Malaysia

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Flag of Malaysia Malaysia
Information
Language: Malay
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Population: 28,310,000
Currency: Ringgit / RM (MYR)
Hitchability: <rating country='my' />
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Malaysia is a country in South Eastern Asia. It has borders with Thailand to the north, Singapore to the south, and Indonesia to the west and south. Its Capital city is Kuala Lumpur. The country is separated in two parts: the Malay Peninsula, and the north of Borneo Island.

Hitchability

Malaysia is a really great country for hitchhiking. People know what hitchhiking is and they are interested in foreign visitors, so make sure you look like a tourist. On busy roads, waiting times of less than 5 minutes are very common.

There is a real expressway running on the north-south axis from the Thai border, via Kuala Lumpur, towards Singapore. It is pretty easy to get a ride there. In rural areas it's even easier, but lifts will be shorter. On the on-ramps of the highway after the toll booth you can usually hitchhike as well, staff are unlikely to bother you.

Unlike in other countries in Asia, it's not advisable to hitchhike right on the motorway. Police won't bother, but cars are much more unlikely to stop, if they are too fast or there is no safe place to stop. Having a sign with Tumpang written on it can help especially if you choose to walk on the Epressway. Dropped in the middle of a 100km zone central KL with no hard shoulder my Tumpang sign got me rescued because as it blew in the wind it looked to a passing motorcyclist like "Empang"- a city district! Expressways vary in amount of shoulder and some portions have patrols (police who help with accidents and breakdowns) who will gladyly give you a ride to get your butt off the expressway.

Drivers usually speak English and stop easily. Cars are modern and fast. Local roads are often in good condition, and are enjoyable to hitch.

Towards KL

Gas stations

You can usually find tasty cheap meals there. Cold showers, a real treat in the hot climate, are often available free of charge.

Main Cities

Boathitchhiking

One of the best places to find boats on the West coast is Langkawi. There are two marinas and a bay where a lot of boats are anchored. A lot of boats come here to provision or to get things for their boats as the island has a tax free status.

Languages

The official language of Malaysia is Malay. It is quite easy to learn the basics as it is a very easy language. The country has a fair amount of ethnic Chinese and Indians who speak Mandarin or Hokkien (Cantonese in Kuala Lumpur) in the case of the former, and Tamil for the latter. But usually everybody knows Malay (Bahasa Melayu in Malay). As for English, it is spoken at every level, from zero to fluent, but generally you won't encounter trouble communicating at least for the basics.

Some useful phrases:

  • Hello = Selamat pagi (am) / petang (pm) OR Hi
  • Good bye = Selamat jalan OR Bye
  • Where are you going? = Mana anda pergi?
  • I am going to (City) = Saya pergi (City)
  • I don't have money = Saya tidak wang
  • Can you help me? = Anda boleh tolong saya?
  • Please = Tolong
  • Thank you = Terimah kasih
  • My name is Tourto = Nama saya Turto
  • Have you eaten already? = Sudah makan?
  • Yes/No = Ya / Tidak
  • I don't understand = Tidak faham
  • I don't know = Tidak tau
  • Do you speak english? = Cakap bahasa Inggris?
  • I know a bit of Malay = Saya tau sikit bahasa Melayu
  • Saya = I / me / mine ; Anda = You / yours
  • Hitchhiking = Tumpang (meaning exactly "have a lift" as Hitchhiking is not known in Malaysia)

Bahasa means language, hence bahasa Melayu = Malay language, or bahasa Inggris = English language.
Tidak / Tak is the negative like English Not.

  • g is always pronounced as in goat and never as germany
  • ny is pronounced as the Spanish ñ
  • k at the end of a word is replaced by a throat sound, marking the stop.
  • c is always pronounced as the English ch
  • j is always pronounced as the English j (like in journey)
  • The rest is more or less as the Spanish pronunciation.

Experiences

Personal Experience

Pls add info

Nomadwiki & Trashwiki

Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)


States and Territories of Malaysia

Peninsular Malaysia states: Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur | Federal Territory of Labuan | Federal Territory of Putrajaya | Johor | Kedah | Kelantan | Malacca | Negeri Sembilan | Pahang | Perak | Perlis | Penang | Selangor | Terengganu

East Malaysia (Borneo) states: Sabah | Sarawak

Main cities of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur | Johor Bahru | George Town (Penang) | Melaka | Ipoh | Kota Kinabalu