Malaysia tourist information

Malaysia is a federation of 13 states in Southeast Asia, formed in 1963.

Places to go in Malaysia ...

Bandar Baru Bangi Cameron Highlands Cherating Georgetown Ipoh Johor Bahru Kota Bharu Kota Kinabalu Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Terengganu Kuantan Kuching Langkawi Lumut Malacca Mersing Miri Penang Petaling Jaya Port Dickson Putrajaya Sandakan Seremban Seri Kembangan Shah Alam Subang Jaya Tioman Island

The country consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China Sea:

* West Malaysia (or Peninsular Malaysia) on the Malay Peninsula shares a land border on the north with Thailand and is connected by the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link to the south with Singapore. It consists of the 11 states Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor and Terengganu, and the three federal territories of Putrajaya, Labuan and Kuala Lumpur. * East Malaysia occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the Sultanate of Brunei. It consists of the federal territory of Labuan islands and the states of Sabah and Sarawak.

As states of Malaysia were formerly British colonies, many Malaysian institutions are based on those of the British. For instance, the Malaysian system of government draws heavily on the British Westminster system. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (colloquially referred to as the King), who is elected from among the state sultans to a five-year term, making Malaysia one of two elective monarchies in the world (the other is Vatican City). As a constitutional monarchy, executive power is vested in the Prime Minister, with the King serving as more of a figurehead. The legislative branch consists of Parliament, which is mostly based on the British Parliament. A judiciary has also been established under the Constitution. The Barisan Nasional (National Front), a coalition of several political parties, has ruled Malaysia since Malaya's independence in 1957.

Initially heavily dependent on agricultural and mining activities, the Malaysian economy has since shifted its focus to manufacturing and tourism as its major sources of income. Despite the shift, Malaysia is one of the top producers of rubber and palm oil. In the 1970s, the government implemented the controversial New Economic Policy (NEP) to address an income disparity between the Malays and Chinese.

Although historically dominated by the Malays, modern Malaysian society is heterogeneous, with substantial Chinese and Indian minorities. Malaysian politics have been noted for their allegedly communal nature; the three major component parties of the Barisan Nasional each restrict membership to those of one ethnic group, and the only major violence the country has seen since independence was the May 13 Incident of racial rioting in the wake of an election campaign based on racial issues.

The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both West and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to often densely forested hills and mountains, the highest of which is Mount Kinabalu at 4,095.2 metres (13,435.7 ft) on the island of Borneo. The local climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.

Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia — if Singapore, an island connected to the continent by a man-made causeway, is excluded.

The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and West Malaysia, is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.

Putrajaya is the newly created administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia, aimed in part to ease growing congestion within Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The prime minister's office moved in 1999 and the move is expected to be completed in 2005. Kuala Lumpur remains the seat of parliament, as well as the commercial and financial capital of the country. Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru and Kuching.

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Cuisine ^*

Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi-racial aspects of Malaysia. Various ethnic groups in Malaysia have their dishes but many dishes in Malaysia are derived from multiple ethnic influences.

Rice tends to be a staple food in Malaysia as in most countries in the region. The rice eaten in Malaysia tends to be the local variety of rice or fragrant rice from Thailand, its northern neighbour. Quality Indian basmati is used in biryani dishes due to its long grained shape, fragrance and delicate flavour. Japanese short grain rice and others are slowly entering the Malaysian diet as Malaysians expand their culinary tastes to new areas.

Noodles are another popular food. Noodles such as "Bi Hoon, " (rice vermicelli), "Kuay Teow, " (soft fluffy noodles shaped like fettuccine but made of rice and translucent white in colour), "Mee" (yellow noodles), "Mee Suah, " (very fine wheat vermicelli), "Yee Meen, " (pre-fried noodles), "Tang Hoon, " (transparent noodles made from green beans), and others provide a source of carbohydrate besides the ubiquitous serving of rice that accompanies every meal.

Indian style bread such as naan, puri, roti canai, thosai and idli are commonly eaten by most Malaysian as part of breakfast. Western style bread is a relatively new addition to the Malaysian diet, having gained acceptance in the last generation.

Poultry
Chicken is generally available from local farms and is a cheap source of meat. Farms used to be family affairs, with chickens slaughtered fresh on demand at the community wet market. For a small fee a vendor would put the dead chicken into a machine where the feathers would be removed. The machine consisted of a large container of hot water which was agitated aggressively resulting in removal of feathers. Gutting and cleaning the chicken would be performed at home.

Today, while wet markets still exist, most urban Malaysians purchase frozen poultry which are raised on huge farms run by corporations.

A special type of chicken in Malaysian cooking is called the "kampung chicken" (literally village chicken). These are free-range chickens which are allowed to roam instead of being caged. These chickens are generally considered to have higher nutritional value. They are scrawnier than their farmed counterparts, meaning they have less body fat. Cooking of kampung chicken is usually by way of steaming or preparation in a soup.

Duck and goose also form part of the Malaysian diet. Satay chicken, grilled chicken with a peanut and coconut milk sauce, is in fact the national dish of Malaysia.

Beef
Beef is common in the Malaysian diet though it is notable that followers of certain religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism forbid the consumption of beef. Beef can be commonly found cooked in curries, stews, roasted, or with noodles. Malays generally eat beef that is halal.

Pork
Pork is largely consumed by the Chinese community in Malaysia. Malaysian Malays are by definition Muslim and therefore do not consume pork since Islam forbids it. Canned pork can usually be found in the non-halal sections of local supermarkets and hypermarkets, and fresh pork can be bought in some wet markets and some supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Mutton
Mutton is also a part of the Malaysian cuisine. It generally refers to goat meat rather than sheep. The meat is used in dishes such as goat soup, curries, or stews. It is a popular ingredient in Malaysian Indian food.

Seafood
Many types of seafood are consumed in Malaysia, including shrimp or prawn, crabs, squid, cuttlefish, clams, cockles, snails, and octopus. In general, members of all ethnic communities enjoy seafood, which is considered halal by Malaysian Muslims (and indeed most other Muslims) though some species of crabs are not considered halal as they can live on both land and sea.

Fish
Fish features in the Malaysian diet and most local fish is purchased the day after it is caught. Frozen fish is generally imported. Such fish, namely salmon and cod, are well received on the Malaysian table but are not caught by local fishermen. Imported fish are frozen and flown in as pieces or as whole fish and usually sold by weight.

Vegetables
Vegetables are usually available year round as Malaysia does not have four seasons. During the rainy season, sometimes vegetable yield decreases but does not stop altogether. Therefore, vegetables can be purchased year round but are slightly more expensive at certain times of the year.

Fruit
Malaysia's climate allows for fruits to be grown all year round. Most tropical fruits are either grown in Malaysia or imported from neighbouring countries. The demand for fruits is generally quite high. Some notable fruits include:

The durian, a fruit with a spiky outer shell and a characteristic odour is a local tropical fruit that is notable because it provokes strong emotions either of loving it or hating it. It is also known as the king of fruits.
The rambutan also has a distinctive appearance, being red or yellow in colour (when ripe) and having fleshy pliable spines or 'hairs' on its outer skin.
The mangosteen, often called the queen of fruits.
The lychee which has a bumpy red skin.
The mango.
The longan, which name translates to 'Dragon Eye' in chinese.

Malay food

Kangkung belacan' is water convolvulus wok-fried in a pungent sauce of shrimp paste (belacan) and hot chilli peppers. Various other items are cooked this way, including petai (which is quite bitter when eaten raw; some older generation Malays still eat it as is) and yardlong beans.
Keropok lekor, a specialty of the state of Terengganu and other states on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, is a savoury cake made from a combination of batter and shredded fish. Sliced and fried just before serving,it is eaten with hot sauce.
Kuih is usually a cake eaten during the morning or during midday.
Ikan Bakar, grilled/bbq-ed fish with either chilli, kunyit (turmeric) or other spice based sauce.
Ketupat and rendang is served normally on Hari Raya festival.
Nasi Lemak - a rice cooked with coconut milk and served with anchovies, roasted nuts, cucumbers,a slice of egg, a chili paste known as sambal and a choice of curries and rendang

Indian food
Malaysian Indian cuisine of the ethnic Indians in Malaysia is similar to its roots in India. Hands are washed before and the right hand is used during the meal .

Banana leaf rice is white rice served on banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, curry meat or fish and papadum.
Thosai (in Johor Bharu spelt Dosai) is a batter made from lentils and rice blended with water and left to ferment overnight. The batter is spread into a thin, circular disc on a flat, preheated pan, where it is fried with a dash of edible oil or ghee until the dosa reaches a golden brown colour. Then the thosai may optionally be turned over on the pan, and partially fried. The end product is neatly folded and served. Thosai is served with sambar (vegetable curry) and coconut chutney.
Idli is made from lentils (specifically black lentils) and rice - into patties, usually two to three inches in diameter, using a mold and steamed. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idli are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments.
Putu Mayam (String hoppers/ Idiyappam) is a sweet dish of rice noodles with coconut and jaggery as main ingredients. It is served with grated coconut and jaggery, or, brown sugar. In some areas, gula melaka (coconut palm sugar) is the favourite sweetener. Putu piring is a version of putu mayam in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake around a filling of coconut and brown sugar.
Biryani is a rice dish from the made from a mixture of spices, basmati rice, meat/vegetables and yogurt. The ingredients are ideally cooked together in the final phase and is time-consuming to prepare. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.
Chapati is a type of bread. It is made from a dough of atta flour (whole grain durum wheat), water and salt by rolling the dough out into discs of approximately twelve centimeters in diameter and browning the discs on both sides on a very hot, dry tava or frying pan (preferably not one coated with Teflon or other nonstick material). Chapatis are usually eaten with vegetable curry dishes, and pieces of the chapati are used to wrap around and pick up each bite of the cooked dish.
Curries Malaysian Indian curries uses a lot of spices, coconut milk, and curry leaves. Some of the most popular curries include Chicken Curry, Fish Curries, and Squid Curry.

Mamak food
Mamak (Indian Muslims) dishes have developed a distinctly Malaysian style. One of the most popular kinds of food by the Indian Muslims is called "nasi kandar". Nasi kandar originally came from Penang. Also available throughout the country, the omnipresent Mamak stalls or restaurants are particularly popular among the locals as they offer a wide range of food and some outlets are open 24 hours a day. They're fast, economical and perfect as a meeting place for a drink and snacks.

Roti canai is a thin bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet and served with condiments. It is sometimes referred to as roti kosong. In Singapore, it is referred to as prahta.
Roti telur is a roti canai with egg in it. Telur means egg.
Mamak rojak is a variant of rojak consisting of substantial ingredients like boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Also known as 'pasembur'.
Maggi goreng is a dish of fried Maggi instant noodles with flavouring (usually curry), vegetables, egg, tofu and occasionally chicken.
Nasi Kandar is white rice or briyani rice served with other dishes of curry either with chicken, fish, beef, or mutton and usually with pickled vegetables too. It is usually accompanied by some Papadums.
Nasi Lemak is rice steamed with coconut milk to lend it special fragrance. It is served with anchovies, nuts, cucumber and a chili paste known as 'sambal'. The mamak variety of 'sambal' tends to be a bit more spicy whereas the malay version of 'sambal' in a nasi lemak tends to be on the sweet side.
Teh tarik literally meaning 'pulled tea', is a well-loved drink amongst Malaysians. Tea is sweetened using condensed milk, and is prepared using out-stretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting glass, repetitively. The higher the 'pull', the thicker the froth. The 'pulling' of tea also has the effect of cooling down the tea. Teh tarik is a form of art in itself and watching the tea streaming back and forth into the containers can be quite captivating.

Nyonya food
Nyonya food was invented by the Peranakan people of Malaysia and Singapore. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients but blends them with South-East Asian spices such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chillies and sambal. It can be considered as a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking.

Chinese food
Malaysian Chinese food in Malaysia is derived from mainland Chinese cuisine but has been influenced by local ingredients and dishes from other cultures though it remains distinctly Chinese. Most Chinese meals have pork as their sub-ingredient, but due to the popularity and unique taste of the actual food, there are chicken options available for the local Malays (most Malays are Muslims, and Islam forbids them from eating pork). Some Chinese food restaurants nowadays can be found serving halal food i.e. food without ingredients that are forbidden by the Islamic religion. Chinese restaurants serving food in Halal can introduce a wider range of customers to it.

Desserts
Desserts in Malaysia tend to make use of generous amounts of coconut milk. Some common desserts include:

Cendol. Smooth green rice noodles in chilled coconut milk and gula melaka (coconut palm sugar).
Ais kacang (also known as air batu campur or just ABC. "'air batu' is ice in Malay") Sweet corn, red beans and cincau (grass jelly) topped with shaved ice, colourful syrups and condensed milk.
Pulut hitam. Black glutinous rice porridge cooked with sago and served hot with coconut milk.
Bubur cha cha. Yam and sweet potato cubes served in coconut milk and sago, served hot or cold.
Honeydew sago. Honeydew melon cubes served in chilled coconut milk and sago.
Pengat (Tapioca and Banana) a thick brown sugar mixed together with coconut milk, the fruits mentioned and boiled.

A huge variety of tropical fruits are commonly served as desserts in Malaysia. The most famous is possibly the durian. Other popular fruits local to Malaysia include mango, pineapple, watermelon, jackfruit, papaya, langsat, rambutan, star fruit, banana and mangosteen.

Culture ^*

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society, consisting of 65% Malays and other indigenous tribes, 25% Chinese, 7% Indians. The Malays, which form the largest community, are all Muslims since one has to be Muslim to be legally Malay under Malaysian law. The Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as bumiputra. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Bahasa Malaysia which is largely similar to Bahasa Melayu in most practical terms is the national language of the country.

In the past, Bahasa Melayu was written widely in Jawi, a script based on Arabic. Over time, romanized script overtook Jawi as the dominant script. This was largely due to the influence of the colonial education system which taught children in romanised writing rather than in Arabic script.

The largest indigenous tribe in terms of numbers is the Iban of Sarawak, who number over 600,000. The Iban who still live in traditional jungle villages live in longhouses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries. The Bidayuh (170,000) are concentrated in the south-western part of Sarawak. The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan. They are largely Christian subsistence farmers. The Orang Asli (140,000), or aboriginal peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in Peninsular Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and agriculturists, many have been sedentarised and partially absorbed into modern Malaysia. However, they remain the poorest group in the country.

The Chinese population in Malaysia is mostly Buddhist (of Mahayana sect), Taoist or Christian. Chinese in Malaysia speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Hokkien/Fujian, Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew. Many middle to upper-middle class Chinese in Malaysia also speak English as a first language. Chinese have historically been dominant in the Malaysian business community.

The Indians in Malaysia are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India, speaking Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, living mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. Many middle to upper-middle class Indians in Malaysia also speak English as a first language. There is also a sizeable Sikh community.

Eurasians, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and indigenous tribes make up the remaining population. A small number of Eurasians, of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent, speak a Portuguese-based creole, called Papiá Kristang. There are also Eurasians of mixed Malay and Spanish descent, mostly in Sabah. Descended from immigrants from the Philippines, some speak Chavacano, the only Spanish-based creole language in Asia. Cambodians and Vietnamese are mostly Buddhists (Cambodians of Theravada sect and Vietnamese, Mahayana sect).

Malaysian traditional music is heavily influenced by Chinese and Islamic forms. The music is based largely around the gendang (drum), but includes other percussion instruments (some made of shells); the rebab, a bowed string instrument; the serunai, a double-reed oboe-like instrument; flutes, and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas, some of Thai, Indian and Portuguese origin. Other artistic forms include wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre), silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts such as batik, weaving, and silver and brasswork.

History

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957.

Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965.

Transportation

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Languages Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest are Iban and Kadazan

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Terrain Coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.

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Ethnic Groups Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% (2000)