ABSTRACT
This chapter articulates a Malay conception of giftedness using historical literatures, socio- and psychocultural practices, as well as an examination of the Malay political setting. It explores a number of Malay art forms and the conception of giftedness that arises from the mastery of such art forms. Sociocultural elements of giftedness that arise from the literatures are discussed and compared with those arising from Malay art forms. The chapter uses two primary sources of Sejarah Melayu. The first source is the annotated English translation by Brown. The second source is the contemporary Malay version edited by A. Samad Ahmad. A view of the Malay peasantry life may yield elements that would be of interest to the inference of a Malay conception of giftedness. Although the Malays are said to be cunning and constantly looking for shortcuts in achieving their goals, they are also known to be highly creative and artistic people who laboriously learn to master certain art forms.
