Country Profile Malaysia lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is situated close to the equator within longitudes 1 to 7 degrees North and 100 to 119 degrees East. It occupies two distinct regions - Peninsular Malaysia extending from the Kra Isthmus to the Straits of Johor, and Sabah and Sarawak on the northwestern coast of Borneo. These regions are separated by about 750 kilometers of the South China Sea. Mount Kinabalu Source: http://www.btinternet.com Peninsular Malaysia is divided into the east coast and west coast by the Main Range known as Banjaran Titiwangsa, which runs from the Malaysia-Thai border in the north to the southern state of Negeri Sembilan. The states of Sabah and Sarawak are geographically rugged, with a series of mountain range encompassing the interior regions of the states. Mount Knabalu in Sabah, with a height of 4,095.2 meters is the highest peak in Southeast Asia. Malaysia covers an area of 330,434 square kilometers (Peninsular - 131,537 square kilometers; Sabah - 124,449 square kilometers; Sarawak - 73,711 square kilometers). The coastline extends for nearly 4,830 kilometers, while the coastline of Sabah and Sarawak is 2,100 kilometers long. The states in Peninsular Malaysia are Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putra Jaya. The states located on Borneo are Sabah and Sarawak. Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Selangor, was turned into a Federal Territory on 1st February 1974. The island of Labuan in Sabah followed suit on 16th April 1984 and Putrajaya on 1st February, 2001. Putrajaya is the new Administrative Centre of the Federal Government of Malaysia. Situated within the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), Putrajaya is set to become a model city with its sophisticated and up-to-date information network. Putrajaya will use multimedia technologies to become an electronic administrative centre. All interaction within government and the public will be conducted via electronic and multimedia channels. Putrajaya is located along the South Growth Corridor which begins with the Kuala Lumpur City Centre in the north to the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport at Sepang. Putrajaya is just 25 kilometers away from Kuala Lumpur and 20 kilometers from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Brief History Malaysia's history may be said to date from the period of the Melaka Sultanate founded just before 1400 A.D. Melaka was founded by Parameswara, a prince from Palembang who initially discovered Temasik which he called Singapura. He was then forced to flee from Singapura by the Srivijayan forces and moved to Melaka which flourished as a port trading center in the region. The spread of Islam within the archipelago is attributed to the Muslim traders, mainly from India who came to trade. Parameswara also converted to Islam and became the first Sultan of Melaka. 1511 - Melaka's spice trade led to its attack by the Portuguese, resulting in the fall of the Sultanate. 1641 - Melaka fell to the Dutch. 1786 - The British consolidated their hold on the Malay states following Francis Light's arrival in Penang. 1824 - Britain acquired Melaka from the Dutch in exchange for Bencoolen in Sumatra. 1826 - Penang, Melaka and Singapore became collectively known as the Straits Settlements. 1841 - James Brooke visited Kuching and successfully intervened in a revolt against the rule of the Sultan of Brunei's Viceroy. He was rewarded and installed as a Rajah by the Sultan. 1874 - The Pangkor Agreement allowed the British to take over the duties and privileges which had once been the preserve of princes and aristocrats. The Residential System was introduced whereby British Residents were appointed to advise the Sultans on all matters except those touching on the Islamic religion and customs. 1888 - Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo became British protectorates. 1895 - The Federated Malay States - made up of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Selangor - were established. 1909 - The Siamese transferred to the British their rights of suzerainty over Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. A British advisor was then appointed to each of these states. 1910 - Immigrants from India were brought over by the British to work in the rubber industry. The Chinese were brought in to serve the mining industry. 1914 - Johor joins to form the Unfederated Malay States. 1941 - The Japanese ousted the British until September 1945. 1946 - The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) was formed to spearhead the struggle for national independence. The British created the Malayan Union, which effectively transferred all powers from the Malay Rulers to the British. 1948 - The Malayan Union was abandoned following strong opposition from the nationalists. The Federation of Malaya was formed in 1948. Under the Federation, the Malay Rulers remained sovereign in the Malay states, a High Commissioner post was introduced and a Federal Legislative Council was established. 1948 - Communist terrorists launched a campaign of violence and murder to paralyze the economic recovery of the country. It led to the decleration of a state of emergency. The Emergency lasted for 12 years and was lifted in 1960. 1955 - First federal elections. The Alliance Party, a coalition of UMNO, the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) swept 51 of the 52 seats. The President of UMNO, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, became the Chief Minister. The Reid Commision was set up to draft a constitution providing for self-government and independence within the Commonwealth. 1957 - August 31, Malaya achieved its independence with Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj as its first Prime Minister. 1963 - Malaysia was formed with the admission of Sabah and Sarawak. 1965 - Singapore chose to withdraw herself from the Federation to become an independent government. Petronas Twin Towers Source: http://www.klcc.com.my People Malaysia is a multi-racial country with a population of 23.26 million. This consists of the Malays (58.1%), the Chinese (24.3%), the Indians (6.9%) and the rest (3.2%), the indigenouse people of Sarawak and Sabah (the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kenyahs, Kadazans, Kelabits, Muruts, Kayans, Bisarays, Melanaus) and the Eurasians. Bahasa Malaysia is the national and official language in the country. However, there are other Asian languages and dialects widely spoken by the people. The main Chinese dialects are Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese. The common Indian languages used are Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, Gujerati and Urdu. English is widely spoken and is extensively used in commerce and industry. Under the Federal Constitution, Islam is the official religion but there is a freedom of worship. The multi-racial society practices various religions such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Holidays and Festivals National Day The National Day is celebrated annually on August 31 to commemorate Malaysia's Independence. Parades and processions, variety shows and shopping carnivals are held to mark the event. Birthday of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong His Majesty's official birthday is celebrated on June 1 each eary which is declared a public holiday. The highlight of the celebration is the conferment of awards and titles by His Majesty to those who have distinguished themselves in their services to the country. Hari Raya Puasa Aidil Fitri Hari Raya Aidil Fitri concludes a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Muslims usher in the special day with prayers at the mosque and seek forgiveness from family members. It is custormary for Muslims to open their homes to well-wishers as well as visit friends and relatives. Hari Raya Haji Aidil Adha - Dzulhijjah 10 Hari Raya Haji Aidil Adha is celebrated on Dzulhijjah 10 internationally, when Muslims perform the last phase of haj in the holy city of Mecca. The act of sacrificing cattle, goats and camels locally knows as "korban" is performed to feed the poor and needy. Chinese New Year The Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of the first moon on the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a joyous occasion marked by family reunions and giving away of small red packets or "ang pow" containing money to children and unmarried youngsters. Moon Cake Festival This festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, with the exchange and eating of mooncakes with assorted fillings. In the evening, children will light the paper lanterns while women pray to the Goddess of the Moon. Deepavali Deepavali or the Festival of Lights signifies the triumph of good over evil. The day begins with the traditional oil bath. The celebration includes visits to temples and prayers at household altars. Hindu homes are adorned with oil lamps or lights to signify the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasuka. Thaipusam Hindus celebrate the day to commemorate the birthday of Lord Subramaniam. The festival begins with a grand procession of the silver chariot bearing the statue of Lord Subramaniam. Devotees carry davadis or wooden steel yokes with long spikes and metal hooks pierced into their bodies. Christmas Christmas is celebrated by Christians on December 25 each year. They attend midnight church servicces on Christmas eve. Friends and relatives go visiting and exchange gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Wesak Day Buddhists celebrate Wesak Day to commemorate the birthday of Lord Buddha, which falls in May. The Buddhists offer prayers, incense and jossticks at temple. The highlight of the celebration is the colorful procession of floats held during the night. Gawai Festival The Gawai Festival marks the end of the paddy planting season and the beginning of a new season. It is celebrated by the Dayaks of Sarawak. Friends and relatives go visiting during the Gawai Dayak season. During the festival, visitors have the opportunity to see the Dayak in their finery, complete with accessories and headgear. Kadazan Festival The Kadazan festival which is locally known as the Pesta Ka'amatan is essentially the harvest festival celebrated by the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut people of Sabah. The highlight of the festival is the performance of the traditional dance; the Sumazau. National Symbols The armorial ensign of Malaysia shows a 14 pointed star representing the 13 constituent States within the Federation of Malaysia together with the Federal Government, while the star and the crescent together symbolizes Islam as the official religion of Malaysia. The five krises represent the five former Undfederated Malay States of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu. The left hand division of the shield represents the State of Pulau Pinang and the right hand section, showing the Melaka tree, the State of Melaka. In the four equal sized panels in the center, the colors black and white are the colors of Pahang; red and yellow are the colors of Selangor; black, white and yellow are teh colors of Perak; and red, black and yellow are those of Negeri Sembilan. These four states formed the original Federated Malay States. The three sections below represent the State of Sabah on the left and Sarawak on the right. In the center is the Bunga Raya, the national flower. The tigers depicted as supporters in the Arms of the former Federated Malay States are retained. The motto in Romanized script on the left and Jawi script on the right, "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu", is the Malay equivalent of "Unity in Strength". The yellow color of the scroll is the color of their Royal Highness, the Rulers. The Jalur Gemilang or Malaysian Flag consists of 14 horizontal red and white stripes of equal width, representing the equal membership in the Federation of 13 component states and the Federal Government. The union or canton of dark blue in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending down to the top of the fifth stripe stands for the unity of the people of Malaysia. The union contains a crescent which symbolizes Islam, the official religion of Malaysia. The 14 points of the star are emblematic of the unity of the 13 states and the Federal Government. The yellow of the crescent and the star is the royal color of their Royal Highnesses, the Rulers. Source: Malaysia in Brief 2004 and http://www.tradepartners.gov.uk