Lifestyle

By: Alix Sunggin

Anyone visiting Malaysia for the first time would not cease to be amazed by the number of festivals and events that are happening the whole year around. Malaysia, with its mix of ethnic races which include Malays, descendants of the Bugis and Javanese, Chinese, Indian and others, features a colourful potpourri of cultural traditions. Many of these traditions are expressed through the festivals that take place the whole year round!

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Major festivals of Malaysia include

* Hari Raya Aidilfitri

After a month of fasting during the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the first day of Syawal which is the tenth month of the Muslim calendar with joyous enthusiasm. This is a major festival for Muslims and they usher in the day with prayers in mosques and remembering their departed loved ones. It is also the time for family reunion when members of the family from different parts of the country get together. The festival mood is with joyous enthusiasm. Special festival dishes are served for festivals and friends during “open house”. The festival mood is reflected is brightly decorated homes, government and commercial buildings. Homes are also lit with all lamps at the entrance in keeping with a long established tradition.

* Chinese New Year

This is the most important festival of the Chinese community and it lasts for a full two weeks! It begins with a reunion dinner which is traditional for every member of the family to attend. Chinese New Year is the time when spirits are appeared and offerings are made to Gods. It is a boisterous festival with the clang of cymbals accompanying lion dances and the thunder of fire crackles filling the air. Guests are entertained to a variety of sumptuous food and drinks and the unmarried youngsters are given Ang Pows – gifts of money enclosed in little red packets. Major hotels and shopping complexes celebrate the occasion by holding lion dances and special Chinese programmers to entertain their clients.

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* Deepavali

This is a Hindu festival of light. Homes of Hindus are lit with little lights to signify the victory over darkness for the Hindus believe that this is the day when the forces of good overcame the forces of evil. Deepavali is a major festival of the Hindus and on the eve prayers are held both at home and in the temples.Hindus take a traditional oil bath in the early hours of the morning on Deepavali day and after prayers entertain their friends and guests to “open house.

* Christmas

The birth of Christ is celebrated by Christians in Malaysia in the true traditional style. Most Christians homes are decorated with festoon and coloured lights and the Christmas tree is a must! Young Christians go carolling days before Christmas day to usher in the Yuletide spirit. Churches hold midnight masses on the eve of Christmas. The festival is celebrated on a national scale in Malaysia and Christians hold “open house” to entertain their friends and colleagues.

* Thaiponggol

In Malaysia, Thaiponggol is a harvest festival celebrated out of season because it is fixed in the Hindu calendar. Tamils celebrate this festival around the second week of January. While it is still dark, farmers rise and cook some of the newly harvested grain. Ponggol is the presentation of the cooked harvested grain to the sun at dawn.

However, for urban families, this ritual has been adapted to their own living conditions. Here the family rises, bathes and gets dressed before dawn. This is done without the use of any form of light. When everyone is ready, wearing their best clothes, they assemble around a display of fruits and flowers. Only then are lamps lit.

* National Water Festival

Water resource plays an important role in the socio-cultural and economic development of the Malaysian society. Apart from functioning as a communication system, an economic, resource and determinant of early settlement pattern of the Malaysian society, it had also been a place where families carried out their recreational activities in the past. Therefore, water resource in whatever form should be protected, valued and utilized to the maximum.

The fun gets merrier with the drinking of the inevitable tapai which is an alcoholic drink made from rice wine. Apart from these, there are also organised agriculture shows, buffalo races, cultural performances and traditional games as part and parcel of the festive celebrations.

* Gawai Dayak

The Gawai Dayak festival is celebrated by the Dayaks of Sarawak who live in longhouses. Being one of the major festivals of the community, it is celebrated on a grand scale and lasts for a week. The Gawai Dayak festival marks the transitional period between the season of rice harvesting and the new planting season. Hence, it is a reason of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest and also a time to rest from work before the new planting season. The sound of boisterous laughter, convivial talk, drinking, dancing and merry-making will echo relentlessly all through the days of this exotic and colourful festival.

* Penang International Dragon Boat Festival

The Penang’s first Dragon Boat Race was held in 1956 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Municipality of George Town. 10 years later the race was revived as part of the Pesta Pulau Pinang. The Pesta races was originally confined to participation from the local teams such as teams from Government Department, associations and commercial establishments. However, in 1979, the boat festival became an international tourism carnival with 2 participation from overseas, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Penang International Dragon Boat Festival has participating teams all over the world include Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Macau, Thailand, Japan, Britain, West Germany, USA and others.

* Nine Emperor Gods Festival

The Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods falls on the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar. Devotees flock to the temples throughout the country for this religious festival. The Nine Emperor Gods are part of a spirit-medium cult known locally as ‘Jieu Hwang Yeh’. These Nine Deities are believed to dwell in the stars in heaven under the reign of ‘Thien Hou’ – the Queen of Heaven.

A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most devotees stay at the temple, take vegetarian meals and recite continuous chanting of prayer. A procession to send the Nine Emperor Gods home then takes place to complete the rites of this religious festival.

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More information about Festival in Malaysia just go to http://malaysia.tourism-asia.net/malaysia-festivals.html

By: Donald Jones

The pet monkey named Joyng bit through her leash and romped through the fronds of the palm trees, celebrating her freedom. She paused occasionally to heave a coconut down at the sweat-soaked baseball cap of her frantic owner, who was chasing wildly after her and, in the Terengganu dialect which Joyng knew, beseeching her to come down. Such is life in tropic Malaya’s resorts–better known to Europeans (especially Germans) than Americans. Guests enjoy the sun, sandy beaches, swimming pools, eco-tourism, river cruising, ocean diving, jungle trekking, remainder-to-remnant massages and spacious villas in the architectural styles of the Malayan Archipelago.

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They will also find crab-feeding monkeys, noisy hornbills and monitor lizards sunning them selves on the green lawns as their neighbors. Our press grouping’s have was limited to impertinent local culinary art, sleeping in comfortable villas, snorkeling in warm seas and partaking in 3 health club treatments, which together created a perfect high gear-enjoyment refuge memory. We had first base flown into Kuala Lumpur, ’s modern capital city, which everyone calls “KL.” The cosmopolitan city and business center gained new public awareness when the Petronas Twin Towers topped out in 1996 and occupancy began in early 1997. Tower One is occupied by Petronas, the state-owned petroleum corporation. Tower Two houses Petronas’ associate companies and multinationals. The towers are joined by the 192-foot-long sky bridge on levels 41 and 42.

Our final examination dinner was at the Fisherman’s Cove Restaurant, which offered an Asian-fusion of Western grill, Taiwanese dishes, Italian specialties and impudent seafood. The open kitchen, views and state-of-the-art design made it the ultimate dining know at Pangkor Laut. Our drive back to KLIA for our flight home was notable because it was on Ching Ming, the day that people from the Formosan communities traditionally sojourn cemeteries to honor and show respect to their ancestors. The many final exam resting places that we passed, all senior high school on hillsides, were thick with devotees and there were no places left to park on the highway.

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is a great place to inflict, but be prepared for heat, overwhelming humidity and thunder-showers every afternoon, depending on the time of year. Monsoon temper starts around the beginning of October and continues to January-February. A haunt arrest, with its breezes, is fresher than a check in KL, and dress is more casual. Airlines flies five times a week ‘tween Los Angeles (LAX) and KL via Taipei and III times a week betwixt New York (JFK) and KL via Stockholm. Airlines’ crown jewel, the Golden Lounge, is the world’s largest business–and first gear-class airport passenger lounge, with good food plus corners in which to relax and check your e-mail. Pangkor Laut Recourse was included on the Circus tent Ten Overseas Hotel Spas-Asia and 100 Big top Spas Worldwide 2004 lists by Conde Nast Traveller.

Opened on March 1, 1979, the repair has been extensively refurbished under new management. It features 126 luxury villas and 22 resort hotel villas plus a watering place building and two swimming pools. It is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World mathematical group. Tanjong Jara Refuge won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its updated interpretation of a 17th-century sultan’s palace.

It was given the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences’ 5-Star Diamond Award and the top award in the Malaysian National Landscaping Competition.

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women from all ethnicities and it is also the most common cause of cancer death among

women in Malaysia. The disease accounts for 30.4% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in Malaysian women. The incidence continues to rise as confirmed by the latest report of the Malaysian National Cancer Registry (Lim, Halimah, & Lim, 2003). Breast cancer incidence for 2002 is 4,337, compared to 3,825 for the year 2000. The actual number of women infected by the disease could be higher than the official figures as many women fail to seek treatment for various reasons.

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In many developed nations the disease is prevalent among older women, but in Malaysia, the first and latest survey reveals that 52.3 percent of the cases of breast cancer involve women below 50 years of age. Over one third of the cases are in the pre-menopausal group. The disease strikes at the time when most working women are still raising children and establishing themselves in a career. In addition, the type of cancers that are found in this age group are often more difficult to treat.

Although, official rates of breast cancer mortality are not known, the number of deaths reported by a study released in the year 2001 is cause for alarm. According to the report, in the year 2000 deaths from the disease totaled 1,707; that is, close to 45 % of the cases result in death. The actual figure may be higher, owing to the underreporting of cases and the difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics from some geographically remote places. Unconfirmed reports suggest that although Malay women have the lowest incidence rates of breast cancer among the three major ethnic groups (incidence is reportedly highest among the Chinese, followed by the Indian), they have the highest mortality rates.

The Malaysian Medical Association asserts that women who were less likely to undergo breast examination are at a higher risk of late detection of breast cancer. This scenario is reportedly more prevalent among women who have low or no formal education, come from rural areas, live in agricultural communities, and are from low-income families (Lim, 2003). Furthermore, unofficial reports also suggest that many of the women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer often fail to seek treatment or discontinue their treatment.At present, there is scant research being carried out to understand these phenomena in Malaysia. Moreover, there is no institutional set up that concentrates upon utilizing such knowledge, even if it is available. Such a set up is crucial in the development and dissemination of culturally, ethically and linguistically appropriate breast cancer educational materials to effectively change those behaviors and beliefs that impede accurate understanding about the disease and the treatment of the disease.

Excerpts from National Cancer Registry (2003)

a. The most common cancer among women
b. The most common cancer among females in all ethnic groups
c. The most common cancer among females from age 20 years
d. 4337 new cases diagnosed in 2002.
e. 52.3% of the new cases in 2002 were in women below 50 years old
f. Overall crude rate (CR) –number of cases first notified for a given population – 45.1 per 100,000
g. Age-standardize incidence (ASR) – for meaningful comparison
of 2 population that differ in their age structure – 52.8
h. A women in Malaysia had a 1 in 19 chance of getting the diseases (1:14 for Chinese, 1:15 for Indian, and 1 in 24 for Malay)

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From a study in two breast clinic in Kuala Lumpur Taken from : Yip, C.H., & Abdullah, N.H. (2003) Spectrum of breast cancer in Malaysian Women: Overview. World Journal of Surgery 27, 921-923

a. Peak age group range 40-49 years
b. The mean tumor size at presentation 5.4 cm
c. 50-60% of the newly diagnose cases are at stage 3 and 4
d. The tumor were much larger in Malay ethnic group patients
e. The advance stage of breast cancer is observed to be the highest among the Malay ethnic group
f. Percentage of advance cases is thought to be higher in rural hospitals
g. There are 16 breast clinic for 23 mil. population ( way below recommendation of 1:16 mil)
h. Nation-wide breast screening program is yet to be established
i. Situation in East Malaysia is not yet known
j. Delays in seeking treatment and defaults in further treatment are commonly observed.

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by Ahmad Munawwar Rahmat

When you think of Malaysia the first thing that comes to mind is vibrant colors, spices and the tropical weather of a never-ending summer. Malaysia is a very popular destination for tourists around the world and for a good reason, it offers just about everything you can wish and hope to do on a vacation in order to have fun, relaxation, excitement as well as trying your hand at becoming rich over night in the famous Malaysia casinos at the Genting Group.

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The Genting Group is situated about an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia on the top of one of the mountain peaks of the Titiwangsa Mountains at 2000 meters above sea level. Genting Group is one of the most famous resorts in Malaysia; it has the largest hotel in the world boasting 6,118 rooms, which beats the MGM Grand of Las Vegas, which has 5,690 rooms and is the second largest hotel in the world.

Genting Group also shelters the only legal Malaysia casinos and where you will be delighted to find every game you can think of and more. There are 426 game tables and 3,140 slot machines open 24 hours a day for the entertainment of the guests.

The best way to enjoy all the luxurious facilities the Genting Group resort has to offer is to stay in their hotel for the duration of your vacation; you can have access to the casino 24 hours a day and when you decide to explore Malaysia you can jump in a car and head to Kuala Lumpur as it is a short drive away.

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Besides the beautiful casino, the Genting Group resort offers everything a five star hotel promises, swimming pools, shopping arcade, a variety of restaurants and even a theme park that is similar to the Disney World, which your children will simply adore irrelevant of the age group.

In Malaysia casinos you have to be 18 years of age to gamble or enjoy any alcoholic beverage. Do not venture in other casinos besides the one available in the Genting Group, as they are not government approved and therefore not legal. However, once you visit the Genting Group resort and its casino it is unlikely that you will wish to spend your time and changes of winning anywhere else in the country. Malaysia’s only casino is build to provide all the entertainment you can hope for and who knows this may be the right place where lady luck may smile down on you too.

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by Adel Awwad

The Southeast Asian country Malaysia is a federation of 13 states, which was formed in 1963. Prior to 1963, the Federation of Malaya was known as Persekutuan Tanah Melayu in Malay. The name Malaysia was adopted in 1963 when Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaya. Singapore left the federation in 1965.

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The capital city of Malayasia is Kuala Lumpur while Putrajaya is the newly created administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia. The prime minister’s office moved in 1999 and the move is expected to be completed in 2005. Kuala Lumpur remains the seat of parliament, as well as the commercial and financial capital of the country. Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru and Kuching.

The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape. In both West and East Malaysia coastal plains rise to densely forested hills and mountains. The highest peak of Malayasia is Mount Kinabalu at 4,095.2 metres (13,435.7 ft) on the island of Borneo. The southernmost tip of continental Asia is Tanjung Piai which is located in the southern state of Johor. The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and West Malaysia, is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.

Malaysia’s population is comprised of many ethnic groups, with the politically dominant Malays making up the majority. About a quarter of the population are Chinese. These Chinese have been playing an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of Indian descent comprise about 10% of the population. About 90% of the Indian community is Tamil but various other groups like Malayalis, Punjabis and Telugus are also present. Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than half of the state of Sarawak’s population, constitute about 66% of Sabah’s population, and also exist in much smaller numbers on the Peninsula, where they are collectively called Orang Asli. There are dozens of non-Malay ethnic groups who share some general cultural similarities. Other Malaysians also include those of, inter alia, European, Middle Eastern, Cambodian, and Vietnamese descent.

The total population is 24,385,858. Population distribution in Malaysia is uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the Malay Peninsula. The life expectancy of Malaysian population is 72.5.

Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and Islam is the country’s official religion. The main religions are Islam (60.4%), Buddhism (19.2%), Hinduism (6.3%), and Christianity (9.1%mostly in East Malaysia, i.e. Borneo). The aforementioned figures may be skewed as they do not take into account the fact that all Malay persons are officially regarded and treated as Muslim, regardless of private belief.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society, which consists 65% Malays and other indigenous tribes, 25% Chinese, 7% Indians. The native language of Malays is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Bahasa Malaysia which is largely similar to Bahasa Melayu in most practical terms which is the national language of the country.

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The local climate of Malaysia is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons. Malaysia is well-endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry as well as minerals. Malaysia is the world’s primary exporter of natural rubber and palm oil, which together with saw logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco dominate the growth of the sector. Palm oil is also a major foreign exchange earner.

The rapid expansion of the timber industry, particularly after the 1960s, has brought about a serious erosion problem in the country’s forest resources. Today an estimated 59 percent of Malaysia remains forested. Substantial areas are being silviculturally treated and reforestation of degraded forest land is also being carried out. The Malaysian government provide plans for the enrichment of some 312.30 square kilometres (120.5 sq mi) of land with rattan under natural forest conditions and in rubber plantations as an intercrop. To further enrich forest resources, fast-growing timber species such as meranti tembaga, merawan and sesenduk are also being planted. At the same time, the government encouraged the cultivation of high-value trees like teak and other trees for pulp and paper. Rubber, once the mainstay of the Malaysian economy, has been largely replaced by oil palm as Malaysia’s leading agricultural export. Today Malaysia has turnrd into modern industrialised nation rather than a tin and rubber exporter.

If you are planning a visit to Malaysia there are Several prepaid calling card and phone card companies available to call both to and from Malaysia.

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by Josiah William