Use Information
Country:
The Federation of
Malaysia comprises Peninsular Malaysia and the
states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of
Borneo.
Geographical
Location:
Located between 2
and 7 degrees north of the Equator, Peninsular
Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah
and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north
of Peninsular Malaysia is Thailand while its
southern neighbour is Singapore. Sabah and
Sarawak are bounded by Indonesia white Sarawak
also shares a border with Brunei.
Area:
329,758 sq km.
Population:
22.7 million.
Capital:
Kuala Lumpur.
People:
Malays who make up
about 57% of the population are the predominant
group with Chinese, Indians and other ethnic
groups making up the rest.
Language:
Bahasa Melayu
(Malay) is the national language but English is
widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak
various languages and dialects.
Religion:
Islam is the
official religion but all other religions are
practised freely.
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 weather all year round. Temperatures
range from 21oC to 32oC.
Annual rainfall varies from 2000mm to 2500mm.
What to wear:
As Malaysia's
climate is sunny almost year round, light
clothing is ideal. It is advisable for ladies,
when entering mosques and temples, to wear long
sleeves and loose pants or long skirts.
Major Holidays:
New Year's Day
(January I)* - Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (December)*
- Chinese New Year (January/ February) * -
Federal Territory Day (February 1)** - Labour
Day (May I )* - Wesak Day (May)* - King's
Birthday (June) - National Day (August 31)* -
Deepavali (October or November)# - Christmas*
(December 25)*.
Note: (* )- National holidays - (* *) KL &
Labuan only s (#) - Except Sarawak & Labuan
Economic Profile:
Manufacturing
constitutes the largest single component of
Malaysia's economy. Tourism and primary
commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural
rubber and timber are major contributors to its
economy.
Currency: the
unit of currency is the Malaysian Ringgit
indicated as RM.The Malaysian Ringgit (RM), the
standard unit is worth 100 sen (cents). Currency
notes are in denominations of RM1, RM2, RM5,
RM10, RM20, RM50,and RM100, while the
denomination of RM500 and RM1000 is no longer be
valid tender. Coins are in denominations of 1
sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50sen and RM1.
Foreign currencies can be converted at banks and
money changers. All travellers, both residents
and non-residents, are required to complete the
Traveller's Declaration Form (TDF). The revised
TDF has two separate sections and columns for
residents and non-residents to declare their
currencies, the blue section for residents and
the white section for non-residents,
Residents are only required to declare in detail
the exact amount of ringgit carried when they
enter or leave the country only if the amount is
in excess of RM 1,000. They are also required to
declare in detail the exact amount in foreign
currency, including traveller's cheques carried,
when they leave the country only if the amount
exceeds the equivalent of RM I0,000.
Nonresidents are required to declare the exact
amount of foreign currency carried when they
enter or leave the country only if the amount
exceeds the equivalent of
CAD3,8300.00
Business Hours:
Government offices
8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and
2 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
8 a.m. to 12 noon and
2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday
8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Saturday.
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
Commercial firms in Kuala Lumpur
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.
(In the states of Kelantan and Kedah, Thursdays
is a half working day and Friday is a holiday.
Saturday and Sunday are full working days. In
the state of Terengganu Friday is a half working
day and Saturday is a holiday. Sunday is a full
working day.)
Banking Hours:
Most states:
Mon-Fri: 9.30am4.00pm - Sat: 9.30am-11.30am --
Sun: closed - Kedah, Kelantan & Terengganu:
Sat-Wed: 9.30am-4.00pm - Thur: 9.30am 1 1.30am -
Fri: closed.
Credit Card:
Most established
accept credit cards. Commonly accepted credit
card are American Express, Barclays, Visa,
Diners Club and Master Card.
Post Offices:
Open from 8.00am to
5.00pm daily except Sundays and public holidays.
In Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu post offices
are closed on Fridays and public holidays. Post
offices within the city offer stamps, aerogramme
and postcards for sale and will attend to all
your postal requirements. Aerogramme cost 50 sen
to all countries
Police Assistance:
If you face any
problems during your visit, contact the nearest
Police Station or lodge a report at any one of
the numerous 'Pondok Polis' (Mini Police
Stations) in the city. You may also enlist the
help of the Kuala Lumpur Tourist Police, a unit
specifically assigned to assist foreign
visitors, at Tel: 03-241 5522/5243.
Water:
It is generally
safe to drink water straight from the tap.
Bottled mineral water, however, is easily
available in shops and supermarkets.
Newspapers:
English Language
newspapers are available i.e. The New Straits
Times, The Sun, The Star, Business Times, Malay
Mail, Daily Express, Sabah Daily News and
Sarawak Tribune, International newspapers can be
obtained at most bookshops and news stands.
Several dailies in other languages include
Utusan Melayu, Berita Harian, Nanyang Siang Pau,
Sin Chew Jit Poh and Tamil Nesan. There are also
weeklies such as the Leader and Straits Shipper.
Radio:
Radio services are
in Bahasa Melayu, English, Chinese and Tamil.
Television:
There are 5
television stations with TVI and TV2 being
government networks while the other three are
privately run.
Time:
Eight hours ahead
of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific
Standard Time.
Electricity:
Voltage is 220 -
240 volts A C at 50 cycles per second.
Weights and
Measures:
Malaysia follows
the metric system in weights and measures.
Telecommunications:
Local calls can be
made from public phones using coins or
pre-paid cards, International calls can be made
from public phones with card phone
facilities or at any Telekom offices. IDD or
trunk calls may be dialed direct using area
codes or assisted by the operator.
Operator : 102
Telephone Assisted Trunk Calls : 101
Enquiries : 102
Directory : 103
Telegram Service : 104
International Service : 108
Time Check : 1051
Cinemas:
If you're more
inclined to watching movies, make a beeline for
cinemas which feature a variety of local Malay,
Indonesian, Hindi, Chinese and Western movies.
Kuala Lumpur cinema screens like TGV and GSC
feature some of the best state-of-the-art
equipment. Please refer to the newspaper for
information on daily screenings.
Tipping:
Tipping is not a
way of life in Malaysia (unless the service
rendered is exceptionally good). Most hotels and
large restaurants automatically add a 10%
service charge in addition to the 5% government
tax to the bill. Taxi drivers are not tipped.
Do's & Don'ts:
When visiting
Malaysia, the visitor should observe local
customs and practices. Some common
courtesies and customs are as follows :
- Although handshakes generally suffice for both
men and women, some Muslim ladies may
acknowledge an introduction to a gentleman with
a nod of her head and smile. A handshake is only
to be reciprocated if the lady offers her hand
first. The traditional greeting or "salam"
resembles a handshake with both hands but
without the grasp. The man offers both hands,
lightly touches his friend's outstretched hands,
then brings his hands to his chest to mean, "I
greet you from my heart". The visitor should
reciprocate the "salam".
- It is polite to call before visiting a home.
- Shoes must always be removed when entering a
Malaysian home.
- Drinks are generally offered to guests. It
would be polite to accept.
- The right hand is always used when eating with
one's hand or when giving and receiving objects.
- The right forefinger is not used to point at
places, objects or persons Instead, the thumb of
the right hand with
the four fingers, folded
under is the preferred usage.
-
Shoes must be removed when entering places of
worship such as mosques and temples. Some
mosques provide robes and scarves for female
visitors. Taking photographs at places of
worship is usually permitted but always ask
permission first.
- Toasting is not a common practice in Malaysia.
The country's large Muslim population does not
drink alcohol
