Malay units of measurement

Units of measurement used in Malaysia and neighbouring countries include the kati, a unit of mass, and the gantang, a unit of volume.

Mass

In measuring amount by mass, the common unit is kati,[1] which is about 1​1⁄3 lb (604.79 g).[2] A higher unit is pikul or picul, which is 100 kati or 133.333 pounds (60.479 kg).[3]

Volume
For other uses, see Gantang (disambiguation).

In measuring amount by volume, the common unit is gantang (gallon), which is equivalent to 1 imperial gallon (4.5 l; 1.2 US gal) or 8 pints. To make it clear, Gantang equals a Gallon. A Gallon has sub measurements of 4 Quarts, or 8 Pints, or 16 Cups. A Gantang has sub measurements of 4 Churpak, or 8 Leng, or 16 Chentong. Churpak equals a Quart. Leng equals a Pint. Chentong equals a Cup.

Chentong is also normally used only in certain areas, and so eight leng makes up a gantang.

When used to measure unhusked rice, a gantang weights about 4 to 5 lb (1.8 to 2.3 kg).

References
  1. "Kati" entry at A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English.
  2. "Weights and Measures Act 1972". Laws of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01.
  3. 新华字典 (Xīnhuá Zìdiǎn), Peking, 1984.

Further reading
  • Malay Fishermen: Their Peasant Economy, by Raymond Firth. Norton (1975) ISBN 0-393-00775-8


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