12 amazing facts about Malaysia that you probably didn’t know
Often tourists ignore this country, going to more popular Singapore, Thailand or Indonesia.
But if you take the time to look at Malaysia, you will be surprised to find that this country has a rich cultural heritage, it has wonderful people, and the food in Malaysia is worthy of all praise.
So, here are some of the facts about Malaysia that you probably didn’t know:
1. Malaysia is the most multiethnic country in Asia
Only 50% of the population of the country is indigenous Malaysians. The remaining 50% are distributed as follows: 23% are Chinese, 7% are Indians, and 12% are minorities.
The official religion in Malaysia is Islam. About 61% of the population is Muslim, but there are also Buddhists, Christians, and Hinduism followers.
2. No one knows when there will be elections in Malaysia
Unlike many countries, elections in Malaysia are not scheduled for a specific day, and one can only guess when it will happen.
Malaysia’s constitution requires parliamentary elections to be held at least once every five years. But the prime minister can force early elections at any time by dissolving parliament, a rather effective method of controlling the date.
3. Penang – Asia’s street food capital
The Malaysian state of Penang, particularly its capital Georgetown, is known for the best street food in Asia, if not the world. Walk around Georgetown and you’ll come across hundreds of stalls with food for every taste, from samosas and spicy curry noodles to chandol, a dessert of palm sugar, starchy noodles and coconut milk.
4. The largest flower in the world grows in Malaysia
The most famous plant in Malaysia is the rafflesia. Rafflesia flower is the largest in the world, its diameter can reach more than a meter! During flowering, it emits a terrible smell of rot, because of which it was nicknamed “corpse flower”.
5. Playing with dogs can get you killed
The Muslim government in Malaysia considers dogs unclean and forbidden.
In 2014, however, that didn’t stop more than 1,000 Malaysians from coming to a public event called “I Want to Touch a Dog.” There, Muslims could pet a dog for the first time and then be instructed in ritual ablutions.
But after the event, its organizer, Sayyid Azmi Alhabshi, began receiving death threats from Muslims who felt he had insulted their religion. Said was even forced into temporary hiding.
6. The “king of fruits” grows here, but not every stomach can digest this fruit
Durian is the most controversial fruit on earth.
In Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries it is known as the “king of fruits,” except that the smell of the “royalty” is so disgusting that many Malaysian hotels have even prohibited bringing it into the room with you.
Food columnist Richard Sterling once described the fruit’s aroma as smelling like “pig, turpentine, and onions seasoned with socks after a workout.”
But if you peel off the tough prickly skin, you’ll find a soft, sweet fruit. Its savory flavor is a whimsical combination of pineapple, onion, caramel, almonds, butter and cheese.
7. The best badminton player in the world comes from Malaysia.
Malayan Lee Chong Wei has been the world leader in badminton for the past 10 years.
He is number 1 in the world according to the World Badminton Federation
8. Possession of drugs can be punishable by death here
Under the Dangerous Drugs Act, a citizen of Malaysia faces the death penalty for possession of 15 grams of heroin and morphine, 1 kilogram of opium, 40 grams of cocaine or 200 grams of marijuana.
9. Malaysia has some of the world’s most budget airlines
AirAsia’s eye-catching red-and-white planes fly to more than 20 Asian countries, including tourist hot spots like Thailand, Vietnam and Bali. Such a flight often costs less than $100 round-trip.
The airline also flies long distances to India, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
10. Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, is home to two of the world’s tallest skyscrapers
On the skyline of Kuala Lumpur you can always see the silhouettes of the Petronas Towers – when they were built in 1998 they were the tallest buildings in the world.
At 51.9 meters tall, these towers remain the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world.
11.To travel around the country, you will need a passport
Sabah and Sarawak, the two states on the island of Borneo have their own rules that apply even to native Malaysians: if you are traveling from mainland Malaysia, you must go through immigration control, where you will need a passport or any other identification.
12. Students take part in collaborative synchronized speech competitions
Many students in Malaysia take part in what is known as “speech chorus,” a competition in which students must recite English-language speech in unison while performing intricate choreographic elements.
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Interesting facts about Malaysia.
1. The state of Malaysia is located in southeast Asia.
2.Malaysia is characterized by an unusually beautiful nature, interesting history and distinctive culture.
3.The country has an original form of government, which is called a federal elective constitutional monarchy.
4. Malaysia is divided into three federations and 13 states. Each territory is headed by a sultan or raja. Titles are inherited. A king is elected from among the rulers every 5 years, but the country is actually run by the prime minister and parliament.
5. Malaysia is a multinational country, the native Malay population is only 50% of the total, the other 50% are immigrants and other nationalities.
The capital of Malaysia is the city of Kuala Lumpur.
6. The capital of Malaysia is the city of Kuala Lumpur. It is the largest city in the country and also its financial and commercial center.
7.Kuala Lumpur is the greenest Asian capital. All the streets are as green as possible.
8.The interesting thing there is the juxtaposition of modern and ancient: a skyscraper near an ancient temple in Kuala Lumpur is an everyday occurrence.
9.In the capital of Malaysia are many attractions, of which stand out the mosque Masjid Janek, as well as the largest Hindu temple in the country – Sri Mahamariamman.
10. Driving foreign cars in Malaysia is considered an unacceptable luxury. Almost 80% of the population drives locally made cars and motorcycles.
Sarawak Grotto
11. Sarawak Grotto is the world’s largest natural grotto in a natural cave. Sarawak is part of the Lubang Nasib Bagus Cave, which is located on the island of Borneo.
12.The grotto is impressive in its size: width – 415 meters, length – 600 meters, height – 100 meters. Sarawak grotto can accommodate 50 Boeing 747 aircraft.
13. One of the unusual ways of spending time in this country is speleotourism. Visiting many caves is available not only to spelunkers, but also to ordinary travelers who want to delve into the mysteries of nature and history of the country.
14. In Malaysia, almost no meat is eaten. The reason is that there are not enough pastures in the country and there are problems with livestock breeding.
15. Malaysians are industrious. The average length of an annual vacation is 14 days.
National Museum in Malaysia
16. Kuala Lumpur is home to the National Museum and the famous double Petronas Towers skyscraper 452 meters high.
17. The indigenous Malays do not have their own dances, they are all borrowed from neighboring countries.
18. The favorite dish of the locals – Nasi Kandar. Rice with curry and chicken (or fish). The dish has Indian roots.
19. Malaysia is famous for its fruit dishes, in this it surpasses even India. Malaysia grows a huge number of fruits, many of which are not known in Europe. Sometimes they have a strange taste and smell.
20. In the national cuisine of Malaysia the main ingredient for a side dish is rice. It is stewed with vegetables or boiled in broth, thus giving it an unusual taste.
Bridge between the mainland and Penang Island
21. The bridge between the mainland and Penang Island is the third longest in Asia. Its length is 13.7 kilometers.
22. Traffic in Malaysia is left-handed.
23. Transport is mostly locally produced – imported cars are heavily taxed.
24. 24. Malaysia has the lowest death rate from respiratory diseases – about 7.5 cases per 100 thousand people. Although smoking here is not less than in other countries.
25. Malaysia has a fairly good infrastructure, and the population itself is cultured and literate.
The Three Mosques Temple in Malaysia
26. The main religion in Malaysia is Sunni Islam. But throughout the country there are a large number of Buddhist, Hindu and Christian temples. And also in a number of settlements the traditional beliefs of the aborigines have been preserved.
27. Malaysian schools have recently introduced a unique subject, Formula 1 design. There are also plans to introduce a “subject of interest.
The famous twin skyscrapers “Petronas Towers”, its height is 452 meters.
28. The hallmark of the native Malay is considered to be friendliness. It is customary in the country to smile back and wish a good day to even a stranger.
29. The indigenous people of Malaysia do not like to swim in the sea. This is due to ancient beliefs and legends about sea monsters and evil spirits. For this reason, most lifeguards on local beaches are migrants.
30. The government of this country is tolerant of national and religious minorities living here. Compared to other states, Malaysia celebrates a lot of public holidays – more than 50.
Menara TV Tower
31.The Menara TV Tower is the 4th tallest in the world and the first tallest in Asia.
32.The national currency of Malaysia is the ringgit. One dollar is equal to about 3.23 ringgit.
Beaches in Malaysia
33. The country’s climate is very humid – it’s always advisable to have dry clothes with you.
34. Meat dishes in Malaysia are cooked very rarely, usually on holidays or some important events.
35. A well-known meat dish is “Rendang” – meat stewed in coconut milk with added spices.
Sipadan Island
36. The Malaysian island of Sipadan is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world – its waters are home to over 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of species of coral.
37. Many well-known companies manufacture goods in Malaysia, for example Brooks Brother’s shirts and Intel chips.
Kuah is a small fishing town in Malaysia
38. Prostitution is punishable by death in Malaysia. But despite the official ban, girls of easy virtue feel quite free on the island of Labuan.
39. The island is a free trade zone with the Philippines, from where women of the oldest profession come to work.
40. The penalties for the sale, possession and use of any drugs are also unusually severe here. Most often it is the death penalty, much more rarely – many years of imprisonment.
Malay bear – biruang
41.Malaysia is home to the Malayan bear, or biruang, which is the smallest member of the bear family. Its length is no more than 1.5 meters, its height at the withers is only 50-70 centimeters, and its weight is 25-65 kilograms.
42. Walking through the jungle here is very dangerous: there are often wild animals and poisonous insects. And the impenetrable forests of Malaysia are home to rare and poorly studied mammals.
43. In Malaysia you can also see the cat bear, and its scientific name is binturong.
44. The largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia, grows in some of the forests of this state. The flowering plant can reach a meter in diameter and weighs more than 20 kg. The flower exudes a pungent, putrid odor that attracts insects.
45. On some water sources in Malaysia live nomadic “Bajo” gypsies. They live in houses on stilts or simply sail in boats from one settlement to another. Adults and children sell fish and pearls from the depths.
A walking tree.
46. A walking tree grows in the jungles of Malaysia. Its roots originate in the middle of its trunk and move slowly along the ground in search of moisture. The tree can cover a distance of tens of meters in a year.
47. In Malaysia, the longest king cobra was found. Its length reached 5.71 meters.
48. There are crocodiles in the rivers of Malaysia, as the information signs on the shore warn of. For safety reasons, it is forbidden to swim in most freshwater bodies.
49. Monkeys are considered the most dangerous animals in the Malay jungle. Their behavior is sometimes unpredictable, and the consequences of an unexpected meeting with a large pack of aggressive primates can be very sad.
50. In some states of Malaysia colonial quarters are still preserved. Unique architectural monuments are included in the world lists, and their visit will help to study in detail the centuries-old history of Malaysia.
