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| General Information |
| Country |
The Federation of Malaysia comprises Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. |
| Geographical Location |
Located between 2? and 7? north of the Equator, Peninsula Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. To the north of Peninsula 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. |
| Area |
329,758 sq km |
| Population |
26 million |
| Capital |
Kuala Lumpur |
| Language |
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the national language but English is widely spoken. The ethnic groups also speak various languages and dialects. |
| Religion |
Islam is the official religion but all other religions are freely practised |
| Time |
Eight hours ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time. |
| Electricity |
Voltage is 220 - 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second.
Standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets. |
| Telephone |
Local calls can be made from public phones using coins or pre-paid cards. International calls can be made from public phones with card phone facilities or at any Telekom office. |
| Passport/Visa |
Visitors to Malaysia must hold a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the intended visiting period.
Most nationalities do not require visas for social or business visits. For further information, please contact the nearest Malaysian diplomatic mission or Tourism Malaysia office. |
| Accommodation |
Malaysia has a wide range of accommodation at competitive rates. Six-star, medium range, budget hotels, youth hostels, beach chalets and timeshare apartments are just some of the types of accommodation available. Privately operated motor-homes are also available for rent. |
| Distance to Malaysia |
London, United Kingdom to Kuala Lumpur : 6,557 miles (10,552 km)
Paris, France to Kuala Lumpur 6,483 miles (10,432 km)
Rome, Italy to Kuala Lumpur : 6,038 miles (9,716 km)
Stockholm, Sweden to Kuala Lumpur : 5,812 miles (9,353 km)
Berlin, Germany to Kuala Lumpur : 5,979 miles (9,622 km)
Madrid, Spain to Kuala Lumpur : 6,885 miles (11,079 km)
New York, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 9,400 miles (15,126 km)
Los Angeles, USA to Kuala Lumpur : 8,790 miles (14,144 km)
Vancouver, Canada to Kuala Lumpur : 7,944 miles (12,783 km) |
| Post |
Open from 8.30am to 6.00pm daily except the first Saturday of each month, Sundays and public holidays.
In Kelantan and Terengganu post offices operate during the same hours but are closed on Fridays and public holidays. |
| Press |
The English-language dailies printed in peninsular Malaysia are the Malaysiakini, Business Times, Malay Mail, New Straits Times, The Sun and The Star. There are also several English-language Sunday newspapers and periodicals. English-language newspapers available in Sarawak include the Sarawak Tribune and Borneo Post. English-language dailies in Sabah include the Sabah Times, Daily Express and Borneo Mail. |
| Radio |
BBC World Service and Voice of America can be received. From time to time, the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |
| Climate and Weather |
Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21?C (70?F) to 32?C (90?F). The highlands are cooler, where temperatures range between 15?C (59? F) to 25?C (77?F). Annual rainfall varies from 2,000mm to 2,500mm. |
| Money and Currency |
| Currency |
The unit of currency is Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM. USD1 is roughly equivalent to RM3.20. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money changers. |
| Currency exchange |
The best currency for exchange is the Pound Sterling, but US Dollars are also widely accepted. Although all major currencies can be exchanged easily in the main tourist centers, problems may occur elsewhere. It is difficult to exchange Malaysian currency outside Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia. All visitors need to fill in a Travelers Declaration Form (TDF), see Currency restrictions below for details. |
| Credit & debit cards |
MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. |
| Traveler's checks |
Accepted by all banks, hotels and large department stores. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers and advised to take travelers checks in Pound Sterling, US Dollar, or Australian Dollar. |
| Currency restrictions |
All visitors, including children, entering Malaysia must declare amounts over RM1000 that they have in their possession (local or equivalent in foreign currencies) on a Travelers Declaration Form (TDF), which can be obtained at the airport or Malaysian embassies, high commissions and tourist offices. On departure, the TDF has to be filled in prior to immigration clearance. The importation and exportation of local currency is limited to RM1000. The importation of foreign currency is unlimited. The exportation of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported on arrival. |
| Banking hours |
Most states: Mon - Fri: 9.30am to 4.30pm. Sat & Sun: Closed (Selected banks and branches are open on Sat). Kelantan & Terengganu: Sun - Wed :9.30am to 4.30pm. Thurs :9.30am to 4.00pm. Friday/Saturday*/Public Holiday: Closed |
| Useful Contact Numbers |
| Langkawi Tourist Information Centre |
Jalan Persiaran Putra,
07000 Kuah, LANGKAWI
Tel : 04-9667789/9669416
Fax : 04-9667889
E-mail : mtpblgk@tourism.gov.my |
| Tourist Development of Malaysia |
6,17,24027 Menara Dato Onn
Putra World Trade Centre
45 Jalan Tun Ismail
Kuala Lumpur, 50480, Malaysia
+60-3-2935188;; FAX +60-3-2935884 |
Langkawi Tourist
Information Centre |
Langkawi International Airport
07000 Kuah, Langkawi
LANGKAWI
Tel: 04-9557155 |
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