Malaysia

Maklumat tentang orang Melayu

(Information about Malaysia)

 

Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore!

A Bit About Malaysian History and Culture

Malaysia is a federation of 13 states forming a constitutional monarchy in South East Asia comprising two distinct regions separated by 400 miles of the South China Sea. The regions are Peninsular Malaysia, formerly known as West Malaysia, and Sarawak and Sabah, formerly known as East Malaysia. The states of Sarawak and Sabah occupy the northern third of the island of Borneo. They are bordered on the north and west by the South China Sea, and on the east by Sula and Celebes Seas, and the south by the Indonesian province of Kalimantan.

The population of Malaysia is about 20 million. West Malaysia is about seven times more populated than East Malaysia. Some 57% of the population are urban. Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than half of Borneo's state of Sarawak population, and about 66% of Sabah's population.

The people of Malaysia are a uniquely diverse group. The earliest inhabitants were the "Orange Azalea" in the Peninsula. There are similar tribes in Sabah and Sarawak who still live a nomadic way of life. However, I don't think they eat people anymore. The only headhunting done these days is by employment agencies. The next immigrants were the Proto-Malays and the Deutero-Malays. Other indigenous people of Malaysia are collectively called "Bumiputra", or "sons of the soil". These people make up 59% of the population. Later, the Chinese and Indian migrated into the country. Today, the Chinese make up 32% of the population, and the Indian make up 9% of the population of Malaysia.

Malaysia declared independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1957. The capital is Kuala Lumpur, which is also the largest city of Malaysia. The country is located 7 degrees north of the Equator in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is divided into West and East Malaysia.

The climate is tropical, warm and humid throughout the year, with average temps from 70 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Clothing worn should be light, cool and casual all year round. Ladies entering mosques and temples are asked to wear long sleeves and loose pants or long skirt.

The economy of Malaysia was once exclusively based on agricultural commodities. It is still one of the world's largest producers of rubber, tin, palm oil, timber, and pepper. The current government is aspiring to shift the economy to manufacturing and service-based industries. Tourism is also emerging as a major source of revenue. Malaysia has become one of the greatest economic success stories of Asia.

The unit of currency is the Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM, which is equivalent to 100 cents. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 sen and RM1. Currency notes are in RM1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Foreign currency and traveler's cheques can be converted to Malaysian Ringgit at banks or authorized money changers throughout the country. Click on the dollar icon below and it will link you to a site which converts any denominations to/from US dollars. Use your brower's back button to return to this site.

Kuala Lumpur is the hub of the local entertainment scene. The food vendors on the streets are called "hawkers". Hawkers selling food, fruits, or drinks in push-carts or mobile stalls are a common sight around the country. Hawker food is normally freshly-prepared, and watching a hawker prepare the food is an interesting experience in itself. For instance, roti canai makers will punch a ball of dough flat and swing it into circles to make it flat. To learn more about the food in Malaysia, click on the marimari.com/foodinasia.com site below. Tipping is not a way of life in Malaysia, but is fast becoming one.

Malaysians enjoy meeting people from other lands. So, go right ahead and strike up a conversation. To avoid "cultural offenses," here are some tips to remember:

• Remove shoes when entering homes and places of worship

• Dress neatly and in suitable attire which covers arms and legs when visiting places of worship.

• Handle food with your right hand.

• Do not point your foot at someone (Okay, Jill. I'm still working on this one).

• When giving or receiving money gifts to/from a Malaysian, do so with your right hand.

• There are different forms of greetings, depending on whether you're Muslim, Hindu, Chinese, etc. It's quite ok to smile and nod your head slightly when introduced.

If you have a drug habit, please do as I do and leave it at home, because Drug Traffickers are Sentenced to Death by Malaysian Law.

Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of GMT, 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time, and 15 hours ahead of the US Pacific Standard Time. There are 4 television stations, two of which are government networks. The water is generally safe to drink from the tap; however, bottled water is available in shops and supermarkets.

The official language of Malaysia is Bhasa Malaysia (also known as Malay or Standard Malay). Other languages spoken are English, Chinese, Tamil, and Iban. Religions are broken down as follows: 53% Islam, 25% Chinese folk religion, 7% Hinduism, 6% Buddhism, 6% Christianity, 3% other.

Click on the starfish to view the Little English - Malay Translator. It's in .pdf format, so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or higher to read the document. The document is 22 pages long. In lieu of printing you may want to download it to a file on your computer.

 

In the event you need medical care, there are private clinics in most towns. Malaysia does not have a reciprocal health service agreement with other nations and expect cash for their services.

The forests of Malaysia is home to an enormous variety of animal life. Large mammals such as elephants, tigers, and sun bears...oh my!!! And, tapirs, several species of deer, and rhinoceros, which are an endangered. Malaysia's primates, also on the endangered list, are orangutans and three species of protected gibbon. They have about 650 species of birds, 100 species of snakes, crocodiles and 80 species of lizards.

For more about the history of Malaysia visit the Geographia.com/Malaysia site below.

The islands of Mabul, Kapalai and Sipadan were not affected by the tsunami that so devastated Thailand, et al.

Pulau Sipadan (Island)

The internationally famous island of Sipadan lies five degrees north of the equator in the Sulawesi Sea (Celebes Sea). The tiny island is just under 10 acres in size, is thickly forested and surrounded by sandy beaches. Sipadan is an oceanic island formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct undersea volcano, which rises 600m from the seabed.

The geographic position of Sipadan places it in the center of the richest marine habitat in the world. More than 3000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems. The best time to visit is from April to October. Rainy season is November to March. You can plan on water temperatures being 82-86 degrees at the time our trip is scheduled.

Around Sipadan, the reef drops down spectacularly. Huge schools of barracudas and mackerels are seen on every dive. Turtles and sharks are also a certain siting on each dive.

In an effort to protect and conserve the island, the State Government "closed and evacuated" Sipadan on January 1, 2005. All dive operations on the island were forced to move out from the island. The State Government does, however, allow a limited number of "day trippers" to dive around the island.

Pulau Mabul

Mabul is arguably one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anwhere in the world. Not just one or two sites, but an entire destination of muck dives. Located in the clear waters of the Celebes Sea off the mainland of Sabah, it is surrounded by gentle slopping reefs two to 40m deep. Getting to Mabul is a bit of an adventure in itself. It involves planes, buses and boats, but no trains or camels.

Covering some 52 acres, it is considerably larger than the nearby Sipadan Island and is home to the Bajau Laut tribe, one of many ethnic groups in Sabah. Diving is the main activity on the island, and it can be done all year round.

Pulau Kapalai

Much of the information found on Sipadan and Mabul evolve around diving. Kapalai certainly doesn't deviate from this theme. Kapalai is a 15-minute boat ride from Sipadan, and is essentially a sand bar which lies between Sipadan and Mabul.

The diving is easy and shallow but quite spectacular around Kapalai. The underwater scene together with Mabul offers some of the best "muck-diving" in the world. Rare marine life such as flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, sea moths, and mating mandarinfish are seen on a regular basis. Frogfish the size of soccer balls, ribbon eels, harlequin ghost pipefish, and crab-eye gobies are seen on many of the dive sites.

The jetty dive has plenty to offer including leaf scorpionfish, pink-eye gables, ambonian shrimps, and the comical antics of the mantis shrimp. Other frequently seen creatures such as crocodilefish and lionfish are almost ignored as being too common.

Travel Insurance by DAN

In June, I emailed the Divers Alert Network (DAN) regarding the terms of their new travel insurance policy. I have included DAN's response, below, for your perusal.

"Dear Member,

Planning a big trip can be an exciting, and at the same time, troublesome experience. Spending several thousand dollars for a week of exotic diving usually required planning, saving and an element of risk. Will the weather be good? What happens if I get sick and can't go? What will I do if my dive gear gets lost in the transit?

For two decades, DAN has offered the world's most popular dive accident insurance plans. Now, the leader in dive accident insurance has teamed up with Travel Guard, the world's leader in travel insurance, to offer a new DAN insurance program - DAN Trip Insurance.

Sold exclusively online through the DAN website (www.DiversAlertNetwork.org), DAN Trip Insurance provides you with 24/7 access to protection for:

• Trip cancellation and interruption;
• Travel delay;
• Lost baggage and travel documents;
• Baggage delay;
• Medical expenses
• Accidental death and dismemberment; and
• 24-hour assistance to help with emergency travel rebooking and lost baggage

For complete details on the new DAN Trip Insurance plan, or to purchase this valuable protection for your next trip, please visit www.DiversAlertNetwork.org/trip.

Bon Voyage!

Brian Merritt, President DAN Services"

No price comparisons have been done at this juncture, but web links are below if you wish to begin some research on your own. Research done for the Truk/Palau trip indicated that for basic coverage, expect to pay between $5 - $7 for every $100 worth of protection. To print a copy of the DAN's response click on the magic starfish.

If you're not already a preferred member of DAN, it is definitely worth consideration.

Travel Schedule

June 9 - 28, 2005

09 Jun - BWI - Newark, NJ (CO 2491) 5:25P 6:32P
09 Jun - Newark - Kuala Lumpur (MH 91) 10:00P 6:00A (Jun 11)
11 Jun - Kuala Lumpur - Tawau (MH 2662) 12:40P 3:30P
26 Jun - Tawau - Kota Kinabalu (MH 2132) 12:35P 1:20P
27 Jun - Kota Kinabalu - Kuala Lumpur (MH 2637) 5:00A 7:25A
27 Jun - Kuala Lumpur - Newark (MH 90) 9:20A 7:00P
28 Jun - Newark - BWI (CO 2884) 8:50A 9:56A

From Tawau, there will be a 90-minute bus ride through the jungles of Sabah to the boat dock in Semporna. From Semporna, it's a 30-minute boat ride to the SWV resort in Mabul. Sounds like an adventure already!

We will be spending 15 nights at the resort, from June 11 - 26. On the return, we will be staying overnight June 26th in Kota Kinabalu at the Shangri La Tanjung Aru Hotel. The hotel accepts major credit cards. To see other amenities offered by the hotel visit their website at www.kkshang.com.my

Take the virtual tour (click on the above image)

Travel Info

Accepted and Recognized Locks

The list below identifies locks that are "accepted and recognized" by TSA, which means that TSA screeners can open and re-lock these bags for security screening instead of cutting the lock. TSA screeners have tools for all TSA accepted and recognized locks that enable them to open the lock without damaging it if a physical inspection is required.

Some of the locks listed below are specific brands. Other names on the lists are manufacturers that produce a wide variety of locks, only some of which are accepted and recognized by TSA. We recommend that you check the packaging to ensure that it has language similar to "accepted and recognized" by TSA if you plan on using the lock for air travel. Most locks on the market are not TSA-recognized. This list will be updated periodically to provide the latest list of brands that are TSA accepted and recognized.

· American Tourister Accessories
· Atlantic Luggage
· Austin House Travel Essentials
· Brinks
· Brookstone Easy Check
· Delsey Luggage
· Eagle Creek Travel Safe
· EasyGo
· eBags
· Franzus Travel Smart
· Kenneth Cole Luggage
· Lewis N Clark
· Magellan's
· Master Lock
· Pacsafe by Outpac
· Prestolock SearchAlert
· Royal Traveller by Samsonite Accessories
· Samsonite Accessories
· Samsonite Luggage
· Sharper Image
· Target Embark
· Tumi Luggage
· Voltage Valet

TSA also has the ability to open luggage from some other luggage and/or lock manufacturers not listed above, although time pressures may require screeners to cut these locks rather than open them because there are many manufacturers, each using multiple master keys. It is very important to TSA that your baggage makes it onto your plane, and we will do everything possible to balance that need with security and customer service considerations. Screeners will always strive to open a bag, if required, without breaking the lock.

Weather Reports

For current weather conditions in Tawau

• Pack airline tickets, passports, copies of passports, prescription meds, important phone numbers, pen & paper, glasses, toiletries (bare essentials only), dive computer and expensive equipment such as cameras in carry-on luggage.

• You are allowed 1 piece of carry-on luggage in addition to one small purse (that includes the guys...no sex discrimination here). Carry-on luggage is not to exceed 15 pounds (damn!@#...I can't go). The following items are NOT allowed to be carried on-board or stored in the overhead bins: any sharp or pointed objectes (knives, scissors, nail clippers, tweezers, etc.); compressed gases (aerosol cans). Also, leave your golf clubs, hockey sticks, and baseball bats at home, because they won't allow those either.

• Each passenger is allowed 2 pieces of check-on luggage, not to exceed 65 pounds and 62" in dimension, or 106" for both pieces. If you have more specific questions regarding baggage regulations, please refer to Malaysia Airlines' website at www.MalaysiaAir.com, click on Info.

• Electrical supply in Malaysia is 240-volt 50-cycle system.

• English language newspapers are available.

• No vaccination is required for cholera and smallpox.

• You might consider a non-aerosol insect repellent such as DEET. Although, our travel agent advises that there really isn't a problem where we're travelling.

• According to the US Embassy in Malaysia, all American citizens are encouraged to register with the Embassy's Consular Section. This can be done by fax or email. Separate email will be sent outlining procedures for this.

• Pack everything you can in clear containers for easy inspection. Zip-lock bags are also good for protecting from leaks and are very economical.

• Make a copy of your passport, and keep it separate from your passport. Leave some copies with friends or relatives for safekeeping. Do not keep important documents in one wallet, and never leave your personal effects out of sight.

• Use tie-wraps to secure luggage - take extras. Limit your clothing, and keep it light and casual. You may need a light wrap for restaurants or other indoor facilities, as the Malaysians keep their AC at much lower temperatures than we do.

• Consider packing an inflatible neck pillow, black-out mask, ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones to make your trip more comfortable.

• Take inventory of everything in your SCUBA and camera bags. Place a copy of the inventory for each bag in the bags themselves and carry a copy with you. Also include identification inside your bags in the event the outer tag becomes separated from the luggage.

• Confirm all flights at least 72 hours in advance (this will be done for you on this trip).

• Carry along some antibacterial lotion for hands.

• Lost your way? Look for a tourist police officer. They are recognized by their checkered hat bands, dark blue shirts and trousers, and the letter "I" on a red and blue badge on the breast pocket.

• Did you know that mountain climbers claim carbos offered them an "altitude advantage," i.e., they can function more effectively and think more clearly at higher altitudes when they ate mainly carbos and avoided proteins. One way to help alleviate "jet lag" is to eat fewer proteins and more carbs, and drink lots of water. Recirculated air in the plane dehydrates you, and dehydration worsens "jet lag".

• US dollars are accepted everywhere we will be travelling.

• Trip insurance is highly recommended and can be purchased through Travel-Masters. Other options to consider: Access America, Travel Guard or DAN's new travel insurance. You can click on the links below to obtain quotes from both Travel Guard and AccessAmerica. Even though DAN is using Travel Guard for their trip insurance, it appears the rate is the same whether purchasing through DAN or Travel Guard directly.

Want to know what time it is in Malaysia?