Volunteer in Malaysia
What to Know Before Volunteering in Malaysia
Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia, consisting of West Malaysia and East Malaysia. Peninsula Malaysia is boarding Southern of Thailand and Northen of Singapore. There are 13 states in Malaysia with a current population is 32.6 million, Malaysia’s most iconic landmark is Petronas Twin Tower, which is an 88-storey twin building structure located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, which is the Capital State of Malaysia. Malaysia is known affectionately for its multiracial and cultural diversity, as well as friendly citizens.
Malaysia providing jaw-dropping sceneries, filled with natural greenery, hills, rainforest, as well as vibrant cityscape! You can have an adventurous trip to explore Taman Negara, which filled with varieties of flora and fauna. You also will be amazed by the stunning scenery of the hill after a tired climbing of Mount Kinabalu. You may go for a stroll around Cameron Highlands, immerse in a tranquil serenity atmosphere of tea garden, strawberry garden, and flower garden. You will feel bedazzled by prosperous of Genting Highland, as it offers shopping mecca, theme park, and casino!
Malaysia is full of beautiful sea and island paradise. The well-known destination like Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Pangkor, Port Dickson, and Pulau Redang, filled with a lot of tourists, even locals also like to have a short getaway! When you come to an island, you can have a barefoot stroll across the sandy beach, enjoy the sound of waves crashing the rocks and the breeze blows through the hair.
LANGUAGE
There are many different races in Malaysia, including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, and some minority populations. The official language of Malaysia is the Malay language, while citizens living in different states may using their respective dialects. The other languages widely used in Malaysia including Mandarin (Chinese), Tamil (Indian), Jaku Iban (Iban), and Coastal Kadazan (Kadazan).
Due to a multi-cultural society in Malaysia, most Malaysians are bilingual, know to speak in Malay and English. English is considered a second language, and most Malaysians can talk in English, so you may be surprised by easy communication with most locals in English when you reach here. Malaysian maybe use Manglish or mixed language in their daily conversation.
WEATHER
Malaysia is located near to the Equator, so the Sun will appear throughout the whole year. Malaysia will experience two different monsoons, which are Northeast Moonson and Southwest Moonson. Northeast Moonson brings a heavy tropical rainstorm to Malaysia from November to March, which will even cause flooding in some states. Southwest Moonson brings hot weather from May to September. For local Malaysia, they will feel hot most time, but for those who like to have a sunbathe at the beach, you’re welcomed to enjoy our sun! Remember to apply sunblock to prevent radiation.
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Currency
The official unit of currency in Malaysia is known as Ringgit Malaysia (RM). Paper notes come in RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50 and RM100 denominations. Coins come in 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents denominations.
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Timings and weekends
The official working days of Malaysia depend on the regulation of each state. The official working day for four states (including Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, and Johor) are from Sunday to Thursday, while Friday and Saturday are considered as weekends. For the rest state, the official working day is from Monday to Friday, while Saturday and Sunday are the weekends. Some company works on 5 days basis, while some company work on 6 days basis. There are plenty of local festivals in Malaysia, and the government will offer public holidays for the official celebration.
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Markets and bargaining
When shopping in a street market or night market in Malaysia, you can try to ask for the price if you are interested to buy some items, and try to compare the price offered by vendors, and bargain for the best price if possible. The recommended markets to go to Kuala Lumpur are Central Market and Petaling Street.
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Religious Diversity
Islam is the main religion of the country for the Malay population. Malaysia offers such diversity in religion, other main religions in Malaysia including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Taoism.
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FOOD
Many tourists rave about Malaysia’s food and culinary. It can be ranging from appetizing eateries to savory street foods, from Malay to Chinese to Indian dishes! I recommend those come Malaysia must sample these foods, including Nasi Lemak, Satay, Bah Ku Teh, Laksa, Mee Goreng, and Roti Canoi! There are also western cuisine and fast-food restaurants available in Malaysia.
Malaysia produces a great variety of tropical fruits. Durian is one of the most well-known fruits representing this country, although some peoples feel durian smelly and may dislike its taste, but those like eat durian will feel savory. Besides durian, Malaysia offers other delicious fruits, including mangosteen, rambutan, mango, grapefruit, and starfruit.
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Clothing
Since the weather in Malaysia is warm, so you can dress light clothing when you stay in your accommodation. If you plan to go out, you can dress comfortably and neatly with consideration of the place. If you need to go to any official department or religious places, be prepared to wear conservative clothing to show your respect towards the sensitivities of local citizens
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TRANSPORT
The transportation in the main city Kuala Lumpur is more diverse and convenient compared to another city in Malaysia. If you reach Kuala Lumpur international airport (KLIA) by the airline, you can consider taking KLIA Express(train) to reach KL Sentral. KL Sentral is the largest transit station for all train lines, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Electric Train Service (ETS). KL Sentral also offers bus, car rental, or taxi service for the passengers. You can take cars, trains, buses, airlines, and even ferry to move to another city
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HEALTHCARE
Healthcare sectors in Malaysia can be characterized by public and private. There are well-equipped medical hospitals are opened for in the cities, and even clinics are available to find in the rural area. High qualified medical staffs demonstrate good medical service to patients, especially during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. They are working hard to protect the local citizen from the pandemic.
Local citizens can get medical benefits when they seek medical help in the public health sector. However, they may need some waiting time, as the public health sector always lined up with many waiting peoples. In the private sector, you can get efficient treatment immediately, but the treatment cost will higher. However, the medical costs in Malaysia are lower among other countries.
Safety precautions
It is your responsibility to taking care of yourself when you go to any country. There is some joint reminder for you about the safety precautions in Malaysia. When you want to explore the city, despite taking an unmetered taxi, as many cases happen to the foreigner that they need to pay expensive fees. You are advised to use Grab to travel around to avoid being a scam. Be aware of the transport on the road when you cross across although you follow traffic light instruction. Many robber cases are happening on the street, so be careful when you walk around and don’t show out any expensive belongings. If you need to go out late at night, you may easily expose to a high risk of crime. You are advised to take a ride, or accompanied by your friend.
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