Langkawi MyLangkawi

Malaysia - A to Z

Area

about 330 thousand sqare km

(about 330,000 square km)

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

(geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E)

Climate

Tropical

Temperature: 21 to 32 degrees Celcius

Annual rainfall: 2000 mm to 2500mm

Conduct

Most Malaysians refrain from hugging and kissing in public. It would be appropriate for visitors to do so, too.

Country

The Federation of Malaysia can be geographically divided into Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (the states of Sabah and Sarawak).

Credit Cards

Widely accepted:

Visa, Mastercard, American Express and all other major credit cards.

Currency

Ringgit (MYR)

Denominations: RM100, RM50, RM10, RM5 and RM1 and sen (50 sen, 20 sen, 10 sen and the seldom used 5 sen).

Customs and Excise

Langkawi is a duty-free port. Hotel tariffs and retail goods are exempted from Government duty. Visitors who stay more than 48 hours on Langkawi do not have to pay tax on

wine and liquor
tobacco
cosmetics
souvenirs
portable electronic goods

Dressing (Recommended)

Light and sweat absorbent material for daily wear - such as cotton.

Drugs (Illicit)

The trafficking of illicit drugs carries a sentence of mandatory death upon conviction.

Electricity

220-240 Volts (Alternating current A/C)

Frequency: 50Hz

Geographical Location

Between 2 and 7 degrees North of the Equator

Government

Parlimentary Democracy with Constitutional Monarchy

Halal Food

Food that is permissible for Muslims by Muslim law. Restaurants that are certified "halal" do not serve alcohol and pork.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak. Click here for more info.
Humidity
High humidity level 75% - 80%
Introductions/Greetings
Normally a handshake among men. General acknowledgement by Muslim women are a smile and a nod. See also salam.
Names
Malays:
First name is given name.
Name after the word "bin" is the name of the father.
Example: Ahmad bin Mohamad
Ahmad - name of the person
Mohamad - name of Ahmad's father
Chinese:
First name is surname or family name.
The next two are given names. It is also common practice that the second name refers to the generation (level) of the family.
Example: Yeoh Seng Siang
Yeoh - surname or famiy name
Seng - name of the generation
Siang - given name
Indians: The first name is the given name followed by the family name.
Example: Siva a/l Kumar
Siva - given name
a/l - anak lelaki (literally translated as "son of")
Kumar - name of father

National Language

Bahasa Malaysia

(English is widely spoken.)

Official Religion

Islam (practised by all Malays)

Other religions

are also practiced in Malaysia. Among them:

Christianity
Buddhism
Taoism
Hinduism
Sikhism

Population

25.5 million

Races

The major races in Malaysia are the Malays, Chinese and Indians. Other races include the Kadazan-Duzun and Ibans.

Ruler

Paramount Ruler called the "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" or simply in English the "King".

Salam

A "handshake" practised by Muslims. Both hands are offered to the other party. The other reciprocate by extending the hands as well. However, the contact is brief and light - unlike the firm grasp of a handshake. The hands are then brought toward the chest signifying a greeting that comes from the heart.

States

13 States - 11 in Peninsular and 2 in East Malaysia

Time

GMT +8 hours

Tipping

Not customary as quite a number of restaurants and eateries add a 10% service charge and a 5% government tax. But tipping to show appreciation is quite common among visitors.

Titles

Titles conferred by the governement:

Tun, Tan Sri, Dato', Dato' Seri, Datuk and Datuk Seri.

Political dignitaries: Yang Berhormat (YB) and Yang Amat Berhormat (YAB).

For more about Malaysia, visit:

http://facebook.com/My1Malaysia