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Saturday 23 February 2013

What Can You Do in Malaysia




I Guaranteed 100% you will not getting bored...

Lets have a colourfumemory....


Just visiting Malaysia - seeing a few sights, meeting its people, and eating good food - is more than enough to make for an unforgettable trip. Your best memory might be a quiet day you spend wandering the colonial streets of Malacca, or breathing in the earthy air of a kampung. Usually, it will be the Malaysians themselves you remember most, their smiles and generosity. That said, Malaysia also offers some very special activities, and if you make room for one or two of them, they will enhance your trip immeasurably. Here are some suggestions: 



Visit the rain forest  
This is usually high on the list for anyone planning a trip to Malaysia, and it should be: the Malaysian rain forest is unique in the world, the oldest on the planet. A trip to one of the national parks, where you can take guided jungle treks both day and night, can be a profound experience. Nature has been infinitely inventive with life here, producing the world's largest flower, fantastically adapted insects and mammals, and trees that will make you gawk at their size. How thoroughly you experience it is up to you: most parks have resort-like headquarters where you can stay in comfort, or you can opt for a hard-core, guided trek deep into the jungle interior (which will of course require you to be in shape!). 



Visit a longhouse:   
Along the rivers of Sarawak and Sabah are some very unique native communities where people  live in structures called longhouses, which are really entire villages housed under a single long roof. They live off small crops and the bounty of the rain forest, and their communality and generosity might best be summed up by one simple fact: anyone is welcome to stay for free for as long as they like (though it is recommended that you bring some small gifts, such as a candy for the kids). Most visitors come with a native guide who can also take you on a jungle walk and translate for you. Some longhouses have special "guest longhouses" adjacent for visitors, others host guests inside the main longhouse itself.



Diving 
The tropical waters off both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo offer some of the world's best scuba diving. This is a place endowed with some of the sport's best possibilities: you can dive with whale sharks, hover around immense coral gardens and walls, or dive on ominous and hulking WWII shipwrecks. In many places, you can get 100 + feet of visibility. Also, the country has become increasingly aware of the biological and economic importance of its marine heritage, and each year brings better access to and protection for the unique marine life. Because of the hundreds of islands, there are many dive options. Visit the dive pages to learn more about 
Malaysia's diving options. 




Spelunking:   Nature has been almost as generous to Malaysia regarding its caves as it has with the rain forest. Both the world's largest single cave chamber, and the longest cave passage in Southeast Asia can be found in Sarawak's extraordinary Gunung Mulu National Park. In fact, almost every national park in Malaysia has a significant limestone cave system, and many of them offer guided tours, with varying levels of penetration. 







Shopping:  
Next to activities like spelunking and jungle trekking, "shopping" may sound a bit tame, but make no mistake: exploring Malaysia's outdoor markets is pure adventure (and of course you can take home whatever you hunt  - or bargain - down). The variety of bargain items you can find in the major markets is endless, ranging from quality electronics to blowguns to traditional arts and crafts. Currently, the dollar goes a long way in Malaysia, so if you're serious about shopping you might consider bringing an extra bag along. 















The People of Malaysia



The Malay are Malaysia's largest ethnic group, accounting for over half the population and the national language. With the oldest indigenous peoples they form a group called bumiputera, which translates as "sons" or "princes of the soil." Almost all Malays are Muslims, though Islam here is less extreme than in the Middle East. Traditional Malay culture centers around the kampung, or village, though today one is just as likely to find Malays in the cities. 





The Chinese traded with Malaysia for centuries, then settled in number during the 19th century when word of riches in the Nanyang, or "South Seas," spread across China. Though perhaps a stereotype, the Chinese are regarded as Malaysia's businessmen, having succeeded in many industries. When they first arrived, however, Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland. They form about 35 percent of the population.






Indians had been visiting Malaysia for over 2,000 years, but did not settle en masse until the 19th century. Most came from South India, fleeing a poor economy. Arriving in Malaysia, many worked as rubber tappers, while others built the infrastructure or worked as administrators and small businessmen. Today ten percent of Malaysia is Indian. Their culture -- with it's exquisite Hindu temples, cuisine, and colorful garments -- is visible throughout the land.  





The oldest inhabitants of Malaysia are its tribal peoples. They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in Sarawak and Sabah. Though Malaysia's tribal people prefer to be categorized by their individual tribes, peninsular Malaysia blankets them under the term Orang Asli, or "Original People." In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who typically live in longhouses and are either Iban (Sea Dayak) or Bidayuh (land Dayak). In Sabah, most tribes fall under the term Kadazan. All of Malaysia's tribal people generally share a strong spiritual tie to the rain forest.

History of Malaysia


Malaysia - Independence and Onward: 1957 - Present
With 1957's independence, a new series of difficult decisions lay ahead of Malaya, the first of which was to determine exactly what territories would be included in the new state. In 1961, the term "Malaysia" came into being after Tunku convinced Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to join Malaya in a federal union (Singapore later opted out of the union, peacefully, in 1965). Afraid that the union would interfere with his expansionistic plans, Indonesia's president Sukharno launched attacks against Malaysia in Borneo and on the peninsula, all of which were unsuccessful.



Another immediate problem was the determination of a national identity. Malaysia was a mix of people from many races and cultures, and uniting them under a common flag was not an easy enterprise. Because Malays represented the majority, the constitution gave them permanent spots in the government, made Islam the national religion, and made Malay the national language; but the Chinese firmly dominated business and trade, and most Malay were suffering economic hardships. The government, controlled by the United Malay National Organization, passed the New Economic Policy, which attempted to increase economic opportunity for the Malay by establishing various quotas in their favor. Unsurprisingly, many Chinese opposed the new arrangement and formed a significant opposition party. In 1969, after the opposition party won a significant seats, riots swepts through Kuala Lumpur and the country was placed in a state of emergency for two years. It was a painful moment in the young nation's history that most Malaysians prefer to forget.

In the last two decades, Malaysia has undergone tremendous growth and prosperity, and has arguably made significant progress in race relations. Many attribute the country's success to the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohammed, who led the country from 1981 through 2003. Nowaday, Malaysia Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abd Razak still led this country to achieve our Wawasan 2020 which mean we will become Modern Country like South Korea, Australia, Italy and others country.