General Information

Geographically, Malaysia is almost as diverse as its culture. There are eleven states and two federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) that form Peninsular Malaysia, which is separated by the South China Sea from East Malaysia which includes the two states (Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo) and a third federal territory, the island of Labuan. Malaysia covers an area of 329,758 square kilometres, with a population of about 30 million. Its capital city is Kuala Lumpur. To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia - a bubbling, bustling melting-pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony. Malaysia's multiculturalism has made it a unique gastronomical paradise and home to hundreds of colourful festivals. It is no wonder that Malaysians love celebrating and socialising. As a people, Malaysians are very relaxed, warm and friendly. Malays comprise the majority of the population, while the Chinese, Indian and other races make up the rest of the population. Malay is the national language. However, English is widely spoken with many other ethnic groups converse in their respective languages and dialects. Click Here
Islam is the official religion of the country, but other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity are widely and freely practised.

Climate And Weather

The country experiences tropical weather year-round. Temperatures range from 21 Celcius (70 Fahrenheit) to 32 Celcius (90 Fahrenheit). It can also be humid. Hotels, restaurants and shopping centres are air-conditioned. It would be advisable to bring a light jacket as the air-conditioning temperature can be quite cold.

Electricity And Power Plugs

In Malaysia, the standard voltage is 240V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. The power sockets are of type G.

Currency

The Malaysian Ringgit is the currency of Malaysia. The currency code for Ringgits is MYR, and the currency symbol is RM.

Bank And Money Changers

Pharmacy, Hospital And Clinics

Useful Phrases And Greetings

Usually when greeting a Malay, the traditional greeting is Apa khabar? means "What news", and similar in function to "How are you?", to which the reciprocated reply is 'Khabar baik' - literally translates to "good news" but essentially meaning " I am fine." Here are some general pronounciation guidelines:

a as in car. apa-what: makan-eat
ai as in aisle. kedai-shop; sungai-river
au as in how. Pulau-island; jauh-far
c as in chat. capal-sandal; cinta-love
e as in early. Membeli - to buy; besar-big
g as in go, and not gem. pergi- go;guru- teacher
gg as in single. ringgit- Malaysian currency denomination; tetangga- household
h as in halt. mahal-expensive; murah-cheap
i as in feet. minum-to drink; lagi- again
j as in judge. jalan- street; juta million
ng as in singing. sangat-very: bunga-flower
ny as in onion. minyak-petrol/oil; banyak - a lot
o as in hop. orang- people; tolong-help
u as in pool. ukiran- carving; minum- to drink ( see above for i)


There is one appendage that is widely used in Malaysia. It is "lah". Its purpose is purely emphatic e.g. shopkeepers may say "cannot-lah" when you are trying to bargain

Below are some useful phrases :

Welcome to Malaysia - Selamat datang ke Malaysia
Good Morning - Selamat pagi
Good afternoon - Selamat tengah hari
Good evening - Selamat petang (between 2pm-7pm)
Good night - Selamat malam (after 7pm)
Goodbye - Selamat tinggal (said if you are leaving) | Selamat jalan (said if you are staying)
See you again - Jumpa lagi
How are you? - Apa khabar? (literally means what news?)
I'm fine - Khabar baik (literally means good news)
Pleased to meet you - Selamat berkenalan
Thank you - Terima kasih
Reply to thank you - Sama-sama
My name is... - Nama saya...
Yes - Ya
No - Tidak
Bon appetite - Jemput makan
How much? - Berapa harga?
That's too expensive - Ini Mahal sangat
Can you reduce the price - Boleh minta kurang?
I would like to change money - Saya hendak tukar duit/wang
Where is the toilet? - Di mana tandas?


Do smile when you greet people. Malays greet each other with a salaam, in which two individuals each extend both hand and grasp both their hands somewhat like a double handshake. The gesture is used when saying goodbye. The salaam is only used when greeting men.

Greetings in a social context will depend upon the ethnicity of the person you are meeting. In general, most Malays are aware of Western ways so the handshake is normal. There may be slight differences so please bear in mind the following:

Malay women may not shake hands with men. Women can of course shake hands with women
Men may not shake hands with women and may bow instead while placing their hand on their heart.

It is normal to see people greeting each other in the tourist industry by touching the palm of the right hand to their own chest. This gesture means: 'I greet you from my heart'.

Malays should be addressed with a Mr., Madam (if married) or miss. For example, Hisyam bin Ismail would be greeted as Mr. Hisyam. Mr Hisyams's wife's name is Hafizah binti Mohamed, and she should be addressed as Madam Fiza.

The Commissioner General of the Malaysian Prisons Department name is Datuk Haji Nordin bin Haji Muhamad. Please address the Commissioner General as 'Datuk'.
The Commissioner General's wife is Datin Zihana binti Mohd Zin. Please address her as 'Datin'

Prayer Time