'Selit' in malay have several meanings. One of them is 'putting something in between something else'.... In this case inserting the keris when you wear it in the traditional malay clothing (by inserting the keris sheath in your 'samping'). Hence the term keris selit. You need a short keris with short sheath to be able to do this. You obviously can't wear a long Bali keris for example for this as the Malays wear their keris in front instead of at the back unlike the Javanese or Balinese.
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