Language: Malay
Currency: Ringgit (RM)
Calling Code: +60
Malaysia or Federation of Malaysia, is one of the
forty-nine countries that make up the Asian continent. Its capital
and most populated city is Kuala Lumpur but Putrajaya is the seat of
government.
It is located in the central area of the Southeast Asian
subregion, distributed in a territory divided into two regions by
the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia is located on the Malay
Peninsula and borders Thailand to the north and Singapore to the
south. East Malaysia, for its part, is located in the northern
Borneo and borders Indonesia to the south and Brunei to the north.
It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, with
an area of 329 847 km², has a population of twenty-seven million
inhabitants, is located near the equator and has a tropical climate.
Its head of state is the monarch Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and the
government is the prime minister. The foundations of his government
take as a starting point the parliamentary system of Westminster.
The country only began to exist as a unified state in 1963; its
territory, dominated by the United Kingdom from the eighteenth
century until independence, was until that year divided into a
series of colonies. Its eastern half was composed of separate
kingdoms, known as British Malaysia until its dissolution in 1946,
and reorganized as the Malayan Union. Due to the great opposition,
it was reorganized once again as the Malaya Federation in 1948 and
reached independence on August 31, 1957. Singapore, Sarawak, North
Borneo and the Federation united to form Malaysia on September 16,
1963. But from the beginning strong tensions arose that led to an
armed conflict with Indonesia and the expulsion of Singapore on
August 9, 1965.
During the second half of the 20th century, the country experienced
an economic bonanza that allowed it to develop rapidly. The growth
of the 1980s and 1990s, with an average of 8% from 1991 to 1997,
transformed Malaysia into a newly industrialized country, since it
is one of the three countries that control the Strait of Malacca,
international trade is part It is the main exporter of tin, rubber
and palm oil, industrial activity accounts for a large percentage of
its economic activity, it also has a great biodiversity of flora and
fauna, he considers him one of the seventeen mega-diverse countries.
The Malays constitute the majority of the national population. There
are also considerable Chinese and Indian communities, the Malay
language and Islam respectively being the official language and
religion of the Federation. English, Chinese and Tamil are also
spoken
Malaysia is one of the founding countries of ASEAN and is a member
of other international organizations such as the United Nations, as
a former British colony it is part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Those who intend to visit Malaysia will have to deal
with the rains well distributed throughout the year. However these are
more abundant in some periods on different territories. The country is
in fact subject to a double monsoon:
The northeast monsoon blows
from late October to early March bringing with it often heavy rains that
pour over Borneo and the east coast of the Malacca peninsula and often
causing catastrophic flooding. Conversely, the west coast (particularly
Langkawi and Penang) emerges unscathed.
Less violent than the
previous one, the southwest monsoon between May and September reverses
the pattern and brings frequent but short showers to western Peninsular
Malaysia.
Many parts of the country's interior are exposed to the
action of both monsoons, including the city of Kuala Lumpur which
experiences consistently humid weather with brief but intense showers.
Situated at a northern latitude approximately between 2°30' and
6°70', Malaysia is characterized by a sub-equatorial climate with
insignificant annual and diurnal temperature ranges (32°C-26°C) but with
a high level of humidity in the air. Temperatures tend to be cooler in
the highlands, with locations such as Genting Highlands, Cameron
Highlands and Fraser's Hill having temperatures ranging from around 17°C
at night to around 25°C during the day. Mount Kinabalu is known for
having temperatures that drop below 10°C.
Hotels apply high
season rates from early December to late January and around major
holidays such as Ramadan and Chinese New Year.
Another peak
season runs from June to the end of August when in Malaysia.
Endau Rompin National Park is located in Johor and Pahang states of Malaysia.
Gunung Ledang is a isolated mountain situated in a state of Johor in Malaysia.
Niah Caves is famous for remains of an ancient human settlement situated on the Malaysian island of Borneo. Taman Negara National Park is a large nature reserve in the states of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.
For German, Swiss and Austrian nationals there is no visa requirement for a stay of up to three months without employment. When entering the state of Sarawak, a separate entry note is issued, which is usually valid for 30 days. The passport must be valid for at least six months upon entry. In June 2011, Malaysia introduced a new immigration policy requiring all visitors to the country to be fingerprinted upon entry. Appropriate devices have been installed at most border crossings, but it is still possible to enter the country without a fingerprint.
Sarawak offers wealthy people the opportunity to enter the country at
an advanced age with the program called “Malaysia My Second Home”
(S-MM2H for short). (A similar nationwide program, with stricter
conditions, has been suspended by the central government until further
notice.)
The application must be made in person at the MTAC, Bangunan
BaitulmakmurII, Petrajaya Sarawak. After a processing time of about
three months, the applicant receives a permanent residence permit for
the whole of Malaysia, but one must spend at least 15 days per year in
Sarawak. The permit is initially valid for as long as the current
passport, up to a maximum of ten years, and can be extended. Conditions
are, in addition to a medical examination on site:
Minimum age 50
years (no age limit for spouses) RM150,000 assets (300,000 for married
couples) in in-country account or state (or guaranteed) pension of
7000RM/month (10,000 for couples), or
40-50 years old and owning
property in the country of at least RM600,000.
Underage children of
school age also receive a residence permit, but must attend an
educational institution in Sarawak. Other dependent relatives receive a
“social pass” for one year.
The country's main air hub is Kuala Lumpur International Airport
(KLIA), which is served directly by many airlines. The domestic airline
Malaysia Airlines, which is not recommended, maintains an extensive
international route network and a modern aircraft fleet. Each seat has
its own video or game screen, which shortens the travel time a little.
If you don't travel in the high season, you even have a good chance of
being able to claim two to three seats. The discount airline Air Asia
maintains a branched route network within Southeast Asia and sometimes
offers quite inexpensive flights. Kota Kinabalu Airport has now become
the second busiest airport. Some inner-Asian international flight routes
are also served from there.
Entry via Singapore is often
worthwhile. Many airlines fly to this international aviation hub, so the
competition and price pressure is correspondingly high.
Malaysia Airlines: The home team flies to Kuala Lumpur, often
code-sharing, from Amsterdam, Frankfurt am Main, London, Paris and Rome.
Skyteam: KLM flies non-stop from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and on to
Jakarta for the Skyteam alliance.
Star Alliance: For Star Alliance
passengers, the connections are only suboptimal. Lufthansa offers a
flight from Frankfurt am Main, but with a stopover in Bangkok. Other
options are Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, but with a change at
the respective home airport.
other airlines: Another popular option
is the various Arab airlines. As a rule, they offer first-class service
and sometimes even real bargain prices. Another advantage is that the
stopover is about halfway, so the flight is divided into two times about
6-7 hours. For travelers who find flying downright uncomfortable and
inconvenient, a small sigh of relief - as opposed to the 12-hour
non-stop ordeal.
In most cases, travelers from Germany have to go to
Frankfurt am Main. If you draw the card with the Arab societies, you
have a little more choice. In addition to Munich, Qatar Airways even
offers a connection from Berlin. Emirates also flies to Munich, Hamburg
and Dusseldorf. Etihad also offers Munich as an option.
Indonesia: Malaysia is linked to its southern neighbor by a number of
air routes. Many of the routes are now also served by low-cost airlines.
Air Asia now has an Indonesian branch and offers a whole range of flight
routes.
Java: Air Aisa flies from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and
Kota Kinabalu. Kuala Lumpur is also accessible from Bandung, Yogyakarta,
Solo and Surabaya. With the exception of Solo, the routes are also
offered by Malaysia Airlines.
Sumatra: Air Asia serves the island of
Penang and Kuala Lumpur from Medan. Banda Aceh, Pekanbaru and Padang are
connected to KL. MAS only has the connection from Medan and the capital
in the program.
Kalimantan: The Indonesian part of Borneo is
surprisingly poorly connected to Malaysia. There are currently no direct
flights. Here the detour via Jakarta is necessary. Those who want to
travel to Malaysia's south have an option with Singapore's Silk Air. She
flies direct to Balikpapan.
other regions: Air Aisa and Malaysia
Airlines fly from Bali to KL, the budget airline also from Makassar.
Cambodia: Both Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia serve both the capital and
Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat. The low-cost airline flies
directly to both destinations once a day, MAS flies "in a triangle".
Myanmar: Air Asia flies to Yangon once a day
Philippines: Air Asia
serves the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu from Clark near
Manila. Both cities are also served by the Philippine Cebu Pacific Air
from Manila. MAS flies directly to Manila Airport.
Thailand: Malaysia
has an extensive route network with its northern neighbor. The following
airlines operate between the two countries:
Air Asia: Kuala Lumpur ↔
Bangkok, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Penang ↔ Bangkok
Malaysia
Airlines: Kuala Lumpur ↔ Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui
Thai Airways:
Bangkok ↔ Kuala Lumpur, Penang
Vietnam: Malaysia Airlines and Air
Asia fly to the metropolises of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City once a day,
Mon-Sun. Vietnam Airlines serves the Malaysian capital once a day from
Hanoi and twice a day from Ho Chi Minh City.
From Singapore: Shuttle trains run several times a day from Woodlands
Station in northern Singapore across the Johor Strait to Johor Bahru on
the southern tip of Malaysia. Crossing the border takes just 5 minutes
and costs 5 Singapore dollars. In Johor Bahru one can change to
long-distance trains of the Malaysian railway KTM (Keretapi Tanah
Melayu), which travel north to Gemas (Negeri Sembilan) and further along
the so-called Jungle Railway through the east coast states to Kuala
Lipis (Pahang) and Kota Bharu (Kelantan ) drive.
If, on the other
hand, you want to go towards the west coast, e.g. B. to Kuala Lumpur,
you have to change again in Gemas: There is a connection to the faster,
electrified ETS trains that go to the major population centers of the
country. So currently you have to change trains twice between Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur and it takes around 10 hours. It is therefore only
recommended if you are an enthusiastic train traveler, have a lot of
time and/or want to spend as little money as possible. Otherwise, bus or
plane are preferable. This should change in a few years with the
progressive expansion of the electrified line to the south. The tickets
can be conveniently purchased online via the KTM booking site.
From Thailand: The State Railway of Thailand operates the route from the
Thai capital Bangkok to Padang Besar on the Thai-Malaysia border (Perlis
state). In addition, shuttle trains run twice a day between the southern
Thai city of Hat Yai and the Padang Besar border station. There you can
change to the faster, electric ETS train towards Kuala Lumpur or to
local trains towards Butterworth (Penang). Tickets for the Thai leg can
be purchased online from the Thai Railways booking site, and for the
Malaysia leg from KTM.
On the east coast, i. H. between the
southern Thai province of Narathiwat and the Malaysian state of
Kelantan, there are no cross-border passenger trains. On the Thai side,
you can only drive as far as the border town of Su-ngai Kolok. Then you
cross the border on foot, can take a bus or a taxi in the Malaysian
neighboring town of Rantau Panjang to Pasir Mas, 21 km away, where you
can continue by train.
Detailed and usually up-to-date
information on the sometimes complicated rail links between Thailand,
Malaysia and Singapore can be found on the private websites seat61.com
and train36.com, run by rail enthusiasts. The travel planning platform
12go.asia, which takes train, bus, flight and ferry connections into
account, can also be helpful.
A very special train should not go
unmentioned, the Eastern and Oriental Express. This very special railway
experience offers pure luxury and fascinating Southeast Asian
landscapes. It connects destinations in Singapore, Malaysia (Kuala
Lumpur and Penang), Thailand (Trang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Lampang,
Surin) and Laos (Vientiane). Different routes from 3 to 7 days are
offered. The long tour Fables of the Hills (7 days from Singapore to
Bangkok with some excursions and sightseeing) costs 2011$6200/8100
(Pullman Superior or Single State Cabin/Presidential Suite). The fast
tour from Singapore to Bangkok in three days is already available for
$1700/2410/3390 (Pullman Superior/Single State Cabin/Presidential
Suite).
Thailand: There is regular bus service between the two countries
between larger towns close to the border.
Hat Yai (Songkhla,
Thailand) ↔ Butterworth or George Town (Penang, Malaysia): Buses and
shared taxis operate on the route. The journey time is approx. 4 hours.
Betong (Yala, Thailand) ↔ Sungai Petani (Kedah, Malaysia): Shared taxis
run regularly along this route
Ban Taba (Narathiwat, Thailand) ↔ Kota
Bharu (Kelantan, Malaysia): You can take a taxi for the few kilometers.
From Ban Taba there is a bus connection to the Thai provincial capital
Narathiwat (1.5 hours)
Singapore: Aeroline's particularly comfortable
buses run several times a day between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. There
are also several connections between Petaling Jaya and Singapore. A
special feature of these buses is the possibility of booking via the
Internet.
Indonesia: In western Borneo there is the only road
connection between the two countries. The border town is Entikong. It is
a 7-hour bus ride from Pontianak. Once at the border, the same bus
continues in three hours to Sarawak's capital, Kuching.
There is a motorway connection between Thailand and Malaysia, the A4. From Hat Yai (Thailand) the route goes to Alor Setar in Malaysia (and on to Kuala Lumpur via Butterworth, Taiping and Ipoh). Other border crossings are inland (Betong ↔ Sungai Petani) and in the east (Sungai Golok ↔ Kota Bharu). Malaysia's southern town of Johor Bahru is linked to the city-state of Singapore by a causeway. The border between Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo runs through remote areas not served by major roads. There is only one border crossing in western Sarawak south of the capital Kuching. The border town is Entikong
Thailand: There are two regular ship connections between the two
countries.
West Coast: A regular ferry service connects Thailand's
Satun (Satun) with Malaysia's Kuala Perlis (Perlis) and the island of
Langkawi. Driving time to Kuala Perlis is 30 minutes and to the popular
resort island in 1.5 hours. Boats depart from Tammalang Pier about 10
kilometers south of the city of Satun. There is an immigration office at
the pier. Here you should already have the entry to Malaysia stamped in
your passport.
East coast: There is also a regular ship connection
between the two coastal towns of Ban Taba (Narathiwat, Thailand) and
Pengkalan Kubor (Kelantan, Malaysia). Ban Taba can be reached in 1.5
hours from the provincial capital Narathiwat, the Malaysian town is only
20 kilometers away from Kota Bharu.
Indonesia: Malaysia is linked
to its southern neighbor by a number of ferry routes.
Tanjung Balai
(North Sumatra) ↔ Klang Port - Comfortable air-conditioned boats connect
Klang Port to Sumatra's Tanjung Balai. You need three and a half hours
for the journey. Visitors entering Indonesia through this location
require a visa, which can be obtained from the Indonesian Embassy in
Kuala Lumpur. Boat tickets are available at the jetty.
aero speed
Phone: +60 (0)3-31652545. Daily departure except Sunday at 11:00.
MV
Aman Satu by Sweeting Trading Sdn Bhd. Phone: +60 (0)3-31657501. Departs
daily at 11:00 - RM 100/190 (one way/round trip)
MV Boeing Sky
King/Boeing Sky King II. Tel: (0)3-31660390. Departs daily at 11:00 - RM
100/190 (one way/round trip)
Dumai (Riau) ↔ Port Klang - There
are also several providers for the journey from Dumai. Whoever enters
Indonesia here does not need a visa. Travel time is less than 3 hours.
Indomal Express/Malaysia Express. Phone: +60 (0)3-31671058. The
departure times are on the notice board. Mostly 09:00 am. - Rm 100.00
one way.
MV Pelita Jaya Express/Sabang Marindo II. Tel: +60
(0)3-31660122. Departs daily at 10:30 - RM 80/150 (one way/round trip)
Medan (North Sumatra) ↔ Penang - Boats depart from the port of
Pelabuhan Belawan. The journey takes 6 hours.
Langkawi Ferry Service.
Phone: +62 (0)61-4521666. Departure is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
(return: Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Price: Adult: RM 110/180 (round
trip), Child: RM 60/100 (round trip). In the summer of 2010, all
companies ceased operations to and from Medan.
Kepulauan Riau ↔
Johor Bahru - The Riau Islands offer a boat connection to Johor Bahru.
Sailing from Bintan and Batam Arriving at the ZON ferry terminal 1.8
kilometers north of the causeway to Singapore.
Bintan Daily 09:15,
11:00, 13:30, 15:00 and 17:30 Adults RM 86/144 (round trip), Children:
RM 54/86 (round trip). There is also a fee of 8 ringgit. Driving time:
150 minutes
Batam Every half hour (7:30-6:30PM) and 09:00, 11:00,
15:00 and 17:00. Adult RM 69/110 (round trip), Child: RM 46/69 (round
trip). There is also a fee of 8 ringgit. Driving time: 90 minutes
Philippines: There is a ferry service between Zamboanga City (Mindanao)
and Sandakan (Sabah).
If you intend to travel by plane within Malaysia, a flight with the
low-cost airline Air Asia is extremely inexpensive and reliable.
Comparable to European low-cost airlines, the service here is reduced to
a minimum, and there is even no seat numbering. Whoever comes first gets
a window seat. Since the flights are usually very short, people are
happy to accept this loss of comfort in favor of an extremely cheap
fare. You can book with your credit card directly on the website. A
credit card is required for payment, which is safe to use. If you bring
the printout of the booking confirmation with you, you will immediately
get the flight ticket. Air Asia also offers direct booking at every
Asian airport.
Firefly flies daily from Penang to Kota Bharu,
Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Langkawi, Koh Samui and Phuket FAX- For those
who want to discover Sabah and Sarawak on individually planned tours,
FAX offers good and inexpensive connections to the regions and between
different locations. The following cities are served with Fokker 50 or
Twin Otter: Bario, Bakelalan, Belaga, Bintulu, Kuching, Kudat, Kota
Kinabalu, Lahad Datu, Labuan, Lawas, Limbang, Long Banga, Long Akah,
Long Seridan, Long Lellang, Marudi, Miri, Mulu, Mukah, Sandakan, Sibu
and Tawau. Some flight connections are only served once or twice a day.
SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also flies directly to Kota
Kinabalu on Saturdays. Interesting for everyone who wants to fly from
Europe with Singapore Airlines.
The western part of Malaysia has a well-developed rail network. This
means of transport is particularly recommended if you want to cover long
distances comfortably (but not fly). The Malaysian state railway company
is called KTM (Keretapi Tanah Melayu). Tickets for long-distance trains
can be booked online in advance on the fairly clear English-language
site.
The trains basically fall into three categories:
The
ETS (Electric Train Service) is fully electrified and looks very modern
and dynamic, the shape of the trains is reminiscent of the German ICE.
However, it drives at a maximum of 140 km/h, not even as fast as the
Intercity trains in Central Europe, which is also due to the fact that
the Malaysian network has a track width of only one meter. Nevertheless,
it is so far the fastest train in Southeast Asia. The ETS operates
primarily on the West Coast Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh-Taiping route, with
individual trains also continuing to/from Gemas (Negeri Sembilan) in the
south, Butterworth (Penang) or Alor Setar (Kedah) in the north to Padang
Besar on the Thai border . The compartments are also modern and
comfortable. Within the ETS category, a distinction is made between
silver, gold and platinum service, depending on how many intermediate
stops the train makes (silver has the most intermediate stops, platinum
the fewest). For example, the KL-Ipoh route takes 2½ hours with the ETS
Gold and pays MYR 36; from KL to Butterworth 4:20 hrs for 59 MYR.
KTM Intercity is not to be confused with the intercity trains in
Europe, but refers to the traditional, diesel-powered long-distance
trains that travel at a maximum of 110 km/h. They are mostly pulled by
locomotives from the 1970s, and the compartments are not quite as modern
either. As the west coast route is largely electrified and served by the
ETS, the intercity trains mainly operate on the "east coast route"
(which is actually mostly inland): from Tumpat (Kelantan) via Kota
Bharu, Gua Musang (Kelantan), Kuala Lipis (Pahang) and Gemas (there is a
connection to the ETS there) to Johor Bahru and partly to Woodlands, a
suburb of Singapore. Some trains do not run the entire route from the
north to the south end, but only a section. Within the Intercity
category, two train types are distinguished: Shuttles stop at every
station on the way, Ekspres only at the larger stations. From JB to Kota
Bharu, for example, it takes almost 18 hours on the Ekspres Rakyat
Timuran and costs MYR 49 in a sleeper car.
Traditional sleeping cars
are still used on the long intercity routes. In contrast to sleeping
cars in Europe, the seats in the open-plan compartments are simply
folded down and curtains are pulled out. So you shouldn't have too high
demands on silence and privacy.
KTM Komuter (from the English
word commuter, meaning commuter) are commuter trains. They are primarily
offered in the greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley area (Klang Valley
Integrated Transit System), and to a lesser extent in the northern
states of Penang, Perak and Perlis. Very modern cars are used in the
Klang Valley, while the trains on the northern routes date from the
1990s.
The expansion of the East Coast route between Port
Klang-Kuala Lumpur-Kota Bahru-Tumpat began in 2017.
In East
Malaysia (on the island of Borneo), the state of Sabah has its own
railway company: The Sabah State Railway (SSR) with a single,
134-kilometer line from Tanjung Aru (a suburb of Kota Kinabalu) via
Papar and Beaufort to Tenom. There are no rail connections in Sarawak.
Since May 2017, ID must be presented when purchasing tickets for
long-distance trains.
There is a well-developed network of public buses and some very well-developed trunk roads. Tickets (always with seat reservations) can be bought at the respective counters in the bus stations on site, but it makes sense to buy them the day before the planned trip to make sure you get a ticket, as the buses are very busy. There are "normal" buses with about 40 seats and "Super Vip buses" with 24 seats, which are only slightly more expensive, but are newer and offer more space, which is very pleasant on long journeys. The VIP buses only have three seats in a row. The seats can usually be folded back very far and with the associated footrest an almost flat bed is created. These buses are always air-conditioned and the temperature is kept to a maximum, making a jacket and long trousers and socks essential.
From a purely practical point of view, it can be summed up in one sentence: no Malaysians ride bicycles. The country is de-facto bicycle-free, although it is definitely suitable for cycling. Renting a bike is still hopeless at the moment. The only thing that helps is to bring your own with you on the plane. Tour operators are slowly trying to offer local options and tours. The first offers are currently starting in the Kuala Lumpur area.
Through settlement and trade, especially from the port cities, a whole series of kingdoms and sultanates formed in the 10th century in what is now Malaysia. Arab traders brought Islam to Southeast Asia. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the region at the beginning of the 16th century and left their mark, among other things, on a mixed population in Malacca that still speaks a Portuguese Creole language today. Around 1640 the Portuguese were supplanted by the Dutch, who in turn had to give way to the British. The first British settlement was the Straits Settlements in 1826. From here, the British gradually brought the empires and sultanates of the Malacca Peninsula under their control. Some formed the Federated Malay States in 1896. Other sultanates were controlled with the help of advisors. Sabah (Northeast Borneo) became a British protectorate, Sarawak became private property of the Brooke family. During World War II, the Japanese occupied the entire region. After the end of the war, the Malays demanded more self-determination. In 1957 the Federation of Malaya was formed - the country became independent. Singapore and the protectorates of Sarawak and North Borneo joined in 1963. From now on the federation called itself Malaysia. However, Singapore left the association two years later.
The Malaysians represent a fairly colorful and interesting mixture of
people. 50.4% of the residents are Malays whose ancestors, however, also
come from different regions of the world. Currently 23.7% of the
population are Chinese. They are primarily found in the country's cities
and most heavily on the west coast of the peninsula (e.g. George Town,
Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur) due to the country's history. The Chinese account
for a particularly large share of the country's trade and commerce.
Indigenous peoples currently make up 11% of the country's population.
Many are found in East Malaysia (Borneo) in the states of Sabah and
Sarawak. The best known among them are the Murut or the Kadazan, as well
as the Iban and Bidayuh. They are summarized under the name Dayak. West
Malaysia also has a small indigenous group, the Orang Asli. 7.1% of the
residents are Indians. The rest is spread across a whole range of other
nationalities.
Malaysians are the citizens of Malaysia, while
Malay is an ethnic designation, but understood in very different ways.
Outdated, it is used for all residents of Southeast Asia, others include
the speakers of Austronesian languages of the region, and still others
only those who speak the Malay language (Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa
Indonesia). In Malaysia, the Muslim faith is also expected as a
prerequisite.
A separate Malay word was coined as a collective
term for the Malays and smaller ethnic groups such as Javanese, Bugis,
Minangkabaus, Dayak and Orang Asli: Bumiputra. It derives from the
Sanskrit word Bhumiputra (Bhumi=earth, Putra=son). In 1971, Malaysia's
government introduced the New Economic Policy. It states a preference
for the Bumiputras over other members of the Malaysian population such
as Chinese and Indians. During the colonial period, the non-native
ethnic groups were preferred. In fact, the Chinese and Indians are
predominantly urban, often highly educated, and often engaged in
commerce or entrepreneurship, which has made some of them very
prosperous. The Muslim Malays, on the other hand, lived mostly in the
countryside, were less educated on average and mainly worked in less
lucrative agriculture. The British colonial rulers also used a
disproportionately large number of Chinese and Indians in their
administration - on the one hand because of their better education, on
the other hand because they appeared more loyal to the colonial power,
while the Malays tended to strive for independence. This should now be
compensated for by measures of “positive discrimination” (affirmative
action): 80% of public service positions are to be filled with
bumiputras. “Non-Bumis” have almost no chance of advancement, for
example in the army and police. The situation is similar with the places
at universities.
Malaysia's constitution is unique in the world - at best comparable
to the United Arab Emirates. It is a federation of 13 states, nine of
which are independent monarchies, each with its own sultan. In contrast,
Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak are governed by a governor. The head
of state of Malaysia is sometimes referred to as "King", but this is
somewhat inaccurate. In fact, the nine sultans elect one of their own to
be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who represents the entire state to the
outside world as a "first among equals". It is traditional that the nine
sultanates alternate in a certain order. In contrast to the United Arab
Emirates, the role of the sultans and the head of state is more
ceremonial.
Actual policy is determined by a parliament elected
by the people and a prime minister elected by the people. There are a
large number of parties, most of which come together to form electoral
alliances. The elections are mostly free – but not entirely fair. For
decades, the constituencies were always tailored in such a way that the
Malay nationalist UMNO always received the most seats – even if (as was
the case in 2013) another alliance got more votes nationwide. It was
only in 2018 that the UMNO was ousted from the government for the first
time since independence. However, this has not necessarily brought a
breath of fresh air into the government: Prime Minister Mahathir bin
Mohamad was almost 93 years old when he took office, making him the
oldest head of government in the world.
The 13 states each have
their own parliament and prime minister. There are also three federal
territories - Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan - which are
administered directly by the central government but also have a degree
of self-government.
It is believed that the name Melayu comes from the Sanskrit
words Malaiur or Malayadvipa, which can be translated as
"mountain country". This word was mentioned by Indian
traders in relation to the Malay Peninsula. According to
another version, the name comes from the Tamil word Malai
"mountain". The French navigator Jules Dumont-Durville,
after his expedition to Oceania in 1826, suggested using the
names "Malaysia", "Micronesia" and "Melanesia" to designate
groups of islands separate from Polynesia. In 1831 he
proposed these names to the French Geographical Society.
Dumont-D'Urville called Malaysia "the territory known as the
East Indies". In 1850, the English ethnologist George Samuel
Windsor wrote in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and
Eastern Asia, proposing the names Melayunesia or Indunesia
for the islands of southeast Asia.
In 1957, the
Federation of Malaya, which included the states on the Malay
Peninsula, declared its independence. The name "Malaysia"
was adopted in 1963, when Singapore, North Borneo and
Sarawak joined the federation. Thus, the particle "si" was
added to the name in honor of the accession of three states.
Prior to this, the name "Malaysia" was used in relation to
the entire Malay Archipelago.
Malaysia is an elected federal constitutional monarchy,
which consists of 13 states - subjects of the federation
(states) and three federal territories (11 states and two
federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula, and
two states (Sabah and Sarawak) - on the island of Kalimantan
and one federal Territory (Labuan) - off its northwest
coast. Nine states are monarchies. Seven of them are headed
by sultans. The ruler of the state of Negeri Sembilan bears
the traditional Malay title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The
ruler of the state of Perlis bears the title of raja In the
monarchical states, the head of the executive branch is the
chief minister (menteri besar) Each ruler is also the
spiritual head of his state The other 4 states are headed by
governors appointed by the central government The executive
branch in each of these 4 states is also headed by a chief
minister called ketua menteri in Malay Federal territories
govern are directly administered by the central government.
Every five years, nine monarchs choose from among
themselves a Supreme Ruler (in Malay, the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong) and his assistant-deputy - as a rule, for reasons of
seniority or length of reign. The supreme ruler and the
sultans perform mainly representative functions, but all
laws and amendments to the constitution are subject to their
approval. The main functions of state administration are
performed by the parliament and the cabinet of ministers,
headed by the federal prime minister. The Malaysian
Parliament consists of two chambers: the lower - the House
of Representatives and the upper - the Senate. The House of
Representatives is elected by direct universal suffrage. The
Senate consists of elected members (two from each state) and
members appointed by the Supreme Ruler on the advice of the
government. Executive power belongs to the federal
government, headed by the prime minister, who becomes the
leader of the party that wins elections to the House of
Representatives. All ministers must be members of
parliament, that is, win the election.
In Malaysia,
religious freedom is proclaimed, but the official religion
is Islam, which is practiced by 60% of the population.
Issues related to divorce and inheritance are decided by
Muslims in Sharia courts, and secular courts do not have the
right to review their decisions.
Prime Ministers of
Malaysia
1963-1970 - Abdul Rahman
1970-1976 - Abdul
Razak
1976-1981 - Hussein Onn
1981-2003 - Mahathir
Mohamad
2003-2009 - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
2009-2018 -
Najib Tun Razak
2018-2020 - Mahathir Mohamad
2020—present— Mukhiddin Yassin
Constitution
After
Great Britain was forced to grant independence to the
Federation of Malaya, the constitutional commission, which
began to prepare the basic law of the Malay state, was
guided in its work by the memorandum of the Union Party on
constitutional issues, which proposed that in exchange for
granting citizenship to non-Malays, create a special
position for the indigenous inhabitants of the country. This
memorandum is called an intercommunal compromise. In fact,
it was achieved at the level of the very upper strata of
society and did not reflect the interests of the main groups
of national communities. The constitution came into force on
the day of the declaration of independence of the Federation
of Malaya on August 31, 1957. In 1963, in connection with
the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, additions were
made to it (the Malaysia Act). He did not change the essence
of the constitution, which still combines the ideas of
Western democracy and the principles of ensuring the special
rights of the country's indigenous population.
Judicial branch
The court has the power to interpret the
constitution and laws, to declare federal and state laws
null and void if they are not in accordance with the
constitution or federal laws or if they are outside the
competence of the federal or state legislative assembly
(parliament), to declare illegal any action of the
government. The constitution provides for the Supreme Court
of the country, the High Court of Malaya (for West Malaysia)
and the High Court of Borneo (for East Malaysia). The lower
courts are defined by federal law. The lowest court is
conciliatory. He deals with disputes not exceeding 50 ring
in financial terms, and has the right to impose a fine up to
25 ring. Established only in West Malaysia. Courts for
juveniles (persons under 18 years of age), if a minor is
found guilty, send him to a correctional colony, where he
studies and learns a trade until the age of 21.
West Malaysia
Sultanate of Johor (capital Johor Bahru),
code: JH
Sultanate of Kedah (capital Alor Setar), code:
KH
Sultanate of Kelantan (capital of Kota Bharu), code:
KN
Governorate of Malacca (capital of Malacca), code: MK
Negeri Sembilan State (capital of Seremban), code: NS
Sultanate of Pahang (capital Kuantan), code: PH
Sultanate
of Perak (capital Ipoh), Code: PK
Rajanath Perlis (Kangar
capital), Code: PS
Penang Governorate (capital
Georgetown), code: PP or PN
Sultanate of Selangor
(capital of Shah Alam), code: SL
Sultanate of Terengganu
(capital of Kuala Terengganu), code: TR
From
September 16, 1963 to August 9, 1965, Singapore was another
state of West Malaysia.
Federal territories:
Putrajaya
(new administrative center), code: PTJ
Kuala Lumpur
(capital of the federation and economic center), code: KL
East Malaysia
Governorate of Sabah, formerly British
North Borneo (capital of Kota Kinabalu, formerly Jesselton),
code: SBH
Governorate of Sarawak (capital Kuching), code:
SWK
Federal territory:
Labuan (capital city of Bandar
Labuan), code: LB
General characteristics
Malaysia is located in Southeast
Asia. The territory of the state consists of two parts:
peninsular (Peninsula of Malacca) and eastern (northern part
of the island of Kalimantan), which are separated by the
South China Sea. The area of Malaysia is 329,847 km² (65th
in the world). The peninsular part borders Thailand to the
north and Singapore to the south, while the eastern part
borders Indonesia to the south and Brunei to the north. In
addition, Malaysia is connected by a narrow causeway to
Singapore; there are also maritime borders with Vietnam and
the Philippines. Cape Piai at the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula is the southernmost point of all continental
Eurasia. The peninsular part of the country is separated
from the island of Sumatra by the Malacca Strait, which is
one of the most important sea routes in the world.
The peninsular part makes up about 39.7% of the total area
of Malaysia and extends for 740 km from north to south and
322 km from west to east (at its widest point). The
Titiwangsa mountain range runs through the central part of
the peninsula; the highest point of the peninsula is Mount
Gunung Tahan (2187 m above sea level). The coastline of the
peninsular part of the country is 1931 km, convenient bays
are available only on the western coast. The eastern part of
the country accounts for 60.3% of the total area and has a
coastline of 2607 km. Between the states of Sarawak and
Sabah is the Crocker mountain range, where the country's
highest point, Mount Kinabalu (4095 m), is located. Mountain
ranges also stretch along the border with Indonesia. Between
the two parts of the country there are many islands
belonging to Malaysia, the largest of which is Bangui.
Malaysia is characterized by a dense river network, however, due to the small size and location of the country, there are no large rivers in Malaysia. The rivers are full-flowing throughout the year. During the rainy season, their level rises sharply and significantly, which often leads to floods in a number of areas. The longest river in the country is the Rajang, which flows in the state of Sarawak and has a length of 760 km. The second longest river is the Kinabatangan, 560 km long, flowing in the state of Sabah. The longest river in the peninsular part of the country is Pahang, 435 km long. The country's largest freshwater lake, Bera, is located in the southwest of the state of Pahang. The second largest lake - Chini (Tasik-Chini), is located in the central part of the state of Pahang, its area is 5026 hectares. The largest reservoir in Malaysia is Kenir, with an area of 260 km², located in the state of Terengganu. It arose as a result of the construction of the dam of the country's largest hydroelectric power station.
Most of the country is characterized by red-yellow ferralitic soils, in the valleys and on the coasts - alluvial. Alluvial soils are quite fertile, while ferrallitic soils are not very productive due to severe erosion caused by heavy rainfall. In addition, the country's soils are characterized by high acidity, coarse texture and low humus content. The most fertile soils are found in the southeast of the state of Sabah, where the source material from which the soils are formed is based on volcanic products. In many parts of the country the soils are depleted due to the continuous cultivation of the same crops.
Malaysia is a mountainous country. Features of the
geological structure of the peninsular and eastern parts of
the country are very different. Western Malaysia is
characterized by Mesozoic folding. The eastern part of the
country is characterized by Cenozoic folding.
There
are large reserves of oil, tin, tungsten ore, bauxite,
copper, and iron. In addition, there are small deposits of
brown coal, titanium, manganese, antimony, gold, and
phosphorites. Most of the oil reserves are concentrated on
the shelf of the state of Sabah. Tin deposits are located
mainly in the west of the peninsular part of the country and
stretch from the border with Thailand to Singapore. Together
with gold, tungsten, iron, niobium, tantalum, yttrium and
other rare and rare earth metals are found here. In the
central part of the Malay Peninsula there are insignificant
deposits of gold, copper and zinc. In Sarawak - deposits of
antimony, gold, bauxite, iron; in Sabah, copper and bauxite.
Due to the fact that the country is located near the
equator, the climate of Malaysia is characterized as
equatorial - hot and humid throughout the year. The average
annual temperature is about 27°C and the annual rainfall is
about 2500 mm. There are some differences between the
climate of the peninsular and eastern parts of the country,
which are mainly due to the fact that peninsular Malaysia is
largely influenced by continental air masses, while the
eastern one is influenced by sea masses. The country is
located in the zone of action of two monsoons: southwest
(from late May to September) and northeast (from November to
March). The northeast monsoon brings more precipitation than
the southwest monsoon and originates in China and the North
Pacific. The southwest monsoon originates in the deserts of
Australia.
The climate in a particular region of the
country depends mainly on the relief, thus, the climate of
the uplands, lowlands and coastal regions is distinguished.
Coastal areas are characterized by sunny weather with
temperatures ranging from 23°C to 32°C and rainfall from 100
to 300 mm per month. The lowlands of the country have
similar temperatures, but higher rainfall. Upland climates
are cooler and wetter, with greater temperature variations.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Malaysia was in
Chuping, Perlis State, on April 9, 1998, at 40.1°C. The
record low temperature was recorded on the Cameron Hills in
the north-west of the state of Pahang on February 1, 1978
and amounted to 7.8 ° C. The largest amount of precipitation
per day fell in Kota Bharu on January 6, 1967 and amounted
to 608 mm. The highest annual rainfall, 5,687 mm, was
recorded in the city of Sandakan, Sabah, in 2006. The
rainiest place in the country is the city of Kuching,
Sarawak, with an average annual rainfall of 4,128 mm and 247
days of precipitation per year. The driest place is Chuping,
Perlis State, with an annual rainfall of just 1746mm.
Due to the large number of water bodies and the extremely high average rainfall, exceeding 2000 mm for most parts of the country, Malaysia suffers from floods quite often. Since 1926, 15 major floods have been recorded in the country. The 2006-2007 Johor floods killed 18 people and caused damage estimated at RM1.5 billion; about 110 thousand people were temporarily evacuated. The territory of the country is seismically stable, but tremors from earthquakes occurring on the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines can be felt on the territory of the country.
Malaysia is a country with a high level of biodiversity and
a large number of endemics. About 20% of all animal species
known in the world are found on the territory of the
country. A particularly high level of endemism is
characteristic of the mountain forests of Kalimantan. About
210 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles (of which
about 150 species of snakes and 80 species of lizards),
about 150 species of frogs and thousands of insect species
are found in Malaysia. On the territory of the peninsular
part of the country alone, there are about 620 species of
birds.
In the peninsular part of the country, there
are 2 types of big cats: the Indochinese tiger and the
clouded leopard, and in the eastern part - only the clouded
leopard. Other mammals include the Malayan bear, the
Sumatran rhino, the black-backed tapir, the muntjacs, the
Indian sambar, the wild boar, the bearded pig, the gaur, the
Asian elephant, and others. loris and others. The population
of orangutans in eastern Malaysia is about 11,300
individuals. The population of the Malayan tiger (a
subspecies of the Indochinese tiger, endemic to the
peninsular part of the country) is only about 500
individuals. In addition, there are about 1,200 elephants in
the western part of the country.
Approximately 58.2%
of the territory of Malaysia is covered with forests. Once
upon a time, the entire eastern part of the country was
covered with Bornean lowland rainforests. In the peninsular
part of the country, there are about 8,500 species of
vascular plants, while in the eastern part there are about
15,000 species. There are about 2,000 species of trees in
the island part, and up to 240 different tree species can be
found on one hectare of forest. Rafflesia is found in the
forests of the country - the largest flower in the world,
the diameter of which can reach 1 meter.
A serious problem for the country's environment is
deforestation, caused by deforestation and clearing of areas
for agricultural land, mainly for oil palm plantations.
Since 2000, Malaysia has been losing up to 140,200 ha (0.65%
of total forest area) of forest annually. So more than 80%
of the forests of the state of Sarawak in the east of the
country and more than 60% of the forests of peninsular
Malaysia were destroyed. Deforestation is taking a heavy
toll on the country's unique fauna, which is losing its
natural habitats. The number of orangutans in Malaysia has
decreased by about 40% over the past 20 years, and the
Malaysian population of the Sumatran rhinoceros has probably
disappeared altogether. The number of hornbills has also
significantly decreased. Most of the modern forests are
located within the boundaries of national parks.
Other serious problems are poaching and smuggling of
animals, as well as overfishing and other representatives of
marine fauna. There is also pollution of inland and coastal
waters by industrial waste. About 40% of the country's
rivers are heavily polluted. Malaysian cities generate an
average of 1.5 million tons of solid waste per year. Air
pollution is also a problem in large cities.
As of the 2010 census, Malaysia has a population of 28,334,135 (44th in the world). The average population density is about 86 people/km². The population is rather unevenly distributed, as 79.6% of Malaysians live in the peninsular part of the country and only 20.4% live in the eastern part. The urban population is about 70%. Annual growth is 2.4%; about 34% of the country's population is under the age of 15.
Malaysia is ethnically diverse. The inhabitants of the
country are called Malaysians. Most of the population (about
62% as of 2010) are Austronesian peoples, known locally as
the Bumiputra. The concept of Bumiputra includes the Malays,
who make up just over half of the country's population
(50.1%), as well as the indigenous peoples who lived on
these lands even before the arrival of the Malays (about
11.8%). The indigenous population of the country is known
collectively as Orang Asli and includes many ethnic groups.
If in the peninsular part of the country they make up only
an extremely small proportion of the population, then in the
east (in the states of Sarawak and Sabah) they make up the
majority. The largest of these ethnic groups, the Ibans, has
about 600 thousand people (30% of the population of
Sarawak). Another large indigenous people - Bidayuh, has
about 170 thousand people and lives in the southwestern part
of Sarawak.
The second largest ethnic group in the
country is the Chinese (22.6% of the population of
Malaysia). The Chinese population is unevenly distributed,
so the most "Chinese" cities in Malaysia are Ipoh and Kuala
Lumpur, and the most "Chinese" state is Penang (41% of the
state's population are Chinese). The third largest ethnic
group is Indians (9.1%). The vast majority of them are of
Tamil origin, who, together with Malayali and Telugu, make
up over 83% of the entire Malaysian population of Indian
origin.
The descendants of Chinese and Indian
immigrants are considered indebted to the Malays for
granting them citizenship, which is enshrined in Article 153
of the Malaysian Constitution. Malays have an advantage in
admission to universities, priority in obtaining licenses
and loans for entrepreneurial activities; there should have
been 4 times more Malays in the state apparatus than
non-Malays.
The official language of Malaysia is Malay. English has
historically (up until the late 1960s) been the de facto
language of administration. Today, English plays an
important role as a second language and is used to some
extent in education. In addition, Malay English is widely
used in business, along with it is often used Manglish -
English with a very strong influence of Malay and to some
extent Chinese and Tamil. In the eastern part of the
country, indigenous languages are quite common, which are
mostly distantly related to Malay. The most widely spoken of
these languages is Iban, with over 600,000 speakers.
The Malay Chinese mainly speak various Southern Chinese
dialects (Southern Min, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, etc.)
and, to a lesser extent, Putonghua. The Indians of the
country mainly use Tamil.
Deaf Malaysians speak Malay
Sign Language, as well as the endangered Penang and
Selangor.
The Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of religion
for non-Malays. Islam has the status of the state religion
in the country. According to the 2010 census, Islam is
practiced by about 61.3% of the population; Buddhism -
19.8%; Christianity - 9.2%; Hinduism - 6.3%; Confucianism,
Taoism and other Chinese religions - 1.3%. 0.7% of the
population reported being non-religious, and 1.4% - that
they profess other religions, or did not give any
information.
All ethnic Malays are Muslims according
to the country's constitution. According to the 2010 census,
the majority of the Chinese population of the country
practice Buddhism (83.6%); 11% profess Christianity; 3.4% -
Taoism; in addition, there is a small community of Chinese
Muslims. Among the Indian population, 86.2% profess
Hinduism; 6% - Christianity; 4.1% - Islam. Christianity is
widespread among the indigenous population of the country
(orang-asli) - 46.5% of them are Christians; 40.4% are
Muslims. Of the Christians, both Catholics and Protestants
are represented. Protestants include Anglicans, Methodists,
Baptists, Adventists, followers of the Assemblies of God.
Education in Malaysia is overseen by two ministries: the
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.
Although education is the responsibility of the federal
government, each state has the right to make some
adjustments in this area in its territory. The main
legislation governing education is the Education Act 1996.
Education can be obtained in the public school system, which
provides free education for all Malaysians, in private
schools or at home. By law, primary education is compulsory
(6 years). The middle stage includes 5 years.
The
main language of education in the country is Malay, which is
a key issue for many political groups. At the same time,
primary schools remain, using either Chinese or Tamil as the
language of education. Until 1981, schools using English
remained, the number of which was reduced from 1970 by the
transition to Malay, until they completely disappeared by
1982. This causes dissatisfaction among the non-Malay
population of the country, mainly the Chinese, who oppose
Malay as the main language of education and claim that their
culture is being infringed.
The oldest and most
prestigious university is the University of Malaya.
Healthcare in Malaysia is under the control of the Ministry
of Health and includes 2 sectors: public and private. About
5% of the total budget allocated for the development of the
social sector goes to health care. The country's government
plans to focus on repairing existing ones, as well as
building and equipping new hospitals, increasing the number
of clinics, improving staff training and developing
telemedicine. Over the past few years, it has stepped up its
efforts to overhaul all systems and attract foreign
investment in this area.
One of the main health
problems in the country is the lack of the required number
of medical centers in rural areas. Another problem is the
lack of highly qualified specialists. Thus, attempts to send
various medical equipment to different cities were hampered
by the lack of necessary experience among the staff in
working with this equipment. Thus, many types of medical
care are available only in major cities in Malaysia. Private
clinics, unlike most public hospitals, are usually equipped
with state-of-the-art equipment.
Malaysia had a high economic growth rate (one of the highest
in Asia) with an average annual GDP growth of about 6.5%
from 1957 to 2005. As of 2014, Malaysia's GDP was $336.9
billion. In the 1970s, the country's economy, based mainly
on the extractive industry and agriculture, begins the
transition to a diversified economy; in the 1980s, the
industrial sector grew rapidly. Foreign investment played an
important role in this growth. After the Asian economic
crisis in 1997, the Malaysian economy recovered much faster
than the economies of neighboring countries.
International trade, facilitated by the important sea trade
route through the Strait of Malacca, and manufacturing are
the most important sectors of the country's economy.
Malaysia is a major exporter of agricultural and natural
resources, the most significant of which is oil. Proved oil
reserves are about 4.3 billion barrels; Malaysian state oil
company Petronas. Once, the country was the largest producer
of tin, natural rubber and palm oil. Malaysia is a developed
center of Islamic banking.
The country's science is
regulated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation. Malaysia is a major exporter of electrical
engineering and information and communication technology
products (1st place in the world in the production of
electronic chips and household air conditioners). The
automotive industry is developing (there is a national brand
Proton in the country). In 2002, the country launched its
own space program. In order to create an independent defense
capability, the government of the country continues to
promote the defense industry and its competitiveness.
The minimum wage in the country, depending on the
region, is 1100-1200 Malaysian ringgits monthly (about
230-255 euros). The average salary in Malaysia in 2022 is
around RM2,500 per month or €530. As of February 1, 2020,
the minimum wage has increased in the 16 city and 40
municipal council areas to RM1,200 ($291.51) per month and
RM5.77 ($1.4) per hour, while the minimum wage, outside of
the listed areas, remained the same and is RM1100 ($267.22)
per month and RM5.29 ($1.29) per hour.
The desire of the Malaysian government to differentiate the
country's economy, making it less dependent on the export of
goods and production, pushed him to develop tourism. As a
result, tourism has become the third largest source of
foreign exchange income and accounted for 7% of the
country's economy in 2005. For 2009, Malaysia is in 9th
place in the list of the most visited countries, right after
Germany. However, the existence and further development of
tourism is threatened by the negative consequences of
industrial growth associated with environmental degradation
and deforestation.
The country attracts tourists with
its national parks, located mainly in the eastern part of
the country. In addition, with a considerable length of
coastline, Malaysia is famous for its pristine beaches and
convenient diving spots. Large cities of the country are
also interesting, combining modern, traditional and colonial
architecture.
Malaysia has an extensive road network of 98,721 km of
highways, of which 80,280 km are paved and 1,821 km are
expressways. The main highway of the country has a length of
966 km and connects the Thai border with Singapore. The road
network in the peninsular part of the country is much better
developed and of higher quality than in the eastern part.
Malaysia drives on the left.
Malaysian railways have
a length of 1,849 km and connect most of the cities in the
peninsular part of the country. The only railway in eastern
Malaysia is a 134 km branch line in the state of Sabah. The
country's railways are linked to the systems of Singapore
and Thailand. There is a 57 km high speed railway linking
Kuala Lumpur with the airport. In the capital of the
country, urban light rail transport is also developed.
In total, there are 58 airports in the country, of which
37 are passenger ones. 8 airports in Malaysia have
international status, the busiest of them is Kuala Lumpur
International Airport; the second busiest is Kota Kinabalu
International Airport. The country's state-owned national
airline is Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia's largest port is
Klang, located 38 km southwest of Kuala Lumpur, in the state
of Selangor.
Malaysia is a multiethnic and multilingual country. The
original culture of these lands comes from the culture of
the indigenous peoples living here before the arrival of the
Malays, as well as from the Malays themselves, who came
later. With the beginning of the development of trade in the
East, the Chinese and Indians made an important contribution
to the culture of Malaysia. Persian, Arab and British
influences are also quite strong.
In 1971, the
government of the country announced the National Cultural
Policy, defining the Malaysian culture. It stated that
Malaysian culture should be based on the culture of the
country's indigenous peoples; it may also include suitable
elements from other cultures, Islam should play an important
role in the culture of the country. It was also announced
that the Malay language should occupy a more important
position than the others. This intervention in culture by
the state caused massive resentment from the non-Malay
population of the country, who felt that their cultural
freedom had been reduced. The Chinese and Indian
associations provided the government with memorandums
accusing them of undemocratic cultural policies.
Before the appearance of writing in the region, there were
quite strong oral traditions that flourished even long after
the arrival of the Jawi script (modified Arabic alphabet),
which appeared on the territory of modern Malaysia with the
arrival of Islam here at the end of the 15th century. The
Indian epic had a strong influence on oral traditions. Each
Malay sultan created his own literary tradition based on the
oral tradition and stories that came with Islam from the
territory of Persia and the Middle East. An important moment
in the development of literature was the emergence of
printing. Traditionally, poetry was well developed, which
has many forms and genres here. Until the beginning of the
19th century, Malay literature was mainly focused on stories
about royalty, later the subject matter of the works became
wider. Since the beginning of the 20th century, literature
began to change dramatically, reflecting social changes. One
of the most famous early works, The Malay Genealogies, or
Genealogies of the Sultans (Sulalatus Salatin), was
originally written in the 15th century, but the earliest
extant versions date from the 16th century. "History of Hang
Tuah" (Hikayat Hang Tuah) is also one of the most famous
works of that time.
The main languages of Malaysian
literature are Malay, English and Chinese. In 1971, the
government of the country took a step to define the
literature in different languages, so literature in Malay
became known as "National Literature of Malaysia",
literature in other languages Bumiputra "Regional
Literature", in other languages - "Composite Literature"
Traditional Malaysian art is concentrated mainly on wood carving, basket weaving and silversmithing. The traditional Malay kris dagger with a curved asymmetrical blade shape is widely known. Also widespread is the painting on fabric, characteristic of the region - batik, and some other styles of decorating fabrics. It is traditional for the peoples of East Malaysia to make wooden masks. Traditional jewelry is associated with the decoration of silver and gold products with various precious stones. In some parts of the country, there are styles of painting clay products. The local art of staging has a strong Indian influence. For many centuries, the shadow theater of wayang-kulit has been widespread, which is also characteristic of other countries of the region. The plots of wayang puppet shows are usually taken from the Ramayana or the Mahabharata; dolls are made of cow or buffalo skin and painted by hand. For the Chinese community of the country, such performances as the dragon dance and the lion dance are traditional, usually performed on major holidays such as the Chinese New Year. Contemporary artists include Ibrahim Hussain, Said Tajuddin, Abdul Ghafar Bahari, Aris Aziz, Mazlan Nur Along, Grace Lim, watercolorists Abey Zul and Abdul Ghani Ahmad, cartoonist Rossem Sem, and batik artist Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa.
The architecture of the country is a mixture of many styles, from traditional Indian and Chinese to those brought by European colonialists. Architectural traditions vary from region to region. Traditional building materials are wood, bamboo and leaves. The indigenous peoples of the east of the country are characterized by long houses and water villages on stilts.
Traditional music is based mainly on percussion instruments, the most important of which is the gendang. There are at least 14 different types of reels in total. Other instruments include the rebab (bowed), seruling (a type of flute), and other wind instruments. The east of the country is characterized by different types of gongs. Music has traditionally been used during storytelling, as well as at various festivities.
Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi-ethnicity of its
population. Many cultures of both the peoples of the country
and the peoples of neighboring regions have influenced the
cuisine. The main influences take their roots from the
Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese and Sumatran
cultures, largely due to the fact that the spice road once
passed through these lands. Many dishes contain several
cultural influences at once, which gives Malaysian cuisine
its own identity. The cuisine of Malaysia is most similar to
the cuisines of Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.
Culinary traditions, dishes and how they are prepared often
differ from state to state.
As in other countries of
the region, one of the main products in Malaysian cuisine is
rice. The most popular traditional rice-based dish is nasi
lemak: steamed rice with coconut milk; usually served with
fried anchovies, walnut, cucumber, hard boiled egg and a
spicy chili paste known as sambal. Often nasi lemak is also
served with rendang meat dish in order to make the meal more
satisfying. Quite similar to nasi lemak is nasi datang, a
dish popular on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.
Another important ingredient along with rice is noodles,
which are popular not only among the local Chinese, but also
among other ethnic groups. Due to the maritime position of
the country, fish and seafood dishes are common. Beef is the
most popular meat among Muslims; pork is also common among
non-Muslims.
Malaysians celebrate quite a few holidays throughout the
year. Some of them are established at the federal level, and
some - by the governments of individual states. In addition,
the observance of the holidays depends on the particular
ethnic and religious group; however, the main holidays of
each group were declared state holidays. One of the main
holidays is Independence Day (Hari-Merdeka), celebrated on
August 31 to commemorate the declaration of independence by
the Federation of Malaya in 1957. Another important public
holiday is Malaysia Day, celebrated on September 16 to
commemorate the 1963 federation. Other national holidays
include Labor Day (1 May) and The King's Birthday (first
week of June).
The main Islamic holidays are also
widely celebrated: Uraza-Bayram (Hari-Raya Puasa), Eid
al-Adha (Hari-Raya Haji) and Maulid an-Nabi
(Maulidur-Rasul). The Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year
and other major traditional festivals. Indians celebrate
Diwali, Thaipusam and other Hindu festivals. Christians
celebrate Christmas, Easter, etc. Ethnic groups in the east
of Malaysia also widely celebrate the Harvest Festival
(Hawaii Dayak). Despite the ethnic and religious affiliation
of most of the holidays, the main ones are common and are
often celebrated by representatives of other ethnic groups
of the country.
In the system of electronic media, the state-owned
corporation Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) occupies a
leading position. It is accountable to the Ministry of
Information, which coordinates the activities of all state
media institutions. The starting point of its existence is
considered to be April 1, 1946, when the Department of
Broadcasting was created and Radio Malaya began to broadcast
on medium waves (since 1963 - Radio Malaysia). In 1950, it
launched the English-language radio station The Blue Network
(now TraXX FM) on medium waves. Now Radio Malaysia has 6
nationwide radio stations - Radio Klasik, TraXX FM, Asyik
FM, Nasional FM, Ai FM, Minnal FM, 22 regional radio
stations. In addition, since February 15, 1963, the Voice of
Malaysia radio has been broadcasting abroad in 8 languages
(Arabic, Malay, English, Indonesian, Chinese, Burmese,
Tagalog, Thai) with a volume of 168 hours a week. Popular
music radio station "Classic National" (National Classics).
Television programs have been conducted since December
28, 1963. Color television appeared on December 28, 1978.
There are two channels (TV-1 and TV-2). The number of
transmitting stations is 131, the volume of transmissions is
206 hours per week (126 hours of TV-1 and 80 hours of TV-2).
On June 1, 1984, the first private channel, TV-3, was
created with 24 transmitting stations, which has been
broadcasting around the clock since August 31, 1997 and
covers 96 percent of the country's population. On July 1,
1995, Metrovision Channel 4 went into operation in the
capital and its environs, serving about 3.3 million viewers.
The National Information Agency - BERNAMA, established
in 1968. By a government decree of May 1, 1984, it is
endowed with the exclusive right to disseminate information
from foreign news agencies. It is a member of the
Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). It has
branches in every state, overseas bureaus on a permanent
basis in Singapore, Jakarta, Hanoi, stringers in Washington,
London, Dhaka, Melbourne, Tokyo and Delhi.
There are
56 newspapers (14 Malay, 12 English, 18 Chinese, 4 Tamil, 4
Japanese and 4 multilingual) and 1,801 periodicals (959
Malay, 495 English, 255 in Chinese, 62 in Tamil and 30 in
Japanese). Since 2006, the quarterly theater magazine
"Pontas" (Scene) has been published, edited by the famous
poet Rahimidin Zahari. The largest newspaper syndicates are
the New Straits Times Press (1961), which publishes five
dailies (New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Business Times,
Malay Mail, Harian Metro) and four Sunday newspapers ( New
Sunday Times, Berita Minggu, Sunday Mail, Metro Ahad) with a
total circulation of over 1.5 million copies and eight
magazines, as well as Utusan Melayyu (Malaysia) Berhad
(1938), which published two daily ( "Utusan Malaysia" - in
Latin, "Utusan Melayu" - in Arabic) and one Sunday
("Mingguan Malaysia") newspaper with a total circulation of
about 700 thousand copies and ten magazines. Other
influential newspapers include the Sunday Star Star
(circulation 170,000), Nanyang Shanbao (145,000), Xingzhou
Ribao (210,000), Tamil Nesan (circulation 30,000). ),
"Zhongguo Bao" (110 thousand). Licenses for printed
publications were updated annually until 2012. Since 1974,
there has been the Malaysian Press Institute, where
journalists improve their skills.