General Info

Nationality

Malaysian

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

Main Airport

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, about 75 km from Kuala Lumpur.

Geographical Location

Malaysia (West and East Malaysia) land area is roughly 328,550 sq km (about half size of Thailand). It lies at 7° north of the Equator. Thailand borders the former to the north, Singapore to the south, South China Sea to the east and Straits of Malacca to the west. The latter, is bound by Indonesia to the south, the South China Sea to the west and north and Sulu Sea to the northeast.

Highest Peaks

Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah (4,101m); Gunung Tahan (2,187m)

Longest Rivers

Sungai Rejang, Sarawak( 560km) ; Sungai Pahang (432km)

Climate

Malaysia’s climate is warm, tropical climate (with general temperatures ranging from 21°C to 32°C) and strongly influenced by the Northeast and the Southwest Monsoons.

May – September: Drier period
November – February: Rainy season (East coast of West Malaysia and the states in East Malaysia)

Time Zone

Malaysia’s time zone is GMT/UTC +8, which is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT), sixteen hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time, and thirteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard. However, Daylight Saving Time is not applicable to the country.

The Government

Malaysia adopts a system of parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. There is a Prime Minister and full cabinet. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong or King is elected every five years in accordance with a rotating succession system determined by the Conference of Rulers, which comprises of Sultans. Nine states have a Sultan as head of state, while four have Governors. The three Federal Territories are administered by a Major. Power is concentrated in the hand s of the Federal Government, except got issues involving land, culture, and religion, which are decided at the State-level.

Population

27.17 million: Malays (13.77 million), Other indigenous people (2.9 million), Chinese (6.3 million), Indians (1.88 million), Other Malaysians (326,000), Foreign Workers (1.91 million)

Annual growth rate

1.8%.

Racial Composition

Malay 50.2%, Chinese 24.5%, indigenous 11.0%, Indian 7.2%, non-Malaysian citizens 5.9%, others 1.2%.

Religion

Islam is the official religion in Malaysia. However, one can practice one’s religion freely. The myriad places of worships bear testament to this. The variety of religions found in Malaysia is a direct reflection of the diversity of races living includes Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Sikhism.

Language

The official language is Bahasa Malaysia (Malay Language), but English is widely spoken. Other major languages spoken are Tamil, Punjabi, Chinese dialects (Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), and several indigenous languages (Iban, Kadazan) in East Malaysia

Clothing and Dress codes

Clothing made of cotton and other natural fibers are more suitable because Malaysia’s climate is generally hot and humid. As for the dress codes, Malaysians usually wear clothing styles which similar with Americans and Europeans, although modesty is observed.

Economy

Malaysia is still the world’s largest producer of palm oil, rubber, timber and tin, including manufacturing and service (especially, tourism) which have became main divisions of the economy. Besides, export of electronic products is also one of the major contributors to the nation’s economic growth.

Currency

Ringgit Malaysia (RM) is the Malaysian unit of currency, which divided into 100 sens. The currency comes into notes of RM 1, RM 2, RM 5, RM 10, RM 50 and RM 100. Besides, coins are issued in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, and 50 sen denominations. Travellers Declaration Form can be obtained from the entry and exit points in Malaysia to declare all the currencies brought into and out of the country. Regulation of the government stated that non-residents are allowed to bring in and out of the country below RM1000 at any given time but foreign currencies are not regulated. All commercial banks are the authorized foreign exchange dealers. However, major hotels are only licensed to buy or accept foreign currencies in form of notes and travellers cheques. 

Travellers Cheques and Credit Cards

Most international credit cards – Visa, MasterCard, JCB, American Express and Diner Club are widely accepted in the cities. Have the passport ready whenever visitors wish to cash the travellers’ cheques. It is advisable to have Ringgit on hand since the shops do not accept credit cards or travellers’ cheques. Money-changers and banks are plentiful in towns and cities to exchange currency which gives visitors a better exchange rate than hotels or shops.

Health

There are no major diseases in Malaysia. When visiting Sabah and Sarawak or the remote or swampy areas of Peninsular Malaysia, anti-malaria pills or injections are advised. Those coming from yellow fever endemic areas on the African and South American continents are required to have been inoculated against the fever.

Duty-free Allowance

The allowance per person is as follows:

• Wine, spirits or liquors not exceeding 1 litre;
  
• 225grams of tobacco or 200 cigarettes; matches not exceeding 100 sticks;
  
• Cosmetics, soaps and dentifrices not exceeding RM 200;
  
• New apparel not exceeding 3 pieces;
  
• New footwear not exceeding 1 pair;
  
• Portable, electrically and battery-operated appliances for personal care and
• hygiene not exceeding 1 unit each;
  
• Suitable food preparations not exceeding RM 75; and
  
• Gifts and souvenirs not exceeding RM 200;

Non-dutiable goods include cameras, watches, pens, lighters, and perfumes.

Prohibited Items

Drugs of any kind are considered illegal. Only prescription medicine is allowed. All firearms are banned and those wishing to bring in any kind, including for sports, must obtain a license from the relevant authority. The penalty for those caught in the two prohibited items is death. For more information, please visit www.customs.gov.my.

Education

There are many private schools, with the majority concentrated in the Klang Valley. They range from international schools providing in curricula of different countries such as America, Britain, France, Germany and Japan, to colleges and universities that provide twinning programmes or teach curricula from overseas universities. 

Electricity and Voltage

Electric supply is on a 240-volt AC at 50-cycle per second. Visitors from countries using different electricity voltage systems are advised to bring their converters and adaptors.

Water

Drink boiled water in major cities in Peninsular Malaysia. If unsure of the hygiene standards in hawker centers, stay away from the ice. Bottle water is widely available. Remember to drink enough water.

Medical Services

Medical services are available in most towns at government hospitals and private clinics. Non-prescription drugs are available at pharmacies, as well as supermarkets, hotels, and shopping centers.

Local Touch

Food hawkers selling traditional and local delicacies make up the everyday scenes in big or small towns throughout the country. One can try "teh tarik", a smoothened, creamed tea, and "roti canai", a fluffy pancake prepared by a local person of Indian Muslim ancestry. Spicy Malay food, such as "nasi lemak" and various kinds of Chinese noodles are also popular. People from all walks of life frequent these food stalls.

As Malaysia is a multi-religious country, various Muslim mosques, Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, and Christian churches can be found almost anywhere. Despite the many changes and developments in the cities and big towns, Malaysia has many "kampung" (villages), jungles, beaches, and rice fields. Many houses in the "kampung" are built on stilts. Batik cotton fashion is popular in Malaysia. It can be used for casual wear, as well as formal functions.

Post Offices

POS Malaysia is the national postal company which provides standard postal services, registration service, bulk mailing, franking service, insured letters services, post office box service and payment collection counters. POSLAJU Malaysia is the premium service and is known as EXPEDITED MAIL SERVICE (EMS). Its domestic network comprises of 135 outlets and links with 45 countries internationally.

For more information, please visit the POS Malaysia’s website at www.pos.com.my.

Internet Coverage

Internet services are also widely available particularly in town areas. All internet cafes use a fast Internet connection of 512Mbps to 4Mbps. The rate per hour usage is differing from one place to another.

Weights and Measures

Malaysia follows the metric system which based on the metre and the gram in weights and measures.

Entry Formalities and Visa Requirements

An International Passport or valid travel documents recognized by the Malaysia Government and internationally is required of any foreign national entering Malaysia. Moreover, the former must have sufficient pages for the embarkation stamp upon arrival and be valid for at least 6 months at the date of entry. The latter should be endorsed with a valid re-entry permit. Visa is not required for travellers coming from Commonwealth countries, except Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Citizens of Israel, Serbia and Montenegro are not allowed to enter Malaysia without prior approval of the Government. Those coming from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand are required to have a visa unless they are on a Social or Business visit for less than one month.

For more information, please visit the Malaysian Immigration Department's website at www.imi.gov.my

Telecommunications

The cellular telephone is common and there are many services available such as 012 and 017 (Maxis Communications Bhd), 016 (Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd), and 013 and 019 (Celcom (M) Sdn Bhd). Prepaid cards and International Direct Dial (IDD) cards which allow mobile phone usage are widely available at very affordable rates. Besides, Telekom Malaysia provides extensive phone services, including direct dialing to over 200 countries. The operator on 101, directory enquiries on 103, and the international operator 108. 

The international dialing code for Malaysia is 60 and the area code for Kuala Lumpur is 03. When calling Malaysia from overseas dial 00 + country code + area code + telephone number. For example, to call a number 7788 9999 in Kuala Lumpur from overseas, dial 0060377889999. Though, when calling Kuala Lumpur from another place within Malaysia with different area code, then dial 0377889999.

 
Area Codes

Driving

Speed limit on expressways and highways: 100kph;
Speed limit on trunk roads: 80kph;
Speed limit on urban roads: 50 kph;
Wearing of seat belts is compulsory, though belts are fitted to front seats only;
There is random breath-testing: limit of 0.08% blood/alcohol level;
Petrol is inexpensive. Unleaded petrol is available and petrol stations are well distributed, especially in or near towns.

Criminal Penalties

Visitors are advised to be conscious of law violation regulations, which might consequence in expulsion, arrestment or imprisonment. Malaysia is strictly enforces its drug laws, prison sentences, and mandatory death penalty can be passed for convicted drug traffickers.8

Malaysia National Holidays

* Note: If a holiday falls in a weekend or Friday (for the East Coast states of Peninsula Malaysia), the following day becomes a holidays; If two holidays fall on the same day, the following day becomes a holiday too; Different states have additional state holidays in addition to the national holidays.

Business Hours

Shops Operating Hours

The supermarkets and departmental stores in Malaysia are usually open from 1000 – 2200. There are several 24-hours stores in Kuala Lumpur city itself and in the most major towns.

Bank Operating Hours

Most states:

Monday – Friday: 0930 – 1600
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: Closed

Kelantan and Terengganu:

Saturday – Wednesday: 0930 – 1600
Thursday: 0930 – 1130
Friday: Closed

Tipping

Most service establishments including hotel and restaurant, charge a 10% service tax and a 5% government tax. Tips are not expected and tipping is not encouraged.