THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KUALA LUMPUR TO HELP YOU PREPARE (This information was compiled by AUSA from various online sources) 1. Location and Geography 2. Official Language and Religion 3. National Flag 4. Climate 5. Cuisine 6. Law and Politics 7. Currency 8. Tax Free Shopping 9. Key Words/Phrases Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur is a generally safe place for all. However, there is no harm practicing common sense and precautions like you would do at home. Location and Geography The geography of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is characterized by a huge valley — known as the Klang Valley — bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Malacca Straits in the west. The name Kuala Lumpur literally means muddy confluence; Kuala Lumpur is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers, facing the Malacca Straits. Located in the center of Selangor State, Kuala Lumpur was previously under Selangor state government. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur was separated from Selangor to form today's Kuala Lumpur under the Malaysian Federal Government. Its location on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which has wider flat land than the East Coast, has contributed to its faster development relative to other cities in Malaysia. The city is currently 243.65 km² (94.07 sq. mi) wide, with an average elevation of 21.95 m (72 ft.). Official Language and Religion Malaysian (Malay: Bahasa Malaysia), or Standard Malay, is the official language of Malaysia and a standardized register of the Malacca dialect of Malay. It is over 95% cognate with Indonesian. It has few native speakers, but is spoken by most of the Malaysian population as a second language (Cf. Malay language.) It is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school. The Malaysian name for the language is Bahasa Malaysia (literally "the language of Malaysia"). This term is occasionally found in English. Most Malaysians can speak in English well so there should not be any problem communicating with the locals since English is the second language. Malaysia is a multicultural and multi-confessional country. As of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, 61.3 percent of the population practices Islam; 19.8 percent Buddhism; 9.2 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 1.3 percent traditional Chinese religions. The remainder is accounted for by other faiths, including Animism, Folk religion, Sikhism and other belief systems.[1] Islam in Malaysia is represented by the Shafi'i version of Sunni theology and jurisprudence. Islam was introduced by traders arriving from Arabia, China and India. It became firmly established in the 15th century. The constitution makes Malaysia a secular country and guarantees freedom of religion, while establishing Islam as the "religion of the Federation" to symbolize its importance to Malaysian society. The king is generally seen as the defender of the faith in the country and members of the royal family may lose certain privileges if they leave Islam and convert to another religion. The large Chinese population in Malaysia practices various faiths: Mahayana Buddhism and the Chinese traditional religion (including Taoism). Hinduism is practiced by the majority of Malaysian Indians. In recent years the government has demolished many Hindu temples, causing concern among the Indian population. Christianity has established itself in some communities, especially in East Malaysia. It is not tied to any specific ethnic group. Other religions, such as the Baha'i Faith and Sikhism also have adherents in Malaysia. Relations between different religious groups are generally quite tolerant. Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali have been declared national holidays alongside Islamic holidays such as Muhammad's birthday etc. Various groups have been set up to try to promote religious understanding among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by Malaysian politicians. National Flag The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Malay for "Stripes of Glory"),comprises a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities.[2] The crescent represents Islam, the country's official religion; the blue canton symbolizes the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers. Climate Protected by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east and Indonesia's Sumatra Island in the west, Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate which is warm and sunny, along with abundant rainfall, especially during the northeast monsoon season from October to March. Temperatures tend to remain constant. Maximums hover between 32 and 33 °C (90 and 91 °F) and have never exceeded 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), while minimums hover between 23.4 and 24.6 °C (74.1 and 76.3 °F) and have never fallen below 14.4 °C (57.9 °F). Kuala Lumpur typically receives minimum 2,600 mm (100 in) of rain annually; June and July are relatively dry, but even then rainfall typically exceeds 131 millimeters (5.2 in) per month. Flooding is a frequent occurrence in Kuala Lumpur whenever there is a heavy downpour, especially in the city centre and downstream areas. Smoke from forest fires of nearby Sumatra sometimes cast a haze over the region. It is a major source of pollution in the city together with open burning, emission from motor vehicles and construction work. Cuisine Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur are diverse, to say the least, ranging from all- day hawker centres, food courts, and quaint coffee shops to fine-dining restaurants and posh restobars. As a melting pot of vibrant Asian cultures and traditions, Kuala Lumpur is well-regarded for its wide array of tantalising local delicacies such as nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk with anchovies and chilli paste), roti canai (Indian flatbread), bak kut teh (stewed pork ribs), and fried kuey teow. Kuala Lumpur restaurants also cater to travellers and expats who crave something familiar, where authentic Spanish, Australian, French and other international eateries are available in abundance, particularly in the KL city centre. From humble hawker food stalls in Jalan Alor to award-winning Italian and Greek restaurants in KLCC, we’ve listed down some of the city’s finest gastronomic finds. Law and Politics Although Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and the Malaysian constitution theoretically guarantees freedom of religion, Islam is the official religion of the federation, as well as the legally-presumed faith of all ethnic Malays. No ethnic Malay is allowed to leave Islam, while non-Malay Muslims seeking to apostacise require permission from a sharia court, which is rarely granted. Religious beliefs follow ethnic lines. Holidays have been declared for holy days in numerous religions, although only Islam has more than one national holiday. Whether a religion obtains approval of the government is determined by the Registrar of Societies, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Only upon approval do they qualify for government benefits. However, unrecognized groups such as the Falun Gong can practice by registering themselves under the Companies Act, although this means that technical violations of the act can result in a fine. The government believes the constitution provides a strong enough guarantee of religious freedom and should not be changed. Some restrictions are made on Malay texts from non Islamic religions in Peninsula Malaysia; however there are much less restrictions in East Malaysia. Headscarves are mandatory for non-Muslims in certain situations. The MyKad identity card states whether the holder is a Muslim or not.[8] As Islam is the state religion, the government provides financial support to Islamic establishments and enforces the Sunni form of Islam. State governments can impose Islamic law on Muslims, and the government will offer grants to private Muslim schools that allow a government-approved curriculum and supervision. The government also indirectly funds non- Islamic communities, although to a much smaller degree. The government generally does not interfere with the religious practices of non-Muslim communities. Public schools offer an Islamic religious instruction course which is compulsory for Muslim students, and non-Muslim students take a morals and ethics course. Currency The only legal tender in Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit. As of 18 November 2014, the Ringgit is traded at MYR 3.35 at the US dollar. The Ringgit has not been internationalized since September 1998, an effect due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis in which the central bank imposed capital controls on the currency, due to speculative short-selling of the ringgit. As a part of series of capital controls, the currency was pegged between, September 1998 and July 2005, at MYR 3.80 to the dollar after the value of the ringgit dropped from MYR 2.50 per USD to, at one point, MYR 4.80 per USD. In recent years, Bank Negara Malaysia has begun to relax certain rules to the capital controls although the currency itself is still not traded internationally yet. According to the Bank Governor, the Ringgit will be internationalized when it's ready. On September 2010, in an interview with CNBC, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is the Prime Minister of Malaysia and also the Finance Minister said that the government is open to open up the Ringgit to off shore trading if the move will help the economy. He further added that before such a move to be made, it will ensure that rules and regulation will be in place so the currency will not be abused.