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front and fastened with small buttons, or having a 
hole in them through which the head is thrust are 
also commonly to be seen. 
As the Malays are Mohammedans, a head- 
covering, with which the face can be veiled, is a 
necessary article of female attire, but the Malays’ 
interpretation of the law of Islam on this subject 
is somewhat liberal. In some states a second sarong 
is commonly worn over the head and shoulders, and 
this, when necessary, can be pulled close over the 
face so that little of the features can be seen. A 
loose veil, thrown over the head, with ends hanging 
down in front, is also popular in other parts of the 
Peninsula. In Kelantan, woman’s dress consists of 
a sarong as a skirt, a strip of cloth round the bust 
and a floating veil. 
With regard to the jewellery worn by both sexes, 
it is ' nowadays difficult to say what distinctively 
native articles are still in use, and even such as 
are now worn chiefly by Malays are sometimes of 
foreign origin and nearly always the work of foreign 
(Chinese) craftsmen. Almost any article of jewel- 
lery is acceptable to the modern Malay woman, 
though if she be of the town, she despises the 
old-time ornaments of her people. Even the village 
women have stopped wearing the large brass, silver 
or gold belt clasps; the large silver (virgin’s) ear- 
studs; silver rings, bracelets and anklets; filigree 
pendants and silver beads and scent-boxes worn tied 
to a corner of the handkerchief. Necklaces of large 
gold, or gold-washed, beads, either decorated with, 
or composed of, filigree work are still to be seen, 
while the peculiar brooches, seemingly of foreign 
introduction which are used with the long coat, are 
universal. 
