About Malaysia

Malaysia
General Information

Malaysia is a country situated in Southeast Asia. It is between Thailand and Singapore. Malaysia is divided into two parts, that is West Malaysia or Peninsula Malaysia and East Malaysia which is on the island of Borneo. West and East Malaysia is about 400 miles apart.

Peninsula Malaysia is again divided into east and west coast by the Main Range (mountain range), known as Banjaran Titiwangsa. It runs from the Malaysian-Thai border in the north right up to the state of Negeri Sembilan.

In East Malaysia, the Crocker Range in Sabah is where the highest peak in South East Asia lies, Mount Kinabalu. The highest point of the mountain is at 4,0952.2 meters above sea level.

Geographical Location	Located between 2º and 7º 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 neighbor 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 City	Kuala Lumpur
Prime Minister	Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Time	GMT + 8 hours
Currency	RM (Ringgit Malaysia)
Climate	Malaysia is hot and humid all year, with temperatures usually between 20 to 30°C (68-86°F)
People	Malays who make up about 57% of the population are the predominant group with Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up the rest.
Religion	Islam is the official religion but all other religions are freely practiced.
Government	Malaysia is governed by a Parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislative system. The Head of State is the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, a position that is awarded to a different State Monarch every five years and the Head of Government is the Prime Minister.
Language	Bahasa Malaysia is official language, English, Mandarin, Tamil is spoken widely.
Voltage	Voltage is 220 - 240 volts AC at 50 cycles per second. Standard 3-pin square plugs and sockets

Tourist Entry/Exit Information

Airport	Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang, Selangor
Airport Tax
Visa	Every person entering Malaysia must possess a valid national Passport or internationally recognized Travel Document valid for travel to Malaysia. Any person not in possession of a Passport or Travel Document which is recognized by the Malaysian Government, must obtain a Document in lieu of Passport. Application for the Document in lieu of Passport can be made at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad. Holders of Travel Documents like a Certificate of Identity, Laisser Passer, Titre de Voyage or a Country's Certificate of Permanent Residence must ensure that their return to the country which issued the document or the country of residence is guaranteed. The documents shall be valid, for more than six (6) months from the date of entry into Malaysia. Visa Requirement :- Foreign nationals who require a Visa to enter Malaysia must apply and obtain a Visa in advance at Malaysian Representative Office before entering the country. A visa is an endorsement in a passport or other recognized travel document of foreigner indicating that the holder has applied for permission to enter Malaysia and that permission has been granted. Foreign nationals who require a Visa to enter Malaysia must apply and obtain a Visa in advance at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad before entering the country. Visa which has been granted is not absolute guarantee that the holder will be allowed to enter Malaysia.The final decision lies with the Immigration Officer at the entry point. Types of Visa Three (3) types of visa are issued by the Malaysian Government to foreign national: * Single Entry Visa Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia mainly for a social or business visit. Normally valid for a single entry and for a period of three (3) months from the date of issue. * Multiple Entry Visa Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia mainly for business or government to government matters. Normally valid for a period within three (3) to twelve (12) months from the date of issue. * Transit Visa Issued to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Malaysia on transit to other countries. Foreign Nationals on transit without leaving the airport precincts and who continue their journey to the next destination with the same flight does not require a transit visa. How To Apply For A Visa Application for visas should be made at the nearest Malaysian Missions abroad. In countries where Malaysian Missions have not been established, application should be made to the British High Commission or Embassy. The applicant should present himself together with the following documents: (a) Passport or Travel Document (b) Form IM.47 (3 copies) (c) Three (3) passport sized photographs (d) Return or onward - journey traveling ticket (e) Proof of sufficient funds Countries With Partial Visa Abolition Agreement With Malaysia Nationals of these countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visits for not more than three (3) months. For other purposes, a visa is required. The countries are: ARGENTINA, ALBANIA, ALGERIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA, CZECH & SLOVAK, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ICELAND, ITALY, JAPAN, KRYGYZSTAN, LUXEMBOURG, NORWAY, PERU, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, TURKMENISTAN, TUNISIA, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA WEST ASIA COUNTRIES. Nationals of these countries also do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visit not more than three (3) months. For other purposes, a visa is required. The countries are: BAHRAIN, MOROCCO, UNITED ARAB EMIRATE, OMAN, JORDAN, QATAR, KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, LEBANON, TURKEY, EGYPT. Nationals of the following countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/ business visits of not more than 14 days. For other purposes, a visa is required. The countries are: AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, LIBYA, SYRIA EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, BALTIC AND COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES(CIS) Nationals of these countries do not require a visa to enter Malaysia for the purpose of social/business visits of not more than thirty (30) days. For other purposes, a visa is required. The countries are: ARMENIA, ATZERBAIJAN, BULGARIA, ESTONIA, GEORGIA, KAZAKHSTAN, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MOLDOVIA, RUMANIA, RUSSIA, TADJIKISTAN, UKRAINE, YELORUSSIA
The main Immigration Office is located at:	Headquarters of the Department of Immigration, Malaysia Level 1-7 (Podium) Block 2G4, Precint 2, Federal Government Administration Centre, 62550 Putrajaya, Malaysia. Tel: 03-88801000 Fax: 03-88801200
Health	Yellow Fever vaccination is required for all visitors coming from Yellow fever infected areas or endemic zones except for children under 1 year of age.
Distance from Airport to city	How To Get To Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) http://www.cuti.com.my/guide/get2klia.htm
Duty Free	200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 225 gms of tobacco, 1 litre of alcohol, a prasonable amount of cosmetics/perfume for personal use. Gifts/souvenirs not more than RM200.
Customs	Dutiable and Non-Dutiable Goods Certain goods such as the following, imported by visitors are liable to duty: carpets, garments, clothing accessories, jewellery, chocolates, handbags, spirits, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and cigarettes. Visitors bringing in dutiable goods may have to pay a deposit for temporary importation, refundable on departure. The goods are to be presented at the time of departure at the point of exit together with the deposit receipts. Non-dutiable goods include cameras, watches, pens, lighters, perfumeries and cosmetics.
Health Regulations	Yellow fever vaccination is required for all visitors coming from yellow fever infected areas or endemic zones except for children under 1 year of age.
Law	Malaysia has very harsh drug regulations. The mandatory penalty for trafficking is death and Malaysia does not hesitate in applying the law to foreigners too. Indecent behaviour in public places is also illegal. You should be especially careful in more rural areas and Malay villages as well as in the Islamic state of Kelantan. Dress modestly and behave respectfully.

Malaysian Embassies & Consulates
Consulate General of Malaysia (GUANGZHOU,PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Consulate General of Malaysia Citic Office Tower, Room 1915-1918, Level 19 233 Tian He Bei Road, Guangzhou 510610, Guangdong China Telephone: (8620) 87395660/1/2 Fax: (8620) 87395669 Contact Person: Mr Othman bin Samin (Consul General) E-mail: mwgzhou@public.guangzhou.gd.cn
Consulate General of Malaysia (HONG KONG,PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Consulate General of Malaysia 24th Floor, Malaysia Building 50, Gloucester Road Wanchai, Hong Kong People's Republic of China China Telephone: 852-25270921/28210800 (Canseri), Fax: 852-28651628 Contact Person: Mr Abdul Aziz bin Harun (Consul General) E-mail: mwhkong@netvigator.com Website: Description: -
Consulate General of Malaysia (JEDDAH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA) Consulate General of Malaysia Lot 241, Al-Mualiffin Street Al-Rehab District P.O Box 593, Jeddah 21421 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Telephone: 966-2-6727740/6728019 Fax: 966-2-6760877 Contact Person: Mr Zulkifli bin Yaacob (Consul General) E-mail: mwjedda@awalnet.net.sa
Consulate General of Malaysia (LOS ANGELES, USA) Consulate General of Malaysia 550, South Hope Street Suite 400 Los Angeles CA 90071 United States of America Telephone: (213) 892 1238 Fax: (213) 892 9031 Contact Person: Mr. Mohd Zulkephli b. Mohd Noor (Consul General) E-mail: mwla@pacbell.net
Consulate General of Malaysia (NEW YORK, USA) Consulate General of Malaysia 313 East 43rd Street New York, N.Y. 10017 United States of America United States of America Telephone: (212) 490 2722/23 Fax: (212) 490 2049 Contact Person: Mr Ahmad Shahizan bin Abd. Samad (Consul General) E-mail: malnycg@kln.gov.my
Consulate General of Malaysia (PHILIPPINES) Consulate General of Malaysia 3rd Floor, Florentine Building A. Bonifacio Street Davao City 8000 Republic of the Philippines Philippines Telephone: (6382) 2214050/221 1368 Fax: (6382) 2214014 Contact Person: Mr Mokhtar bin Mohamed (Consul General) E-mail: mwdavao@skynet.net
Consulate General of Malaysia (SHANGHAI, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) Consulate General of Malaysia Units 1101, 1110-1112, 11th Floor CITIC Square No.1168 Nanjing Road (West), Shanghai 200041 China Telephone: (8621) 52925424/52925425 Fax: (8621) 5292 5951, (8621) 5292 5952 (Visa) Contact Person: Mr Rosli bin Ismail (Consul General) E-mail: mwshang@public1.sta.net.cn
Consulate General of Malaysia (Songkhka, Thailand) Consulate General of Malaysia No.4, Sukhum Road 90000 Songkhla Thailand Telephone: 66-74-311062 Fax: 66-74-324004 Contact Person: Mr. Wan Jaafar bin Wan Mahmud (Consul General) E-mail: mwsgkhla@hatyai.inet.co.th
Consulate General Of Malaysia (SUMATERA UTARA, INDONESIA) Consulate General Of Malaysia Jalan P. Diponegoro No. 43 Medan 20152, Sumatera Utara Indonesia Telephone: ( 62-61) 4531342/4535271/4523992 Fax: (62-61) 4534681 Contact Person: Mr Mohd. Yusof bin Abu Bakar (Consul General) E-mail: mwmedan@indosat.net.id
Consulate General of Malaysia (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) Consulate General of Malaysia Ground and Mezzanine Floors,901 Moosa Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road P.O Box 4598 Dubai United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Telephone: (9714) 319994 Fax: (9714) 313474 Contact Person: Encik Abdul Wahab b. Abdullah (Consul General/Trade Commisioner) E-mail: mailto:tcdubai@emirates%20.net.ae
Consulate General of Malaysia (VANCOUVER) Consulate General of Malaysia 1805-111, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 4M3, Canada Canada Telephone: (604) 685-9550 Fax: (604) 685-9520 Contact Person: Mr Mat Dris b. Hj. Yaacob (Consul General) E-mail: mwvcouvr@axionet.com
Consulate Of Malaysia (KALIMANTAN BARAT, INDONESIA) Consulate Of Malaysia No. 42, Jalan Ahmad Yani Pontianak, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia. Indonesia Telephone: (62-561) 732 986/ 736 061 Fax: (62-561) 736060/ 736 060 Contact Person: Mr Ismail Haji Salam (Consul General) E-mail: mwptk@telkom.net
Consulate Of Malaysia (RIAU, INDONESIA) Consulate Of Malaysia Jalan Diponegoro No. 59 Pekan Baru, Riau Indonesia Telephone: (62 - 761) 22305 Fax: (62 - 761) 23143 Contact Person: Mr Abdul Samad b. Othman (Consul) E-mail: mwpbaru@pekanbaru.indo.net.id
Embassy of Malaysia (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Embassy of Malaysia Humaid al Mazuree Villa, Al Saada Street No. 19. New Corniche, P.O. Box 3887, Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Telephone: 971-2-4482775/776 Fax: 971-2-4482779 Contact Person: H.E. Dato’ Mubin Razali (Ambassador of Malaysia) E-mail: mwadhabi@emirates.net.ae
Embassy of Malaysia (Algiers) Embassy of Malaysia Lot.34,35 & 36, Rue Al Bakri (ex Macklay) Ben Aknoun, 16033 Algiers Algiers Telephone: 213-21-912693 / 913693 / 911869 Fax: 213-21-912785 Contact Person: H.E. Amb. Ramli bin Naam (Ambassador) E-mail: mwalger@djazair-connect.com
Embassy of Malaysia (ALMATY REPUBLIC OF KAZAKSTAN) Embassy of Malaysia 36/2 Al Farabi Avenue 480099 Almaty Republic of Kazakstan Kazakstan Telephone: 7-3272-533503/533504/533507 Fax: 7-3272-533506 Contact Person: H.E. Tan Seng Sung (Ambassador) E-mail: mwalmaty@nursat.kz
Embassy of Malaysia (AMMAN, JORDAN) Embassy of Malaysia Lot. 701, Tayser Na’na’ah Street, Off Umaweyyen Street,Abdoun, Amman Jordan Telephone: 962-6-5902400 (4 lines) Fax: 962-6-5934343 Contact Person: H.E. Dato Syeed Sultan Seni Pakir (Ambassador of Malaysia) E-mail: mwamman@go.com.jo
Embassy of Malaysia (Angkara, Republic of Turkey) Embassy of Malaysia 58, Mahatma Gandhi Caddesi, 06700 Gaziosmanpasa, Ankara Turkey Telephone: 90-312-4463547/4463548 Fax: 90-312-446 4130 Contact Person: H.E. Dato’ Ahmad Mokhtar Selat (Ambassador of Malaysia) E-mail: mwankara@isnet.net.tr
Embassy of Malaysia (BAGHDAD, REPUBLIC OF IRAQ) Embassy of Malaysia Mahalla 915, Zukak 22, House No. 17, Hai Al-Jameah, Jadiriyah, Baghdad Republic of Iraq Iraq Telephone: (964)1-776 5909 Fax: (964)1-717 3619 Contact Person: H.E. Abdul Latif bin Awang (Ambassador)
Embassy of Malaysia (Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand) Embassy of Malaysia 33-35 South Sathorn Road Tungmahamek Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 Kingdom of Thailand Thailand Telephone: 90-312-4463547/4463548 Fax: 90-312-446 4130 Contact Person: H.E. Dato’ Ahmad Mokhtar Selat (Ambassador of Malaysia) E-mail: mwankara@isnet.net.tr
Embassy of Malaysia (Beijing, People's Republic of China) Embassy of Malaysia No.2, Liang Ma Qiao Bei Jie, Chaoyang District Sanlitun, 100600 Beijing, People’s Republic of China China Telephone: (8610) 65322531/2/3 Fax: (8610) 6532 5032 Contact Person: H.E. Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan (Ambassador) E-mail: mwbjing@kln.gov.my
Embassy of Malaysia (BERLIN, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY) Embassy of Malaysia Klingelhofer Strasse 6 D-10785 Berlin Federal Republic of Germany Germany Telephone: 49-30-8857490 Fax: 49-30-8857495 Contact Person: H.E. Dato’ Kamal Ismaun (Ambassador) E-mail: mwberlin@compuserve.com
Embassy of Malaysia (BOLIVARIAN, REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA) Embassy of Malaysia Centro Profesional Eurobuilding Piso 6, Officinas F-G Calle La Guairita, Chuao Caracas 1060 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Venezuela Telephone: (58-212) 992-1011/992-1144 Fax: (58-212) 992-1277 Contact Person: H.E. Datuk John Tenewi Ambassador of Malaysia) E-mail: mwcaracas@malaysia.org.ve
Embassy of Malaysia (Brussels, Belgium) Embassy of Malaysia 414A, Avenue de Tervuren 1150 Brussels Belgium Telephone: 32-2-776 03 40 (8 lines) Fax: 32-3-762 50.49 Contact Person: H.E. Dato’ Deva Mohd. Ridzam (Ambassador) E-mail: mwbrusel@euronet.be
Embassy of Malaysia (Bucharest, Romania) Embassy of Malaysia No. 1, Piata Cantacuzino (Polona Street), Bucharest Romania Telephone: (401) 2113801/211 3802 Fax: (401) 210 0270 Contact Person: H.E. Dato' Ng Bak Hai (Ambassador (Resident at Warsaw)) E-mail: mwbucrst@ictnet.ro

Events

Festivals in Malaysia reflect the roots and cultures of the various races. They are usually very exciting, colourful, and portray the spirit of unity and togetherness, despite the diversities of cultures and religions. In many ways these festivals have taken on a distinctly Malaysian flavour, as all races seem to participate in the festivities. Festivals are usually a time for family reunions and rejoicing with friends. The following are examples of some of the more important happenings in Malaysia. January New Year's Day Like everywhere else in the world Malaysia celebrates the New Year with fanfare and excitement, though the festivities might pale in comparison with the 'real' New Years celebrated separately by the different races. February Thaipusam Chinese New Year This is the most important festival of the Chinese community and lasts for 15 days. It is the time when offerings are made to appease the spirits and gods. New clothes are bought and worn. The colour red is vividly displayed in many homes for 'prosperity' and 'luck'. Dragon dances herald the new year amid banging gongs and drums. Hari Raya Aidilfitri. March The 15th day of Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Mei, is celebrated in quite a noisy fashion, Also known as Hari Raya Puasa, it is the most significant festival for Muslims as it marks the end of the fasting month with general merry-making. June Gawai Dayak Festival August National Day is a major event - parades, concerts and various other shows at held at chosen venues every year. Merdeka Square is a good place to catch some of the action. October Lantern Festival This Chinese festival celebrates the victory of the Chinese in bringing about the demise of the Mongol overlords during the Yuan dynasty. It is associated with mooncakes, a pastry that is eaten during this period. November Also known as Diwali, Deepavali or the 'Festival of Lights' represents, for Hindus, the triumph of good over evil. Tiny lights fashioned from clay pots and filled with coconut oil and wicks are a common sight. December LIMA stands for the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition, a biennial event that brings together all that is high-tech in the areas of sea and air transport. Christmas The fervour with which Christians in Malaysia celebrate this occasion is comparable to many Western countries. Elaborate decorations adorn many shopping complexes and the constant airplay of Christmas carols serve to put everyone in a festive mood and even non-Christians share in the exchange of gifts on this day. * Events In addition to that, Malaysia regularly hosts many other exciting events such as Malaysia Fest (a month-long campaign involving cultural performances and handicraft making), food and shopping carnivals, and international sporting events, eg. the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

Food

Malaysia's top attraction must be the food - the variety is endless, the choices astounding, the value unbeatable! Be it Chinese, Malay, Indian or Western, you'll find it all and more, especially in the big cities. Surprisingly, Malay food is not as easily found in the cities as Chinese or Indian food, except for satay, which is commonly available. Malay Food The most highly appreciated Malay dish in Malaysia is, without a doubt, satay. This consists of delicious bite-sized pieces of chicken, mutton or beef, skewered, and then grilled over a charcoal fire. A spicy peanut sauce accompanies this dish. Other Malay dishes worth trying include tahu goreng (fried soybean curd stuffed with bean sprouts, topped with a peanut sauce), ikan bilis (tiny anchovies fried till crisp), ikan assam (fried fish in a sour tamarind curry) sambal udang (fiery curry prawns) and rendang (spicy meat curry prepared with coconut milk). A popular breakfast dish is nasi lemak which is rice cooked in coconut milk and served with sambal ikan bilis, squid sambal, egg, cucumber slices and peanuts. Sambal is a very spicy chilli paste, popular with all Malaysians. Nasi dagang is commonly found in Kelantan and Trengganu. It consists of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and served with fish curry, sambal and cucumber pickle. Indonesian food is best represented in Malaysia in the form of gado gado, a salad with a peanut sauce dressing. Another firm favourite is nasi padang, where you can select as many dishes as you want from the window display and share the food amongst yourselves. Indian food is one of the region's greatest delights and indeed many people say that it is easier to find good Indian food in Malaysia than in India! Indian Food In Indian food everywhere, you will encounter the myriad spices or masala, the lentil soup known as dhal, the yoghurt drink known as lassi and the condiments known as chutney. A typical Indian meal starts with a simple rice plate being placed in front of you. If you ask for one in a vegetarian restaurant, you won't get a plate at all, but a large banana leaf. On this a large mound of rice is placed, then scoops of a variety of vegetable curries are tossed in. With your right hand, you then knead the curries into your rice and eat away. When your banana leaf starts to get empty you'll suddenly find it refilled as this is basically a 'as much as you can eat' meal. In a 'banana leaf' restaurant however, you will get to choose from a whole range of meat curries and fried seafood to go with your meal. When you've finished, fold the banana leaf in two with the fold towards you, to indicate that you've had enough. Other vegetarian dishes include the popular masala thosai, a thin slightly sourish pancake which is rolled around the masala (spiced vegetables) with some rasam (spicy soup) on the side, provides about the cheapest light meal you could ask for. An equivalent snack meal in Indian Muslim restaurants is murtabak, made from paper-thin dough filled with egg and minced mutton and lightly grilled. Then there's the ever-popular roti canai, made from murtabak dough, which you dip into a bowl of dhal or curry. Another popular favourite is biryani. Served with a chicken or mutton curry, the dish takes its name from the saffon-coloured rice it is usually served with. Finally there's tandoori, which takes its name from the clay tandoor oven in which meat is cooked after being marinated overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture. One of the things you can't possibly not try is Indian Rojak, a salad dish of bean sprouts, fishcakes, prawn fritters, beancurd and squid in a sweet spicy peanut sauce. Like many Asian countries with a substantial Chinese population, Chinese food means Cantonese food, especially in Kuala Lumpur. This type of food is usually stir-fried with a touch of oil to ensure that the result is crisp and fresh. Chinese Food As compared to Kuala Lumpur and surrounds, the type of Chinese food found in the northern state of Penang and the southern state of Johor is Hokkien, Hakka or Hainanese style. The best-known Hainanese dish which is found throughout Malaysia is Hainanese chicken rice. The rice's distinctive aroma comes from the boiling it with chicken stock. It is served with steamed or roasted chicken, cucumber slices and accompanied by clear soup and soy sauce/chilli sauce. Hakka food is most commonly associated with yong tau foo, pieces of soybean curd stuffed with minced meat. The vegetables that come with it - red chillies, brinjal, ladies fingers - are also stuffed with the same minced meat. If there is one thing the visitor should not miss, it's the commonly-found Chinese coffeeshops featuring hawker stalls selling all sorts of noodles, rice, grilled fish, squid and lots lots more! Especially popular is char kuey teow, fried flat noodles furnished with cockles, prawns, eggs, soy sauce and bean sprouts. Usually taken as breakfast or supper, bak kut teh consists of rice with pork ribs and Chinese mushrooms in a Chinese herbal soup. A favourite Chinese brunch is dim sum, a variety of sweet & savoury delicacies featuring bite-sized rolls, meatballs, pastries and dumplings. Nyonya cooking is a unique and extremely tasty blend of Chinese and Malay food. Chinese ingredients are used with local spices like chillies and coconut cream/milk. The popular Laksa lemak is a spicy coconut milk-based noodle soup, with beancurd, beansprouts and prawns in it. Western Cuisine / Fast-food Joints Good Western food can easily be found in the bigger cities but don't expect too much in the smaller villages. In any case staple fast-food joints such as McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken are present throughout the country and have become household names. Local Fruits There is an incredible variety of local fruits available. Be adventurous and give them a try! Want to try some local fruits? Just head towards any fruit vendors/stalls which you'll find in food centres or even just on the streets. Slices of mango, papaya, watermelon, guava are just some of the fruits you can find at these stalls. Here's a quick run-down: Rambutans are the size of a large walnut or small tangerine and they're covered in soft red spines. You remove the skin to reveal the cool flesh around the pit/seed. Most people are familiar with pineapples, with its sweet juicy yellow flesh... One of the finest tropical fruits, the mangosteen is about the size of a small orange or apple. The soft purple outer skin breaks open to reveal pure white segments shaped like orange segments but with a sweet-sour flavour. Jackfruit is better known as nangka in Malaysia. This is an enormous watermelon-sized fruit which hangs from trees and when opened, breaks up into a large number of bright orange-yellow segments with a slightly rubbery texture. From fruit-stalls, you can often buy several nangka segments skewered on a stick. The starfruit gets its name from its cross-sectional star shape. A translucent green-yellow in colour, starfruit has a crisp, cool, watery taste. That's not to forget a host of other fruits, including coconuts, lychees, jambus, dukus, cikus, mangos and pomelos. Last but not least, the king of fruits - the controversial durian. Durians No fruit in all of Asia provokes such strong reactions as the durian. To some it is the 'King of Fruits' but to others, as Anthony Burgess described in his novel "Time for a Tiger", it smells "like eating a sweet raspberry blancmange in a lavatory". It is a large oval fruit covered with stiff and sharp spines. Simply opening it requires some skill. When the shell is cracked open, pale yellow segments are revealed with a taste as distinctive as their smell. The nearest approximation would perhaps be onion-flavoured ice-cream. Its nutritional qualities are high: protein, calories, fiber and vitamins A and C. It is also thought by some to be a powerful aphrodisiac, so that villagers say that it is the only fruit which a tiger craves. Drinks and Desserts ABC (Air Batu Campur) A literal translation would be something like "Mixed Ice Cubes" but it's definitely much more than that - nuts, sweetcorn, agar-agar, red beans, shaved ice, syrup and evaporated milk - are combined to make this refreshing dessert. Cendol Ais Little strands of green-coloured dough called 'cendol' are mixed with coconut milk, palm syrup and shaved ice, not to be missed. Teh Tarik The most popular local beverage, this is strong tea with sugar and sweetened condensed milk... a Malaysian speciality! Agar-agar A seaweed jelly which makes a delicious and creamy dessert with coconut milk. Bubur Chacha A thick, sweet concoction of yam, sweet potato, sago, sugar and coconut milk. Soya Bean milk Made from (what else?) soya beans, nothing can beat a cold glass of this from a roadside stall on a hot day. The taste is similar to sweetened milk but the taste is quite distinctive. Tau foo fah is a curdled version of soya bean milk and is flavoured with syrup.