Country: Malaysia is located north of the Equator right in the heart of the South East Asia. It consists of the peninsular in the west and, across the South China Sea, Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo in the east.The country is federation of 13 states and 2 federal territories. It is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy.
Its is economy is dependent on the manufacturing, agricultural and mining sectors. Malaysia is a major exporter of electronic components an equipment, petroleum, palm oil and natural rubber.
Geographical Location : Located 7 degrees north of the Equator, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. In the north of the peninsula is Thailand while its southern neighbor is Singapore.
Clothing & Etiquette : The tropical weather favour light, casual clothing Most restaurants and nightspots are not restrictive with the dress code, If in doubt, ring up beforehand to check. Topless bathing in illegal on the beaches. Loose clothes that cover the arms and legs may be required when entering place of worships. Dress conservatively. take off your shoes before entering temples, mosques or someone's house.
TIME: The standard Malaysian Times is
* 8 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time
* 16 hours ahead of US Pacific standard
* Time (Sand Francisco and Los Angeles) 13 hours ahead of US Standard Time (New York)
* 2 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard time (Syney and Melbourne)
| People | : Malays who make up about 75% of the population are the predominant |
| group with Chinese, Indian and other ethnic groups making up the rest. | |
| Language | : Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely |
| spoken. The ethnic group also speak various languages and dialects | |
| Religion | : Islam is the national religion but al other religions are practiced freely. The |
| Malays are almost all Muslims; the Chinese, Buddhists; the Indians, Hindus, Muslim or Sikhs. Christianity is embraced by both the Chinese and Indians | |
| Government | : Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of |
| State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and the Head of Government is the | |
| Prime Minister. |
| Climate : Tropical climate with warm and humid weather all year round. Temperatures range from 21º C to 32º C. Annual rainfall varies from 2000mm to 2500mm |
| Electricity : Supply is 200 - 240, 50 cycles. Adaptors Can be requested in most hotels, Power sockets are of the three-square-pin type. |
| History Culture : There is a strong interlink between the country's multi-racial and multicultural make-up with its history. Besides the local Malays and the native groups, immigrants from China, India, Indonesia and other parts of the world have all contributed to the multiracial composition of its population. Its interesting cultural diversity can be largely attributed to the country's long and on-going interaction with the outside world and colonial rule by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Consequently, the evolution of the country into cultural melting pot is evident in the unique blend of religions, socio-cultural activities and traditions, dressing, languages and food. The country achieved independence on 31st, August 1957 as the Federation of Malaysia and Subsequently with the entry of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia was formed. |
