Mantai

What it is

Mantai is a shared cattle slaughter and meat distribution, kept by people in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. It happens on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, which ends the fast of Ramadan, and on the eve of Eid al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice. The point is to make sure there is enough meat for everyone to celebrate the coming festival. The animal is killed following halal rules, and the meat is then shared through the neighbourhood. The same practice also appears in Beranang, in Selangor, and Alor Gajah, in Malacca.

A dialect name

The name mantai comes from Negeri Sembilan speech. There, it is a shortened form of membantai, the word for slaughtering, used here for killing cattle for meat. A second name, mogang poso, is usually translated as welcoming the fast, and it compares with memegang puasa in standard Malay. People in Beranang call the custom mogang. One more term belongs with it: cincang pelupuh. This describes cutting coconut fronds so that cleaned beef and buffalo meat can be laid on them.

How it is kept

Cows are chosen and made ready before the day. On Mantai day they are killed in large numbers under halal rules. In the past, villagers put their money together to buy a cow or buffalo, killed it as a group in the spirit of gotong-royong, or shared work, and divided the meat among themselves. Once the meat is handed out, residents cook together, making dishes from it. Many take leave from work so they can spend the day with family, helping to butcher the animal and to prepare the food.

Food and drink

The slaughtered meat becomes the meal: rendang, soup and masak lemak cili api are among the dishes residents cook with it. Lemang and cooked rice are the usual accompaniments. Because so many people take part, cooking is a shared job rather than one household's work, and the food is eaten as part of the celebration that follows the fast or the sacrifice. In the past the animal was bought with pooled money, so the meal belonged to the whole village rather than to any one family.

Today and change

Much has changed. Small stalls now stand along busy main roads so that buyers can reach the meat easily, and butchers prepare the day before for the crowds. Some note that the meat is cheaper than in the market because it is auctioned to residents, at prices meant to lift the festive mood. Since the Negeri Sembilan state government began holding Mantai Raya Perdana, a grand Eid Mantai, the custom is also organised across the whole state. During the COVID-19 pandemic, residents booked meat online and had it delivered home. The tradition held on.

How Mantai is kept

Residents prepare the cows beforehand. On the day, the animals are slaughtered in large numbers following halal rules. Historically, villagers pooled their money for a cow or buffalo, killed it together through gotong-royong and divided the meat among themselves. After the meat is shared out, everybody joins in cooking dishes such as rendang, soup and masak lemak cili api, eaten with lemang and rice. Some take leave from work to help with the butchering and the cooking. In Beranang the same day is called mogang.

When and where

Mantai is kept on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, which comes after Ramadan, and on the eve of Eid al-Adha. Both dates move with the Islamic calendar, so they fall at different points of the year. The animals are prepared beforehand, and butchers get ready the day before.

It is a Negeri Sembilan tradition, kept in that Malaysian state. The practice is also popular in some neighbouring places: Beranang in Selangor, where the name mogang is used, and Alor Gajah in Malacca. Both of those areas are described as culturally closer to the Minangkabau than to the Malay.

What Mantai means

Those who keep Mantai describe it as a way of building family spirit and togetherness. Neighbours depend on each other: one household's share of meat only makes sense alongside the shared cooking and the shared meal that follows. The slaughter is done under halal rules, so the religious requirement and the practical job of feeding a village arrive together. People take time off work to be part of it. When residents ordered their meat online during the pandemic rather than gathering, the custom still held.

On the table

Flavours: Chilli

Days Mantai is marked

Questions people ask about Mantai

See also

MorehA late-night Ramadan supper of light snacks shared after the tarawih prayersEid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits homeThaipusamA Tamil Hindu festival honoring Murugan through devotional burdens and pilgrimageLebaranIndonesia's festive season of homecoming, seeking forgiveness and shared feasts

Good reading and sources

• Mantai on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-12.