MALAYSIA - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Collection of facts about Malaysia 

Collected by Hj Zulheimy Bin Maamor

Fast Facts:

• Official Name: Malaysia
• Location: in the heart of Southeast Asia 
• 2 parts > Peninsula Malaysia & East Malaysia
• Population: 32,652, 083
• Area: 329,847 sq km, land : 328,657 sq km and water : 1,190 sq km. Malaysia is slightly larger than New Mexico. 
• Capital City : Kuala Lumpur always abbreviated as 'KL'. 
• Malaysia is a Federal Constitutional Monarchy > Comprises of 13 States and 3 Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) . 
• Major Language: Bahasa Malaysia, English,Chinese and Tamil (Bahasa Malaysia is the Official language). 
• Major Religion: Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Hindu (Islam is the official religion).
• Time Zone: UTC+8 (Malaysian Standard Time)
• Remains part of the Commonwealth Nations and part of ASEAN. 
• In 2009 - Malaysia was the Ninth most visited country in the world with over 23.6 millions visitors, according to the World's Tourism Organization (WTO). 

INTERESTING FACTS & MALAYSIA'S RECORDS IN THE WORLD:

1. Air Asia: Malaysia is home to world-class budget airline, the AirAsia. AirAsia isn't just any budget airline; it's an award-winning one! They snag the coveted Skytrax award for Best Low-Cost Airline year after year, showing they're all about quality service. But here's the deal: AirAsia operates on a strict budget.
2. Alocasia Macrorrhiza : largest specimen of leaves in the world, over 3 metres long and nearly 2 metres wide.
3. Alor Setar Tower, Kedah : one of the tallest telecommunication towers in the world and the second tallest in Malaysia. 
4. Aurea Chersonesus : means "Peninsula of Gold" > the old name of Malaysia given by Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy in his book Geographia which he wrote around 150 A.D. 
5. Batu Caves, Selangor: founded by William Hornaday an American naturalist in 1878. 
6. Bintangor tree, Sarawak: found only in Sarawak, East Malaysia are believed to have properties that can actually cure AIDS.
7. Borneo Island, East Malaysia: the 3rd largest island in the world stretching over 743,000 km2 which also have the world's oldest reinforest. There are 26 different ethnic groups while Sabah is home to another 33 ethnics who communicate in over 50 languages and 80 dialects. 
8. Bukit Larut, Taiping, Perak:  the oldest Hill Resort in the country. Credited as the wettest place in Malaysia.
9. Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Melaka: the oldest Chinese temple in the country built in 1646. 
10. Communism: Malaysia is the only place in the world where the war against Communism was won. The 12-year guerrilla warfare conducted by Communist forces was finally put down in 1960. This period was known as the Malayan Emergency.
11. Deer Cave, Miri, Sarawak : located at Mulu National Park at Miri, Sarawak was the world's largest cave passage.
12. Durian: Malaysia's National Fruit > known for its strong odor and spikey exterior. It's so strong that it's often banned in hotels, shopping malls and public transportation. 
13. Eco-Edu Tourism Recreational Forest: Located at Sungai Menyala, Port Dickson was the first eco-edu tourism park in Malaysia.
14. First World Hotel : Located at Genting Highland,Pahang was the world's largest hotel with 7,351 rooms. 
15. Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) : at Kepong, Kuala Lumpur was the world's largest manmade Rainforest.
16. Fort Cornwallis & Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower : is where Captain Francis Light  of the British East India Company first landed on the island in 1786.
17. Fourth Floor in Malaysia: don't be surprised if you do not find the fourth floor in some of the buildings in Malaysia, but a floor called 3A instead. This is because the sound of four bears a resemblance to the sound of death in Chinese. 
18. Geographic Huphegests: The oldest surviving map of the Peninsula is the 13th century Geographic Huphegests (Guide to Geography), based on data collected by Ptolemy. The earliest modern map of Malaya and Sumatra is by Martin Waldseemuller in 1513. 
19. Grand Old Lady : The first Oil Well in Malaysia was Well No.1 situated on top of Canada Hill at Miri, Sarawak, discovered in 1901. 
20. Gua Tempurung: at Gopeng, Perak was the largest cave in Peninsular Malaysia. 
21. Gunung Kinabalu : Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah > The highest mountain in Southeast Asia. 
22. Henry Talalla & Cyril Talalla: two Malaysian who served with the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War. They served with the RAF Spitfire Squadron. Henry Talalla, a pilot in 182 Squadron was killed in action during the Battle of Normandy. There is Jalan Talalla in Kuala Lumpur and Route Henry Talalla at French. 
23. Hibiscus: (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) > the National Flower of Malaysia, chosen on 28 July 1960. 
24. High 5 Bread Museum : Location : Shah Alam, Selangor > the first Bread Museum in Malaysia. 
25. Highway Road in Malaysia: Malaysia has over 65,877 kilometres of highway roads, which is more than 1.5 times around the Earth's circumferences. 
26. Hukum Kanun Melaka: or "The Malacca Code" promulgated in the year 1424 CE by Sultan Muhammad Shah of Malacca. It was used earlier than the British "Bill of Rights" promulgated in 1689, mean that the Malays law are in force earlier than the said British Law. 
27. "Ipoh Mali" : Most Malaysians would be familiar with the expression, “Ipoh mali”, (misspelled from Malay 'Ipoh Mari') used to refer to someone who hails from the capital city of the Silver State (Perak). 
28. Islamic Art Museum: located at Perdana Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur was one of the world's largest models of Mekah's Masjidil al-Haram.
29. Island in Malaysia: Malaysia has over 80,000 islands, including the popular Pulau Langkawi. 
30. Jalur Gemilang: name of the Malaysian Flag created by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammd in 1997. 
31. James Wan: The director of Hollywood film "The Conjuring", is proudly a Malaysian born. Born in Kuching, Sarawak, he's not confined to horror, having directed superhero blockbusters like Aquaman and the adrenaline-pumping Furious 7, both smashing the billion-dollar mark.
32. Jelita Ostrich Farm : at Seremban, Negeri Sembilan > the first Ostrich farm in Malaysia.
33. Jimmy Choo : The Maous shoe designer > was born in Penang, Malaysia. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II. 
34. K.D. Mutiara :The first Royal Malaysian Navy ship to use the prefix "KD" (Kapal DiRaja) was KD Mutiara on 3 November 1961.
35. Kampong Hulu Mosque: at Melaka was the oldest mosque in Malaysia built by Dato' Shamsudin in 1728. 
36. Kampong Kuantan: home to the world's largest firefly colonies, where millions of fireflies light up mangroves trees at night, creating a stunning natural display. 
37. Kek Lok Si Temple: at Ayer Itam,Penang built in 1890 has the largest Buddhist Temple Complex in the World measuring 33 m. 
38. King Cobra : Malaysia is home to one of the world's largest populations of King Cobras. 
39. Kuala Lumpur Railway Station: the old Railway Station in Kuala Lumpur completed in 1911 was designed by A.B Hubback.
40. Kuala Lumpur Tower: Bukit Nenas Kuala Lumpur >  at 421m was the oldest gazetted forest reserve in Malaysia.
41. Langkawi Crocodile Farm : 32 km north of Kuah, Pulau Langkawi houses one of the largest numbers of crocodile and alligator species in the world. 
42. Lata Kijang Waterfall: located at Tapah, Perak was one of Malaysia's tallest waterfall cascading 850m down a steep stretch of rocky slopes.
43. Legoland Nusajaya: located at Nusajaya, Johor was the first Lego-Themed hotel in Asia.
44. Lenggong Archaeological Museum and Gallery : at Kota Tampan Village in Mukim Temelong Lenggong, Perak is the first and only museum in Malaysia specialising in prehistoric archaeology. 
45. Mah Meri Tribe: The Orang Asli tribe at Pulau Carey, Selangor is known to produce some of the world's most evocative wooden masks. 
46. Malaysia's Flag Pole: at the Merdeka Square at Kuala Lumpur is one of the world's highest Flagpole at 100m.
47. Malaysia's Highway: Malaysia has 65,877 kilometres of highway roads in all, which is even greater than the circumference of the Earth (40,075 kilometres). 
48. "Malaysia Truly Asia" : not merely a tagline. The country truly embodies the spirit of racial diversity and unity, which is the very element that makes it unique. 
49. Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve : at Matang District,Perak is regarded as the best-managed sustainable mangrove ecosystem in the world.
50. MEASAT : (Malaysian East Asia Satellite) > the MEASAT 1 was launched on 12 Janaury 1996 atKourou, French Guiana, South America while MEASAT 2 was launched on October 1996.
51. Megadiverse country: Malaysis is recognised as one of the 17 megadiverse countries, meaning there is a very high biodiversity. 
52. Melaka Bird Park: located at Ayer Keroh, Melaka was one of the largest aviaries in Malaysia. 
53. Melaka Planetarium: situated at Ayer Keroh, Melaka, the 3D space Theatre is deemed one of the most sophisticated in Asia.
54. Michelle Yeoh : beloved Hollywood actress and Bond Girl is proudly a Malaysian, born in Ipoh, Perak. 
55. Nasi Lemak: the National dish of Malaysia > made up of fragrant coconut rice, fried anchovies, boiled eggs, cucumber and sambal sauce.Various type of meat such as fish and chicken can be served with it too, creating an incredible mixture of flavours. 
56. National Elephant Conservation Centre : at Kuala Gandah, Lanchang, Pahang is the only one of its kind in Malaysia. 
57. National Monument : at Kuala Lumpur is one of the world's largest free-standing bronze sculptures.
58. Nordmann's Greenshark: found at Kuala Selangor Nature Park was one of the world's rarest birds has been spotted here.
59. Number 4 in Malaysia : Don't be surprised if you do not find the fourth floor in some of the buildings in Malaysia, but a floor called 3A instead. This is because the sound of four bears a resemblance to the sound of death in Chinese. 
60. Olympic Games : The first Olympic Contingent of Malaya was the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games comprised of 6 athletes, 2 swimmers, 18 Hockey players and 4 shooters. There was only one female athlete in the contingent that is Ms Annie Choong who participates in Athletics. 
61. Orang Utan: Asia's only great Ape was only found in Sabah and not found anywhere else in the world. 
62. Penang Bridge:the longest bridge in Asia and the 3rd longest in the world with 8.5 km over water, 13.5 km long.In 1986 it was awarded the American Engineering Excellence Grand Award, and the FIABCI Special Award by the International Real Estatee Federation  of Malaysia in 1993. 
63. Penang Free School:  the oldest English Medium School in Southeast Asia.
64. Penang War Museum: at Batu Maung, Penang > listed as Top 10 Most Haunted Sites in Asia by the National Geographic Channel.
65. Perak Man: dating back some 11,000 years, currently on display at Lenggong Archaelogical Museum in Hulu Perak is the World's oldest complete human skeleton ever found.
66. Perak Museum: in Taiping, Perak is the oldest museum in Malaysia.
67. Peta Padang Bermain Futbal : The Malay version of Football rules was printed in Singapore in 1895, entitled "Peta Padang Bermain Futbal dan peraturan mengatur pemain" drawn by Syed Mahmoed. 
68. Petronas Twin Towers: at Kuala Lumpur are the tallest twin buildings in the world,  the world's highest two-storey bridge that connect the towers. 
69. Pomelo (Citrus Maxima): is the largest citrus fruit in the world found in Malaysia. 
70. Pulau Langkawi: at Kedah considered today as one of the top island to visit in the world.
71. Pulau Redang : located 45 km off the coast of Kuala Terengganu, hold two historic World War II shipwrecks namely the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse. 
72. Pulau Sipadan: at Sabah > The best Diving site in the world.
73. Pulau Tioman : in Pahang is one of the world's finest beach getaways.
74. Putrajaya Roundabout: at Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah is the world's largest roundabout with a diameter of 3.5 km.
75. Putrajaya Wetland : at Putrajaya was the first constructed freshwater wetland in Malaysia.
76. Rafflesia: found in Sabah & Sarawak is  the world's largest flower. The flower can reach up to 1 metre or 3 feet in diameter and weight as much as 10 kg or 22 pounds. 
77. Ringgit: The national currency of Malaysia. The word ringgit means "jagged" in Malay, which refers to the jagged edges of Spanish silver dollars that used to be used in the region.
78. Royal Belum State Park : at Gerik, Perak is one of the largest untouched forest reserves in Peninsular Malaysia. About 3,000 species of flowering plants are found here including Rafflesia, the world's largest flower. 
79. Royal Malay Regiment :The Royal Malay Regiment today was not the first Malay Regiment that was formed in Malaya in 1933. In 1801, the British recruited the local Malay in their wars with the King of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) . These troops were admitted to the service of King George II and was called Malay Regiment.
80. Royal Museum Kuala Pilah: a former Royal Palace of Negeri Sembilan, built out of wood in 1908 without the use of a single nail.
81. Rubber Tree : the original batch of Rubber Tree brought by Englishman H.N. Ridley from London's Kew Garden in 1877 can still be seen at the Kuala Kangsar District Office, Kuala Kangsar, Perak. 
82. Sam Poh Tong Temple : located at Ipoh is the biggest cave temple in Malaysia. 
83. Sarawak Chambers : at Mulu National Park, Miri, Sarawak was the world's largest natural rock chambers. It can accomodate 40 Boeing 747 without the planes even havig to overlap their wings to fit in. 
84. SOGO Shopping Complex: at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur > was previously the first high rise apartment known as Sulaiman Courts which was built in 1957 and had 295 apartments between them. They were demolished in 1986 to make room for the SOGO shopping complex.
85. Sri Maha Mariamman Temple: at Jalan Bandar, Kuala Lumpur is the oldest Hindu Temple in Malaysia.
86. St. George Church: at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Penang built in 1816 was the first Anglican Church in Southeast Asia.
87. St.Mary Cathedral : the first brick church to be erected in the country in 1895.
88. Stadhuys : at Bandar Hilir, Melaka was built by the Dutch in 1605 is the oldest remaining Dutch colonial building left in Southeast Asia.
89. Strait of Malacca : The richest unrecovered treasure from a sunken ship lies on the seafloor in the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. In December 1511, the Portuguese ship Flora de la mar was returning to its home carrying the largest treasure that the Portuguese navy had collected when, unfortunately, the ship sank. Today, the area is patrolled by modern-day pirates. 
90. Submarine Museum : located at Dataran 1 Malaysia in Klebang, Melaka was the first and only submarine museum in Malaysia. It is a decommissioned Agosta 70 Class submarine named SMD Quessant from France. 
91. Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery : located at Kuala Kangsar, Perak was the first concrete palace to be built in Perak. 
92. Sultanate of Kedah is one of the oldest sultanates in the world, established in AD 1136. 
93. Sungai Rejang : at Sibu, Sarawak was the longest river in Malaysia.
94. Sunway Lagoon: at Bandar Sunway, Selangor had the world's largest man-made sandy surf beach as well as Asia's tallest slingshot ride.
95. Sybil Kathigasu: a gallant nurse who sacrified herself in the fight against the Japanese and treated the people on the hill. She was the only Malaysian Woman to be awarded the George Medal, the highest British award for bravery. 
96. Taiping Lake Garden : opened in 1880, is the first cultivated gardens in Malaysia. 
97. Taman Negara: at Pahang is the oldest Natural Rainforest in the world,  older than the Amazon Rainforest, has more than 10,000 species of Plants. Initially called King George V National Park before Malaysian Independence in 1957. 
98. Taming Sari Tower: located at Bandar Hilir, Melaka has the only gyro tower in Malaysia. 
99. Tanjung Piai: located in Southern Johore is the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.
100. Tasik Bera : located 32 km from Jerantut, Pahang is the largest natural freshwater lake in Malaysia and also the country's first Ramsar heritage site. 
101. Teh Tarik: means 'pulling tea' is one of Malaysia's beloved drinks. It's made by throwing the tea back and forth from one cup into another, without any spillages. 
102. Terengganu State Museum : is the largest museum in Southeast Asia, spread across 27 hectares of land in Kampung Losong just 3 km from the city centre. 
103. Terusan Wat Mat Saman : stretching from Alor Setar to Gunung Jerai, built in 1885 was the longest canal in Malaysia.
104. Tree Top Walk & Sungai Sedim: ocated at Kulim Kedah is one of the world's longest tree top walk. 
105. Toong Fong Omnibus: The first Double-Decker bus in Malaya in 1948. 
106. Tualang Tree : the world' tallest tropical tree found in Malaysia, base diameter over 10 feet (3m) and reaches height of around 262 feet (80m).
107. Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad : the Oldest Prime Minister in the World at the age of 92 in 2018. 
108. Underwater World Langkawi : the largest marine and fresh water aquaria in Southeast Asia. 
109. Wat Chayamangkalaram : located at Lorong Burmah, Penang is the 3rd largest reclining Buddha in the world measuring 33 m. 
110. Wet World Shah Alam:is one of the longest uphill Water Coaster rides in the world. 
111. White Coffee in Malaysia: Ipoh in Perak is among the world's pioneers of white coffee. Lonely Planet placed Ipoh alongside Chiang Mai in Thailand and Tokyo, Japan on its list of Top 3 Best Coffee Town in Asia in 2018. 
112. Zenxin Organic Park : at Kluang, Johor is the first and largest organic farm in Malaysia.
113. Zoo Johor : one of the oldest zoo in Malaysia and Asia. 

Other Readings:

1. The Smart Local : 15 Unique Guiness World Records Held by Malaysia That confirm only our locals can achieve. 
2. Malaysian Records
3. Malaysia world Records
4. The Fact Life : 60 Interesting Facts about Malaysia.
5. Fact Retriever: 65 Interesting Malaysia Facts

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

Updated: 8 July 2025: 10.33 p.m