About the Country
Malaysia is a multicultural country comprising of 25 million people with the majority being of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous descents.
With a land mass of 127,000 sq. miles (330,200 sq. km), Malaysia is divided into two main regions: Peninsular Malaysia, which lies just south of Thailand, and East Malaysia, located on the north-eastern portion of the Island of Borneo. Peninsular and East Malaysia are separated by the South China Sea, whereby; it is divided administratively into thirteen states and three federal territories. 11 States and 2 Federal Territories are located in the West while 2 States and 1 Federal Territory are located in East Malaysia.
Malaysia is a land of contrasts with fascinating sights and attractions from the 15th century right up to the 21st century. Rich in history, geographical diversity and fascinating development of the urban and rural regions, we have variety of destinations to appeal to a wide range of preferences from modern cities to luxurious beach resorts, from cool highland resorts and tropical rainforest national parks to heritage town and romantic coral islands. Many visitors have also discovered Malaysia’s other attractions: a shopping paradise, a versatile conference venue, an adventure land and much more.
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. It is approximately 35 km from the coast and sits at the centre of the Peninsula’s extensive and modern transportation network. Kuala Lumpur is a bustling metropolis with a population of over 2 million people. Kuala Lumpur is the pulse of the country economy with many headquarters of multinational companies located within. Most of the government machinery has moved to the new administrative capital of Putrajaya, located 40 km south of Kuala Lumpur.
With a height of 1,453 feet (451.9m), one of the world’s tallest buildings rise above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur. They are the Petronas Towers, and, inevitably, they have become the symbol for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades.
Useful Information
Travel Documents:
Non-Malaysian travellers must possess a national passport or internationally recognised travel document with at least six months validity endorsed for travelling to Malaysia.
Visa Requirements:
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No visa is required for nationals of Commonwealth countries except for Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. |
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Nationals from Switzerland, The Netherlands do not require visas. |
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No visa is required for a stay not exceeding 3 months for nationals of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. |
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No visa is required for a stay of less than 1 month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore. |
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No visa is required for a stay less than 1 month for nationals of Bhutan, Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau SAR, Portugal and Slovenia. |
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Visa is required for the nationals of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Nepal, Colombia and PR China. |
Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia; Regulations are subject to changes. For further details, kindly log on to: http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_HapusVisa.asp
Credit Cards:
Major credit cards such as VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted by most business establishments.
Climate & Clothing:
Year round warm tropical weather with high humidity. Temperatures range from 21°C to 32°C. Wet seasons is between November to April and dry season from May to October. Light casual clothes and comfortable shoes or sandals with a jacket or sweater for night time in the highlands.
Time:
Eight hours ahead of GMT.
Language:
Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, but English is widely used especially in the commercial sector. The ethic groups also speak other languages like Mandarin and Tamil.
Public Transport:
Very affordable and easily available – bus, cab and car rentals are available in most cities. However, commuter train, Light Rail Transit (LRT) and monorail are only available in Kuala Lumpur and its vicinity.
Currency:
Traveller’s cheques and foreign currencies can be exchanged for Malaysian Ringgit at banks, hotels and authorised money changes at shopping complexes. Banking hours is Monday to Friday between 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Bank are closed on Saturday and Sunday in most states. Ringgit notes comes in RM100, RM50, RM10, RM5, RM2 (phasing-out), RM1 and coins fifty, twenty, ten, five and one cent.
Electricity:
220-240 volts AC at 50 Hz
Shopping:
Locally specialties include batik fabric, pewter wares, silver and brasswares, pottery, traditional handicrafts – kites, tops, woodcarvings, leather goods, songket fabric, and duty-free electrical products.
Miscellaneous:
Delegates are allowed to bring in not more than 200 sticks of cigarette/ cigar and 1 litre of liquor into Malaysia.
Social and Business Customs:
The common business attire includes a tie and plain longsleeved shirt. Suits are normally worn in more formal occasions. Generally, tipping is an acknowledgement of good service.
Economic Profile:
Manufacturing constitutes the largest component of Malaysia’s economy while tourism and primary commodities such as petroleum, palm oil, natural rubber and timber are major contributors to its economy. Knowledge-based economies such as ICT, biotechnology are growing significantly in the country.
