Malaysia
 Malaysia
is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in southeast
Asia. It's buoyant and wealthy, and has moved towards a pluralist
culture based on a vibrant and interesting fusion of Malay, Chinese,
Indian and indigenous cultures and customs. Most visitors to Malaysia
stick to the insane headlong rush of Kuala Lumpur, the colonially
soothing Cameron Highlands Hill Station or the hedonistic torpor
of Langkawi. However, the island of East Malaysia offers spectacular
wildlife, longhouses and the awe-inspiring Mt Kinabalu. Malaysia's
love of Western-style industrialisation is abundantly clear in its
big cities. Aside from the gleaming glass of the 21st Century, though,
Malaysia boasts some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national
parks in Asia. Warning Visitors are advised to be extra vigilant
when travelling in eastern Sabah and to avoid altogether the islands
off Sabah's east coast, including Sipadan and Pandanan, as there
is a risk of kidnapping and terrorist attacks, particularly targeting
foreigners.
Full country name: Federation of Malaysia
Area: 329,750 sq km (204,445 sq mi)
Population: 22 million
Capital city: Kuala Lumpur (pop 1.2 million)
People: 50% Malay, 33% Chinese, 9% Indian, plus indigenous tribes
such as Orang Asli and Iban
Language: Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese dialects, Tamil, indigenous
dialects
Religion: 52% Muslim, 17% Buddhist, 12% Taoist, 8% Christian, 8%
Hindu, 2% tribal
Government: Parliamentary monarchy Head of state: King: Tuanku Salehuddin
Abdul Aziz Shah ibni al-Marhum Hisamuddin Alam Shah Prime Minister:
Dr Mahathir Mohamad
GDP: US$99 billion
GDP per capita: US$4,530
Annual Growth: 2% Inflation: 4%
Major Industries: Tin, rubber, palm oil, timber, oil, textiles,
electronics Major Trading Partners: Singapore, Japan, USA
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When to Go
Malaysia is hot and humid all year so you're going to have sunshine
and sweat pretty much whenever you visit. It is, however, best to
avoid the November to January rainy season on Peninsula Malaysia's
east coast if you want to enjoy the beaches. The time to see turtles
on the east coast is between May and September.
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Events
The major Islamic events are connected with Ramadan, the ninth
month of the Muslim calendar. The major Malaysian festival is Hari
Raya Puasa, which marks the end of Ramadan with three days of joyful
celebrations. Hari Raya Haji marks the successful completion of
the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) with a two-day feast of cakes and
sweets. Chinese New Year, in January or February, is welcomed in
with dances, parades and much good cheer. The festival of Thaipusam
in late January is one of the most dramatic Hindu festivals (now
banned in India) during which devotees honour Lord Subramaniam with
acts of amazing masochism - definitely not for the squeamish. In
KL, devotees march to nearby Batu Caves; in Penang, the event is
celebrated at the Waterfall Temple. The Kota Belud Tamu Besar is
a huge tribal gathering held in May at Kota Belud near Kota Kinabalu
in Sabah. It includes a massive market, traditional ceremonies,
ornately decorated horsemen, medicine men and tribal handicrafts.
A smaller tamu is held in Kota Belud every Sunday if you're not
visiting during May.
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Attractions
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is an Asian tiger that roars: in 130 years, it has
grown from nothing to a modern, bustling city of almost two million
people. Take in its high-flying triumphs from the viewing deck of
the world's tallest building, then dive down to explore its more
traditional culture in the back lanes of Chinatown. KL's boom periods
have produced an intriguing mix of architecture throughout the city,
elegant colonial buildings contrasting with soaring modern edifices
such as the twin Petronas Towers. Add the ground level bustle of
the numerous street markets, and you have a city that rewards exploration.
Cameron Highlands
The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, comprise
a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500 and 1800m (4920
and 5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of Malaysia's tea industry
and it's the place where locals and visitors come to escape the
heat of the plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls,
tours of tea plantations, beautiful gardens and plenty of wild flowers.
The cool weather tempts visitors to exertions normally forgotten
at sea level - like golf, tennis, and long walks - but this is really
Malaysia's R 'n' R capital par excellence for those who don't like
the beach and enjoy a bout of colonial nostalgia. Most of the budget
hotels are in the village of Tanah Rata. The more expensive options
are scattered between Tanah Rata and Brinchang.
Georgetown - Penang Island
The 285-sq-km (177-sq-mi) island of Penang, off Peninsula Malaysia's
northwestern coast, is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia
and one of the country's premier resort areas. The island's beaches
are touted as the major drawcard but they're somewhat overrated.
What makes Penang Island really tick is the vibrant and intriguing
city of Georgetown on the island's northeastern coast. This city
has more Chinese flavour than either Singapore or Hong Kong, and
in its older neighbourhoods you could be forgiven for thinking that
the clock stopped at least 50 years ago. Georgetown is a compact
city and it's a delight to wander around. Set off in any direction
and you're certain to see beautiful old Chinese houses, vegetable
markets, temple ceremonies, trishaws, mahjong games and all the
other to-ings and fro-ings of Asian street life. You can still see
the time-worn walls of Fort Cornwallis in the centre of Georgetown
where the first Briton, Captain Light, set foot in 1786 on what
was then a virtually uninhabited island. He established a free port
here and the stone fort was finished a few decades later. The area
within the fort is now a park liberally sprinkled with cannons,
many of them retrieved from local pirates. Seri Rambai, the largest
and most important cannon, has a chequered history dating back to
1600. It's famed for its procreative powers, and childless women
are recommended to place flowers in the barrel of 'the big one'
and offer special prayers. Penang has many kongsis (clan houses
that operate partly as temples and partly as meeting halls for Chinese
of the same clan or surname), but Khoo Kongsi is easily the finest.
The original building was so magnificent and elaborate that no-one
was surprised when the roof caught fire on the very night it was
completed. This misfortune was taken merely as a sign that the building
had been too grandiose, so a marginally less magnificent structure
was built. One wonders at the opulence of the original, since the
present structure is a dazzling mix of dragons, statues, paintings,
lamps, coloured tiles and carvings. Kuan Yin Teng Temple right in
the centre of the old part of Georgetown is nowhere near as impressive,
but it's one of the most popular temples in the city and there are
often worshippers burning paper money at the furnaces, night-time
puppet shows or Chinese theatre performances. For the best view
of the city and the island, catch the funicular railway up Penang
Hill which rises 830m (2722ft) above Georgetown and provides cool
relief from the sticky heat below. There are pleasant gardens, a
hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque at the top. The view is particularly
good at dusk when Georgetown, far below, begins to light up. Most
of the popular budget hotels in Georgetown are along Lebuh Chulia;
more expensive options line Jalan Penang. There are plenty of Chinese
and Indian restaurants, but be adventurous and try the succulent
local dishes on offer from the street stalls, which appear at night
along the Esplanade behind the Penang Library. Melaka Melaka is
an interesting blend of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences
and is considered Malaysia's most historic city. It was once the
most important trading port in the region, but is now little more
than a sleepy backwater. Ancient-looking junks still sail up the
river, imbuing the waterfront with a timeless charm, and the city
remains full of intriguing Chinese streets, antique shops, temples
and nostalgic reminders of the now-departed European colonial powers.
The most imposing relic of the Dutch period in Melaka is the massive
pink town hall, Stadthuys, built between 1641 and 1660. It's believed
to be the oldest Dutch building in Asia and displays all the characteristic
features of Dutch colonial architecture (read incredibly weighty
doors and pleasant louvred windows). The building houses government
offices and an excellent Ethnographic Museum, which highlights aspects
of local history and culture. The imposing ruins of St Paul's Church,
built by the Portuguese over 400 years ago, stand in a beautiful
setting atop St Paul's Hill. It was regularly visited by St Francis
Xavier, who was buried here for a short period before being transferred
to Goa in India. The church fell into disuse when the Dutch arrived,
but is still surrounded by old Dutch tombstones. The Brits, with
great sensitivity, used the church as a gunpowder store. For those
who prefer their religious architecture to be a little more colourful,
the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in the old part of the city is the oldest
Chinese temple in Malaysia. It was founded in 1646, and all of the
materials and all of the artisans who built it were imported from
China. The old part of Melaka is a fascinating area to wander around,
and this is where you'll find many of Melaka's famous antique shops;
a stroll along Jalan Hang Jebat will pass the best of them. Tioman
Island This picture-postcard island lies off the eastern coast of
Peninsula Malaysia in the South China Sea. It boasts beautiful beaches,
clear, coral-filled water, technicolour marine life, virtually unpopulated
jungle highlands, crystal-clear streams, and the dramatic peaks
of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut. Tioman has been blessed with exotic
place names like 'Palm-Frond Hill' and 'Village of Doubt' and is
generally quoted as the setting for the mythical Bali Hai in the
film South Pacific. The permanent population on Tioman is low, and
locals are usually outnumbered by tourists. June and August are
the peak tourist months, but during the heavy November to January
monsoon the island is almost deserted. The island's west coast is
dotted with villages and is home to a classy resort. Pulau Tioman
is the most popular travellers' destination, while Kampung Nipah
is the place to go if you really want to get away from it all. You
can get to Tioman by boat from Mersing and Singapore. The island's
largest village, Kampung Tekek, has an airstrip.
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History
Aboriginal Malays (Orang Asli) began moving down the Malay peninsula
from southwestern China about 10,000 years ago. The peninsula came
under the rule of the Cambodian-based Funan, the Sumatran-based
Srivijaya and the Java-based Majapahit empires, before the Chinese
arrived in Melaka in 1405. Islam arrived in Melaka at about the
same time and spread rapidly. Melaka's wealth soon attracted European
powers, and the Portuguese took control in 1511, followed by the
Dutch in 1641. The British established a thriving port in Penang
in 1786 and took over Melaka in 1795. The British traded for spices
and colonised the interior of the peninsula when tin was discovered.
East Malaysia came into British hands via the adventurer Sir James
Brooke (who was made Rajah of Sarawak in 1841 after suppressing
a revolt against the Sultan of Brunei) and the North Borneo Company
(which administered Sabah from 1882). Gradually, the Federated Malay
States were created in piecemeal fashion over the course of the
19th century. The final pieces of the Malaysian mosaic fell into
place when Britain took formal control of both Sabah and Sarawak
after WWII. The indigenous labour supply was insufficient for the
needs of the developing rubber and tin industries, so the British
brought large numbers of Indians into the country, altering the
peninsula's racial mix. The Japanese overran Malaya in WWII. Communist
guerrillas who fought the Japanese throughout the occupation began
an armed struggle against British rule in 1948 and Malaya achieved
independence in 1957. Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore combined with
Malaya to establish Malaysia in 1963, but two years later Singapore
withdrew from the confederation. The formation of Malaysia was opposed
by both the Philippines and Indonesia, as each had territorial claims
on East Malaysia. Tension rose in 1963 during the 'Confrontation'
with Indonesia. Indonesian troops crossed Malaysia's borders but
were repelled by Malaysian and Commonwealth forces. In 1969, violent
riots broke out between Malays and Chinese, though the country's
racial groups have since lived in relative peace together. The United
Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has been in power since 1974.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is keen to exert his influence
on the world stage as a pan-Asian leader, presided over a booming
economy until 1997, when tumbling Asian currencies dragged the ringgit
down with them. In September 1998 the country hosted the Commonwealth
Games, but the public relations aspect of the competition came apart
when students and citizens protested against the unfair sacking
and later imprisonment of deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.
Continuing street protests calling for the resignation of Dr Mahatir
Mohamad have unsettled Malayasia's reputation as one of the most
politically stable of southeast Asian countries. By the time the
21st century rolled around, social upheavals had faded to a distant
rumble and the Malaysian economy had clawed its way back into the
black. Dr Mahathir Mohamad remained a controversial figure until
the end. Just before his resignation in October 2003, after 20 years
at the helm, the PM addressed a meeting of Islamic countries hosted
by Malaysia, and exhorted them to collectivise against an alleged
world Jewish conspiracy. His replacement, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
won a March 2004 election in a landslide. In August 2004 the country's
highest court upheld Anwar Ibrahim's appeal against his sentence
and he was released from jail. |
