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DESTINATION:
Malaysia
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Top
Destinations
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| Kuala
Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia. History has it that Kuala Lumpur started off as a township at the junction of the Gombak and Klang rivers, the area where a group of Chinese miners discovered tin and named this area as Kuala Lumpur, which means 'muddy river mouth'. |
| Cameron
Highlands
The Cameron Highlands in Pahang were named after a British explorer, who discovered it in 1885. |
| Penang
Penang Island, also known as `The Pearl of The Orient’, is a celebrity on her own right. |
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Petronas
Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
Courtesy of Malaysia Tourism
Board, story by Wong Seow Fung
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Malaysia is a sun-smooched tropical country blessed with white sand beaches, soaring mountains and the oldest rainforests that make every visitor spellbound.
What is so impressive is that Malaysia is a country, where its inhabitants (consists of the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Khadazans and other minorities) hail from different racial and cultural background s but still live in unity despite the differences.
History
Malaysia’s history dates back thousand years ago when Buddhist and Hindu empires from Indonesia and Thailand were dominating the peninsular. Then, the arrival of Muslim merchants transformed Melaka into the hub of an Islamic empire ruled by Malay sultanates.
In 1511, the Portuguese arrived on the shore of Melaka with guns and cannons. So, they easily took over Melaka from the Malay sultanate and went on to control its major trading seaport, which was laden with tea, china, cargoes of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and other precious goods.
Then, in 1641, the Dutch came into power for the same interests followed by the British in 1795. For over a hundred years, British colonial rule spread its power to other states in the peninsular.
During the British-era, Chinese and the Indians were brought in to hack the forests and turn it into townships and rubber plantations. The Chinese also worked in the tin mines.
Same thing happened in Borneo, James Brooke or better known as the `white rajah’ took over Sarawak in 1841 while the North Borneo Company led by William Hood Treacher took over Sabah.
After independence from the British on August 31, 1957, the self-governing independent Malaya was threatened by the Communist guerrilla activities and confrontation from Indonesia. In 1963, Malaysia was born with a confederation of 13 states, following by the withdrawal of Singapore in 1966.
On Oct 31, 2003, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s forth prime minister for 20 years, passing the long-held baton to his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Malaysia under Dr Mahathir’s leadership has emerged as one of the most progressive and wealthiest countries in the region.
The government will continue to gradually reduce Malay’s racial advantages by adopting the policy of meritocracy for university intakes. It seems that the wind of chance has blown towards the right direction again when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched a campaign against corruption and made personal spot checks on government offices notorious for mismanagement and graft.
This soft-spoken prime minister will definitely bring Malaysia to a greater height socially and economically.
Find out more about Malaysia’s geography
& climate, culture,
festivals & language and currency.
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