THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KUALA LUMPUR TO HELP YOU PREPARE
(This information was compiled by AUSA from various online sources)
1. Location and Geography
2. Official Language and Religion
3. National Flag
4. Climate
5. Cuisine
6.
7.
8.
9.
Law and Politics
Currency
Tax Free Shopping
Key Words/Phrases
Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur is a generally safe place for all. However, there is no
harm practicing common sense and precautions like you would do at home.
Location and Geography
The geography of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is characterized by a huge valley
— known as the Klang Valley — bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the
east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Malacca
Straits in the west. The name Kuala Lumpur literally means muddy
confluence; Kuala Lumpur is located at the confluence of
the Klang and Gombak Rivers, facing the Malacca Straits.
Located in the center of Selangor State, Kuala Lumpur was previously under
Selangor state government. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was separated from
Selangor to form today's Kuala Lumpur under the Malaysian Federal
Government. Its location on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which
has wider flat land than the East Coast, has contributed to its faster
development relative to other cities in Malaysia.
The city is currently 243.65 km² (94.07 sq. mi) wide, with an average
elevation of 21.95 m (72 ft.).
Official Language and Religion
Malaysian (Malay: Bahasa Malaysia), or Standard Malay, is the official
language of Malaysia and a standardized register of the Malacca dialect
of Malay. It is over 95% cognate with Indonesian. It has few native
speakers, but is spoken by most of the Malaysian population as a second
language (Cf. Malay language.) It is a compulsory subject in primary and
secondary school.
The Malaysian name for the language is Bahasa Malaysia (literally "the
language of Malaysia"). This term is occasionally found in English. Most
Malaysians can speak in English well so there should not be any problem
communicating with the locals since English is the second language.
Malaysia is a multicultural and multi-confessional country. As of the 2010
Population and Housing Census, 61.3 percent of the population
practices Islam; 19.8 percent Buddhism; 9.2 percent Christianity; 6.3
percent Hinduism; and 1.3 percent traditional Chinese religions. The
remainder is accounted for by other faiths, including Animism, Folk
religion, Sikhism and other belief systems.[1]
Islam in Malaysia is represented by the Shafi'i version of Sunni theology and
jurisprudence. Islam was introduced by traders arriving from Arabia, China
and India. It became firmly established in the 15th century. The constitution
makes Malaysia a secular country and guarantees freedom of religion, while
establishing Islam as the "religion of the Federation" to symbolize its
importance to Malaysian society. The king is generally seen as the defender
of the faith in the country and members of the royal family may lose certain
privileges if they leave Islam and convert to another religion.
The large Chinese population in Malaysia practices various faiths: Mahayana
Buddhism and the Chinese traditional
religion (including Taoism). Hinduism is practiced by the majority
of Malaysian Indians. In recent years the government has demolished many
Hindu temples, causing concern among the Indian
population. Christianity has established itself in some communities,
especially in East Malaysia. It is not tied to any specific ethnic group. Other
religions, such as the Baha'i Faith and Sikhism also have adherents in
Malaysia.
Relations between different religious groups are generally quite
tolerant. Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali have been declared
national holidays alongside Islamic holidays such as Muhammad's birthday etc.
Various groups have been set up to try to promote religious understanding
among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by
Malaysian politicians.
National Flag
The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Malay for "Stripes of
Glory"),comprises a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along
the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as
the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width,
represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the
federal government, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity
between these entities.[2] The crescent represents Islam, the
country's official religion; the blue canton symbolizes the unity of the
Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of
the Malay rulers.
Climate
Protected by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and
Indonesia's Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur has a tropical
rainforest climate which is warm and sunny, along with abundant rainfall,
especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March.
Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between 32 and
33 °C (90 and 91 °F) and have never exceeded 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), while
minimums hover between 23.4 and 24.6 °C (74.1 and 76.3 °F) and have
never fallen below 14.4 °C (57.9 °F).
Kuala Lumpur typically receives minimum 2,600 mm (100 in) of rain
annually; June and July are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically
exceeds 131 millimeters (5.2 in) per month. Flooding is a frequent
occurrence in Kuala Lumpur whenever there is a heavy downpour, especially
in the city centre and downstream areas. Smoke from forest fires of
nearby Sumatra sometimes cast a haze over the region. It is a major source
of pollution in the city together with open burning, emission from motor
vehicles and construction work.
Cuisine
Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur are diverse, to say the least, ranging from allday hawker centres, food courts, and quaint coffee shops to fine-dining
restaurants and posh restobars. As a melting pot of vibrant Asian cultures
and traditions, Kuala Lumpur is well-regarded for its wide array of tantalising
local delicacies such as nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk with
anchovies and chilli paste), roti canai (Indian flatbread), bak kut teh (stewed
pork ribs), and fried kuey teow.
Kuala Lumpur restaurants also cater to travellers and expats who crave
something familiar, where authentic Spanish, Australian, French and other
international eateries are available in abundance, particularly in the KL city
centre. From humble hawker food stalls in Jalan Alor to award-winning
Italian and Greek restaurants in KLCC, we’ve listed down some of the city’s
finest gastronomic finds.
Law and Politics
Although Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and the Malaysian constitution
theoretically guarantees freedom of religion, Islam is the official religion of
the federation, as well as the legally-presumed faith of all ethnic Malays. No
ethnic Malay is allowed to leave Islam, while non-Malay Muslims seeking
to apostacise require permission from a sharia court, which is rarely granted.
Religious beliefs follow ethnic lines. Holidays have been declared for holy
days in numerous religions, although only Islam has more than one national
holiday.
Whether a religion obtains approval of the government is determined by the
Registrar of Societies, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Only upon
approval do they qualify for government benefits. However, unrecognized
groups such as the Falun Gong can practice by registering themselves under
the Companies Act, although this means that technical violations of the act
can result in a fine.
The government believes the constitution provides a strong enough
guarantee of religious freedom and should not be changed. Some
restrictions are made on Malay texts from non Islamic religions in Peninsula
Malaysia; however there are much less restrictions in East Malaysia.
Headscarves are mandatory for non-Muslims in certain situations.
The MyKad identity card states whether the holder is a Muslim or not.[8]
As Islam is the state religion, the government provides financial support to
Islamic establishments and enforces the Sunni form of Islam. State
governments can impose Islamic law on Muslims, and the government will
offer grants to private Muslim schools that allow a government-approved
curriculum and supervision. The government also indirectly funds nonIslamic communities, although to a much smaller degree. The government
generally does not interfere with the religious practices of non-Muslim
communities. Public schools offer an Islamic religious instruction course
which is compulsory for Muslim students, and non-Muslim students take a
morals and ethics course.
Currency
The only legal tender in Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit. As of 18
November 2014, the Ringgit is traded at MYR 3.35 at the US dollar.
The Ringgit has not been internationalized since September 1998, an effect
due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis in which the central bank imposed
capital controls on the currency, due to speculative short-selling of the
ringgit. As a part of series of capital controls, the currency was pegged
between, September 1998 and July 2005, at MYR 3.80 to the dollar after the
value of the ringgit dropped from MYR 2.50 per USD to, at one point, MYR
4.80 per USD.
In recent years, Bank Negara Malaysia has begun to relax certain rules to
the capital controls although the currency itself is still not traded
internationally yet. According to the Bank Governor, the Ringgit will be
internationalized when it's ready.
On September 2010, in an interview with CNBC, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak,
who is the Prime Minister of Malaysia and also the Finance Minister said that
the government is open to open up the Ringgit to off shore trading if the
move will help the economy. He further added that before such a move to be
made, it will ensure that rules and regulation will be in place so the currency
will not be abused.
Tax Free Shopping
Bukit Kayu Hitam is Kedah's main border town on the Malaysia-Thailand
Border. It marks the end of the North-South Expressway and Malaysia
Federal Route 1, the longest Malaysian road which runs from Johor
Bahru, Johor in the south till the border at Bukit Kayu Hitam pass. The
checkpoint and duty-free shopping complex is located near the border.
Across the border to the north is the town of Ban Dan Nok in the district
of Sadao, Songkhla province in Southern Thailand. To its south in Malaysia is
the town of Changlun.
English to Malaysia Translations – Key Words/Phrases
Good Morning- Selamat Pagi
Good afternoon -Selamat tengah hari
Good evening - Selamat petang
Good bye- Selamat tinggal
Yes- Ya (as in German yes)
No - Tidak
Please – Sila
Excuse me- tumpang lalu
My name is - Nama saya...
What is your name - Siapa nama anda (though in a advertisement with little
kids getting to know each other-- the kids asked - apa nama, which is also
acceptable)
I like it here - Saya suka berada di sini
Please stop here- Sila berhenti di sini....
How much - Berapa harga
I would like to change money -Saya hendak tukar duit/wang
Where is the toilet - Di mana tandas...?
What time is it - jam/pukul berapa sekarang?
Airport -lapangan terbang
money- duit, wang