Malaysia Tourist Attractions Places and Brief History of Malaysia

• Full name: Federation of Malaysia
• Population: 27.9 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Area: 329,847 sq km (127,355 sq miles)
• Major languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam
• Major religions: Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism
• Life expectancy: 73 years (men), 78 years (women)
• Monetary unit: 1 ringgit = 100 sen
• Main exports: Electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, chemicals, palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles
• GNI per capita: US $7,230 (World Bank, 2009)
• Internet domain: .my
• International dialling code: +60

The early Buddhist Malay kingdom of Srivijaya, based at what is now Palembang, Sumatra, dominated much of the Malay peninsula from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The powerful Hindu kingdom of Majapahit, based on Java, gained control of the Malay peninsula in the 14th century. Conversion of the Malays to Islam, beginning in the early 14th century, accelerated with the rise of the state of Malacca under the rule of a Muslim prince in the 15th century. Malacca was a major regional commercial center, where Chinese, Arab, Malay, and Indian merchants traded precious goods.

Drawn by this rich trade, a Portuguese fleet conquered Malacca in 1511, marking the beginning of European expansion in Southeast Asia. The Dutch ousted the Portuguese from Malacca in 1641. The British obtained the island of Penang in 1786 and temporarily controlled Malacca with Dutch acquiescence from 1795 to 1818 to prevent it from falling to the French during the Napoleonic war. The British gained lasting possession of Malacca from the Dutch in 1824, through the Anglo-Dutch treaty, in exchange for territory on the island of Sumatra in what is today Indonesia.

In 1826, the British settlements of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore were combined to form the Colony of the Straits Settlements. From these strongholds, in the 19th and early 20th centuries the British established protectorates over the Malay sultanates on the peninsula. During their rule the British developed large-scale rubber and tin production and established a system of public administration. British control was interrupted by World War II and the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945.

Popular sentiment for independence swelled during and after the war. The territories of peninsular Malaysia joined together to form the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and eventually negotiated independence from the British in 1957. Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first prime minister. In 1963 the British colonies of Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah joined the Federation, which was renamed Malaysia. Singapore's membership was short-lived, however; it left in 1965 and became an independent republic.

Neighboring Indonesia objected to the formation of Malaysia and began a program of economic, political, diplomatic, and military "confrontation" against the new country in 1963, which ended only after the fall of Indonesia's President Sukarno in 1966. Internally, local communists, nearly all Chinese, carried out a long, bitter insurgency both before and after independence, prompting the imposition of a state of emergency from 1948 to 1960. Small bands of guerrillas remained in bases along the rugged border with southern Thailand, occasionally entering northern Malaysia. These guerrillas finally signed a peace accord with the Malaysian Government in December 1989. A separate, small-scale communist insurgency that began in the mid-1960s in Sarawak also ended with the signing of a peace accord in October 1990.


10 Top Tourist Attractions in Malaysia

1. Mulu Caves

The Mulu Caves are located in the Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysian Borneo. The park encompasses incredible caves and karst formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The Sarawak chamber found in one of the underground caves is the largest cave chamber in the world. It has been said that the chamber is so big that it could accommodate about 40 Boeing 747s, without overlapping their wings. The enormous colony of Wrinkle-lipped bats in the nearby Deer Cave exit almost every evening in search of food in a spectacular exodus.

2. Sepilok Rehabilition Centre
Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation opened in 1964 for rescued orphaned baby orangutans from logging sites, plantations and illegal hunting. The orphaned orangutans are trained to survive again in the wild and are released as soon as they are ready. The sanctuary is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, much of which is virgin rainforest. About 60 to 80 orangutans are living free in the reserve. It is one of Sabah’s top tourist attractions.

3. Perhentian Islands

Located off the coast of northeastern Malaysia not far from the Thai border. The Perhentian Islands are the must-go place in Malaysia for budget travelers. They have some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and great diving with plenty of cheap accommodation. The two main islands are Perhentian Besar (“Big Perhentian”) and Perhentian Kecil (“Small Perhentian”). Both the islands have palm-fringed white sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea.

4. Langkawi
Malaysia’s best-known holiday destination, Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of about 65,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Fringed with long, white beaches and with an interior of jungle covered hills and craggy mountain peaks, it’s easy to see why this is Malaysia’s most heavily promoted tourist hotspot.

5. Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the world’s tallest buildings before being surpassed in 2004 by Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the world. The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion. The Petronas Twin Towers feature a sky bridge between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors.

6. Mount Kinabalu
With a summit height at 4,095 meters (13,435 ft), Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Borneo. The mountain is known worldwide for its tremendous botanical and biological species biodiversity. Over 600 species of ferns, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species have been identified at Mount Kinabalu and its surrounding. The main peak of the mountain can be climbed easily by a person with a good physical condition, and requires no mountaineering equipment although climbers must be accompanied by guides at all times.

7. Pulau Tioman
Tioman is a small island located off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. In the 1970s, Time Magazine selected Tioman as one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Tourists have surged to the island ever since, seeking a taste of paradises. The island is surrounded by numerous white coral reefs, making it a haven for scuba divers while the interior is densely forested. Visitors outnumber villagers outside the monsoon (November to February), but Tioman can be virtually deserted at other times.

8. Taman Negara

Taman Negara, which literally means “national park” in Malay, is one of the oldest tropical rain forest in the world. It features massive trees, waterfalls, jungle treks of various duration and the world’s longest canopy walkways. Several trails enable the visitor to explore the forest without a guide. Taman Negara is a haven for endangered species such as the Asian elephant, tigers, leopards and rhinos, but numbers are low and sightings are very rare. It’s unlikely that you will see anything more than birds, small deer, lizards, snakes and perhaps a tapir.

9. Georgetown Inner City
Named after Britain’s King George III, Georgetown is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island. Most of George Town’s population is of Chinese origin. Due to strict controls, George Town retains many of its colonial-era shophouses to this day. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in Southeast Asia. The town truly springs to life in the evenings, when most of the locals head to the nearby street hawkers to have their meals and drinks.

10. Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations, first developed by the British in the 1920s. It has a population of more than 34,000 people consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups. The Cameron Highlands is renowned for its trails. They lead visitors through the forest to waterfalls and other tranquil spots. Apart from its jungle walks, the sanctuary is also known for its tea plantations and visitors can book several “tea factory” tours.


Explore More Malaysia:

A perfect trip to Singapore and Malaysia includes high tea, jungle walks and street food. In Taman Negara, a jungle “taxi” boat cruises up the Tahan River.

The impressive canopy walk in Taman Negara National Park travels 500 metres through dense jungle, making it the longest suspended walkway in the world.

Venture deep into the jungle by taking a bumpy boat ride up the Tahan River.

Set in the fertile hills of the highlands, Boh is the largest tea plantation in Malaysia

A worker on the Boh plantation, where the tea leaves are harvested every three weeks.

Explore this Unesco-listed historic town, with its 19th-century, pastel-coloured buildings and rich heritage.

Penang’s architecture shows the city’s multi-ethnic influences.

The beautifully restored Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (also called the Blue Mansion), is one of Georgetown’s most instantly identifiable heritage buildings. Its spiral stairs make a grand entrance.

The mansion is over 125 years old and serves not merely as a classic hotel with individually decorated rooms, but also as a focal point for tour groups, heritage buffs and students of Asian architecture .

Recommend this article by clicking on +1:

Read More

GSAT-12/PSLV C17 satellite launched successfully from Sriharikota

History was created when the PSLV-C17 blasted off on Friday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to successfully launch the GSAT-12 satellite.

For the first time in India’s space history, a woman scientist was in-charge of a mission as complex as this. Fifty-one-year-old Dr TK Anuradha, a resident of Bangalore, was project director of the PSLV-C17/GSAT-12 mission.

She along with her team also designed and developed the GSAT-12 at the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore.

An elated Dr Anuradha told DNA over the phone from Sriharikota that Friday’s launch was special not just for her, but also for India’s space programme as many ‘firsts’ have been achieved through it.

She said that GSAT-12 satellite was launched into a sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit of 284 km perigee and an apogee of 21,000 km instead of the normal 36,000 km.

“Launching in this orbit is a complex process but we were able to do so without any difficultly. Further the data received so far has been satisfactory,” she said.

Unlike other PSLV missions, Friday’s launch used the PSLV-XL version. In the PSLV-XL, six extended solid strap-on motors are used wherein each strap-on will carry 12 tonnes of solid propellant.

This is the second time such a configuration was flown, earlier one being the PSLV-C 11/Chandrayaan-1 mission.

“This is the first time PSLV has been used to launching a communication satellite. Normally, the PSLV is used for launching weather and other experimental satellites,” she said.

The 1410 kg GSAT-12 satellite, carrying 12 extended C-band transponders, is expected to meet the country’s growing demand for transponders.

ISRO Successfully launches GSAT-12 Communication Satellite Video

Source: DNA India

Recommend this article by clicking on +1:

Read More

NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Final Launch at Kennedy Space Center

Crowds gathered at NASA's Kennedy Space Center early Friday to witness the final launch of the space shuttle Atlantis. The liftoff—which took place slightly behind schedule at about 11:29 a.m. (July 8, 2011) ET—marks the 135th and final space shuttle mission, capping off the 30-year-old U.S. space shuttle program.

Atlantis carried a four-member crew to the International Space Station for a 12-day mission. A stormy weather forecast had threatened to delay the launch, but clouds thinned an hour before the scheduled blastoff.

"On behalf of the greatest team in the world, good luck to you and your crew on the final flight of an American icon," NASA launch director Mike Leinbach told the crew just before launch.

The space shuttle Atlantis roared up from Launch Pad 39-A and was visible for 42 seconds before it disappeared into the clouds over Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

"It truly was an awesome, spectacular launch," space center director Bob Cabana said at a press conference Friday. "The only way it could've been better was if I had found a way to stow away on there somehow."

Atlantis is carrying more than 8,000 pounds (3,628 kilograms) of food, supplies, and scientific instruments to the space station as part of its mission. The space shuttle is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station on Sunday and return to Earth on July 20.

One last hurrah: Atlantis blasts off for the International Space Station on Nasa's last space shuttle mission

Up, up and away: The shuttle almost didn't get off the ground though, as the giant countdown clock at Kennedy Space Center stuck at 0.31seconds for what seemed like an eternity

Just as the spectators at Cape Canaveral in Florida and tens of millions of television viewers around the world had given up hope, Atlantis began to rise

Off to the ISS: The shuttle was visible for 42 seconds before disappearing into the clouds

The final countdown: The shuttle lifts off as hundreds of fans watch a giant clock countdown with 13 seconds to go

Best view in the house: Some of an estimated one million spectators watch the launch

Emotional: Kennedy Space Centre employee Lisa Gorichky, cries as the shuttle lifts off while children watch from a nearby park

Fond farewell: The blast-off marks the beginning of the end for Nasa's shuttle programme

Soaring high: Thousands gather in the surf and on sand at Cocoa Beach, Florida to watch the shuttle pierce the clouds

Space Shuttle ATLANTIS Final Launch Video

Recommend this article by clicking on +1:

Read More

Singapore Tourist Attractions Places - A Journey into Singapore’s Past

Singapore

The gleaming skyscrapers of the city’s financial district. 

Singapore is not just one island but a main island with over 60 surrounding islets. The main island has a total land area of about 263 square miles (about the size of Rhode Island).
Singapore has no significant natural resources other than its deep water harbor, but it does have a good geographical location with a developed infrastructure, an excellent communications system, political stability and a disciplined work force.

The government is committed to free trade and will remain committed to a free international trading system. In fact, Singapore's economic survival is very much dependent on an open and predictable international environment that ensures stable conditions of market access.

A Brief History - A Journey into Singapore’s Past

While the earliest known historical records of Singapore are shrouded in the mists of time, a third century Chinese account describes it as "Pu-luo-chung", or the "island at the end of a peninsula". Later, the city was known as Temasek ("Sea Town"), when the first settlements were established from AD 1298-1299.

During the 14th century, this small but strategically located island earned a new name. According to the legend, Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang (the capital of Srivijaya), was out on a hunting trip when he caught sight of an animal he had never seen before. Taking it to be a good sign, he founded a city where the animal had been spotted, naming it “The Lion City” or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words “simha” (lion) and “pura” (city).

At this time, the city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the natural meeting point of sea routes, the city served as a flourishing trading post for a wide variety of sea crafts, from Chinese junks, Indian vessels, Arab dhows and Portuguese battleships to Buginese schooners.




The next important period in the history of Singapore was during the 18th century, when modern Singapore was founded. At this time, Singapore was already an up and coming trading post along the Malacca Straits, and Britain realised the need for a port of call in the region. British traders needed a strategic venue to refresh and protect the merchant fleet of the growing empire, as well as forestall any advance made by the Dutch in the region.

The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819, after a survey of the neighbouring islands. Recognising the immense potential of the swamp covered island, he helped negotiate a treaty with the local rulers, establishing Singapore as a trading station. Soon, the island’s policy of free trade attracted merchants from all over Asia and from as far away as the US and the Middle East.

In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of the telegraph and steamship, Singapore's importance as a centre of the expanding trade between the East and West increased tremendously. By 1860, the thriving country had a population that had grown from a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly Chinese, Indians and Malays.

But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a major blow during World War II, when it was attacked by the Japanese aircrafts on 8 December 1941. Once regarded as an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942. It remained occupied by the Japanese for the next three and half years, a time marked by great oppression and an immense loss of lives.

When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was handed over to the British Military Administration, which remained in power until the dissolve of the Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and Singapore. In March 1946, Singapore became a Crown Colony.

In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to self-government, and the country’s first general election. The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of Singapore. In 1961, Singapore joined Malaya and merged with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia in 1963. However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and less than two years later on 9 August 1965, Singapore left Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign democratic nation. On 22 December that year, Singapore finally became an independent republic.

Today, you can experience Singapore’s rich historical heritage by visiting many of the national monuments, museums and memorials located around the city. On your trip here, remember to take a walk along one of the many heritage trails or visit the well-known landmarks for a complete Singapore journey.

Singapore Attractions

Singapore River: It is an exciting tourist attraction in Singapore that should not be missed. The Singapore River is the best way explore and experience Singapore. You can take a stroll along the river bank or leisurely cruise on a boat to explore Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, temples and other important landmarks of Singapore.

Night Safari: Spread over about 40 hectares and divided into East and West Loops, the wildlife park that offers Night Safari is home to about 1,000 animals from 100 species. Animals here are ninety percent awake at night. During the day, almost all of wildlife would sleep or appear extremely sleepy. As a result, you can go watching them at night and see what do they do for routine activities. 

Arab St: The grand Sultan Mosque is located here, which is the largest mosque in Singapore. There is another mosque— Malabar Muslim Jamaath Mosque—which is well known for its beauty and grace. 

Colonial Singapore: Colonial House in Singapore represents the heritage of Sir Stanford Raffles as a well-organized city in Singapore. There are various interesting places in Colonial Singapore, which include the Empress Place, the Padang, the Esplanade, Bugis Street, City Center, Fort Canning, and Marina Center. 

Sentosa Island: Sentosa Island is considered Singapore attractions which are mostly visited, especially on weekends. The place is marked by grand resort for full-recreation activities consisted of swimming lagoons, wax museums, butterfly parks, two beaches, several golf courses, musical fountains, and an underwater world. 

Singapore Zoo: It is one of the most exciting attractions in Singapore. The zoo's settings have been rated most beautiful in the world. The zoo is located on a promontory beset by still waters of the Seletar Reservoir, with the dense secondary forest beyond creating a breathtaking backdrop. The jaded, lush garden of the Singapore Zoo, together with the lovely landscaping, spectacular views of the Seletar Reservoir make the Singapore Zoo the most tempting place to visit. 

Chinatown: This is the area that reminds of the by gone days through its old temples, and decorated terraces. In the crowded streets of Chinatown, you may find fortunetellers, temple worshipers and calligraphers, all adding to fun and frolic.

Little India: This modest but colorful area of Little India is a relief from the prim modernity of many parts of the city. Centered around the southern end of Serangoon Road, this is the place to come to pick up that framed print of a Hindu god you have always wanted, eat great vegetarian food and watch street side cooks fry chapattis.

 Orchard Road: Shopping centers, hotels, nightspots, restaurants, bars and lounges. This is the action (shopping and entertainment) center in Singapore. The Orchard Road is the symbol of Singapore’s modernity and material delight. 

Explore more Singapore:

The gleaming skyscrapers of the city’s financial district.

Located on a quiet street in the Chinatown district, the beautiful New Majestic Hotel has 30 rooms, each individually designed by emerging Singaporean artists.

A myriad of spices infuse Singaporean cuisine.

The city’s hawker centres offer an incredible array of food.

Recommend this article by clicking on +1:

Read More