Call to prayers

Islam is the nation's official religion, and every infant in Malaysia is technically "born into" Islam, just as the Anglican Church claims every native-born member of the United Kingdom. My sense is that there are more Buddhists than Muslims in Ipoh, however. Maybe not ― I haven't traveled much outside the city's core. Every ethnic Malay is subject to Sharia law, or a combination of civil law and Sharia, if they foul up. For the past year, the death penalty is in a state of moratorium, but caning with wet rattan sticks is still a common punishment. This is the salat al-asr adhan, or the late-afternoon call, at 4:20 (heh). These are probably tape recordings, but they're more soaring and musical than the adhans I remember in Cairo, where most of the recordings are sourced. I like how you can hear roosters from 15 stories up. The birds in the trees never sleep ― they chatter and click all night long.