Gendang Melayu Sarawak is a combination of music, songs and dance inherited by the Sarawak Malay community. During a performance the women take their places behind a batik curtain to separate them from the men who sit in front of the curtain at their own leisure. The performance starts with dances performed by the group in pairs. They sing and exchange quatrains. Sometimes the dancers cover their faces with batik sarongs to conceal their identities. Commonly used musical instruments are the drum, violin, accordion and gong. Hitting the centre of the ‘gendang’ produces the ‘pak’ sound, and ‘pung’ is achieved along the edge. The clashing or combination of the ‘pak’ and ‘pung’ is what creates the unmistakable rhythm of ‘gendang Melayu’ Sarawak (Sarawak Malay drum) which typically accompanies hours of ‘joget’ numbers sung by the ‘Seh Gendang’. The lyrics of the songs are in the form of traditional or impromptu ‘pantun’ (poems). It is customary for celebrators to dance (‘nopeng’ or ‘bertandak’) to the songs, hence the terms ‘penopeng’ or ‘penandak’. A verse of ‘pantun’ usually has four lines consisting of alternating, roughly rhyming lines. The first and second lines (‘barisan pembayang’) sometimes appear completely disconnected in meaning from the third and fourth (‘barisan maksud’), but there is almost invariably a link of some sort. In addition, the ‘pantun’ normally repeats the second and the fourth couplet to beautify the melodies. This event’s main purpose is to have fun but, indirectly, it provides opportunities for youths to seek for their future life partners. Gendang Melayu Sarawak is performed during wedding feasts, prayer and circumcision ceremonies, as well as folks festivals. Gendang Melayu Sarawak was recognised as a National Heritage in 2012.

The farmers’ community assumes that the festive season is the harvesting season. At this time, they are in jolly mood because they obtain revenue from their own sweat poured into their paddy fields all these while. It has been normal that when every time paddy harvesting season approaches the farmers organise a paddy flaking festivity made merrier by a game of Tumbuk Kalang. Often this game is held house to house and lasts for a number of evenings. The musical instruments for the Tumbuk Kalang performance are a set of caklempong, gong, paddy pestles and hand-held drummettes.

Terinai is an arts form that has long set in the state of Perlis usually performed at palace festivities. However, it is also performed at normal wedding ceremonies. The musical instruments are a clarinet, a pair of drums and two gongs. This gentle dance with candles on the palms is accompanied by the beating of the Terinai Drum playing the songs ‘Temang Welo’, ‘Selong’ and ‘Mak Inang’ The rythmns are such as ‘Menghadap Terinai’, ‘Ketam Bawa Anak’, ‘Dewa Raja’, and ‘Inang Cik Lang’.

Kulintangan is a traditional musical instrument of many ethnics in state of Sabah which combines the rhythm of music with the gong drum.  This was first introduced into west Sabah by the Bruneis but it is also traditionally used by the Bajaus and some Kadazandusun people. It is usually played on festive occasions, such as weddings and religious ceremonies, where it is often accompanied by other traditional gongs. The instrument consists of a set of about eight to nine small brass kettle gongs. Each sounds a different pitch when struck. The gongs are arranged horizontally in a row on a low wooden bed-like frame. The player sits down on the floor in front of the gongs and beats them with two small wooden mallets.