ALL ABOUT ASIA

Country: Malaysia

1. The country’s contribution to the world or in Asia

- Malaysia also takes pride in being one of the
world's largest exporters of palm oil, natural
rubber, natural gas production, timber, cocoa
beans, and pepper. The chemical products industry
recorded a higher growth of 13.4% due to the higher
production of industrial gases in 2005.
Manufacturing has a massive influence on their
economy, accounting for over 40% of the GDP.
Malaysia is also the world's largest Islamic banking
and financial center. Malaysia has diversified its
exports to include commercial hardwoods,
electrical appliances, electronic parts, and
components. Malaysia was among the top 10
advanced countries on digital transformation.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FESTIVALS:
a. Thaipusam- In many states in Malaysia
Thaipusam, is a public holiday. Devotees prepare
themselves for the occasion by cleansing their
bodies through fasting and abstinence and usually
observe a vegetarian diet for a certain period.

b. Chinese New Year- it is the time when Malaysia turns

red. Family get-togethers, cooking of numerous dishes on
the same day, and decorating houses are a few things that
happen during the Chinese New Year.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FESTIVALS:
c. Water Festival- in Malaysia is just like Holi in
India, except that they play it with clean uncolored
water and do not use dry colors as well. It’s
among the most enjoyable cultural festivals in
Malaysia celebrated in the gap year where people
from different ages and walks of life gather to
heartily throw water on each other. The festival
commences in Kuantan and ends in Labuan.
Activities involve an international fishing
tournament, kayaking challenge, sandcastle
building, and much more.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FESTIVALS:
d. Wesak Day- it is also spelled Vesak, is a day
celebrated by Buddhists around the world.
Buddhists in Malaysia celebrate Buddha’s birth,
enlightenment, and death on Wesak Day. It is
sometimes referred to as Buddha’s Birthday,
Buddha Day or Buddha Purnima. Wesak Day is
celebrated on Sunday that is closest to May’s
full moon.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FESTIVALS:

e. Hari Raya- it is one of the most prominent

festivals celebrated in Malaysia, as most of the
population residing in Malaysia follows Islam.
Hari Raya is celebrated during the 9th month of
the lunar calendar for one month.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FESTIVALS:
f. Deepavali- it is also known as Diwali, is a
festival of lights celebrated by Indians living in
Malaysia. It is the festival of lights, and it
signifies the victory of light and hope over
darkness. Houses and streets of Malaysia are
adorned with colorful lights and oil lamps.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
a. Nasi lemak- it is typically served in a banana leaf
in which the rice and all accompaniments can be
encased and kept warm. The dish remains one the
cheapest offerings in street markets and food
courts, according to the National Library Board of
Singapore, and it is considered Malaysia's national
meal.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
b. Ikan Bakar- Ikan means fish, and Bakar means
grilled in Bahasa Malaysia, so Ikan Bakar is grilled
fish. Ikan Bakar is spiced up in a blend of chili
paste, then grilled over charcoal on top of a
banana leaf over the fire. The moist fish is then
eaten with a plate of hot rice, sometimes some
side vegetable dishes and curries, and dipped into
kecap manis for extra flavor.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
c. Banana leaf- Indian food plays a significant part in
the diverse spectrum of food in Malaysia, and
banana leaf, as it is commonly known, is a local
favorite. The food served at Malaysian banana leaf
restaurants is often of south Indian origin. You sit
down at a table with a banana leaf as your plate, and
it does not take long before the waiter dishes you a
giant scoop of rice and a round of incredibly tasty
vegetarian curries. Banana leaf is often served
vegetarian, but you can also normally order sides of
meat to supplement the vegetable curries if you live.
No utensils are needed to eat a banana leaf because
you will use your fingers to devour.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
d. Nasi kandar- it is a popular dish eaten throughout
the Malay peninsular, which originated in Penang.
The dish is heavily influenced by the traditional
cuisine of India. It is a steamed rice meal that can be
flavored and served with various curries and side
dishes. During the 10th century, Tamil Muslims
migrated from Southern India to Malaysia, bringing
new spices and cooking techniques.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
e. Roti Canai- it can mean different types of fried bread
depending on where you are, and in Malaysia, a roti canai is a
thin piece of dough fried in lots of oil and served with a curry
dipping sauce. The dough is first stretched out, slapped across a
countertop, folded into a small square, and fried in oil. It gives it
lots of flaky crispy layers. You break off bits of the roti and dip it
into the delicious curry gravy.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
f. Laksa- There are two different kinds of laksa in
Malaysian food, curry laksa, and Assam laksa.
Assam laksa is noodles in murky brown fish soup,
while curry laksa is noodles swimming in a thick and
flavorful coconut milk curry. Many variations are
depending on what part of Malaysia you are in, but
for the most part, you get a bowl of noodles topped
with spice-filled soup, seafood, and or chicken and
garnished with lots of herbs and Vietnamese
coriander.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:
g. Nasi Campur- while nasi kandar is the Indian version
and economy rice is the Chinese version of rice topped
with a selection of different dishes, nasi campur is the
Malay version. You will find stalls and restaurants set
up all over the country where you are given a plate of
rice. It is your task to make sense of the assortment of
dishes and scoop up whatever looks the best.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia

2. Festivals and food known in the country

FOOD:

h. Bak kut teh- Translating directly to "meat bone

tea." This southeast Asian Chinese dish includes lots
of pork, slow-cooked until tender in a broth filled
with herbs and soothing spices. Buk kut teh is
especially popular as a breakfast dish in Malaysia.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
a. Tan Twan Eng- Born in Penang, his debut novel The
Gift of Rain was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize
and has been widely translated into several
languages. The Garden Of Evening Mists is his second
novel which won the Man Asian Literary Prize and the
Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. His critically
acclaimed second novel was also shortlisted for the
Man Booker Prize, making him the first Malaysian to
be shortlisted and the International IMPAC Dublin
Literary Award.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
b. Tash Aw - Anyone who wants to dive into Malaysian
literature should look for Tash Aw’s books as they are
perfect for beginners. He is well-known for this critically
acclaimed first novel called The Harmony Silk Factory
(2005), which has won the Whitbread First Novel Award
and a regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. His books
are heavily influenced by themes of diaspora, ambiguity,
and class disparity that are rarely explored in Malaysian
contexts. Being a diasporic person himself, he eloquently
conveyed messages in his work about feeling perplexed
about one’s own identity and purpose in life. Aw’s way of
representing the realities of many struggling adults in
different economic situations gives his readers comfort
and unique perspectives of those who have had to live
through so much in this day and age.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
c. Hanna Alkaf- Hanna Alkaf graduated with a degree in
journalism from Northwestern University. For more than
ten years, she has held an array of writing jobs. From
writing B2B marketing emails, investigative feature
articles, non-profit press releases, and corporate
brochures. Before returning home, she worked in
Chicago for several years as an online copywriter upon
graduation. Her first young adult novel, The Weight of
Our Sky, was published in February 2019 by Salaam
Reads, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Her debut
middle grade novel, The Girl & The Ghost, was published
by HarperCollins in August 2020, and she is also a part
of the MG anthology, Once Upon An Eid (2020). Hanna’s
writing is deeply infused with Malaysian culture as all of
her books are set in Malaysia.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
d. Cheeming Boey- Unlike many other Malaysian
authors, Cheeming Boey brings his Malaysian stories to
life in humorous comics. He rose to fame in 2011 when
his first self-published graphic novel, When I Was a Kid,
hit the best-selling shelves in major bookstores across
Malaysia and Singapore. Due to the success of his first
graphic novel, Boey continued to produce four more
books in the series. All of his books are about stories of
his childhood growing up in Johor Bahru and Singapore
with his family. To amplify the hilarity of his comics, he
draws stick figures in black and white instead of
intricate and colorful cartoon characters. Funny yet
heart-warming, his graphic novels truly depict the ways
of living in an Asian household. His works are written in
English but sprinkled with Chinese and Malay words.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
e. Shih Li Kow- Born in 1968, this award-winning
contemporary Malaysian fiction author holds a degree
in chemical engineering. She eventually ventured into
the world of writing. Her debut novel, which was
published in 2014, The Sum of Our Follies, won the 2018
Prix du Premier Roman Etranger (translated into first
novel prize). Before writing a full-length novel, she had
written an anthology, Ripples and Other Stories (2008),
which was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers’
Prize and shortlisted for the 2009 Frank O’Connor
International Short Story Award. In 2007, Kow had also
written a collection of short stories along with Chua Kok
Yee and Rumaizah Abu Bakar called News from Home.
Kow writes about contemporary Malaysia as she
believes her fiction will fill a gap amidst the many books
in the historical and science fiction genre.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
f. Tunku Halim- Arguably one of the most well-known
Malaysian authors, Tunku Halim is a name that can be
spotted easily everywhere in major bookstores across
Malaysia. He has written a great number of books, both
fiction and nonfiction. But he is widely known for his
horror stories which lead him to be noted as Malaysia’s
Prince of Darkness. Most horror fiction advocates
would know his best works, particularly Horror Stories
(2014), Horror Stories (2016), and A Malaysian
Restaurant in London (2015), a paranormal love story.
His first work of fiction was The Rape of Martha Teoh &
Other Chilling Stories (1997). His debut novel was also
published in the same year called Dark Demon Rising
and had its 20th anniversary republished in 2017. His
frightful yet thrilling work of fiction is apt to those who
wish to read horror stories past midnight.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
g. Yangsze Choo- Yangsze Choo is the author of the
New York Times bestselling debut novel, The Ghost
Bride, published in 2013. It is set in colonial Malaya and
the plot wovens with Chinese folklore and
supernatural twists with a dash of romance. Following
the success of her novel, in 2020, Netflix adapted the
novel into a mini-series of the same name, further
sparking the sales of the book. In 2019, she published
her second novel called The Night Tiger, also set in
colonial Malaya. Both of her works are infused with
Chinese culture and folklore but contrary to her own
life, she has lived in various countries outside of
Malaysia before settling in California.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
3. Famous writer and novel it produce
h. Zen Cho- Zen Cho is the author of the fantasy
series, Sorcerer to the Crown and a novella called The
Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water. Other
than that, she is the first Malaysian to have won the
William L.Crawford Award for her collection of short
stories called Spirits Abroad published by Malaysian
press Buku Fixi. . She was also nominated, for the John
W. Campbell Award for the best new writer. Contrary
to the other authors in this list, Cho writes science
fiction and fantasy novels with a hint of romance set
in fictional worlds rather than themes in the Malaysian
context. Nevertheless, her many short stories and
novelettes are centered around Malaysian culture and
have been published in anthologies, magazines, and
newspapers.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
4. Famous tourist destination at least 2
a. Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur- it is the tallest
twin towers in the world. The Petronas reach an
impressive 452 meters high up into the clouds. It is 88
floors tall and has an impressive total of 76 elevators.
Built using reinforced concrete, steel, and glass, the two
towers are connected by a double sky bridge on the 41st
and 42nd floors. Visitors can make their way up here for
stunning views of KL and the 6.9-hectare KLCC Park
below. The view is particularly impressive at night. While
most of the floors on the towers are rented to
companies, the bottom floors of the towers are reserved
for Suria KLCC, one of the largest shopping centers in
Malaysia. With over 300 stores, an art gallery, and event
space for a Philharmonic Hall, this retail and
entertainment space will keep visitors occupied for
hours.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
4. Famous tourist destination at least 2
b. Batu Caves, Selangor- Located less than an hour
outside Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves complex
consists of three main caves plus a series of smaller
ones, most of them containing statues and 100-year-
old shrines dedicated to Hindu gods. The main cave,
known as Cathedral Cave, is at the top of a massive
colorful staircase make it up the 272 steps, and you'll
find a space decorated with statues, altars, and lights.
At the bottom of the stairs, a 43-meter-tall gold
statue of Lord Murugan welcomes visitors. Visitors are
allowed to explore the caves on their own or can join
a guided tour to learn more about the caves. During
the Hindu festival of Thaipusam in January,
thousands of people flock there for celebrations.
 ALL ABOUT ASIA
Country: Malaysia
4. Famous tourist destination at least 2
c. Mount Kinabalu, Sabah- At just over 4,000 meters high,
Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in Malaysia. The
mountain is part of Kinabalu Park, one of the oldest national
parks in Malaysia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Because of its unique ecosystem mixing alpine meadows,
grasslands, and shrublands, Kinabalu is home to an
impressive range of plant and animal species, including the
threatened orangutans. Mount Kinabalu is a major
destination for climbers, but summiting here can be tricky.
Only 185 climb permits are issued daily by the park, and
visitors must make accommodation reservations and hire a
mountain guide in advance to be allowed to hit the trails.
Although people under 16 are allowed to join climbing
groups, there are restrictions in place. Climbers should plan
a stay at the Kinabalu National Park before attempting the
climb since the park itself is already at an altitude of over
1,800 meters, this will allow for acclimatization before
attempting to reach the peak.