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Introduction |
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All About Us
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Selamat Datang or welcome to Malaysia. The warmness you feel the moment you
arrive in this country is not merely in the welcoming tropical weather, but in
the convivial people you will meet and interact with. Malaysia offers a platter
of new and interesting aspects of life, leaving you with a completely new
experience and satisfaction beyond.
Truly Asian in every thread, our pride and purpose lie in the many religions,
cultures and traditions cast into a single, nationalistic mould. Even the most
jaded visitors will appreciate something from all that we have to offer – from
the most luxurious to the most rustic, from the most modern to the most
traditional. These characteristics make up Malaysia and its people who are
proud to be called Malaysians.
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The Unique Malaysia Make-up |
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Malaysia is divided into 13 states: 11 in
Peninsular/West Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. The Peninsula
is sandwiched between Thailand up in the north and Singapore in the south. Our
close neighbours include Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Kuala Lumpur,
the capital city of Malaysia has an interesting mixture of historic past and
ultra-modernity. A far cry from its muddy estuary history, KL (as it is
commonly known) is a picture of modernity intertwined with a colourful past –
the latter frozen in time mainly through many colonial-era architectural
structures. A classic example is the famous Petronas Twin Towers, against
perhaps the city’s second most recognisable structures, the Moorish inspired
Sultan Abdul Samad courthouse buildings and the old central railway station
that has been replaced by the modern terminal, KL Sentral as the city’s main
transport hub. |
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The country’s administrative
capital, Putrajaya is located south of Kuala Lumpur. With buildings that boast
modern architectural designs infused with distinct Malaysian and Islamic
cultural nuances, Putrajaya plays host to government ministries, public
housing, gardens, lakes and a host of other attractions. Its neighbours are
Cyberjaya, Malaysia’s very own intelligent IT hub and Silicon Valley and the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). |
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The Climate |
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Spanning approximately 330,000
sq km, the country is the epitome of the tropics and being top of the Equator
means the country is generally warm all year round with the temperatures
average between 21° and 32°C. Strongly influenced by the Northeast and
Southwest monsoons, the period between late April and late September is usually
the driest. The rainy season usually arrives around October and November and
can last till February, especially on the east coast and East Malaysia. The
best time to visit beaches facing the South China Sea is between March and
October.
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However, rain or shine, these
weather conditions are relatively docile and would hardly spoil the fun to be
had. Nonetheless, just have an umbrella handy. Otherwise, all you need is lots
of suntan lotion if you intend to spend most of your time outdoors. |
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The Government |
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Our country practises a
constitutional monarchy system, which is headed by the yang Di-Pertuan Agong
(His Majesty the King). Selected among nine hereditary Malay rulers who each
head their own royal state in the Peninsular Malaysia, the King symbolically
rules over the country during his tenure of five years. |
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Malaysia also practises a
parliamentary democracy, headed by the current and fifth premier, Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his cabinet of ministers. The Prime Minister is
traditionally elected from among members of the House of Representatives, and
is essentially the leader of the political party that wins the majority of
seats n the general election. |
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Like the selection process for
the yang Di-Pertuan Agong, a general election is held every four or five years
where the people would vote for the next ruling political party. Malaysia is
currently governed by the ruling coalition called the Barisan Nasional or
National Front. |
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The Economy |
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Although still a major player in
the agricultural sector with rubber and palm oil cultivations, Malaysia has
made considerable and commendable strides in the manufacturing and service
industries – namely and mainly through the production and export of electronic
products and tourism. |
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The Education System |
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Divided in to six years of
primary, five or seven years of secondary and pre-university levels, Malaysian
children enrol in Primary One at the age of seven and join the secondary school
at the age of 13. Bahasa Malaysia is the main demium of instruction except for
mathematics and science, which are taught in English. The proficiency of
English has been given much emphasis in the recent years and Malaysians are
encouraged to read, write and speak in English from a tender age.
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There is no shortage of local
and foreign colleges and universities across the country as tertiary education
is important to the future growth of Malaysia. From pre-university to diploma
and degree courses, Malaysia has indeed carved a reputation as a formidable
education destination among foreign students, namely from China, Indonesia,
South Korea and African nations. A number of these prestigious institutions
offer full-time and part-time local and twinning programmes and among them are
University of Malaya, the oldest and first university in Malaysia,
International Islamic University Malaysia, University Science of Malaysia and
the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia). |
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| National Flag |
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The Malaysian flag or Jalur Gemilang consists of 14 horizontal red and white
stripes of equal width; a dark blue canton occupying the upper left quarter of
the flag; and within the canton, a crescent, and a 14-pointed star. The stripes
represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states – namely
Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah,
Sarawak, Selangor, Penang and Terengganu – and the Federal Government, as
represented by the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. The colours
red and white symbolise courage and purity respectively. The canton symbolises
the unity of the people of Malaysia. The crescent is the symbol of Islam, the
official religion of Malaysia; and the 14 points of the star signify the unity
of the 13 states of the federation with the Federal Government. The colour
yellow signifies the royal colour of the Rulers. |
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| National Coat of Arms |
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The Coat-of-Arms has a 14-pointed star representing the equal status of the 13
Federation members and the Federal government. The star and the crescent are
traditional symbols of Islam, the official religion of Malaysia. The five
dagger-like keris represent the former Unfederated Malay States, namely Johor,
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu; while the four former Federated Malay
States of Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak and Selangor are represented by the
four centre panels, the permutation of whose colours represent their respective
colours -- red, black and yellow for Negeri Sembilan; black and white for
Pahang; black, white and yellow for Perak; and red and yellow for Selangor. The
left hand division of the shield represents the state of Pulau Pinang, and the
right-hand division with the Melaka tree, the state of Melaka. The states of
Sabah and Sarawak are respectively represented on the lower left and right
sections, while in the centre is the Hibiscus flower, the national flower of
Malaysia. The tigers on both sides of the shield are retained from the earlier
armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya, and prior to that of the Federated
Malay States. The yellow colour of the scroll containing the motto in Roman and
Jawi script is the royal color of the rulers.
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| National Flower |
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The national flower of Malaysia is the hibiscus (Rosa Sinensis), or as it is
locally known the Bunga Raya. No one knows when the flower was first introduced
to Malaysia, but undoubtedly it came via trade from its original home in China,
Japan and the Pacific islands probably before the 12th century. From early
times, the hibiscus has been known to have many uses, mostly medicinal. Its
petals were commonly used to darken and enhance women’s eyebrows; while some
people still use the roots of the hibiscus plant as a cure for fever and other
ailments. Skin eruptions and glandular troubles are said to be relieved by the
application of the juice obtained from its leaves and roots while a poultice
prepared from the leaves is often applied to cure headaches. The Bunga
Raya is found in abundance throughout the country, and has many variieties and
colours. Malaysians, however, have chosen the red five-petalled type as their
national flower.
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