Malaysia

Currency		Ringgit (RM) (MYR)

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It is divided into two parts by the South China Sea. Its mainland is located on the Malay Peninsula and faces the Straits of Malacca on its West coast and on the South China Sea on its East coast. The other part of this country, sometimes known as East Malaysia, is located on the northern part of the island of Borneo on the South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur on the Malay Peninsula is its capital, however the federal capital was recently moved to Putrajaya, a newly created city exclusively designed for administration. It is a federal state made from 13 states.

There are various ethnic groups in Malaysia, Although Malay make up a majority of Malaysia's population, but there are also Chinese and Indian. Its official language is Malay but English is often used in education and economic scenes. There are over 130 other languages spoken in Malaysia, with 94 in Malaysian Borneo and 40 on the peninsula. Although Islam is their official religion, the citizens have the freedom to practise other religions.

History

Between China and India, Malaysia was an ancient trading place. When Europeans came to this area, Malacca became an important trade port.

The states of Malaysia became a colony of the British Empire. The peninsular part became independent on August 31, 1957 as the Federation of Malaya. In 1963, Malaya, Singapore and the Borneo part joined together to become Malaysia. In 1965, Singapore broke off and declared independence.

Politics and economy

Malaysia has 13 states, namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu, and three federal territories, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. The number of points of the star on the flag represents the number of states Malaysia has, but it has 14 because Singapore was one of the states in Malaysia during its merger. The head of state of Malaysia is known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly called the "King of Malaysia". That title is currently held by Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. Malaysia's head of government is the Prime Minister. Its current prime minister is Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak. It also has a parliament and a court system. It is a member of ASEAN. Its economy is steadily growing and it is a relatively rich country in Southeast Asia.

Major cities in Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, George Town, Ipoh and Johor Bahru.

Religion

Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and Islam is the country's official religion. The four main religions are Islam (55.4% of the population), Buddhism (29.2%), Christianity (6.1%, mostly in East Malaysia, i.e., Borneo), and Hinduism (7.8%), according to government census figures in 2009.

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 bumiputera. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu).

Food

Laksa is a spicy noodle dish common in Malaysia.

Sports

Malaysia's national sport's centre is the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex. Nicol David (squash) and Lee Chong Wei (badminton) are world number ones from Malaysia. Malaysia has won successful gold medals in the Commonwealth Games 2010 in India, which helps to add up more gold medals. Malaysia breaks their Commonwealth Games record as the most successful in 2010.

Transport

Malaysia's road network covers 98,721 kilometres (61,342 mi) and includes 1,821 kilometres (1,132 mi) of expressways. The longest highway of the country, the North-South Expressway, extends over 800 kilometres (497 mi) between the Thai border and Singapore. The road systems in Sabah and Sarawak are less developed and of lower quality in comparison to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia has 118 airports, of which 38 are paved. The official airline of Malaysia is Malaysia Airlines, providing international and domestic air service alongside two other carriers. The railway system is state-run, and covers a total of 1,849 kilometres (1,149 mi). There are also Light Rail Transit in Kuala Lumpur.

Other websites

• Malaysian Government Portal
• Malaysian maps
• Malaysia Travel Guide - Most comprehensive travel guide to Malaysia attractions