Selamat Datang or " Welcome To Malaysia". This is our warmest welcome to you. Malaysia's attractions are many. The people, the culture and the lanscape often leave many visitors with unforgettable pleasent memories. Malaysia are known for their friendliness and hospitality. If you stop a hurrying stranger to ask for directions to a destination, nine out of ten times, he or she will ablige. Respect for elders is also deeply ingrained in Malaysia, and courtesy is our way of life.
Not many countries in the world can match Malaysia in terms of cultural diversity. The types of food that you can savour come from the Four Corner of the world - America, French, Mediterranean, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese and many more. Our places of worship range from mosques to churches, temples and pagodas.
Our natural attractions consist of tropical rainforests for safari, mountain range for trekking, unspoiled island for relaxing and sunbathing, Flora-rich wetlands where birds of sountless species can be found and riverine floodplains where the crocodiles can sometimes be seen. In the interiors of some Malaysian states live some rare flora and fauna such as pigs with beards, lizards that san fly, fish with legs, plants that can eat rats, monkeys with elongated nose and flowers the size of a football which stink!.
Shopping is also one of our main attractions. A long list og goods as tax exempt and the multifarious variety of goods offered caters to both the bud-get-conscious and the well-heeled. Batik, Langkawi crystal-ware, pewter-ware, pandanus mats, bamboo blowpipes, wooden clogs, handmade Iranian carpets, antique furniture from china, designer clothes from Paris and many more are favourite buys.
The Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2007 campaign was launched on 31st December 2005. The VMY 2007 campaign is held in conjunction with the golden jubilee of the nation’s independence. It is designed to make Malaysia a top-of-mind destination; the yearlong campaign comprises various promotions and marketing strategies. Tourists will be prompted to plan their visit to Malaysia through information about the country’s wealth of holiday destinations throughout 2006.
The calendar of events, detailing major events in Malaysia and other related activities for VMY 2007 include the installation of the new king in January 2007 and the country’s much anticipated 50th Independence Day celebrations in late August 2007.
The auspicious day was officiated by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Tourism, at Dataran Merdeka, the historic Independence Square in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.In his speech, Najib said that the programme would foster better unity, harmony and well being among Malaysians and showcase a peace-loving nation to the world.
The VMY 2007 campaign is the third following two previous ones that were successfully held in 1990 and 1994. It is expected to increase the number of foreign arrivals to the country to 20 million in 2007. The country targets to attract some 17.3 million tourists during 2006.
Malaysia’s history evolved out of invasions and influences due to its strategic position between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. Prior to arrival of Islam, a Hindu-Buddhist flourished in the northern state of Kedah, reputed to be the most ancient state in the country. Archaeological findings at Bujang Valley furnish evidence of a Hindu-Buddhist civilization that dates back to 300 AD. It thrived as an important centre of trade and commerce until the 13th century when it waned in importance because down south Melaka was establishing itself as a trading centre. Abundant in clove, nutmeg and pepper, Malacca attracted colonial powers who coveted the monopoly of the spice trade.
The strategic importance of the state brought the Portuguese in 1509, then the Dutch who attacked and defeated the Portuguese in 1641, and ruled for 154 years. Then, came the British. The British, who already had two ports, Penang and Singapore, penetrated inland. By the 1920s, all the Malay States on the peninsula came under British protection. Malay nationalism and desire for self-rule was felt around the 1930s. A call for independence was made but the move was halted by the Second World War. Later, the movement resumed and independence was declared on 31 August 1957.
In 1963, Malaysia was formed, bringing together the states of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. Singapore, however, left the federation in 1965. Malaysia is a strong member of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which was formed to promote regional growth and cooperation among member nations.
Guiding the people of a young and developing nation in endeavoring to bring about the national unity were the principles of Rukun Negara or National Philosophy. The five guiding principles acceptable to all races were Belief in God, Loyalty to King and Country, the Supremacy of the Constitution, the Rule of the Law and Mutual Respect and Good Social Behaviour. Awareness that existence of socioeconomic imbalances in a mufti-racial society will result in instability led to the creation of the New Economic Policy in 1970. By 1990 poverty had been reduced from 49.3 percent to 17.1 percent. 1990 roughly marked the end of the first generation of Malaysians after the country’s Independence from the British in 1957.
Further careful economic and social planning for the future led to the National Development Plan, the successor of New Economic Policy. A new stage of development for Malaysians began with Vision 2020, the country’s blueprint for the future. It gave Malaysians a ‘mental picture’ to look ahead and become a fully-developed nation ‘in their own mould’ by the year 2020. Not only must Malaysians be developed economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically, culturally but also fully developed in terms of national unity. The first objective of Vision 2020 is, in fact, for the Malaysian people to become a ‘united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. Malaysians must be at peace with themselves, territorially and ethically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one Bangsa Malaysia with political loyalty and dedication to the nation.
They must establish a ‘matured and liberal society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise their customs, cultures and religious beliefs’. Another challenge of Vision 2020 calls for the achievement of a ‘prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. Yet another seeks to create a ‘ fully caring society and a caring culture’ in which the less fortunate, underpriviliged and disadvantaged are cared for. Vision 2020 also lists a ’scientific and progressive society’, a society that is innovative and forward looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilization of the future.
Guided by the visionary plan of the Government, Malaysians understand the great leaps they have to make in a globalised world. Young, dynamic and resilient, the people of Malaysia seek out the future with the knowledge that mutual respect for each other’s culture, traditions, religious beliefs and way of life will not only created a peaceful social environment for the nation of mufti-ethnic people but also result in political stability and a strong economy for the nation. Through unity in diversity, Malaysians look set to strive ahead confidently in the country’s fast paced development in trade and commerce, banking and finance, manufacturing, transportation, information technology and tourism.
