Malaysia

State in Malaysia

Johor                         Kedah
Kelantan                   Kuala Lumpur
Labuan                     Melaka
Negeri Sembilan     Pahang
Perak                        Perlis
Pulau Pinang          Putrajaya
Sabah                      Sarawak
Selangor                 Terengganu

Capital 

Kuala Lumpur

Geography

Malaysia is the 67th largest country by total land area, with a land area of 329,847 square kilometres (127,355 sq mi)
Malaysia is situated in central South-East Asia, bordering Thailand in the north, with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to the south and west. Malaysia is the only country with territory on both the Asian mainland and the Malay archipelago. Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia.The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea It is composed of Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the north coast of the island of Borneo, 650 to 950km (404 to 600 miles) across the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia is an area of forested mountain ranges running north-south, on either side of which are low-lying coastal plains. The coastline extends some 1,900km (1,200 miles). The west coast consists of mangrove swamps and mudflats which separate into bays and inlets. In the west, the plains have been cleared and cultivated, while the unsheltered east coast consists of tranquil beaches backed by dense jungle. The major islands are Langkawi (a group of 99 islands), Penang and Pangkor off the west coast; and Tioman, Redang, Kapas, Perhentian and Rawa off the east coast. In Malaysian Borneo, Sarawak has alluvial and, in places, swampy coastal plains with rivers penetrating the jungle-covered hills and mountains of the interior. Sabah has a narrow coastal plain which gives way to mountains and jungle. Mount Kinabalu, at 4,094m (13,432ft), is the highest peak in Malaysia.

Language

The national and official language is Bahasa Melayu, however, English is widely spoken. There are some minorities also speak Chinese (Cantonese and Hokkien), Iban and Tamil.
Malaysian (Malay: Bahasa Malaysia) or Standard Malay is the official language of Malaysia and a standardized register of the Malacca dialect of Malay. It is over 80% cognate with Indonesian and is spoken natively by over 10 million people. As a second language, it is spoken by an estimated 18 million, mostly Malaysians from ethnic minorities
The Malay language is an Austronesian language spoken not only by Malaysians but all Malay people who reside in the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, central eastern Sumatra, the Riau islands, parts of the coast of Borneo, Cocos and Christmas Islands in Australia. It is also very similar to Indonesian, known locally as Bahasa Indonesia.In Malaysia, the language is officially known as Bahasa Malaysia, which translates as the "Malaysian language". The term, which was introduced by the National Language Act 1967, was predominant until the 1990s, when most academics and government officials reverted to "Bahasa Melayu," which is used in the Malay version of the Federal Constitution.

Religion 

Malaysia is a multicultural society with Islam as the dominant religion, whose followers make up 61 per cent of the population, but the constitution guarantees religious freedom for many other faiths.
Although the country has a secular constitution, debate continues about whether Malaysia should be a secular or Islamic state, with politics often becoming entwined with religion.
Relations between different religious groups are harmonious and tolerant. Christmas, Chinese New Year and Deepavali have all been declared national holidays alongside Islamic holidays. Various groups have been set up to try and promote religious understanding among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by Malaysian politicians. However, it is illegal to convert Muslims to other religions.
The government promotes a moderate form of Islam known as Islam Hadhari. Any teaching which deviates from the official Sunni code is illegal, and no other forms of Islam are allowed. The country has both civil and Shariah courts, with all Muslims having to follow Shariah law, which is enforced by the government and police forces.
The large Chinese population practices a mixture of beliefs, with influences from traditional religions followed in China such as Buddhism and Daoism. Hinduism is followed by the majority of Malaysian Indians. Christianity has established itself in some communities, especially in East Malaysia but it is not tied to any specific ethnic group. Other religions, such as the Baha’I Faith and Sikhism also have adherents in Malaysia.
the country’s religious make up is as follows: Muslim 61.3 per cent; Buddhist 19.8 per cent; Christian 9.2 per cent; Hindu 6.3 per cent; Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions 1.3 per cent; Atheist 0.7 per cent; and other or unknown religions 1.4 per cent.
Most Malaysian Chinese follow a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism and ancestor-worship, but when pressed to specify their religion will identify themselves as Buddhists and will list themselves as such for bureaucratic purposes. The indigenous tribes of East Malaysia have mostly converted to Christianity, although Christianity has made fewer inroads into Peninsular Malaysia.

Social Conventions

 Malaysia is rich in differing ethnic and cultures. Malays are the majority and lead a peaceful life governed by the authority of elders and a strong sense of respect and etiquette. The Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan of the population came to Malaysia for the professional positions such as civil officer, police and some in the new rubber plantations. Due to its history, Malaysia is also influenced by Europe (British, Dutch and Portuguese in particular). However, this member portion of Malaysia population is now very small.
In Malaysian, “hello” means “peace be with you” in the Muslim. Usually Malay men are addressed Encik (pronounced Enchik) with or without the name; single Malay women should be called Cik (pronounced Che) and married woman Puan. To show a sign of respect is touching the hand to the chest. When shaking hands, a relaxed wrist and gentle touch should be adopted. It is also common to address in western forms among Chinese and Indians. Malaysian people are of warm and lavish hospitality. The manner of hospitality is informal in most cases.

Hotels 

The hotels in Malaysia range from economy class to luxury. Recently, many new modern hotels have built in Kuala Lumpur. The down town hotels are very popular that you might need to book in advance especially when you are traveling during public holiday and weekend. Mostly, hotel rooms ranked in Superior rate only provide one double bed. King-size bed and non-smoking rooms, etc are at your request when you check-in.

A new official grading system was introduced in 2007, in which hotels are awarded 1-5 stars or an orchid rating if they do not qualify for a star. People will consider 3 stars above hotels are more than basic in Malaysia.

Homestay Accommodation

It will meet you as a typical Malaysia life experience when you choose to stay in local homestay. The cost is increasing nowadays though. You may need to check with local tourist offices for details of homestay in each area of the country.
Rest Houses
There are many lovely houses for you to rent both in down town and beach areas. These are mostly well-facilitated (some of them even with swimming pool, barbecue set), clean and comfortable. It is advisable to reserve first since they tend to fill up quickly especially sea-facing ones.

Camping/Caravanning

There are camping facilities in the Taman Negara or national parks. Here jungle lodges provide tents, camp beds, pressure lamps and mosquito nets for trips into the rainforests.

Youth Hostels

Malaysia is a member of the International Youth Hostel Federation. There are not many youth hostels, but they are very cheap. Accommodation is in dormitories and meals can be arranged. There are hostels in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang and Petaling Jaya.

Science and Technology

 Science policies in Malaysia are regulated by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of semiconductor devices, electrical goods, and information and communication technology products. Malaysia began developing its own space programme in 2002, and in 2006 Russia agreed to transport one Malaysian to the International Space Station as part of a multi-billion dollar purchase of 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.In an effort to create a self-reliant defensive ability and support national development, Malaysia privatised some of its military facilities in the 1970s. This has created a defence industry, which in 1999 was brought under the Malaysia Defence Industry Council. The government continues to promote this sector and its competitiveness, actively marketing the defence industry