Some call this country the Food Paradise, and others call it the Land of Beautiful Islands. No matter what you want to call it, Malaysia is undoubtedly the hidden gem of Asia. Some attractions of this country include the Batu caves and the Petronas twin towers.
Also, it is a beautiful country that offers fantastic seashores, sunshine, scenic views, and rich culture in equal measure.
Hence, in this article, we will now discuss some interesting and fun facts about this fantastic country with a fast-growing economy called Malaysia.
Interesting Malaysia facts
The old name of Malaysia is Aurea Chersonesus.
Malaysia was not always known as Malaysia because it used to be called Aurea Chersonesus. This term translates to the peninsula of gold, and Ptolemy gave this name in his book Geographia.
He wrote this book in approximately 150 AD. This name is one of the old names of Malaysia that you may not hear anymore.
The flag-designing contest
The interesting concept of designing the flag was held when the famous Malayan Union actually replaced the Federation of Malaysia.
Mr. Mohamad Hamzah, a 29-year-old architect, designed it, and in the year 1963, he won this unique flag-designing contest.
He worked on two different designs in just two weeks, and one turned out to be the flag of Malaysia that you see today.
Here canning is a form of punishment by law.
Though it might sound ancient, canning is still one type of punishment in Malaysia by law. However, the maximum number of canning strokes someone may order is 24.
Moreover, men over 50 years and boys under 10 years can’t undergo this punishment unless they are guilty of rape.
Malaysia is a multinational country.
Malaysia is a fascinating country and the hub of various cultures throughout Southeast Asia because people from all over the planet live here.
Another excellent fact about this country is that no matter what your actual background is, people learned to get along with each other and live here despite cultural differences.
However, the top three races you may see in this country are Indians, Chinese, and Malays.
Here pregnant women should not kill or tie anything
In Malaysia, pregnant women are not supposed to tie or kill anything, as it is believed to bring deformities or birthmarks to the newborn child.
Besides that, it is also believed best that women must refrain from watching anything ugly or scary while they are pregnant. However, these are actually some forms of superstition.
The most famous dish in Malaysia
Malay food usually incorporates many different elements you might not see in other cuisines. One of the most famous and important dishes in Malaysia is Nasi Lemak.
This great dish includes fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk, which is then wrapped inside a banana lead. Including Nasi Lemak, all other Malaysian foods are incredibly tasty and diverse due to the mix of cultures.
Malaysia is home to the world’s tallest twin buildings
Malaysia is home to the tallest twin building in the world, the Petronas Towers. This building is one of the most famous landmarks in Malaysia, with an impressive height of 1400 feet.
Though this building remained the tallest building in the world till 2004, with 88 stories, it is still loved by many travelers worldwide.
Malaysia is home to the largest flower in the world
In Malaysia, you may see some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. One of the planet’s most interesting and unique flowers also grows in this country.
This unique flower is produced by a specific plant known as Rafflesia Arnoldii, which because of its strong, pungent smell, is also popular as the Corpse Lily.
Another interesting fact about this unique flower is that it is the largest flower on the planet which may sometimes grow over 3 feet in length and weighs about 7 kilograms.
Malaysia is a notable exporter of tropical fruits.
Malaysia can be regarded as one of the top exporters of tropical fruits, as this country is blessed with various types of fruits throughout the year.
A good part of these tropical fruits is exported to many countries due to their abundance.
Some tropical fruits Malaysia exports include mangos, papaya, lychee, dragon fruit, and much more. Also, these fruits are worth hunting down for a taste.
The Locals use “Lah” often.
While talking with Malaysians, you might have noticed that they habitually use the word”lah” at the end of almost every sentence.
This word is used as an exclamation because most people use it to exaggerate a statement. So, you can use “lah” if you wish to exaggerate something.
Mount Kinabalu is the highest point here.
The highest point in this beautiful country is Mount Kinabalu. This point is also considered sacred to the Kadazan Dusun people.
According to the belief of these people, when they pass away, the souls travel upwards to the creator; however, before that, they need to wait on the peak for emancipation. So, while hiking this peak, people should show respect.
Home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites
There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in this fantastic country, Malaysia. These include Kinabalu Park, Gunung Mulu National Park, the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley, and Melaka and George Town.
So, many travelers visit this country to enjoy these famous world heritages.
Home to the world’s largest cave chamber
In Malaysia, the Sarawak Cave Chamber is a unique cave formation situated within Gunung Mulu National Park.
This cave is the world’s biggest single chamber, measuring around 415 meters in width, 600 meters in length, and 80 meters in height.
This unique chamber is filled with stunning stalactite and stalagmite formations that glisten because of their calcite deposits.
Many of these fantastic formations are lit up with colored lights that make them an amazing sight to behold. It is another captivating fact about Malaysia.
The national currency of Malaysia
The national currency of Malaysia is Ringgit, which means ‘jagged’ in the Malay language. This also refers to the serrated edges of the silver dollars of Spain that were used in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Kedah Sultanate
The earliest Sultanate of the Malay Peninsula is the earliest sultanate of Kedah. However, this sultanate is also considered the oldest in the world. Believed to be founded in 1136 AD, Sultan Mudzafar Shah I was recorded as the first Sultan of Kedah.
The Malayan Tiger
Malaysia is home to its own one-of-a-kind species of a huge striped orange cat, also called the Malayan Tiger.
These tigers can be seen on the Malay Peninsula and have also been seen in Pahang, Kelantan, and Johor.
However, this unique cat species is now critically endangered, and just 350 of these attractive tigers now exist in the world.
Also, this country is believed to be home to one of the planet’s largest populations of king cobras.
The national drink of Malaysia
Malaysia’s national drink is Teh Tarik, which means pulled tea. To make this drink, tea is thrown from a height of almost 1 meter from one cup to another by trained Mamak men without any spillages.
Though the concept behind this procedure was to let the tea cool down so that customers could enjoy it, it has become a Malaysian art form.
Birthplace of Jimmy Choo
Penang in Malaysia is the birthplace of the famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo. He was the favorite designer of Princess Diana and was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003.
The richest unrecovered treasure
The richest unrecovered treasure from the sunken Portuguese ship lies on the seafloor in Malaysia’s Strait of Malacca.
In December 1511, the ship Flora de la Mar, or Flower of the Sea, returned home with the largest treasure the Portuguese navy had gathered when the ship sank.
However, today, this Malaysian strait is patrolled by modern-day pirates.
The Malaysian bride
Brides in this country wear their wedding rings on their right hand. This ring is placed on the fourth finger of this hand by a senior female relative of the groom.
Here, the groom cannot place the ring by himself.
Wearing yellow is not allowed here.
Wearing yellow color is banned in Malaysia. Hundreds of demonstrators wearing yellow T-shirts covered the streets of Kuala Lumpur in 2016 to ask for the resignation of the Prime Minister.
From that time, wearing this color has been banned, and anyone found wearing yellow has been subject to arrest.
The Iban community
Sarawak province’s Iban community calls a newborn child ‘ulat’, a worm until the child is named.
When a child is to be named, it has to be after the name of a deceased relative because it is believed that naming a baby after a living relative can shorten the life of the baby.
After several names are shortlisted, rice balls representing each name are prepared, and the first ball that the fighting cock pecks at will decide the nameof the baby.
The trees of Malaysia
In Malaysia, you will see one of the tallest tropical trees in the world, called the Tualang. This tree has a base diameter of more than 10 feet and can grow up to 262 feet in height.
Moreover, this country is the world’s third-largest natural rubber producer on the planet and the largest supplier of rubber gloves.
So, Malaysia is a great and fascinating country with its delicious cuisine, beautiful coastlines, excellent vegetation, rich history, exciting culture, significant buildings, beautiful landscapes, and many more.
At the end of this article, we have learned 23 fascinating facts about Malaysia that offer a clear picture of this exciting country. To get some additional amazing facts, you can see our website.
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