Malaysia Travel Guide

Malaysia — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Southeast Asia.
Language: Bahasa Melayu is the national and official language, but English is widely spoken. Other languages such as Chinese (Cantonese and Hokkien), Iban and Tamil are spoken by minorities.
Area: 329,750 sq km (127,317 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 8.
Electricity: 220-240 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs are generally used.
Population: 25.2 million (2008 estimate).
Population Density: 76.4 per sq km.
Capital City: Kuala Lumpur. Population: 1.8 million (2007 estimate).
Government: Constitutional monarchy since 1963. Gained independence from the UK in 1957.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak since 2009.
Head of State: Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin since 2006.
Religion: Malaysia's official religion is Islam. The country also has a large Buddhist community. Other religions, including Christian, Taoist, Confucianist, Hindu and animist, are also practised.

Recent History

The dominant political organization in Malaysia has long been the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), which allied itself with several smaller formations to create the Barisan Nasional (NF, National Front). Between 1982 and 2003, Malaysian politics were shaped by the leadership of Mahathir Mohammed, a strident nationalist with an acerbic tongue and an intolerance of opposition in any form - something which saw him use the 9/11 attacks in the USA to demonise his Islamist opponents. His ruthlessness was exemplified when he framed his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, for alleged homosexuality (which is illegal in Malaysia) and corruption, sentencing him to 15 years in prison.

Some problems have arisen lately between differing ethnic groups, largely due to a marked wealth gap between them, but generally, the various communities live harmoniously.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +60. International calls can be made from public telephones or at any office of Malaysia Telekom Berhad, the national phone company (www.tm.com.my). Public phones can be found in many areas, such as supermarkets, shopping centers and post offices, and most use coins or pre-paid cards, which can be purchased at petrol stations and convenience stores

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies and network coverage is good in most areas of Peninsular Malaysia, and in larger cities in East Malaysia. Signals are less reliable in the highlands and vanish entirely in rural areas of Borneo. Malaysia has GSM 900/1800 and 3G mobile networks, and pre-paid SIM cards can be purchased locally for unlocked mobile phones. If your phone is locked to a network, cheap handsets are widely available.

Internet

Internet cafés are found everywhere and most chain coffee shops and shopping centers offer Wi-Fi connections. Larger hotels offer in-room internet access and Wi-Fi access in the lobby.

Media

The government strives hard to shield the Malaysian population from foreign influences that are deemed harmful, and to maintain the perception of national unity. There are strict laws on censorship, and most newspapers self-censor to avoid falling foul of the authorities. Private radio stations broadcast in Malay, Tamil, Chinese and English, but all are circumspect in their political coverage. The censorship laws extend to music and films, and many recordings from outside Malaysia are banned.

Post

There are post offices in the commercial center of all towns.Mon-Sat 0800-1700.

Press

• English-language dailies include Business Times, The Edge, Malay Mail, Malaysiakini, New Straits Times and The Star.
• The major Malay-language newspapers are Utusan and Berita Harian.
• English-language newspapers available in Sarawak include the Borneo Post.
• English-language dailies in Sabah include the Borneo Mail, Daily Express and Sabah Times.

Radio

• Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) operates some 30 state-run radio stations across the country, plus an external service.
• Time Highway Radio is a private FM station in Kuala Lumpur.
• Era FM is another private FM station in Malaysia.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
1 Feb *Federal Territory Day
3 Feb Chinese New Year
15 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of Prophet Muhammad)
1 May Labor Day
9 May Wesak Day (Birth of Buddha)
4 Jun King’s Birthday
30 Aug Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan)
31 Aug Merdeka Day (National Day)
26 Oct **Deepavali
6 Nov Hari Raya Qurban (Feast of the Sacrifice)
26 Nov Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year)
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
23 Jan Chinese New Year
1 Feb *Federal Territory Day
4 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of Prophet Muhammad)
28 Apr Wesak Day (Birth of Buddha)
1 May Labor Day
2 Jun King’s Birthday
19 Aug Hari Raya Puasa (End of Ramadan)
31 Aug Merdeka Day (National Day)
25 Oct Hari Raya Qurban (Feast of the Sacrifice)
13 Nov **Deepavali
15 Nov Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year)
25 Dec Christmas Day
*Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Labuan only.
**Except Labuan and Sarawak.
(a) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Hari Raya Puasa, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Hari Raya Puasa itself and Hari Raja Qurban may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region. (b) Buddhist festivals are also timed according to phases of the moon and variations may occur.

Contact Information

Malaysian High Commission in the UK

45-46 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8QT, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 8033.
Website: www.kln.gov.my/perwakilan/london
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1200 (consular section).