Events:Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Official language: Malay
Government: Federal Constitutional monarchy
Area: 127,355 sq mi
Population: 26,909,000
Population density: 211/sq mi
GDP: $308.8 billion
Currency: Ringgit
"Multicultural Malaysia celebrates a vast range of festivals, but the ones to look out for nationwide are Islamic holidays, most notably the fasting month of
Ramadhan. During its 30 days, devout Muslims refrain from passing anything through their lips (food, drink, smoke) between sunrise and sunset. People get up early to stuff themselves before sunrise (sahur), and take off early to get back home in time to break fast (buka puasa) at sunset. At the end of the month is the festival of
Hari Raya Puasa, also known as
Aidilfitri, when pretty much the entire country takes a week or two off to head back home to visit family; this is the one time of year when Kuala Lumpur has no traffic jams, but the rest of the country does, and traveling around Malaysia is best avoided if at all possible.
Non-Muslims, as well as Muslims travelling (musafir), are exempt from fasting but it is polite to refrain from eating or drinking in public. Many restaurants close during the day and those that stay open maintain a low profile. Business travellers will notice that things move rather more slowly than usual and, especially towards the end of the month, many people will take leave. The upside for the traveller is the bustling Ramadhan bazaars in every city and town, bustling with activity and bursting at the seams with great food. Hotels and restaurants also pull out all stops to put on massive spreads of food for fast-breaking feasts.
Some uniquely Malaysian festivals of note include the Harvest Festival at the end of May each year and the '
Pesta Gawai' in early June, both thanksgiving celebrations held in East Malaysia.
Other major holidays include
Chinese New Year (around February), the Buddhist holiday of
Wesak (around June),
Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights (around November) and
Christmas.
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that falls in January or February and is one of the must-see events. The largest procession in the country takes place at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur. Devotees carry decorated altars or kavadi up a flight of 272 steps towards the temple, all this while also having spears and hooks pierced through various parts of their bodies. This masochistic practice does not harm the devotees in any way! The ability is attributed to divine intervention and religious fervour.
Staying Safe:Never bring any recreational drugs into Malaysia, even if you are only there for transit. Possession and/or trafficking of even minute amounts can lead to a mandatory death sentence.
Crime levels are relatively low in Malaysia, but common sense precautions should be observed. Pickpockets and snatch-and-run thieves ply their trade in Kuala Lumpur and large cities, and the security of cheaper accommodations may have room for improvement.
Vehicles will not stop at pedestrian/zebra crossings. Seeing that this will not change, the problem is overcome by building pedestrian bridges and installing pedestrian traffic lights.
Drunk driving is a serious offence and breathalyser tests by the police are common.
Travel documents and valuables are best deposited in a hotel safe or carried safely with you, as there is a potential of theft from hotel rooms while guests are away.
Women travelling alone should be wary of opening their room doors to strangers. In such situations, common sense judgement should prevail.
If using a taxi after midnight or before dawn, it is best to use the dial-a-taxi service as there have been incidents where taxis flagged down during those hours being fake/unregistered. The unregistered taxi driver might then rob or assault their victims with the help of assailants.
Do not accept drinks from strangers in any pub or club as there is a risk they might be spiked.
Credit card fraud can be a problem, so use plastic only at large, reputable retailers, and do not let your card out of sight.
Public demonstrations are almost unheard of in Malaysia - should any occur, they may be treated with heavy-handed tactics, so avoid them at all costs.
WARNING: Indonesians (they look like Malays) around Kuala Lumpur cheat tourists frequently by selling fake products (like Rolex, etc.). STAY AWAY FROM THESE CHEATERS. THEY WILL FOLLOW YOU. Also, be careful with taxi drivers because some charge an unusually high fees when it comes to foreigners.
Staying Healthy:Tap water is drinkable but even locals boil or filter it first just to be on the safe side. Otherwise stick to bottled water.
Ice in drinks might be made from tap water but the cylindrical variety with a hollow tube down the middle are mass-produced at ice factories and are safer to consume.
Avoid buying cold drinks or cut fruit from street vendors.
Heat exhaustion is rare, but do consume lots of fluids, use a hat and sunscreen and shower often!
Peninsular Malaysia is largely malaria-free, but there is a significant risk in Borneo especially in inland and rural areas.
Dengue fever occurs throughout Malaysia in both urban and rural areas, and can only be avoided by preventing mosquito bites. The mosquito that transmits dengue feeds throughout the daytime, and is most active at dawn and dusk. If you experience a sudden fever with aches and lethargy, seek medical attention immediately. Aspirin and ibuprofen should not be used until dengue fever has been ruled out.
Haze from burning vegetation in neighbouring Indonesia may come and go without warning from the months of May to August so travellers with respiratory ailments should come prepared. The Malaysian government is actively seeking Indonesia's co-operation in this matter but up until now, efforts seem to have been mostly futile.
Most public washrooms make a small charge (generally between RM0.20-RM2.00, usually depending on the standard of the facilities) so keep some loose change to hand. If the condition of the sitting toilets is questionable, use the squatting toilets instead - both are usually available, and the latter are more hygienic and (once you get used to them) are just as easy to use as sitting toilets. "
all of the information above is from...
http://wikitravel.org/en/Malaysia
