Malaysia lies at 7° North of the Equator and consists of West and East
Malaysia. West Malaysia is bordered by Thailand to the north, Singapore to
the south, South China Sea to the east, and Straits of Malacca to the west.
East Malaysia shares its southern border with Indonesia, and is cradled by
the South China Sea to the west and north, and the Sulu Sea to the
northeast. Although Malaysia is not an large country in terms of actual land
area (roughly 127,316 sq miles), but it has an enormously great deal to
offer.
Welcome to Malaysia
About malaysia
BRIEF HISTORY
Malaysia's history starts generally around the establishment of the Malacca
sultanate. During the 13th century, it was renowned as a major port for
traders from both east and west.
Following this time, events developing in China and the Roman Empire
motivated Indian traders to seek a new port for their rich trade. Malacca
was chosen, based mainly on its advantageous location -- it was sheltered
from strong monsoon winds, thus the port was able to operate year-round.
Spices and other precious goods were the main commodities traded at this new
port, which flourished as the world's new major maritime trade point,
especially for Indian, Arab and Chinese traders.
Malacca's profitable position was envied by many and resulted in the
Portuguese invasion in 1511. Later, in 1641, the Dutch defeated the
Portuguese and reigned until 1815 when the British Empire took over. In
1826, the British ruled and consolidated Penang, Singapore and Malacca under
one administration unit called the Colony of the Straits Settlement. After
World War II, there was a resurgence of Malayan nationalism leading to the
Declaration of Independence for the Federation of Malaya from the British
Empire on August 31, 1957.
This movement was led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, who later became Malaysia's
first Prime Minister. Malaysia, at the time, comprised 13 states (including
Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak) and two federal territories were formed in
1963. This formation was opposed by neighboring Indonesia, which resulted in
a confrontation with the large Asian nation. The conflict ended with the
fall of Indonesia's President Sukarno a year later. Singapore later withdrew
from the Federation in 1965.
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION
Malaysia has 13 states: 11 on the Malayan Peninsula (West Malaysia) and two,
Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo (East Malaysia).
Malaysia's capital city is Kuala Lumpur. The new administrative center is in
Putrajaya, which is approximately a 30-minutes drive from the capital.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Malaysia lies at 7° North of the Equator and consists of West and East
Malaysia. West Malaysia is bordered by Thailand to the north, Singapore to
the south, South China Sea to the east, and Straits of Malacca to the west.
East Malaysia shares its southern border with Indonesia, and is cradled by
the South China Sea to the west and north, and the Sulu Sea to the
northeast. Although Malaysia is not an large country in terms of actual land
area (roughly 127,316 sq miles), but it has an enormously great deal to
offer.
CLIMATE
Malaysia is pampered with a warm tropical climate, with general temperatures
ranging from 70° F to 90° F. The weather is very strongly influenced by the
Northeast and the Southwest Monsoon. The period of May to September is
usually a drier period. The East Coast of West Malaysia and the states in
East Malaysia normally have their rainy seasons between November and
February.
POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC
Malaysia is a land of ready smiles and incredible variety. The rich
diversity of experiences and contrasts beckons the worldly traveler, from
city-lovers to adventure-seekers and much, much more. Here, in this land of
friendly and fascinating people, you can get a taste of all of Asia in a
single destination.
Come mingle with the country's population of more than 25 million people,
which consists of Malays (the nation's biggest ethnicity) and other
indigenous groups including the Orang Asli, Dayaks, Kadazan Dusun, Melanau,
Murut and more. Joining them are the large Chinese and Indian populations,
and groups of mixed descent, such as the Baba-Nyonyas and Eurasians of
Portuguese and other European ancestry, as well as other immigrant Asian
ethnicities.
The Malays and the native tribal groups make up approximately 60% of the
total population. Chinese 30%, Indians 8% and the balance a melting pot of
other races and cultures. Four-fifths of the population resides in West
Malaysia .
LANGUAGE
Although Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, English is widely spoken.
Other prominent languages spoken - Mandarin, other Chinese dialects, Tamil,
Punjabi.
RELIGION
Although the official religion of Malaysia is Islam, each person is free to
practice his or her own faith. The abundance of temples, mosques, churches
and other places of worship bears testament to this. Islam in Malaysia is
rather tolerant and does not comply with the fundamental belief of
extremists.
ECONOMY
Malaysia remains one of the world's largest producers of rubber, palm oil,
timber and tin. In recent years, the manufacturing and service (notably the
tourism sector) industries have become main contributors to the economy.
Exports of electronic products are one of the main contributors of the
nation's economic growth. In fact, Malaysia is one of the few Asian
countries that has its own car manufacturing industry. The stability of the
economy and its political scenario has managed to attract tremendous foreign
investment into the country.
The country's major trading partners are Japan, the United States,
Singapore, the United Kingdom and Germany.
CURRENCY
The
Malaysian unit of currency is the Ringgit Malaysia (RM), which is divided
into 100 sen. Currency comes in notes of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100.
Coins are issued in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and RM1
denominations. MYR3.7.
All currencies brought into and out of the country must be declared by a
Travelers Declaration Form, which can be obtained at Malaysia's entry and
exit points. Due to government regulations, non-residents are not allowed to
bring in and out of the country more than RM1000.00 at any given time, but
foreign currencies are not regulated.
All commercial banks are authorized foreign exchange dealers. Major hotels,
however, are only licensed to buy or accept foreign currencies in the form
of notes and travelers' checks.
TIME ZONE
Malaysia is eight hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Meridian Time), 16 hours
ahead of US Pacific Standard Time and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard
Time. Daylight Saving Time is not applicable to the country.
ELECTRICITY AND VOLTAGE
Malaysia's electric supply is on a 240-volt 50-cycle system. Visitors from
countries using different electricity voltage systems are advised to bring
their converters and adapters.
WATER Water
is generally safe to be consumed from the tap, though boiling prior to
consumption is advisable.
