HOLIDAY`S MALAYSIA

Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a hidden gem for those willing to try something new. One of the best ways to experience the culture is to attend one of the many Malaysian holiday celebrations.

Malaysia is a beautiful country made up of 13 federated states located in Southeast Asia. Originally British colonies, Malaysia is now a multicultural and multilingual country with aspects of everyday life drawn from native Malay and British customs. The official language spoken here is Bahasa Malaysia, although Chinese residing in the country speak their own dialects of the Chinese language, and other languages are spoken sporadically as well.

The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, and the country's population, spread out among the various states, is about 25 million. Most of the country is Islamic with anyone claiming to be of Malay decent (about 65% of the country) being Muslim. Other religions are also tolerated with Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity also found in Malaysia. Many of the most interesting celebrations in this country, however, are the Muslim holidays. Visiting the country during these periods can be a great experience.

One celebration in Malaysia that shouldn't be missed is the Moon Cake Festival. Ironically, it is a Chinese holiday made popular by the thousands of Chinese immigrants in residence here. This holiday, which takes place in August, September or October (there are no set dates for Muslim holidays, as they follow calculations from a lunar calendar) was started in the Mongolian dynasty of China. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth moon, and it is held to celebrate the end of the harvest season. The celebration is also associated with paper lanterns. The Moon Cake Festival is celebrated with mooncakes, which are round and about the size of your palm. Flavors range from black bean paste to lotus paste to yellow bean paste, and they are traditionally given to elders to foster better relations.

Another holiday in Malaysia worth experiencing is the Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which is a Muslim holiday where you can meet the King and Queen of Malaysia personally. The line for this privilege can stretch for miles outside the palace in Kuala Lumpur, but is worth the wait. After all, how many opportunities do you get to meet a king? During this holiday, Muslims practice an “open house” where anyone can drop by whether you know the hosts or not and share a feast. The Hari Raya Aidilfitri is one of the most festive of Muslim holidays, occurring after the fasting month of Ramadan.

Witnessing a country wide holiday in Malaysia is an experience not to be missed! Contrary to what you may see in the media, people are generally very friendly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

MALAYSIAN HISTORY

Malaysia's History

Malaya (Malacca 1400 - 1511)

Malacca was founded in the 13th century by a Sumatran prince named Parameswara. Perfectly located for trade, it became the most influential port city in Southeast Asia within 50 years.

Traders would arrive in their ships from kingdoms great and small to barter goods and spices. The early Arab traders brought Islam to Malacca. The local chiefs became the sultans heading up a highly organized administration structure whose main purpose was to facilitate trade. Incoming ships were met by multilingual harbour masters. Secured storehouses facilities were provided for traders to store their goods from the interior and abroad.

By building alliances with local tribes and other port cities, Malacca established a regional navy that policed the local waters and escorted friendly vessels. Piracy was largely controlled by this navy.

Success brought prosperity, wealth and power to Malacca. At the height of its power, Malacca controlled the entire west coast of the Malay Peninsula, the kingdom of Pahang, and much of Sumatra.

Colonial Malaya (1511 – 1957)

At the early 16th century, the eastern spice trade was centered in Egypt, and non-Muslim vessels were barred from docking at its port. The emerging European powers saw the need to open up their own trade route to India and the Far East. In 1511, a Portuguese fleet led by Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Malacca harbor and captured the city with canon fire.

The Portuguese constructed a massive fort in Malacca called A Formosa. A century later in 1641, the Dutch captured the city from the Portuguese. This gave the Dutch an exclusive control over the spice trade.

In 1795 the Dutch handed Malacca over to the British when France invaded Holland. The British East India Company had earlier convinced the Kedah Sultan to allow them to build a fort in Penang. The British then were mainly interested in a safe port for ships on their way to China. In 1819 Britain sent Sir William Raffles to establish a trading post in Singapore and together with Penang and Malacca these centres became known as the Straits Settlements.

In the late 1860's, a number of Malay Sultans began a civil war resulting in the British intervention, forcing the Sultans to sign the Pangkor peace treaty in 1874. This gave Britain a foothold in the region, controlling the vast tin and rubber resources in the Malay Peninsula until WW2 when the Japanese invaded Malaya in 1942 and forced the British surrender. Britain resumed control of Malaya after WW2 ended in 1945.

Independence in 1957 - Present Day

The determination for self rule and independence from colonial rule
gathered momentum after the war.

Malaya's independence movement gathered and organized itself in an
alliance under Tunku Abdul Rahman in the early 1950's. The British granted independence to Malaya in 1957 in Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square.

Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first prime minister of Malaya.

In 1961, "Malaysia" was born after Tunku Abdul Rahman convinced
Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to join Malaya in a federal union.
(Singapore ceded from the federation peacefully in 1965).

Malaysia was a mix of people from many races and cultures, and uniting them all was no small effort. Because the Malays represented the majority, the constitution gave them a permanent position as head of the government. Islam was made the national religion and Malay the national language.

Since independence, Malaysia has undergone tremendous growth and prosperity. Today, Malaysia has one of the best airports, highways and telecommunication systems in Asia. Literacy rate is above 90% and poverty level is negligible. It has a secular and democratic government. With a highly educated workforce and modern infrastructure, Malaysia attracts a large amount of foreign investments in the manufacturing and technology sections.