Malaysia
BY: RIKITA P.
Introduction
SLOGAN- MALAYSIA- "TRULY ASIA"
Petronas Twins Towers
The Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of 88-story buildings, were the world's tallest buildings until 2004. Apart from offices, these awesome towers also house a state-of-the-art concert hall,the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as shopping arcades, restaurants, and a science museum. The designs on the towers are based on geometric patterns common in Islamic architecture.
Penang
Penang – Mostly populated by Chinese community, travelers could find incense and temples everywhere in The ‘must-do” items includes visiting the Kek Lok Si temple, Penang Hill, Snake Temple, trying out full varieties of our local Penang foods, sightseeing world heritage architectures, sun-bathing at the beautiful Batu Ferringhi beach as well as exploring the ‘spicy’ little Indian street.
Pulau Redang, Perhentian, Kapas or Tioman
These east coastal islands are best for snorkeling, scuba diving, photographing live corals and sunsets! You can also witness turtles laying eggs at sea shore if you are lucky.
Geography & Climate
Neighbors
Malaysia is a nation located in the Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and shares water boundaries with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Malaysia has coasts along the South China Sea.
More about the Climate
Malaysia essentially observes tropical weather, but the best part is it is never too hot. Humidity is a common feature, which can be duly expected from its proximity to waters. With the exception of highlands, the climate is by and large moderately hot and extremely sultry. Throughout the year, the temperature ranges from 20°C to 30°C on an average.
Monsoons
MONSOON- rainy season: a period of heavy rainfall, especially during the summer over South and Southeast Asia MONSOON-- heavy rain: a very heavy fall of rain MONSOON- winds that reverse direction seasonally: a large-scale wind system that seasonally blows in opposite directions and determines the climate of large regions.
People & Culture
Malaysian
There are 50.4% Malaysians in Malaysia.
Chinese (Taoism)
There are 23.7% Chinese (Taoism) in Malaysia.
Indian
There are 7.1% Indians in Malaysia.
Government and Citizenship
Government:
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and is governed under the constitution of 1957 as amended. The sovereign (the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is a largely ceremonial head of state, and is elected every five years by and from the nine hereditary rulers of Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor. The current sovereign is Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah of Kedah. The prime minister is head of government and must be a member and have the confidence of the House of Representatives (Dewan Ramayana). The cabinet is chosen by the prime minister with the consent of the sovereign. There is a bicameral Parliament. The House of Representatives consists of 219 members, all elected by popular vote in single-member districts. The House sits for a maximum of five years but may be dissolved by the sovereign. The Senate (Dewan Negara) consists of 70 members chosen for three-year terms; each state legislature elects two and the sovereign appoints the remaining 44. There is a high court for each half of Malaysia and a supreme court. The country is divided into 13 states and three federal territories.
Citizenship:
Citizenship is important for anyone looking to spend many years in a country. It is not easy to receive citizenship from a country, and every country has its own set of rules.Malaysia is no different. The following are the requirements one needs to meet in order to be considered for Malaysian citizenship:
Malaysia Day
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Malaysia Day is celebrated every year on September 13. When referring to citizenship, Malaysia Day is September 13, 1964, the day the Malaysian federation was formed.
Naturalization - Within
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Anyone born in Malaysia is automatically a citizen. This only takes place if at least one of the parents of the child is also a citizen of Malaysia.
Application
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A person may also apply to become a Malaysian citizen. He must have a working knowledge of the language and have lived in the country for 10 of the past 12 years, including the 12 months prior to applying for citizenship.
Dual Citizenship
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Many countries allow a person to be a citizen of another country as well. Malaysia, however, does not allow dual citizenship.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong is formally elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine Rulers of the Malay states (nine of the thirteen states of Malaysia that have hereditary royal rulers), who form the Conference of Rulers (Majlis Raja-raja). The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may not be re-elected after his term has expired. In the event of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's death in office, the Conference of Rulers elects a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong as if the previous term had expired. The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected for a full five-year term. After his term expires, the Conference holds a new election, in which the incumbent would not be re-elected.The position de facto rotates among the nine Rulers. The selection of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong initially followed an order based on the seniority (calculated by length of reign) of each Ruler in 1957 at the Federation of Malaya's independence from the United Kingdom. The Conference of Rulers, which has the power to disqualify a candidate, has sometimes varied the original seniority order. Minors are automatically disqualified from office. After each of the nine Rulers of the states had served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the order of seniority was based on the order of the states whose rulers have been elected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The Conference of Rulers has met regularly since 1895. The membership of the council includes the four governors (Yang di-Pertua Negeri), but only royal rulers are allowed to vote and stand for election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Renouncing your Malaysian Citizenship
Everything you need to renounce your Malaysian Citizenship: 1. Passport 2. White immigration card 3. I/C (Singapore & Malaysian) 4. Birth Cert (laminated) 5. Singapore Certificate of Citizenship 6. Expired (or not expired) Malaysian passports 7. If point 6 is N.A., then Letter of Surrender (a.k.a. the letter from High Comm saying that you stopped having a joint passport with your parents) 8. Original Form K, which is yellow. 9. 2 recent passport-sized photos (blue or white background) 10. RM40
Malaysia Day
Malaysia National Day Nation's Independence Day which falls on 31st August every year. Malaysia gained its independence on 31st August, 1957. There is a separate event, called Malaysia Day which is celebrated (low-key) on the 16th of September every year. This is the anniversary of the creation of Malaysia (The Federation of Malay States, Singapore, Sabah & Sarawak) in 1963.