Currency
The currency of Malaysia is called the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). One ringgit is made up of 100 sen. A sen can only be obtained in coin form, and there are two types: the smallest being 10 sen and larger ones like 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 sen. Malaysians refer to one ringgit as US dollars — it’s not US Dollars — it’s ringgit. ATMs for international access can be found across Malaysia. You’ll be expected to use MYR if you need to draft or withdraw cash. Credit cards are widely accepted by small businesses, though they may not accept them if it has a high-interest rate or annual fee.
Safety
Malaysia is considered a very safe country. While petty theft is a problem in the major tourist centers, violent crimes against foreigners are very rare. Use your common sense when you’re out late, and don’t lose sight of your wallet or cards. If you feel threatened, especially in a bar or club environment, leave immediately. Credit card fraud is the most likely issue you’ll encounter — try not to let your credit cards out of your sight at all times.
The police
The Malaysia Tourism Police are the authority on what tourism-related questions to ask. They’ve been trained to help tourists with a variety of troubles and situations, including assessing the situation, giving advice, and even taking the case for prosecution. They wear dark blue uniforms with red epaulets which say “I” on it in white lettering. The nation-wide emergency number for them is 999.
Healthcare
Malaysia’s healthcare is a mixed bag. While it’s not as good as Singapore, there are certainly some positives. Urban centers offer relatively good care while rural areas have much less. Any travelers to Malaysia should consider travel insurance.
Malaysia has a very comprehensive public transport system, with both rail and bus services available for Peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysian Borneo, there are buses which serve the island. Domestic flights are also made possible.
Visas
As far as visas go, Malaysia’s visa system is relatively simple. The country allows most nationalities to stay for a month or less without a visa. There are a few nationalities, such as Israelis, who must apply for and obtain a visa before arriving in the county. See our Thailand visa page for more information on this matter.
The Malay language
People with a limited knowledge of Malay sometimes struggle to understand what they hear. A common saying in Malaysia is “bahasa Malaysia, bahasa Indonesia,” which means the dialect is very similar to Bahasa Indonesia. Though there are two scripts, you should be able to figure out which letters go where after some practice. Taxi drivers often speak just enough English to take you from place to place, but in tourist centers many people will speak no English at all.
Weather
As one of the most popular destinations in South East Asia, Malaysia is famed for its beautiful beaches and welcoming people. What’s not so well-known, however, is that they have some pretty hot weather year round — the hottest months in March, April and October. Monsoon seasons are two a year with the northeast monsoon providing most of the rain for September through October for the western coast of Malaya with the east coast seeing more in between October to February, while Malaysian Borneo sees more precipitation in November to February. For more detailed information about weather conditions in Malaysia, please visit our Malaysia Weather page.
Malaysia is developed in many ways
As much as some people might fool themselves, Malaysia still has room for improvement. The villages are often lacking in infrastructure, which can be great for a trip or an adventure, but the country is still far from first-world standards.
Malaysian culture is conservative
Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, and it can be quite conservative — especially when compared with its neighbours in northern Thailand. Use your commonsense to dress appropriately, don’t insist on drinking alcohol in places that don’t want you drinking, don’t sunbath nude or anywhere else where nudity would bring trouble, and don’t bring any drugs into the country — drug use or possession in Malaysia is not only illegal but will also earn an offender hefty fines and even time in jail.
