Country Trading Profiles Malaysia

Political outline | Living conditions | Useful resources | Communications

Political outline

Executive Power: The head of state is the Paramount Ruler, commonly referred to as the King. The King is selected from nine hereditary rulers (called Sultans) of the Malay states to serve a five-year term; the other four states (which have titular Governors) do not participate in the selection. Following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins most seats in the lower house of the parliament becomes the Prime Minister to serve a five-year term, subject to approval by the King. The Prime Minister is the head of the government and holds the executive powers which include implementation of the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the country . The Cabinet is appointed by the Prime minister from among the members of parliament with the consent of the Paramount Ruler.
Legislative Power: The legislature in Malaysia is bicameral. The parliament consists of: the Senate (the upper house) having 69 seats, out of which 43 appointed by the Paramount Ruler and 26 appointed by the 13 state assemblies to serve six-year terms; and the House of Representatives (the lower house) having 219 seats. Its members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. The King can dissolve parliament if he wishes but usually only does so upon the advice of the Prime Minister. In general, more power is vested in the executive branch of government than in the legislative. The legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. Each state has its own government, a cabinet with executive authority, and a legislature that deals with matters not reserved for the federal parliament. The people of Malaysia have limited political rights.
Main political parties: Malaysia is a country with one dominant party. The UMNO (National Organization for a United Malaysia) is the largest political party in the country. It has ruled the country uninterruptedly since its independence from the UK in 1957. UMNO is known for being a major proponent of Malaysian nationalism and Islamic ideology. UMNO rules the country through a coalition called BN (National Front); its other two prominent members are:
- MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) – a party of Chinese who are citizens or long-term residents of Malaysia;
- MIC (Malaysian Indian Congress) – representing the Indian community in Malaysia;
- Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.
Current political leaders: Paramount Ruler: King - Tuanku Abdul HALIM Mu'adzam Shah (since 11 April 2012);
Prime Minister: Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (since April 2009) – UMNO, heading the BN coalition government.
Next election dates: Paramount Ruler: 2016

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for travelers over one year old coming from affected areas. Countries and areas included in endemic areas are considered as affected areas. The risk of malaria only exists in some places limited to the hinterland. Urban and coastal areas have no malaria, except in Sabah where there is year round risk, mainly of the malignant P. falciparum form. There are reports of some strains of P. falciparum resistant to chloroquine; a few cases of resistance of the parasite to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine have been reported. Preventive treatment recommended in areas of risk: C+P; in Sabah, MEF. MALAWI.
Protect yourself against traveler's diarrhea. The most risky foods are those dishes which are prepared and eaten cold later; seafood, meats, fish which are under- or poorly cooked, and raw vegetables as well as fruit you have not peeled yourself. Drinking water must be boiled, filtered or drunk from sealed bottles. Decontaminating tablets (Hydroclonazone, Micropur) are partially effective. Avoid walking barefoot on sand or wet/muddy soil. Vaccination against rabies is justified for long, touring trips or for expatriation, especially for children. In any case, contact with wandering animals must be avoided. The Jevax vaccination (against Japanese encephalitis) is justified for long, touring trips in rural areas or for expatriation especially for professionals in rural areas.
Cases of the "Nipah" virus and Japanese encephalitis were reported in 1999. Dengue fever persists all over the country. Intermittently "Haze" is found (polluting smoke).
The quality of water is generally very acceptable, at least in the capital; elsewhere, it is best to be careful and use disinfecting tablets (like Micropur) or germ filtering procedures (like Katadyn), which are very reliable and practical nowadays.
International hospitals: Going to a private clinic or hospital is recommended. There are many of them near residential areas, shopping malls and business districts.
For further information on sanitary conditions: WHO website
For further information on safety conditions: Advice to travelers from the US Department of State
Contact your Embassy: Honorary Consulate of Greece in Malaysia
340-33-1, vista Damai 340, jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: (00603) 27752388
Fax : (00603) 27752688
niotis@pd.jaring.my

Emergency numbers

Firemen	994
Police and ambulances	999
Civil defense	991

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Kuala Lumpur (GMT+8 )
Summer time period: None

Map of the time zone

Type of climate: Malaysia is a hot, humid tropical country with temperatures from 21°C to 35°C. The rainy season is from April to August and October to December, and the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula has the monsoon between November and March.

For further information: Malaysian meteorological center
World Meteorological Organization

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

To find an accommodation: Lonely Planet, Accommodations
To find an apartment: Penang Properties
Carey Real Estate SDN Bhd
I&T Properties

Allo'Expat Malaysia
Malaysia's Free and EZ Classifieds
To find a job: JobsDB Malaysia
Asiaco Jobs Center

Communications

Telephone codes: To make a call from Malaysia to Greece: dial 00 (or +) 30
To make a call to in Malaysia from Greece: dial 00 (or +) +60
Mobile telephone standards: GSM, GPRS, 3G
Internet suffix: .my

COUNTRY TRADING PROFILES

General Information

Political outline

Living conditions

Health and safety

Emergency numbers

Time difference and climate

Map of the time zone

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

Communications