Study, Work or Volunteer in Malaysia

Malaysia is a country in the Southeast Asia which consists of 13 states and 3 federal territories. The largest and capital city is Kuala Lumpur. The newly established administrative capital for the Malaysian federal government is Putrajaya; other key cities include George Town, Johir Bahru, Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Alor Star. Though separated by the South China Sea, the west and east Malaysia share similar landscape – coastal plains with thickly forested mountains and hills. The local weather is equatorial and affected by the annual northeast (October to February southwest (April to October) monsoons.

Its government is framed under a federal constitutional elective monarchy and Parliamentary democracy similar to the Westminster Parliamentary System, a legacy of British colonial ruling. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (traditionally referred to as ‘The King’), the current is Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin while the head of the government is the Prime Minister, and the present is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Presently, Malaysia is regarded as a newly industrialized nation. Its GDP in 2007 based on purchasing power parity is worth approximately $360 billion, the 29th largest in the world. The Malaysian Ringgit, the only legal tender in the country, was an internationalized currency until September of 2008 due to the 1997 East Asia Financial Crisis.

The country’s population is composed of various ethnic groups. The Malays and other bumiputra groups makes approximately 65% of the population followed by Malaysians of Chinese descent at about 27.6%, and of Indian descent at 8%. Islam is the official religion. Almost 61% percent of the population practices Islam; other religions include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religions. Malay and English are the official languages.