Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia consisting of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi). The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million. The country is separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (also known as East Malaysia). Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. It is near the equator and has a tropical climate. Malaysia's head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, an elected monarch, and the head of government is the Prime Minister. The government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system.

Malaysia as a unified state did not exist until 1963. Previously, the United Kingdom had established influence in colonies in the territory from the late 18th century. The western half of modern Malaysia was composed of several separate kingdoms. This group of colonies was known as British Malaya until its dissolution in 1946, when it was reorganized as the Malayan Union. Due to widespread opposition, it was reorganized again as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and later gained independence on 31 August 1957. Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo and the Federation of Malaya merged to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Tensions in the early years of the new union sparked an armed conflict with Indonesia, and the expulsion of Singapore on 9 August 1965.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia

Malaysia’s reputation as a benign country makes some people think that it’s going to be boring.
It’s true, pushy touts are rare, natural disasters only seem to happen across the border and the
multi-ethnic population gets along well. What to do without the hassles? Why not stroll around
Penang where wafts of Chinese incense mingle with sour durian while Bollywood tunes blast
from an Indian shop. Next head to the Cameron Highlands where you can visit tea plantations
in the cool air; or, on the east coast islands, snorkel through coral gardens and lounge on a mindpoppingly
perfect beach. Put on your leech-proof boots to track elephants in Taman Negara,
and how about delving into the depths of Sarawak and Sabah on mythical Borneo where you
can see wild orang-utans and climb massive Mt Kinabalu? Unexciting? We think not.

Malaysia is a Muslim country. Both men and women should dress appropriately by covering (at
least) everything to the knees and over the shoulders; never bring alcohol or non-halal food to
a guesthouse without the owner’s permission.

People of Malaysia

Population
Malaysians come from a number of different ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, Indians, the indigenous Orang Asli (literally, ‘Original People’) of the peninsula, and the various tribes of Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.

Money
The Malaysian ringgit (RM) consists of 100sen. Coins in use are one, five, 10, 20 and 50 sen, and RM1; notes come in RM1, RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100. Locals sometimes refer to the ringgit as a ‘dollar’.

Banks are efficient and there are plenty of moneychangers in the main centres. Credit cards are widely accepted and many ATMs accept international key cards, Visa and MasterCard. Some banks are also connected to networks such as Cirrus, Maestro and Plus.

Moving from the cities to the more rural parts of the country, the laid-back ethos becomes stronger and Islamic culture comes more to the fore, particularly on the peninsula’s east coast. In Malaysian Borneo you’ll be fascinated by the communal lifestyle of the tribes who still live in jungle longhouses(enormous wooden structures on stilts that house tribal communities under one roof; see also p500 ). In longhouses, hospitality is a key
part of the social framework.

Arts
It’s along the predominantly Malay east coast of Peninsular Malaysia that you’ll find Malay arts and crafts, culture and games at their liveliest. Malaysian Borneo is replete with the arts and crafts of the country’s indigenous peoples.

Music
Traditional Malay music is based largely on the gendang (drum), of which there are more than a dozen types. Other percussion instruments include the gong, cerucap (made of shells), raurau (coconut shells), kertuk and pertuang (both made from bamboo), and the wooden celampang.

Although some public holidays have a fixed annual date, Hindus, Muslims and Chinese follow a lunar calendar, which means the dates for many events vary each year. Chinese New Year is the year’s most important celebration for the Chinese community and is marked with dragon dances and street parades. Families have an open house, unmarried relatives (especially children) receive ang pow (money in red packets), businesses traditionally clear their debts and everybody wishes you a kong hee fatt choy (a happy and prosperous new year).

The major holiday of the Muslim calendar,
Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of the
month-long fast of Ramadan with three days

Weather Information for Kuala Lumpur

Ref: http://www.worldweather.org
Remark: Climatological information is based on monthly averages for the 30-year period 1961-1990.

Malaysia is hot and humid year-round. The temperature rarely drops below 20°C, even at night, and usually climbs to 30°C or higher during the day.

It rains throughout the year. Peninsular Malaysia gets heavier rainfall from September to March, with the east coast bearing the full brunt of the monsoon rains from November to February. Rainfall on the west coast peaks slightly during the May to October monsoon. Malaysian Borneo also gets the northeast and southwest monsoons, but they are less pronounced and rain tends to be variable.

Getting there
Air

The gateway to Peninsular Malaysia is the city of Kuala Lumpur, although Pulau Penang and Johor Bahru (JB) also have international connections. Singapore is a handy arrival/departure point, since it’s just a short trip across the Causeway from JB and has more international connections. Malaysia Airlines is the country’s main airline carrier although Air Asia flights are much cheaper. At the time of writing Air Asia was planning services to Europe, India and China.

Bus

Peninsular Malaysia has an excellent bus system. Public buses do local runs and a variety of privately operated buses generally handle the longer trips. In larger towns there may be several bus stations. Local and regional buses often operate from one station and long-distance buses from another; in other cases, KL for example, bus stations are differentiated by the destinations they serve.

Getting around
Local transport varies but almost always includes local buses and taxis. In many Peninsular Malaysian towns there are also bicycle rickshaws. While these are dying out in KL, they are still a viable form of transport in a few towns. Indeed, in places such as Georgetown, with its convoluted and narrow streets, a bicycle rickshaw is the best way of getting around.

Although some public holidays have a fixed annual date, Hindus, Muslims and Chinese follow a lunar calendar, which means the dates for many events vary each year. Chinese New Year is the year’s most important celebration for the Chinese community and is marked with dragon dances and street parades. Families have an open house, unmarried relatives (especially children) receive ang pow (money in red packets), businesses traditionally clear their debts and everybody wishes you a kong hee fatt choy (a happy and prosperous new year).

The major holiday of the Muslim calendar, Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan with three days