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Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the
states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north
of Peninsular Malaysia is Thailand while its southern neighbour is
Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are north of Indonesia in Borneo
while Sarawak also shares a border with Brunei.
Malaysia is a federal constitutional
elective monarchy.
GMT/UTC +8 ()
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national
language but English is widely spoken more than any where else in South
East Asia. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and
dialects.
Islam is the official religion but all other
religions are freely practised.
The unit of currency is Malaysian Ringgit
indicated as RM. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money
changers freely.
Malaysians observe a number of holidays and
festivities throughout the year. The most celebrated holiday is the
"Hari Merdeka" (Independence Day) on August 31 commemorating the
independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957. Major Holidays
include: New Year's Day, Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Chinese New Year, Awal
Muharam, Birthday of Prophet Muhammad, Labour Day, Wesak Day, Hari Raya
Aidil Fitri and Christmas.
Malaysia My Second Home Programme is
promoted by the Government of Malaysia to allow people from all over
the world who fulfill certain criteria, to stay in Malaysia as long as
possible on a social visit pass with a multiple entry visa. For the
latest information on the programme, please click here.
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