Climate

 Malaysia experiences humid weather throughout the year.

 The average daily temperature across Malaysia is between 21°C and 32°C.
 Typically, the Malaysian climate is influenced by the winds blowing from the
Indian Ocean (Southwest Monsoon - May to September) and the South China
Sea (North-Eastern Monsoon - November to March).
 Its annual rainfall is 80 per cent a year which is between 2000mm to
2500mm.

States and federal territories

 11 states and 2 federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula,
collectively called Peninsular Malaysia (Semenanjung Malaysia) or West
Malaysia.
 2 states and 1 federal territory are on the island of Borneo, and the remaining
one federal territory consists of islands offshore of Borneo; they are
collectively referred to as East Malaysia or Malaysian Borneo.
 Out of the 13 states in Malaysia, 9 are hereditary monarchies.

Demography of Population
 The Malaysian population consists of people of different races, religions and
race.
 The largest group of Malaysians consist of three main races, namely the
Malays, Chinese and Indians.
 Orang Asli are the natives in Peninsular Malaysia and is generally divided into
three major groups, namely the Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay.
 Bumiputera - 19,150,900 (61.8%); Chinese - 6,620,300 (21.4%); Indian -
1,988,600 (6.4%); Others - 270,700 (0.9%) and Non-Malaysian Resident -
2,965,300 (9.6%).

Currency
 The Malaysian Ringgit is the currency unit of the Malaysian currency with the
code MYR.
 Ringgit have banknotes worth RM100, RM50, RM20, RM10, RM5, RM1 and
50 sen (cent) coins, as well as 20 sen, 10 sen, and 5 sen coins.
 The Name “Ringgit” derived from the Spanish silver money which was widely
used in ancient times.
 Since August 1975, the name “Ringgit” was officially accepted as the proper
name for the Malaysian currency.
 Earlier, money was known as dollar in English and ringgit in Malay. However,
the “$” symbol continued to be used until it was changed to “RM” in 1993 and
continue to be used until today.

Multilingual Malaysia: A Land Where Language Is Never A Barrier

 Malaysia is known for being a multilingual country, housing speakers of
approximately 137 languages.
 The national language is the Malay language.
 Other commonly spoken languages include English, Mandarin and Tamil.
  Most people in Malaysia, especially the younger generation, are multilingual
and are able to speak several languages (not just their mother tongues!) with
varying fluency.
 Undoubtedly, Malaysia has become a mosaic of languages due to its diversity.
 A common Malaysian phrase – “Wei macha, want to makan here or tapau?”
which essentially means ‘Hey friend, dine-in or takeaway?’, actually combines
four different languages in one sentence!

Religion
 Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional country, whose official
religion is Islam.
 As of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, 61.3 percent of the population
practices Islam; 19.8 percent Buddhism; 9.2 percent Christianity; 6.3
percent Hinduism; and 3.4 percent traditional Chinese religions.
 The remainder is accounted for by other faiths, including Animism, Folk
religion, Sikhism, Baháʼí Faith and other belief systems.
 Malaysian Chinese practice various faiths: Mahayana Buddhism and Chinese
traditional religions (including Taoism).
 Hinduism is practised by the majority of Malaysian Indians.
 Christianity has established itself in some communities, especially in East
Malaysia.
 It is not tied to any specific ethnic group.
 Relations between different religious groups are generally quite tolerant, even
though members of the different ethnic groups do tend to have more
homogeneous personal relations, based on ethnicity and religion.
 Eids, Christmas, Lunar New Year, and Deepavali have been declared national
holidays.
 Various groups have been set up to try to promote religious understanding
among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by
Malaysian politicians.
 The majority of the Tamils who make up 9% of Malaysia's population
practice Hinduism.
 Hinduism are mostly descended from migrant communities from Tamil
Nadu who came to Malaya to work on British rubber plantations. A small
community of migrants from North India also exists.

Additional INFO
11 Don’t’s
1. Don’t confuse the terms Malay and Malaysian
 They are very different, but it gets confusing for a lot of people.
Lemmie break it down.
 Everyone who is from Malaysia is a Malaysian. But not every Malaysian is a
Malay.
 Malays are the largest ethnic group in the country. They are Muslim and speak
Bahasa Melayu as their first language.
 The Chinese and Indians, who came to Malaysia in the late 1700s, are
Malaysians. They refer to themselves as Chinese Malaysian or Indian
Malaysian.
  They are not Muslim, Bahasa isn’t their first language, and therefore they are
not Malay.

2. Don’t go there to party

 If you are looking for a party, look elsewhere. As a Muslim nation, however
moderate it is, booze it taxed heavily here. You’ll spend more money on drinks
than on your accommodations or food.
 If you are looking for that kind of holiday, try anywhere else in Southeast Asia,
but not Malaysia.
 The one exception is Langkawi Island.
 If you want to party and drink alcohol, go there. It is a duty-free island,
everything is cheap.

3. Don’t take taxis – Grab yourself a ride

 Malaysia doesn’t use Uber, instead, we have Grab.
 It works the same, but you can pay cash if you want.
 Taxis, they don’t use meters, and are too expensive, so avoid them at all costs.
Other than buses, Grab is the cheapest and easiest way to get around.

4. Don’t shake hands with a Malay woman

 Man to man handshakes are common. However, if you are meeting a Muslim
woman, do not reach out to shake her hand. Physical contact between
members of the opposite sex is not encouraged.
 If she initiates the handshake, that is a different story, but generally speaking,
females won’t.
 Also, after Muslims shake your hand, they will touch their heart meaning, I
greet you from my heart. It symbolizes the connection and understanding
between you.
5. Don’t swap spit in public
 Keep the face sucking to yourself, it’s frowned upon in public.
 A quick peck or hand-holding is ok, but more than that will make the locals
uncomfortable or feel disrespected. No Bueno.

6. Don’t point with your forefinger

 Using your forefinger to point is considered rude, I have no idea why, but use
your thumb instead. Make a loose fist, and place your thumb over the bent
knuckle of your pointer finger and point away.

7. Don’t Tip
 Tipping is not part of the culture. And Malaysia isn’t service-driven; they don’t
rely on tips to make a living. Believe me when I tell you, customer service or
any service for that matter, isn’t that common here.
 You won’t get great service at any hawker stall, but you’re not paying for it
either at $1 a plate. You’ll get better service at a fancy restaurant, but even still,
no tipping is necessary.

8. Don’t get offended

 For some reason, asking personal questions is not considered invasive in
Malaysia., “Where do you live?” A reasonable question, right? When we
responded, followed up with, “Ahhh, so expensive lah. You must make a lot of
money. How much is your rent?”

9. Don’t raise your voice

 Malaysians are not confrontational. No matter how frustrated you are, never
get elevated. Take a deep breath and revisit the situation. Shouting resolves
nothing here.

10. Don’t do drugs

 No…just no. They don’t take kindly to it and have no problem punishing you
for it. So, no. Don’t do it. If you use CBD or smoke weed, even if it’s legal in
your country, it is def one of the things not to bring to Malaysia when you
come.

11. Don’t expect pork bacon

 That bacon you’re eating, it’s not pork. Since the majority of the population is
Muslim, they don’t eat pork.
  Many restaurants in Malaysia are halal, which means there is no pork. It also
means the meat that is served has been slaughtered in a specific way and then
blessed. It is very similar to kosher meat.

10 Dos
1. Do learn Malaysian dining etiquette
 Since there are three major ethnicities among Malaysians, each restaurant will
have different utensils.
 A Malay stall will give you a fork and a spoon
 A Chinese-Malaysian restaurant will give you chopsticks and a spoon.
 An Indian-Malaysian establishment will probably offer a fork and spoon.Most
Indians will eat without utensils by using their RIGHT hand. Only their right
hand.
 If you are unsure what to do, watch the locals. Do what they do. It’s not easy to
eat rice and curry with your fingers, but it’s fun to try.

2. Do dress respectfully
 Here is the deal, Malaysians are moderate people.
 The Malay women wear a hair covering called a tudong. Usually with jeans,
long pants, or a long skirt.

 The Chinese and Indian Malaysians wear mainstream western clothes (unless
they are dressed for a cultural event).
 As a traveler, you are free to wear anything you want. However, it’s always
best to be more conservative than not.

What to wear at…

a temple:

 don’t go into a Chinese or Indian temple with anything hanging out for that
matter. Sooo beyond inappropriate.
  Take off your shoes and hat as well.
 I suggest carrying a shawl to cover your bits up before you go in.
 At a mosque they’ll give you appropriate attire.

the beach:

 If you are on the beach, a bikini is ok, but cover up when you leave the sand to
go anywhere else. Even if it’s just for lunch on the beach, throw on your shorts
and tank top.
 The Malays will be covered while in the water in some sort of wet suit kind of
apparel. Most Chinese don’t like the sun, they too will be covered.
 It is rare to see Malaysians in bikinis or bathing suits. You might be the only
one wearing a bikini, so keep that in mind when you pack.

in the countryside or smaller towns:

 Smaller towns tend to be more Malay than their bigger sisters.

 You should wear more modest clothing. What you can wear in Kuala Lumpur
and Georgetown may not fly in Terengganu.
 So, bring longer skirts and cover your shoulders. I’m not saying you need to
wear a burka, no one here does, and they are actually frowned upon by most
Malay women that I know.
 be respectful.
3. Do Use Air Asia

 It’s not the nicest airline you’ll ever fly, certainly not the fanciest, but Air
Asia is the cheapest. It’s a low-cost carrier that dominates the region. You can
fly all over Southeast Asia for pennies. Seriously. It’s rare to spend more than
$100 unless you’re flying further afield.

4. Do eat the local food

 Eat at the food stalls and the hawker centers. It’s the best food you’ll eat while
you are here. That’s where you’ll find the freshest and most authentic food
outside of a friend’s kitchen. And it’s only a few dollars per plate.

5. Do learn a few words of Bahasa

 Since almost everyone speaks English, learning the niceties just makes you a
better traveler. At the very least, learn thank you = terima kasih (pronounced
ter-eema kah-say).

6. Do talk slowly and use fewer words

 English may be the third or fourth language for some Malaysians.
Understandably, they may not be fluent. So, if you are speaking with someone
and having a little trouble, try speaking slower (not louder) and using fewer
words. Instead of saying, “Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the temple?
Say, “Where is the temple?”

7. Do carry Kleenex
 This is a big thing to be aware of in Malaysia.
 Real talk! You’ll need it, and you won’t be given it here unless you buy it. You
won’t get it at the food stalls. And more often than not, you won’t find it in the
bathrooms. So be prepared.
8. Do negotiate
 If you are staying somewhere longer than a week, negotiate. If you’re at a shop
without prices, negotiate. If you are at a market (not a veggie market) but a
tchotchke market, negotiate. The only rule of thumb there is DO NOT
negotiate if something is less than a dollar.

9. Do visit a mosque

 Most mosques are very traveler friendly and offer free tours. They want to
educate you and are happy to share their customs and religion with you. They
will provide you proper attire.
 Try not to go on a Friday because it is their day of prayer, and you will have
limited times when you can enter the mosque.

10. Do try durian

 You may hate it, but it’s like going to Italy and not trying the pizza.
 It is also good to go with a few other people so you can try different types. At
most stands, you have to buy the whole durian, if you go alone, you won’t be
able to taste that many.
 You can’t bring it back to your hotel. It is one of the things banned in
Malaysian hotels because the smell can be off-putting for some foreigners.