Malaysia Facts and FAQs

Malaysia Facts and FAQ answers some of the questions you may have about Malaysia.

What are the territories / regions in Malaysia?

Malaysia Facts:
Malaysia is divided into two main regions,

West Malaysia (Peninsular) and East Malaysia (Borneo Island).

West Malaysia is a peninsular, which means that it is a long piece of land,
surrounded by water on both sides, except for the northern area that has a border with Thailand.

East Malaysia is located on the Northern shores of Borneo Island,
separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea.
East Malaysia shares its borders with Indonesia (Kalimantan) and Brunei.

Please do not confuse East Malaysia and East Coast Malaysia.

East Malaysia means the part of malaysia that is located on Borneo Island (the states of Sarawak and Sabah).

East Coast Malaysia refers to the states located on West (Peninsular) Malaysia, which are Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Federal Territories in Malaysia are areas that are governed by the Federal Government.

In West Malaysia, the Federal Teritories are Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

In East Malaysia, Pulau Labuan (Labuan Island) is the only Federal Territory.

Kuala Lumpur is the Capital City of Malaysia, whereas Putrajaya is its administrative hub.

What are the names of the states in Malaysia?

Malaysia Facts:
Malaysia is divided into states, which are located in the West Coast, East Coast, Central Region and South Region of Peninsular (West) Malaysia AND two states on the northern shores of Borneo Island.

The states in the West Coast of West Malaysia are:

1.) Kedah (main city: Alor Setar)

2.) Perak (main city: Ipoh)

3.) Perlis (main city: Kangar)

4.) Pulau Pinang (main city: Georgetown) - an island state

The states in the East Coast of West Malaysia are:

1.) Kelantan (main city: Kota Bharu)

2.) Pahang (main city: Kuantan)

3.) Terengganu (main city: Kuala Terengganu)

The state(s) in the Central Region of West Malaysia are:

1.) Selangor

2.) 2 Federal Territories of: Kuala Lumpur (capital city) and Putrajaya.

The states in the South Region of West Malaysia are:

1.) Johor (main city: Johor Bahru)

2.) Melaka (main city: Melaka)

3.) Negeri Sembilan (main city: Seremban)

East Malaysia is located on Borneo Island.

There are two states in East Malaysia and one Federal Territory:

1.) Sabah (main city: Kota Kinabalu)

2.) Sarawak (main city: Kuching)

3.) Pulau Labuan (Federal Territory)

Malaysia Facts:
Ringgit Malaysia or RM is the name of Malaysia's currency.
The Ringgit notes usually comes in the form of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50, RM100.

Sen denotes the Malaysian coins.
It comes in the form of 1sen, 5sen, 10sen, 20sen, 50sen.

Use the Malaysia Currency Converter.

How is Malaysia's Climate Like?

Malaysia Facts:
Since Malaysia is located near the Equator, it has a Tropical Climate.

Temperature can range from 18 degrees Celsius (in the highlands and mountain areas) to 37 degrees Celsius (in some coastal areas).

During the Monsoon Season (November to late February), there is usually heavy rain in certain parts of Malaysia, particularly near coastal areas.

What are the local cuisines of Malaysia?

Malaysia Facts:
Malaysian cuisines are mostly influenced by Malay, Chinese and Indian culture.
To learn more about traditional Malay cuisines, check out:

Malay Food.

Malaysia Food Tips.

What's the difference between Malaysian and Malay?

Malaysia Facts:
If you're a citizen of Malaysia, then your nationality is Malaysian. This is regardless of your race or creed.

Malay is the name of one of the main races in Malaysia. The Malays are the biggest population in Malaysia. 'Malay' is the anglicized version of the word 'melayu', so amongst the Malays and other Malaysians they will call themselves 'melayu'.

The other races in Malaysia are Chinese and Indians, the Orang Asli (Indigenous People in Peninsular Malaysia), the ethnic people of Sarawak (Iban, Kayan, Bidayuh, etc), the ethnic people in Sabah (Kadazan) and the mixed-race groups of Portugese descent in Melaka.
There are also other indigenous groups and sub-groups, but the main bulk of the population is made up of the races mentioned above.

What is Malaysia's National Anthem?

Malaysia Facts:
Malaysia's National Anthem is Negaraku, which means 'my nation' or 'my country'.

To listen to Malaysia's National Anthem, watch the karaoke video below:

Negaraku Lyrics:
Negaraku ... tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup ... bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia ... Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita ... selamat bertakhta.
Rahmat bahagia ... Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita ... selamat bertakhta.

Translated into English from the Malaysian Monarchy Website, the lyrics mean:

Oh, My Motherland ... The Land where my life began,
Where people live ... in harmony and prosperity,
With God-given blessings of happiness,
Our King ... reigns in peace.
With God-given blessings of happiness,
Our King ... reigns in peace.

The literal translation for Negaraku is:

My country ... land where my blood was spilt,
The people live ... united and in progress,
Blessings of happiness ... may God grant,
(And that) our King ... may reign in peace.
Blessings of happiness ... may God grant,
(And that) our King ... may reign in peace.

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