Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur Population: 30 million Language: Malay, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Chinese Time: GMT+8 International Dialling Code: +60
Money: Ringgit (Myr) Visa: Not required by UK nationals. Further Information: Tourism Malaysia
Malaysian High Commission: Malaysian High Commission (0203) 931 6196
When to go: This is a country that receives rain all year round, during June to September it eases off although the thunderstorms come with clear weather immediately following. Penang from December to March has long sunny dry day, the real downpour Is from August to November. The east coast of peninsular Malaysia is drenched during November and December. East Malaysia has steady rain throughout the year with a monsoon coming in December and January.
Malaysian cultural icons: Sheila Majid Music: Ronggeng music is popular around the south of the country and KL, styles from Indonesia proliferate including Quasidah too.
Malaysia’s a great place for us Brits to hang out, for a start the Sultan Abdul Samad administrative buildings were built by Britain in the 19th century and the Cameron Highlands along with Penang and Kuala Lumpur offer in turns British weather, tropical island panache and a sweetly cosmopolitan capital where one can actually and literally chill out in the most modern of malls. Sabah and Sarawak are the two rugged provinces on Borneo where a trek back in time and distance is a wondrous highlight