Malaysia

MALAYSIA

Information about travelling to Malaysia

Malaysia is located in Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Facts about Malaysia
Population25,274,132 (July 2008 est
CapitalKuala Lumpur
Time zoneUTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Putrajaya is referred to a
Location Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

General info about Malaysia
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.
Disease threats
degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
Languages spoken
Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai note: in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan
What about drugs?
drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market
Ethnic division
Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
0.4% (2003 est.)
Climate
tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons
Resources
tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Economy
Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Since coming to office in 2003, Prime Minister ABDULLAH has tried to move the economy farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in high technology industries, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals. The Government of Malaysia is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand to wean the economy off of its dependence on exports. Nevertheless, exports - particularly of electronics - remain a significant driver of the economy. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel forced Kuala Lumpur to reduce government subsidies. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US dollar in 2005 and the currency appreciated 6% per year against the dollar in 2006-08. Although this has helped to hold down the price of imports, inflationary pressures began to build in 2007 - in 2008 inflation stood at nearly 6%, year-over-year. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a small external debt greatly reduce the risk that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term similar to the one in 1997. The government presented its five-year national development agenda in April 2006 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the allocation of the national budget from 2006-10. ABDULLAH has unveiled a series of ambitious development schemes for several regions that have had trouble attracting business investment. Real GDP growth has averaged about 6% per year under ABDULLAH, but regions outside of Kuala Lumpur and the manufacturing hub Penang have not fared as well.
Environment
air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Cities in Malaysia

alor gajah     alor setar     ayer itam     ayer keroh     ayer molek     ayer tawar     bandar maharani     bandar penggaram     banting     batang berjuntai     batu arang     batu berendam     batu gajah     beaufort     bedong     bemban     bentong     beranang     bidor     bintulu     bukit bakri     bukit baru     bukit mertajam     bukit rambai     buloh kasap     butterworth     chaah     cukai     donggongon     gua musang     gurun     ipoh     jenjarom     jerantut     jertih     jitra     johor bahru     juru     kampar     kangar     kapit     kelapa sawit     keningau     kepala batas     kerteh     kinarut     klang     kluang     kota bahru     kota belud     kota kinabalu     kota tinggi     kuah     kuala kangsar     kuala kedah     kuala lipis     kuala lumpur     kuala perlis     kuala pilah     kuala selangor     kuala sungai baru     kuala terengganu     kuang     kuantan     kuching     kudat     kulai     kulim     labis     labuan     lahad datu     limbang     lumut     marang     masjid tanah     melaka     mentakab     mersing     miri     nibong tebal     nilai     paka     pantai remis     papar     parit buntar     parit raja     pasir gudang     pasir mas     pekan     pekan nenas     pengkalan kundang     perai     peringat     permatang kuching     petaling jaya     pontian kecil     port dickson     pulau sebang     putatan     ranau     raub     rawang     sabak     sandakan     segamat     sekudai     semenyih     semporna     senai     seremban     serendah     shah alam     sibu     simpang empat     simpang rengam     sri aman     sungai besar     sungai pelek     sungai petani     sungai udang     taiping     tampin     tanah merah     tangkak     tanjong karang     tanjong sepat     tanjong tokong     tapah     tawau     teluk intan     temerloh     tumpat     ulu tiram     yong peng    

National airlines
Malaysia Airairline website


Airports in Malaysia
Alor SetarAOR
BarioBBN
Kota KinabaluBKI
BelagaBLG
SematanBSE
BintuluBTU
ButterworthBWH
GentingGTB
IpohIPH
Sultan Ismail InternationalJHB
Pengkalan ChepaKBR
KuchingKCH
KeningauKGU
KapitKPI
KertehKTE
KuantanKUA
KudatKUD
Kuala Lumpur InternationalKUL
Long Banga AirfieldLBP
LabuanLBU
Lahad DatuLDU
LangkawiLGK
Long LellangLGL
Long LamaLLM
LimbangLMN
LawasLSM
Long SukangLSU
LawasLWY
MersingMEP
MukahMKM
Batu BerendumMKZ
MarudiMUR
MiriMYY
MostynMZS
Long SeridanODN
PamolPAY
Penang InternationalPEN
Pangkor AirportPKG
RanauRNU
SibuSBW
SandakanSDK
SimanggangSGG
SempornaSMM
SipitangSPT
SitiawanSWY
Sultan Abdul Aziz ShahSZB
TelupidTEL
Sultan MahmoodTGG
TomanggongTMG
TaipingTPG
TawauTWU


Beer in Malaysia (0.33l)
Bangi~ 2.4 EUR
Johor~ 3 EUR
Johor Bahru~ 2.4 EUR
Kuala Lumpur~ 2.1 EUR
Kuantan~ 2.3 EUR
Kuching~ 1.2 EUR
Labuan~ 0.8 EUR
Lumut~ 1.5 EUR
Penang~ 1.9 EUR

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