of the Asian people.” (The Star)
In response to this, Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tiong King Sing, denied that his ministry played a direct role in the event. (The Star)
This case is not just about Halloween, it's about who decides which cultures are adopted by state institutions, and how society sees its relationship to national identity.
When a foreign tradition enters the public sphere of another country, two possibilities arise: adaptation or cultural transfer. Adaptation means that foreign cultures are seen, filtered, and then integrated into the local context, perhaps with a change in meaning. Cultural transfer means that foreign cultures come, replace or dim local culture.
In the case of Halloween in Malaysia, it seems to lean more towards a light-hearted cultural shift: spooky events, pumpkins, decorative costumes without any ritual or local historical meaning. As a result, the reception is still quite shallow. Discussions arose about "why do we focus on pumpkin inventories instead of lamps?", signaling concerns that local identities could be suppressed by events that look glamorous but are not directly related. (South China Morning Post)
However, that doesn't mean Halloween doesn't have a place at all it's still present as an entertainment option in big cities, just as globalization has produced "coffee lattes", "fast-food", or "pop music festivals". But the fact that it is not a "mainstream" may reflect that Malaysian culture has a different framework: the one that is rooted, the generation-to-generation.
Why is it important to discuss that Halloween is "not" a Malaysian tradition? There are several lessons:
- Identity Awareness: When a foreign culture is inserted into the public space, we are reminded to question: Does it add to our identity or shake it? Are we just copying trends or really understanding what they mean?
- Institutional Role: When an institution like the ministry of cultural promotion decides what to raise it's not just a question of "what's interesting", it's a question of "what is our identity". The Halloween case confirms that cultural promotion is not just about parties.
- Adaptation vs Preservation: Local culture still needs to be uplifted, interpreted, continued. If Malaysia's unique traditions are neglected in favor of superficially compelling global events, then the risk is the loss of a deeper legacy.
- Individual & Collective Choices: For some individuals, choosing to celebrate Halloween may be just entertainment. But as a society, collective choices about what we consider "shared traditions" have long-term implications.
The night of October 31 may continue to shine in Malaysia's big city malls pumpkins, costumes, selfie waves and foam ghosts. But it's important to realize: a tradition isn't just about what is celebrated once a year. It is about roots, meaning, generation, and common identity.
When the pumpkin lights change to red and yellow oil lamps on Deepavali; when Halloween pumpkins are replaced by cultural gongs in Kaamatan; We must ask: which one do we inherit? Will we choose a party that comes through social media and entertainment alone, or will we choose the rituals, heritage and meaning that our ancestors have formed?
If tradition is a bridge between the past and the future, then choosing it means we choose who we are and who we want to be. Halloween can be present as a global entertainment, but it has not (and probably won't) become a tradition that weaves the roots of Malaysian culture.
And in this space of reflection, we are invited to consider base our celebratory choices not just on the excitement of the night, but on our identity which may be more than costumes, pumpkins and dark nights.
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