Tanjak, headdress or headband is one of the clothing of the Malay male head often associated with the palace, heroism and worn in various Malay customs events.
Tanjak usually be matched with bengkung, sampin and baju Melayu and keris selit for Malay men.
Before the Malay sultanate reign, Tanjak has not been created yet. At that time, only a piece of cloth was used and tied to the head to close the hair so that it looked neat.
As time goes by, the style of the bonds keep changes, into a more elegant design based on individual’s position.
Malay Malacca had used their wisdom to change the piece of cloth originally tied to their heads into a Tanjak. In the pass, Tanjak used to symbolize a person’s status.
Only those who are able to wear it are the king and sultan.
Sultan Malacca’s Tanjak were made of silk from China or India while the folks used Tanjak from ordinary cloth.
There are some story about the origin usage of Tanjak.
History of the use of Tanjak in Perak is said to come from the history of the arrival of the Sultan Muzaffar in the state of Perak, to enthrone there.
The Sultan threw his crown into the sea because of a deal with the sea keeper in order to reach Perak. The headwear is then designed to replace the crown of the king and was called ’Tengkolok Raja’.
Different state, different style
The type of Tanjaks’ style depend on the wearer origin. Here are some examples from some states in Malaysia.
Tanjak Dagang Sakit Di Rantau (Terengganu) 
Tanjak Bugis Tak Balik (Sarawak) 
Tanjak Bulang Hulu (Kelantan) 
Tanjak Siga (Sabah) 
Tanjak Sudu Itik (Kedah) 
Tanjak Belah Mumbang (Johor) 
Tanjak Dendam Berahi (Negeri Sembilan) 
Tanjak Cogan Daun Kopi (Pahang) 
Tanjak Alang Iskandar (Perak) 
Tanjak Pari Mudik (Selangor) 
Tanjak Putera Kayangan (Perlis)
There are various style of Tanjak for every states, visit this website to discover.
Mostly, the Tanjak that the wearer wore, represent their status. The Sultans’ Tanjak also differ from normal folks.
This is one of the technique to make a Tanjak
But, nowadays the tradition is less popular on the new generation as people are attracted to the trendy attire. This tradition commonly be seen during wedding ceremony and special events. Some group of people attempt to bring this tradition back alive among the younger generation by exposing them about the culture on exhibit etc.
Sources
https://pecintawarisanmelayu.blogspot.com/2017/03/tanjak-warisan-melayu.html
Busana Malaysia 