Pulau Sipadan

Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 2,000 feet or 600m from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea east of the major town of Tawau and off the coast of East Malaysia on the Island of Borneo. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem.

Normally rare diving scenes are frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan: schools of greenback turtles and hawksbill turtles nesting and mating, schools of barracuda & big-eye trevally in tornado-like formations, pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

A mysterious turtle tomb lies underneath the column of the island, formed by an underwater limestone cave with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that have become lost and drown before finding the surface.

History

Northern Borneo Sipadan is located in the map

In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. The matter was brought for adjudication before the International Court of Justice and, at the end of 2002, the Court awarded the island along with the island of Ligitan to Malaysia, on the basis of the "effective occupation" displayed by the latter's predecessor (Malaysia's former colonial power, Great Britain) and the absence of any other superior title. The Philippines had applied to intervene in the proceedings on the basis of its claim to Northern Borneo, but its request was turned down by the Court early in 2001.

In April 2000, 21 people were kidnapped by the Philippine terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. The armed terrorists arrived by boat and forced 10 tourists and 11 resort workers at gun point to board the vessels and brought the victims to Mindanao. All victims were eventually released.

The Malaysian military protecting tourists against possible terrorist attacks.

In year 2004, the Government of Malaysia ordered all on-site dive and resort operators of Sipadan to move their structures out of the island by 31 December 2004. This move is mainly to conserve a balanced eco-system for Sipadan and its surrounding. (Arguable, however, the private resort operators took far better care of the island than the Government has done)^{[citation needed]}. Diving will continue to be allowed in Sipadan for divers who are ferried in and out by dive and resort operators from the mainland and surrounding islands.

On May 15, 2006, a barge carrying thousands of tonnes of building material beached on the island, destroying a significant portion of reef between the old pier and Barracuda Point, said to be about 372sq metres

The purpose of the building supplies (mainly concrete and gravel) was apparently for a USD1.3 million tourist facility including resthouse, toilets and scuba shop, said the State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat but denied by the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. Later, it was reported that it was a Federal Government funded project.

Perhentian Islands

The Perhentian Islands (Pulau Perhentian in Malay) lie approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) offshore the coast of northeastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the Thai border. The two main islands are Perhentian Besar ("Big Perhentian") and Perhentian Kecil ("Small Perhentian"). The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara (Virgin Milk), Seringgi and Rawa lie off Kecil. The Perhentians belong to Pulau Redang National Marine Park, which means that fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited. Like Besut, people here generally speak Kelantanese Malay.
Contents


* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 3 Tourism
* 4 External links

History

The name "perhentian" means "stopping point" in Malay, referring to their longstanding role as a waypoint for traders between Bangkok and Malaysia. The islands were sparsely inhabited by fishermen for centuries, although tourism now accounts for most economic activity.

The Perhentian Islands appear on many maps of the nineteenth and twentieth century as 'The Station Islands'. This arises from the British colonial period, as an English translation from the Malay "point to stop".

The Perhentian Islands were also used as a refuge in the late 1900s.

Perhentian Island also has a very beautiful beach call "Pasir Panjang" (Long Beach). It is located at Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian). It is a very beautiful white sandy beach, crystal clear water and it is the best place for picnic.

Geography
Perhentian Kecil

Both islands are fringed by white sand beach, and the reefs and crystalline water are host to a wide variety of coral, sea-turtles, jellyfish, small sharks and reef-fish. The islands' maximum elevation is approximately 100 m and they are uniformly covered in coastal tropical jungle, with few interior foot-trails and no roads.

Other than the owners and staff of the numerous cabin-style resorts that dot the islands (many of whom depart for the monsoon season), the islands' only permanent inhabitants live in a small fishing village on Kecil. With the exception of a single mainland-communications tower, there are no structures taller than two storeys.

Tourism

In the absence of tourism, economic activity on the Perhentian Islands would be limited to small-scale fishing.

Owing to the Islands' protected status, the main tourist activities are minimal in environmental impact: sunbathing, snorkeling, scuba diving, turtle and shark-watching.

Summer 2007, 2 wind turbines have been installed, still not connected to the network in October 2008, Thus the island's electrical power is still provided by diesel generators. A third turbine is being built. Electricity is 24-hour during high season. Fresh water is provided by springs. In this respect, the Perhentian Islands are prized by tourists as an 'escape' from the modern world.

As the state of Terengganu follows Islamic customs, the consumption of alcohol and wearing of immodest clothing are discouraged. In order not to offend local inhabitants, tourists are advised to consume alcohol discreetly and to wear one-piece bathing costumes. No penalties are imposed on tourists for 'breaches' of the local customs, however.

The only access to the Islands is by boat from the fishing villages of Kuala Besut and Tok Bali. Local tourist operators run fishing boats and speed boats several times a day.

Ustaz Haron Din

Malaysian ringgit

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Malaysian ringgit Ringgit Malaysia (Rumi) ريڠڬيت مليسيا (Jawi Malay)
50 ringgit
ISO 4217 Code	MYR
User(s)	Malaysia
Inflation	2.1%[1]
Source	The World Factbook, 2007 est.
Subunit
1/100	sen
Symbol	RM
Coins	5, 10, 20, 50 sen
Banknotes	RM1, RM5, RM10, RM50, RM100
Central bank	Bank Negara Malaysia
Website	www.bnm.gov.my
Mint	Royal Mint of Malaysia
Website	royalmintmalaysia.com or www.royalmint.com.my

The ringgit (formerly, and now unofficially, known as the Malaysian dollar), is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 sen (cents) and its currency code is MYR (Malaysian Ringgit). The ringgit is issued by the Bank Negara Malaysia.

Kijang Emas

Three denominations of gold bullion coins, the "Kijang Emas" (the kijang, a species of deer, being part of Bank Negara Malaysia's logo) are also issued, at the face value of RM 50, RM 100 and RM 200. It was launched on July 17, 2001 by Bank Negara Malaysia and was minted by the Royal Mint of Malaysia. The purchase and reselling price of Kijang Emas is determined by the prevailing international gold market price.

[edit] Banknotes

Economy of Malaysia

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Politics - Education Geography - History - Healthcare Communications - Culture Malaysia Portal This box: view • talk • edit

Bank Negara Malaysia first issued Malaysian dollar banknotes in June 1967 in $1, $5, $10, $50 and $100 denominations. The $1000 denomination was first issued in 1968. Malaysian banknotes have always carried the image of Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

ATMs normally dispense RM50 notes, or more rarely, RM10 notes in combination with RM50 notes.

Malaysian banknotes have long followed a colour code originating from colonial times. In the lower denominations this pattern is followed by Singapore and Brunei, and when Bank Negara first introduced the RM2 note it copied the lilac of the Singapore $2 note.

• RM1 - blue
• RM2 - lilac (no longer in circulation)
• RM5 - green
• RM10 - red
• RM20 - brown/white (no longer in circulation)
• RM50 - blue/grey
• RM100 - violet
• RM500 - orange (no longer in circulation)
• RM1000 - blue/green (no longer in circulation)

Holiday

Holidays
Main article: Public holidays in Malaysia
Malaysians observe a number of holidays and festivities throughout the year. Some holidays are federal gazetted public holidays and some are public holidays observed by individual states. Other festivals are observed by particular ethnic or religion groups, but are not public holidays.


Typical festive fare during Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Haji (clockwise from bottom left): beef soup, ketupat (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh.
The most celebrated holiday is the "Hari Merdeka" (Independence Day) on 31 August commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957, while Malaysia Day is only celebrated in the state of Sabah on 16 September to commemorate the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Hari Merdeka, as well as Labour Day (1 May), the King's birthday (first Saturday of June) and some other festivals are federal gazetted public holidays.
Muslims in Malaysia celebrate Muslim holidays. The most celebrated festival, Hari Raya Puasa (also called Hari Raya Aidilfitri) is the Malay translation of Eid al-Fitr. It is generally a festival honoured by the Muslims worldwide marking the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. In addition to Hari Raya Puasa, they also celebrate Hari Raya Haji (also called Hari Raya Aidiladha, the translation of Eid ul-Adha), Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) and Maulidul Rasul (Birthday of the Prophet).
Chinese in Malaysia typically celebrate festivals that are observed by Chinese around the world. Chinese New Year is the most celebrated among the festivals which lasts for fifteen days and ends with Chap Goh Mei. Other festivals celebrated by Chinese are the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to traditional Chinese festivals, Buddhists Chinese also celebrate Vesak.
The majority of Indians in Malaysia are Hindus and they celebrate Diwali, the festival of light, while Thaipusam is a celebration which pilgrims from all over the country flock to Batu Caves. Apart from the Hindus, Sikhs celebrate the Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year.
Other festivals such as Good Friday (East Malaysia only), Christmas, Hari Gawai of the Ibans (Dayaks), Pesta Menuai (Pesta Kaamatan) of the Kadazan-Dusuns are also celebrated in Malaysia.
Despite most of the festivals being identified with a particular ethnic or religious group, all Malaysians celebrate the festivities together, regardless of their background. For years, when Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year coincided, a slogan, Kongsi Raya, a combination of Gong Xi Fa Cai (a greeting used on the Chinese New Year) and Hari Raya (which could also mean "celebrating together" in Malay language) was coined. For years when the Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali coincide, a slogan, Deepa Raya, is similarly coined.

Etymology

Etymology



The word Malaysia is visible on a 1914 map from an American atlas.
The name "Malaysia" was adopted in 1963 when the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak formed a 14-state federation.[9] However the name itself had been vaguely used to refer to areas in Southeast Asia prior to that. A map published in 1914 in Chicago has the word Malaysia printed on it referring to certain territories within the Malay Archipelago.[24] The Philippines once contemplated naming their state "Malaysia", but Malaysia adopted the name first in 1963 before the Philippines could act further on the matter.[25] Other names were contemplated for the 1963 federation. Among them was Langkasuka (Langkasuka was an old kingdom located at the upper section of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium of the common era).[26]
Even further back into history, the English ethnologist George Samuel Windsor Earl in volume IV of Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia in 1850 proposed to name the islands of Indonesia as Melayunesia or Indunesia though he favored the former.[27]

History Pre

Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Malaysia
Archaeological remains have been found throughout peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. The Semang have a deep ancestry within the Malay Peninsula, dating to the initial settlement from Africa over 50,000 years ago. The Senoi appear to be a composite group, with approximately half of the maternal lineages tracing back to the ancestors of the Semang and about half to Indochina. This is in agreement with the suggestion that they represent the descendants of early Austronesian speaking agriculturalists, who brought both their language and their technology to the southern part of the peninsula approximately 5,000 years ago and coalesced with the indigenous population. The Aboriginal Malays are more diverse, and although they show some connections with island Southeast Asia, some also have an ancestry in Indochina around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum,[citation needed] followed by an early-Holocene dispersal through the Malay Peninsula into island Southeast Asia.