About Malaysia (EN)

About Malaysia

Explore Malaysia's wonders! From Kuala Lumpur's skyline to Langkawi's beaches & Borneo's rainforests – culture, adventure & cuisine await!

Malaysia Today

Centuries ago, a prosperous sailor made a transit stop on the coast of Malaya. Could he have known at that moment, that he would fall in love with its sky, nature and its azure waters? He could hardly imagine that this beauty would captivate him forever and make him remain here until end of his days.

If you have made up your mind to visit Malaysia, you have definitely made the right choice! This is one of the most developed countries in South-East Asia and the perfect place to travel at any time of the year. In addition, you do not need to burden yourself with a tiresome task of going to the embassy, applying for visa and waiting for the “approved or denied” answer. Malaysia is a visa-free country for most nations. Its also very accessible, as all major international airlines fly to Malaysia.

Once you step outside the airport doors, you will immediately feel the fragrance of Malaysia – the sweet smell of the equatorial jungle heat, tropical foliage and flowers, exotic fruits and Asian cuisine. That memory will stay with you for years.

Malaysia today is a country that attracts millions of visitors each year with its incredible blend of cultures and religions, the diversity of architecture and abundance of various exotic dishes. It is home to one of the tallest buildings in the world – the Petronas Twin Towers, and KL Tower – telecommunications tower, the largest indoor bird park, two wonderful aquariums – and these are just a part of a long list of endless accomplishments and records of Malaysia. Many people return to this tropical paradise each year just to re-experience the kindness and warm hospitality of its residents. Malaysia’s horizons are stretched from the rocky heights of Mount Kinabalu located in Borneo Island to the azure waters washing its fabulous coastlines, where promising diving opportunities constantly attract experienced divers from all around the world. Cool weather of Cameron Highlands has long been a popular place not only for Europeans but also for the visitors from the neighboring Asian countries. Malaysia always has something new and entertaining to offer to its visitors regardless of their age and interests. Visit Malaysia and experience it yourself!

Malaysia Weather

Jan

24 - 32 ℃

Feb

24 - 33 ℃

Mar

24 - 33 ℃

Apr

25 - 33 ℃

May

25 - 33 ℃

Jun

25 - 33 ℃

Jul

24 - 32 ℃

Aug

24 - 32 ℃

Sep

24 - 32 ℃

Oct

24 - 32 ℃

Nov

24 - 32 ℃

Dec

24 - 32 ℃

Malaysia Map

TOURS & PACKAGES

Malaysia

SUMMER CAMPS

Malaysia

EDUCATION ABROAD

Malaysia

BUSINESS TOURISM

Malaysia

TRANSFER

Malaysia

General Information

Malaysia is conveniently located in the heart of Southeast Asia, between the second and seventh degrees north of the equator. The South China Sea divides Malaysia to the west (Peninsular) and East (Borneo Island) parts. Its total area is 329,750 square km. The Peninsular part of the country borders with Thailand in the north and Singapore in the south. States Sabah and Sarawak are located on along the Borneo border with Indonesia (Kalimantan), and Brunei.

The country’s territory stretches in the equatorial and subequatorial climatic zones. The average annual temperature here is 25-28C, and rainfall ranges from 1500 to 2500 mm a year. Daytime temperatures vary from 28-32°C, and is often even higher. Malaysia rarely presents undesirable climatic surprises to its guests who are generally pleased with the good weather. The rainy season is no different in abrupt changes of weather conditions, and is often expressed in short-lived tropical storms that will not prevent you from a comfortable rest in Malaysia.

Population in Malaysia has reached 31 million. More than 4/5 of these people live in the peninsular part. Demographic growth is at an average of 2.5% and the average life expectancy is about 69 years for men and 74.5 for women.

Malaysia is a federal state consisting of 13 states and 3 federal territories. Nine of 11 states are headed by hereditary rulers.

The political system in Malaysia represents a federal constitutional monarchy with an elected federal head of state Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister of Malaysia as a head of government. The monarch and his deputy are elected by the Board of hereditary rulers from among its members.

In Malaysia, all the religions peacefully coexist together, since the Constitution has allowed freedom to all confessions, but Islam is the official religion. 

The state language of Malaysia is Malay, but periodicals come in four languages – Malay, English, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese dialects) as well as Tamil, but the majority of the population freely speaks English. Chinese, Indians and other nationalities living here, also speak their native languages apart from Malay and English. 

Depending on your citizenship you can get 15, 30 or 90 – day visa free stay in Malaysia upon arrival. However, Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with some countries (e.g. Israel), and citizens of some countries need visa to enter Malaysia (e.g. Afghanistan). You can find detailed information by following this link to the immigration department in Kuala Lumpur International Airport: www.klia.com.my (search for Immigration Regulations).

Customs here is loyal to the guests and rarely checks baggages. Nevertheless, the country is rather strict in laws against the drug trade and trafficking for which death penalty is imposed. Allowed import: duty-free one liter of spirits, a liter of wine or liquor, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225 grams of tobacco, perfume and cosmetics in an amount not exceeding RM200, souvenirs – costing not more than RM200. The import of goods from Israel, coins or banknotes of Israel, garments with printed texts from Koran, and pornography is prohibited. In the case of exporting expensive antiques you must have an official permission. When purchasing coral or leather products, rare or protected animals it is kindly advised not to throw away the packaging in which they were acquired and keep the receipt from the store.

Kuala Lumpur is a capital of Malaysia. It was founded in 1857. On February 1, 1972 it received the status of the city and since 1974 – the status of the federal territory.

Malaysia can be called as one of the most developed countries of the “young tigers” of Southeast Asia. Economic indicators show a steady growth of its economy for many years in a row. Industrial and agricultural economy of this state is focused on exports, the main items of which are palm oil, petroleum, rubber, tin and iron ore, natural gas, manufacture, wood (and products thereof), and pepper, tea and cocoa (in small amounts). 

The monetary unit of Malaysia is Malaysian ringgit. The country has free access to currency exchange and accepts the bills of all nominations of the most common currencies. It is advised to change money at the money changers of Kuala Lumpur. They usually offer best rates in the country compared to islands and smaller cities. Banks are opened from Monday through Friday from 9:30 to 16:00, and the ATM machines work from 6:00 to 00:00.

Malaysian time is the same for East and West territories and is GMT +8 hours.

Roaming services are offered here by five main mobile phone operators: Maxis, Celcom and Digi, TuneTalk and U-mobile . Local SIM card can be purchased in almost every store selling mobile phones, and it will cost no more than $5. The balance can be easily topped up at the same stores. IDD-cards for international calls from Malaysian phones are also widely spread.
Mains voltage is 220V. Ground pins outlets are used in the majority of the country. This problem can be easily solved by asking for an adapter from the attendants in the hotel.
Quality of drinking water in the country is not bad in general, but we recommend drinking either boiled or filtered water.
Tipping in Malaysia is not so common. In most restaurants, and cafes tipping is already included in the bill as a “10% Service Charge”, but if you enjoyed the service, you can leave 5-10RM as a compliment. Taxi drivers and porters will be thankful to you if you give them a small tip.

TRANSPORTATION

Several dozens of world airlines take regular flights to international airports in Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Johor Bahru and Kuching. The most popular Malaysian Airline can be regarded as a national carrier Malaysia Airlines and a low-cost airline AirAsia. They actively compete with each other in the market, offering affordable fares and several flights daily in each direction domestic and abroad.
Taxis here are distinguished by color and scallops on the roof. This is a fairly inexpensive form of transport which is preferred by most tourists. In Kuala Lumpur, taxi drivers are obliged to comply with the taxi meter. At airports and some other places taxi coupons are offered. There is also a midnight surcharge of 50% from 00:00 to 06:00am. Prices on islands and in small towns are negotiable, but taxi drivers are honest enough and stick to conventional prices. Virtually every shopping mall has Taxi stands, where the customers are often asked to buy a ticket at a special counter at a fixed price.
Uber, GrabCar and My Taxi mobile applications are used most frequently.
There are fairly good public transport links between the cities on the mainland. With regard to inland transport in the cities, we still recommend a taxi. In Kuala Lumpur, we recommend you to take a ride on the monorail around the city center, which can offer beautiful views of the city. 
If you do decide to rent a car, you can enjoy the beautiful roads of Malaysia, with total length of more than 28000 km. Best country roads are chargeable, yet there is always a free alternative to any chargeable road. The maximum permissible speed on freeways is 110 km / hour. Medium class car rental is about $40 per day.
Connecting major cities of west Malaysia, the rail network stretches from neighboring Singapore in the south to Thailand in the north. Passenger trains of the first and second class have air-conditioned compartments for one or two persons. Commuter train (KTM Komuter ) goes from Port Klang to Seremban (Negeri-Sembilan state) via several satellite cities around Kuala Lumpur.
Ferry service connects the most famous islands with the mainland. Despite the modern, highly developed road infrastructure (length of Pinang bridge is 13.5 km ), the ferry service between the town of Butterworth and Penang island is very popular. Centralized extensive line of marine shipping and ferry service between sea and river ports provides a quick and timely delivery of goods and passengers to almost anywhere in the mainland and islands. 

WEATHER

In Malaysia, the country of “never-ending summer”, seasonal climate changes are not so significant, but the coolest time of the year is the time from November to January, when the thermometer descends to 26-28°C. However, the climate in Malaysia is different depending on which region you are staying. In the south and Borneo Island the climate is equatorial, hot and humid, to the north – subequatorial monsoon. On the plains the average temperature during the year is ranging from 25 to 32°C.

On the west coast of Malaysia, it frequently rains in May-June and September-October. In some weeks during these periods, intermittent rain showers can become an everyday practice. Nevertheless, even in these months the first half of the day is usually sunny enough and it rains in the late afternoon, bringing coolness, ideal for pleasant walks on the beach, so holiday season lasts all year round.

The weather on the east and west coast of Malaysia differs considerably. Here it is more explicit during the rainy season which lasts from December to February, with a predominance of the monsoon winds, high waves and cloudy weather throughout a day. Most of the hotels on these islands close from November till February.

Borneo is just unprecedented beauty unspoiled tropical island with pristine white beaches and turquoise sea water. It attracts tourists all year round for its unusual nature and the presence of species of plants and animals not found in other parts of the world.

The island is located in the equatorial climatic zone and is the 3rd largest island in the world. Weather on the island is usually sunny with the presence of cumulus clouds during the day and in the evening brief tropical downpours take place. Wind direction changes frequently and sometimes it happens that the weather is spoiled for a couple of days and the sky is tightened by the clouds, but fortunately for the tourists it happens infrequently.

For Sabah more rains are observed during November and December, sometimes lapsing into January.

For Sarawak more rains are experienced during November to January sometimes lapsing into February.

Tourists always come back tanned and rested from Malaysia. And it is very unlikely that you will find someone who will say that the weather spoiled the holiday.

We look forward to your visit!

Business and economy in Malaysia

Malaysia can be proudly called an economic miracle of South-East Asia.
Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5 per cent annually from 1957 to 2005. Malaysia’s economy in 2014–2015 was one of the most competitive in Asia, ranking 6th in Asia and 20th in the world, higher than countries like Australia, France and South Korea. In 2014, Malaysia’s economy grew 6%, the second highest growth in ASEAN behind Philippines’ growth of 6.1%. The economy of Malaysia (GDP PPP) in 2014 was $746.821 billion, the third largest in ASEAN behind more populous Indonesia and Thailand and the 28th largest in the world.

In July 1981, following the resignation of Hussein Bin Onn, the post of Prime Minister was taken by Dato Seri Mahathir Muhammad (ruled 1981-2003). The term of rule of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is associated with the modernization of Malaysian society. The Government has committed itself to strengthening the order of production and social life, improving the efficiency of the administrative apparatus, strengthening the fight against corruption.

 
During the term of Mahathir Mohammad important substances as petroleum and natural gas were added to the traditional Malaysian export – rubber and palm oil. Industrial production later joined the list and became one of the most important contributors. Economic growth was accompanied by a reduction in the proportion of the population below the poverty line from 20,7 to 4.5% in 2007. Malaysia has achieved those results by relying on exports, the proceeds of which in 2002 amounted to 95.2 billion dollars.
  

During the term of Mahathir Mohammad important substances as petroleum and natural gas were added to the traditional Malaysian export – rubber and palm oil. Industrial production later joined the list and became one of the most important contributors. Economic growth was accompanied by a reduction in the proportion of the population below the poverty line from 20,7 to 4.5% in 2007. Malaysia has achieved those results by relying on exports, the proceeds of which in 2002 amounted to 95.2 billion dollars.

 
An interesting fact is that at the conference of Muslim countries the former prime minister stressed that Malaysia did not develop on the suggestions of foreign advisers but acted in completely different and sometimes opposite ways. Foreigners advised Malaysia to retain as an exporter of cheap raw materials, but Malaysia industrialized. Foreigners warned against the beginnings of social justice, while Malaysia is implementing a new economic policy that harmonized society and prevented friction between ethnic and religious groups. Foreigners advised not to commence the development of the automotive industry, while Malaysia has done it and achieved notable success. Foreigners advised not to start big infrastructure projects, and the leaders of Malaysia thought in broad mind – large projects provide great economic benefits. 840-kilometer highway from north to south, Pinang bridge, KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), designed to service 25 million passengers annually (this amount will be sufficient in the next century), and other basic infrastructure projects.
To increase production, gross national product and economic growth of Malaysia such leading companies as SONY, PANASONIC, BRIDGESTONE, WESTERN DIGITAL, etc. were involved in the production, which for the sake of greater interest have often been granted tax incentives up to the tax exemption during the first 10-15 years of production. Due to these benefits, more and more world corporations opened up and continue to open their branches and factories in Malaysia. In return, it has provided good employment opportunities to Malaysians and benefited society. Unemployment in Malaysia eventually fell to 2%!
  

In 1983 the government of Malaysia established Islamic Banking. Also International Islamic University was established which conducts scientific research in the field of “Islamic Civilization”.

Tourism is not in the last place in the country’s economic development. Malaysia is in the top ten most popular tourist destinations In 2009, Malaysia was on the 9th place in the list of most visited countries, just behind Germany. 

In the development of this direction the government has implemented the program “Malaysia Welcomes the World”, to train the hotels’ staff of better service, as well as training of customs and police officers.

During the term of Dr. Mahathir program “2020” has been established. According to this program Malaysian government has set the task of uprising Malaysia to the ranks of developed economies by 2020. Among the most important tasks are introduction of modern technologies, improved staff training and increase of public education level. Under this program in 2007, Malaysia with the help of Russian Federation and Kazakhstan launched their first astronaut. 

Uber, GrabCar and My Taxi mobile applications are used most frequently.
As for the business affairs, this issue also seems to be all right here. While in many countries during the organization of one’s own business the number of shares of a foreign investor and the representative of the country should be allocated as 50% to 50%, in Malaysia it is arranged a little differently. To raise the involvement of indigenous people in the business, government in many cases agrees to increase the rate of share capital of foreign investors up to 70%. It must be emphasized that there is such a notion as “bumiputra” – people who have Malaysian citizenship and practicing Islam.

The tax system of this country is simple. It Significant benefits provided by industrial enterprises, on on one hand enhance the competitiveness of Malaysian producers and on the other, stimulate savings and investment. The main tax paid by Malaysian companies is income tax or, as it is often called corporate tax. Its rate was lowered to 25% in 2009, before that it was 28%. However, it has a large number of benefits. For example, a company specializing in information technologies, as well as educational areas and tourism may be exempt from tax for 5 years with possible extension. In addition to corporate tax Malaysian companies pay sales tax on both imported and domestic goods. Ad valorem rates (in percent) are sometimes specific (specific amount). The general rate of sales tax – 10%, on wine and spirits – 20%, on cigarettes – 25%.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value added tax in Malaysia. GST is levied on most transactions in the production process, but is refunded with exception of Blocked Input Tax, to all parties in the chain of production other than the final consumer.

The existing standard rate for GST effective from 1 April 2015 is 6%.

Excise taxes in Malaysia are established on cigarettes, wine and liquors and automobiles. Oil producing and processing enterprises, which are not the least in enhancing the economy of Malaysia, are taxed at a rate up to 38%.

Residents of the country pay income tax on their earnings. It is progressive in nature and charged at a rate of 0 up to 27%. When selling any property or real estate citizens must pay Real Property Gain Tax, – tax on profits from sale of the property. RPGT rate varies from 5 to 30% depending on the period of ownership of real property or valuable securities. Residents are exempt from this tax in case if they hold the property for six years or more, and corporate entities in similar cases pay 5%.

Islamic banks in Malaysia operate under Sharia law (the official religion in Malaysia is Islam). According to Islamic principles money is not considered a commodity, and therefore to require payment for their provision as debt (ribu) is considered a violation of Sharia. Thereby Islamic credit system is based on the principle of profit sharing on investment between the lender and the borrower. There are two types of credit transactions: mudaraba – when the financial resources of the company draw on deposit accounts and invest them in various projects in exchange for a strictly specified share of the profits, if it brings a loss, the loss rests solely with the borrower. The second system – Musharaka: investors are making investments pool of their savings and share the profits and losses according to the size of the share of each participant.

There are also offshore zones in Malaysia. One of these is the Island of Labuan.
The convenient location of Malaysia in most dynamically developing region in the world, regime of a free port and low administrative costs are ensuring the privacy of all legitimate business and non-interference by the government and most importantly, the absence of the excessive number of other offshore companies – potential competitors (but this is just the time factor), promise the pioneers very enticing prospects. That’s why one needs to hurry up….

Important assets in the export of Malaysia are palm oil, rubber, household appliances, electronics and exotic fruits. Just as weird it may sound but the Malaysian government even considered a plan to export monkeys in order to reduce their population in the regions where there are simply too many of them and where they became a threat to the society.

The convenient location of Malaysia in most dynamically developing region in the world, regime of a free port and low administrative costs are ensuring the privacy of all legitimate business and non-interference by the government and most importantly, the absence of the excessive number of other offshore companies – potential competitors (but this is just the time factor), promise the pioneers very enticing prospects. That’s why one needs to hurry up….

As for the real estate in Malaysia, it should be noted that it is relatively cheap.
The mere fact that according to the results of the study on the cost of living, which was carried out by Mercer in 2006, out of 144 cities Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) took 114-th place, Bangkok – 127-th, Manila – 141-st. Therefore, we can safely say that Kuala Lumpur is one of the cheapest capitals in the world, but it has the infrastructure comparable with many European countries. Facts about the availability of monorail trains, the route which passes through the city centre, as well as an automatic subway, operating on their own without the driver and many other technological innovations in the country speak for themselves.

To buy property in Malaysia is lucrative because the cost of houses and apartments compared to the prices in many other countries is relatively cheap.

For example, an apartment in the prestigious low-rise housing complex area of 100 square meters can be purchased for around $ 100.000. Malaysian housing estates – “condominiums” typically have the following amenities: 24-hour security surveillance, at least one underground parking for each apartment, tennis court, swimming pool for adults and wading pool for children, mini-garden and ground floor for shops, laundries and etc. For utilities and condominium management fees you will have to spend about 300 ringgits per month (about USD$84).
 
A foreigner has the right to buy property in Malaysia, if its value is not less than 1.000.000 ringgit (about $ 250,000) in Kuala Lumpur (can be less or more in other states). For details and information, you can contact Mr. Michael by e-mail: michael@embassyalliance.com and we will be glad to provide a package of documents explaining in detail the process of buying real estate, and Embassy Alliance subsidiary will be pleased to help in providing assistance in finding appropriate projects.
 

There is a program called “Malaysia – My Second Home”. It involves the issuance of multiple 10-year visas to foreigners who have an account in any Malaysian bank with the amount of 300,000 ringgits (about $ 80,000), and have a stable monthly income abroad for at least 10,000 ringgits (about $ 2800). You can also open a visa for your family members on the basis of this visa.

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Since 2008 our group of companies organizes and operates unique tour and camp programs for teenagers. Often combined with language and sport academies these tours are holistic development programs with daily teambuildings and full day participant engagement.

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