About Malaysia

About Malaysia

MALAYSIA is a country in Southeast Asia. It located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo.

Geographically, Malaysia is almost as diverse as its culture. 11 states and 2 federal territories (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) form west Malaysia. West Malaysia (Peninsular) has coastlines on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. It shares a border with Thailand and is connected by a causeway and a bridge (the 'second link') to the island state of Singapore; whereas, East Malaysia (Borneo) includes the 2 states (Sabah and Sarawak), which shares borders with Brunei and Indonesia. A third federal territory is the island of Labuan.

“Malaysia, Truly Asia.” This sums up what Malaysia is all about. A country offers a unique look into the rest of Asia as a melting pot of races, cultures and religions. A fascinating fusion of colorful festivals, gastronomic adventures, shopping splendors, natural wonders and many more thrills and spills. It is a land of striking contrasts and diversity. On one hand, Malaysia has the world’s tallest twin towers, the PETRONAS Twin Towers and many skyscrapers.

On the other hand, it has some of the world’s finest treasure troves of nature, from the 130 million years old rainforests, the biggest cave chamber and the largest flower to the smallest elephant.

"Malaysia Truly Asia" is more than just a slogan. It reflects precisely who Malaysians are. Yes, Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation where people of diverse races and religions live in harmony.

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. Multiculturalism has made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise and home to hundreds of colorful festivals. Malaysians are humble, tolerant, and friendly. Most importantly, they respect one another regardless of one’s race, religion and background.  It is this true Malaysian value that binds them together.

For a full of surprises perfect holidays, the place is Malaysia.

Fast Facts of Malaysia

Geography

Malaysia covers a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometers separated by the South China Sea into two regions, the Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). Malaysia consists of a total of thirteen states and three federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan). 

Government

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy and the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong commonly known as the King, is the Head of the nation. The Government of the day is Barisan Nasional (National Front Coalition) consisting of 13 component parties and led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).  Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia while Putrajaya is the heart of the administration of the Federal Government.  

Population

  

The multi-ethnic communities that exist in this country represent the demographics of Malaysia. The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported Malaysia's population, as of April 2013, is estimated to be 29,620,200. Out of this number, the Bumiputeras including Malays were 62.3%, the Chinese 22%, the Indians 6.7%, other races (citizens) 0.9% and non-citizens at 8.1%.   

Religion

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. Other religions are also widely practiced by its multi-racial society.

Climate & Weather     

Malaysia has a tropical climate and the weather is warm and sunny all year round. Average daily temperature is around 32ºC (90ºF) during the day. It falls to around 24ºC (75ºF) at night. Annual rainfall varies from 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm.

Economy

Malaysia has a newly industrialized market economy, which is relatively open and state-oriented. In 2012, the economy of Malaysia was the third largest economy in Southeast Asia  and the GDP growth was 5.1 percent. Malaysia is one of the leading exporters of electrical appliances, electronic parts and components, palm oil, petroleum and natural gas. Malaysia is also externally competitive, ranking 12th out of 135 economies in the World Bank in 2013. (Doing Business 2013 report). 

Malaysia’s tourism sector contributed over RM47 billion to the Gross National Income (GNI) in 2012 and became a key pillar to the country’s aspiration to be a high-income nation by 2020. The industry experienced a remarkable growth and evolved to become one of the country’s fastest growing economic sectors, contributing RM60.6 billion in tourist receipts, with tourist arrivals registering at 25.03 million in 2012.

Time

Eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of United States Pacific Standard Time.