Malaysia has a rich history dating back to the 13th century when it served as a major trading port. It was colonized by Portugal, the Dutch, and later the British until gaining independence in 1957. Today, Malaysia has a population of over 26 million consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous groups. It has a diverse culture and cuisine reflecting its multi-ethnic population. The country also boasts beautiful natural attractions, a strong economy, and is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.

1. Selamat Datang
TO
MALAYSIA

2. HISTORY

3. Introduction
Malaysia has a rich history dating back to
the 13th century. It was a busy seaport for
European and Far East traders for many
hundreds of years.

4. Malaya (Malacca 1400 - 1511)
• Malacca was founded in the 13th
century by a Sumatran prince.
It became the most influential
port city in Southeast Asia.
• The early Arab traders brought
Islam to Malacca.
The local chiefs became the
“sultans” whose main purpose
was to facilitate trade.

5. Colonial Malaya (1511 - 1957)
• In 1511, Portuguese sailed into
Malacca.
• ln 1641, the Dutch captured the
city.
• In 1819, the British replaced the
Dutch.
• The Britishers lasted 138 years
until independence in 1957.

6. Independence in 1957
• The British granted
independence to Malaya in
1957 in Kuala Lumpur's
Merdeka Square.
• Tunku Abdul Rahman
became the first prime
minister of Malaya. It has a
secular and democratic
government.

7. Present Day
• Malaysia has undergone
tremendous growth and
prosperity since 1957.
• Today, Malaysia has one of
the best airports, highways
and telecommunication
systems in Asia.

8. Present Day
•The literacy rate is above
90%.
•With a highly educated
workforce and modern
infrastructure, it attracts large
foreign investments.

9. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

10. Geography
• The country is made up of two regions,
Peninsula Malaysia and East Malaysia
Peninsula Malaysia
across the South China Sea.
• The Peninsula Malaysia is divided into the East Malaysia (Borneo)
'east coast' and the 'west coast‘.
• A series of mountain ranges run through
both Sabah and Sarawak. The Crocker
Range in Sabah is the site of Mt Kinabalu,
the highest peak in South East Asia.

11. Geography
Map of Malaysia

12. Climate
Malaysia is generally warm throughout the
year with temperatures ranging from 21° to
32° C in the lowlands. This can however
be as low as 16° C in the hills and
highlands.

13. Seasons
• Malaysia has two seasons.
The dry season and the rainy
season.
• Rainfall is heavy at 2,500mm.
Thunder and lightning often
accompany the heavy
downpour. The humidity level
is high at 80% throughout the
year.

14. ART AND CULTURE

15. Arts and Culture
• Many traditional arts,
culture and handicrafts
are there, which are
performed during
religious festivals.
• Communities get together
to celebrate public events
like the Chingay in
Penang and Merdeka
Day.

16. Arts and Culture
• The harvest season is
celebrated with the giant
kites, top spinning and
traditional puppet shows.

17. Arts and Culture
• Joget – Traditional barn-
dance
• Wayang Kulit – Puppet Show
• Giant Kite – The Wau
• Top Spinning – Gasing
• Rattan Football – Sepak
Tekraw
• Martial Art – Silat

18. PEOPLE AND CULTURE

19. People & Culture
• Malaysia has a
combined population of
over 26 million people.
• The multi-cultural and
multi-racial population
consists of Malays,
Chinese, Indians and
numerous natives.

20. People & Culture
• Malay is the official
language but English is
widely spoken, especially
in business.
• Official religion is Islam
but it is common to see
temples and churches
located in close
proximity.

21. People & Culture
• Ethnic Groups: 59% Malay and
other indigenous, 32%
Chinese and 9% Indian.
• Languages: Malay, English,
Chinese, Tamil and other tribal
languages.
• Religion: Muslim (primarily
Malays), Buddhism (Chinese),
Hindu (Indian), Christianity.

22. LOCAL CUSTOMS

23. Local Customs
• Muslim ladies greet with a nod of
her head and smile.
• Greeting of "salam" resembles a
handshake whereby the man
offers both hands, lightly touches
the visitor’s outstretched hands,
and then brings his hands to his
chest to mean, “I greet you from
my heart".

24. Local Customs
• Greeting, by hugging and
kissing, is not generally
practiced in Malaysia.
• Shoes must be removed when
entering a Mosque or an Indian
temple and Malaysian homes.
• Pointing is normally done using
the thumb as using the
forefinger is considered rude.

25. FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

26. Festivals
• Many Malaysian festivals are
celebrated based on the
religious calendar of the multi-
cultural and multi-racial
society.
• It also means house
decoration, new clothes,
visiting friends, relatives and
enjoying the public holiday.

27. Festivals
• Hari Raya – End of Ramadan
• Chinese New Year – Lunar
Calendar (Feb)
• Deepavali – Indian festival
• Wesak Day – Buddha’s
birthday
• Mooncake Festival (Sept)
• Christmas Day (Dec)
• Merdeka Day – Independence

28. Events
• International Kite Festival –
Rice harvesting (May)
• Le Tour De’Langkawi –
Bicycle Race (Feb)
• Sarawak Regatta – Sailing
competition
• Mt Kinabalu International
Climbathon (Oct)

29. Events
• Rainforest World Music Fest
(July)
• Colours of Malaysia (May-
June)
• Labuan Sea Challenge (May)
• Langkawi International
Maritime and Aerospace
(December)
• Formula 1 Grand prix (March)

30. LOCAL CUISINES
AND FRUITS

31. Local Cuisines
• The unique cooking styles
and flavors of the Malays,
Chinese and Indians cuisine
are enjoyed. Dinning out is
inexpensive, and the choice
of food is massive.
• The fusion of races, cultures
and religion has provided
the interesting cuisines.

32. Local Cuisines
• Satays - Skewers of marinated
beef or chicken grilled over a
slow charcoal fire. The dipping
sauce is made from a spicy mix
and crushed peanut.
• Nasi Lemak - Rice steamed
with coconut milk and served
with curry chicken or beef, fried
anchovies and sambal.

33. Local Cuisines
• Hainan Chicken Rice - Steamed
fragrant rice together with
chicken stock.
• Wantan Mee - Egg noodle and
soya sauce served with barbeque
pork, prawns and dumplings.
• Roti Canai -Layered pan cake
made with flour and water cooked
on a very hot iron plate.

34. Local Cuisines
• Nasi Briyani - Rice steamed
with goat butter, spices and
nuts. The cooked rice is served
with meat or vegetable curries.
• Mee Siam - Rice noodle with
fresh tamarind juice and soya
sauce. Sliced chicken, prawns
and fried eggs are normally
served with the noodles.

35. Local Fruits
Malaysia has a huge
variety of tropical fruits.
Some are seasonal but
most are available
throughout the year.

36. Local Fruits
• Durians - The locals call this
the king of fruits. The creamy
yellowish flesh which tastes
bitter-sweet is covered by a
hard thorny pod with a strong
pungent smell.
• Rambutan - A red coloured
fruit with a ‘hairy’ soft shell.
The flesh is white and sweet.
A local favourite and available
twice a year.

37. Local Fruits
• Langsat – A white, large berry-
like fruit with a thick golden
skin.
• Ciku – The flesh has grainy
texture and is very sweet.
• Mangosteen - Like a cricket
ball with a yellow stalk. The
thick pulp conceals the white
flesh which is sweet and juicy.

38. GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE
AND
ECONOMY

39. Governmental Structure
•The nine states have a
hereditary Ruler as Head of state
and an elected Chief Minister
(Menteri Besar) as politically
responsible Head of
government.
•The rulers of Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan, Pahang, Perak,
Selangor and Terengganu are
called Sultans.

40. Governmental Structure
• Negeri Sembilan's elective ruler holds the
title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar, whereas the
Ruler of Perlis is titled Raja.
• Former British colonies of Penang and
Malacca (both peninsular) and Sabah and
Sarawak (both on Borneo) each have a
federally appointed Governor ( Yang di-
Pertua Negeri) and a Chief Minister.

41. Economy
• An upper middle-income
country with GNI per
capita reaching 3,780.
• Modestly populated and
endowed with abundant
natural resources.
Largest producer of
rubber, palm oil and tin,
recently started
extracting its reserves of
oil and timber.

42. Economy
• A moderate growth was
marked in the year 2005
and 2006. The real
growth was increased by
7.1% in 2004 from a
relatively lower rate of
5.3% in 2003.
• In the year 2004 GNI was
at $ 117.1 billion. GNI
percapita was at $
4650.0.

43. ATTRACTIONS

44. Petronas Twin Towers
• The Petronas
Twin Towers
in Kuala
Lumpur, were
the world's
tallest twin
buildings from
1998 to 2004.

45. Palace of Golden Horses
• Located on the
shores of a
magnificent 150-
acre lake, in The
Mines Resort City.
• Asia's most
extraordinary hotel,
voted Best New
City Hotel in Asia-
Pacific.

46. Redang Island
• Redang Island in
Terengganu is one of
the finest coral and
marine ecosystems in
Malaysia.
• Massive coral formation,
white sand and good
visibility make it a great
family holiday and diving
site.

47. The Beaches
It is paradise with sun-drenched beaches,
enchanting islands, diverse flora and fauna
and
magnificent mountains.

48. Sports
• Golf is growing in
popularity. Excellent
courses are being
built.
• The F1 Grand Prix
is raced in Sepang
each year; attracts
huge number of
visitors from
overseas.