1.

The Jalur Gemilang AKA the Malaysian flag was

actually designed by an architect.
Mohamad Hamzah, 29-year-old Public Works Department architect created it in 1963 when
he won the contest that was held to design a new flag after the Federation of Malaya
replaced the much-hated Malayan Union.

2. The ‘Negaraku’ was originally the state anthem for

Perak.
It all started when Malaysia didn’t have a national anthem at the time of Independence. As
such, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was then the Minister for Home Affairs, organised a
nationwide competition to find a suitable national anthem for the country. After receiving a
total of 512 entries and not seeing anything suitable, he opted to use the Perak State
Anthem instead, titled ‘Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan’, as the national anthem. Along with a
panel of judges, Tunku wrote the new lyrics for ‘Negaraku’.

3. Any guesses on Malaysia’s oldest name?

Well, Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy first named our country Aurea Chersonesus, which
means ‘peninsula of gold’. The name was found in Ptolemy’s book Geographia, written
about A.D. 150.

4. This might surprise you, but Borneo is actually

the third largest island in the world, after Greenland
and New Guinea.
Spanning over 743, 000 km2, the Borneo Island is shared between Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei,
and Indonesia. Here’s another fun fact about Borneo – it is also home to one of the oldest
rainforests in the world.

5. For all our expat friends, this might sound bizarre

to you, but the local time in peninsular Malaysia has
been adjusted a total of eight times!
The first adjustment was made in 1932 when the clocks were advanced by 20 minutes to
‘lengthen’ daylight; in 1941, the time sped up another 10 minutes; in 1942, we increased it
for another two hours to follow Tokyo’s time, in 1945, we brought backward the clocks to
the time observed in 1941, and finally, on 1st January 1982, Tun Dr. Mahathir made the final
adjustment by pushing the time forward by 30 minutes to sync up with Sabah and Sarawak.
Surprisingly, Singapore also adjusted their clocks on the very same day.
6. 17-year-old Kok Shoo Yin was the first-ever
Malaysia citizen certificate holder when he got his
official documentation on 14thNovember 1957.
7. National Service Training Programme first started
in the 60’s.
Most of us remember that the three-month National Service Training Programme officially
started in 2003, but did you know that our country’s very first ‘experiment’ with national
service programme took place 55 years ago? In 1962, during the deadly Indonesian
Confrontation, the government decided to bring youths aged 21 and 28 for a two-year
military training.

8. We have the biggest roundabout on Earth.

Here’s another thing we Malaysians should be proud of. The biggest roundabout in the
world is located in Malaysia. The Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Putrajaya is
2.2 miles and has a diameter of 3.5km.
Image Credit: mcarlosp1.blogspot

9. The Kedah Sultanate is said to be one of the

oldest in the world.
We all know that Sultanate of Kedah is the earliest sultanate on the Malay Peninsula, but it
also believed to be the oldest in the world. Allegedly founded in 1136, Sultan Mudzafar Shah
I was listed as the first Sultan of Kedah.

10. Malaysia is the only country in the world to have

actually won the war against Communism.
The 12-year guerrilla war conducted by the Communist forces came to end in 1960. This
period is known to many as the Malayan Emergency.

11. Malaysia’s total highway length is longer than

the Earth’s circumference.
Shocking but true. In total, Malaysia has 65, 877km (and counting) of highway. But, the
Earth’s circumference is only 40, 075km! That explains why we have to pay so much for
tolls.

12. This fact is particularly adorable: did you know

that newborn babies and young children in olden
day Iban communities are affectionately
called ulat (worm)?
Until they’re given an official name, adults refer them as ulat and their official name is often
named after a deceased relative, for fear that using a living relative’s name might shorten
the baby’s life.

13. Speaking of the most isolated settlement in

Malaysia, Bario in Sarawak’s Kelabit Highlands
takes the crown.
In case you don’t know, there are no roads in this part of the world and everything has to be
transported in and out by airplane.

14. The Sarawak Chamber in the Gunung Mulu

National Park in Sarawak is famously known as the
world’s largest underground cave chamber.
Apparently, it is said that the corridor of Gua Rusa – a 2km-long passage of caves which is
part of the Sarawak Chamber – could fit five rows of eight Boeing 747 jetliners parked nose
to tail.
15. The Kuala Kangsar district officer’s official
residence is the home to the last surviving rubber
tree brought by H.N. Ridley from London’s Kew
Gardens in 1877.
Image Credit: Thrifty Traveller
With these 15 fascinating facts about Malaysia, we hope you’ve enjoyed knowing more
about our beloved country.