Glimpse of Malaysia
Land and people of Malaysia
Malaysia is a fascinating and enchanting nation of different races, cultures and religions, all co-existing in harmony in a tropical paradise setting in the heart of Southeast Asia.
Malaysia comprises of East and West Malaysia. East Malaysia consists of two geographically large states, namely Sabah and Sarawak, which occupy the northern zone of Borneo Island. West Malaysia, which is an easy plane ride away across a short stretch of the South China Sea, consists of 11 states, all of which have their own distinctive attractions that easily grab the attention. Malaysia covers a total area of 329.758 sq-km. Its climate is warm and humid throughout the year. The temperatures range from 30oC during the day and 22oC at night. The population is approximately 25 million. Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English, Mandarin and Tamil are widely used too. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, but Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and other religions are practised freely.
Economy
Malaysia is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of semi-conductors, audio-visual products, electrical goods, rubber-dipped products and oleo-chemicals. It is also one of the largest producers of rubber, tin, timber, pepper and petroleum.
Malaysia is spearheading the Information Age by promoting information technology aggressively. It has embarked on telemarketing, on-line information services, electronic commerce and digital broadcasting through the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) vision. The nation also has embarked on the development of heavy industries and is now producing its own national cars, which have penetrated nearly 80 per cent of the domestic market.
Today, Malaysia is the 17th largest trading nation in the world and based on the 2003 World Competitiveness Yearbook, Malaysia is ranked as the 4th most competitive nation among countries with a population of 20 million and above after United States, Australia and Canada respectively.
Infrastructure
Whether on land, sea or air, Malaysia has one of the most developed infrastructures in Southeast Asia, and is comparable to those of developed nations. Malaysia’s land transportation comprises motor vehicles and an impressive network of roads and rail links. The international airport, KLIA, provides world class facilities and services and hosts airlines from every corner of the world. Meanwhile, Malaysia is also becoming a formidable force in sea-related activities possessing some of the best ports in the world. Port Klang, a transhipment hub, is positioning itself as Malaysia’s sea gateway to the world, and together with the Northport and Southport offers impressive multipurpose port facilities which have attracted many shipping lines to increase their calls at these ports.
Food & Culture
Malaysia is a haven for food and cultural activities. The different races which make up the Malaysian population provide a wide variety of excellent cuisine. Indian, Chinese and Malay dishes are easily and cheaply available at most restaurants and street stalls, whilst fast-food restaurants and Western food are easily found too. In addition, various other delectable cuisines are also available, such as Middle Eastern and Thai.
Culturally, Malaysia presents a feast of colour and diversity as the different races exhibit their individual traits and traditions through festivals, songs, dances and their traditional attire. Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, but the different ethnic people speak their own individual dialects. English and Mandarin are also widely used.
Places of Interest
The capital city is Kuala Lumpur and it offers a large variety of activities, from gastronomic to shopping and museums to parks and local theatre. In addition, the new administration centre of Putrajaya, located to the south of KL, is a tourist lure because of its excellent Islamic architecture and parkland and lake surroundings. Other must-do activities are visiting the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world; trekking through the tropical jungle and Nature Park in Taman Negara, basking on the pristine beaches of Pangkor and Langkawi; and getting up close the wild flora and fauna in the rainforests of Sabah. For those who prefer shopping and good bargains, Malaysia offers a variety of shops that sell handicraft as well as branded goods and wear.
Services
Malaysia is well-connected in terms of transportation and communications within the country and the rest of the world. It also provides easily available medical, banking, telecommunication (telephone, Internet cafes, telephone) and postal services which are conveniently accessed in the towns and cities.
Monetary transactions are usually in ringgit and sen (Malaysian paper and coins currency), but credit cards are accepted in most commercial businesses and travelers cheques may be changed at any of the numerous commercial banks, hotels and authorized money changers.
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