Cherating

Cherating is the only real backpacker hub at the east coast of the peninsula on the mainland. Offering plenty of affordable chalets and a relaxed atmosphere, it is good place to stop for a night or two on the way up or down the east coast. The beach itself is not that spectacular and misses the palm directly at the beach. But it has a good vibe and few things you can do like taking a tour or renting a kayak up the river into the mangroves. There is also an active surfer scene when the waves are right. Cherating is located about 30km or 1h by local bus north of Kuantan.

Melaka

Melaka (a.k.a. Malacca) is the capital of the Malaysian state of Malacca.
Traditionally, the spot where Melaka stands today was the center of Malaccan history. It was the capital of the Malaccan Sultanate and the center of the Malay world in the 15th and the 16th century before it fell to the Portuguese in 1511. Centuries of colonization by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British have shaped the architecture of the town.

Malay Women on Motorbike

The 12th general election in Malaysia

On march 8th Malaysians were called to vote a new parliament and state representatives for the 12th time since independence. Beyond any expectation the voters showed that the country didn't only progress in an economic sense but also matured politically. The election outcome is considered to lead Malaysia in a new era of transparent and multi-racial politics in this "political tsunami". The leading Barisan Nasional coalition, which lead the country for the past 50 years on 2/3 majority, dropped to simply majority with opposition gaining seats and taking over the states of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor.

Whereas the last strong showing of opposition parties in 1969 lead to riots and fierce policies by the government to bring back order, everything stayed calm on this even bigger upset to the ruling status-quo and the election went smoothly. After 50 years of independence Malaysia seems to stand as a true independent, stable and multi-racial society at last. Nevertheless, there is a lot of work ahead for government and opposition alike in adjusting to the maturity and hopes of voters. The old system was based on race-politics with interests of each of the major communities (malay, chinese, indian) being represented with is own party which formed the Barisan Nasional coalition that lead the country since the start. Now votes for the opposition came from all communities towards parties who represent their interest beyond race politics with the help of the new media and alternative sources of informations (blogs). So there is new hope for the country in becoming internally what it represents to the outside and for it's many tourists, to become a harmonious multi-racial society that is, like the official Tourism Malaysia slogan, "Truly Asia".
Here are some links to read up the history of Malaysian politics and the outcame of this election:

Making sense of the 2008 general election results (Malaysiavotes.com)
Ethnic unity ushers in a new phase in Malaysia (The Age, Australia)
Politcs of Malaysia (Wikipedia)
Election in Malaysia (Wikipedia)
History of Malaysia (Wikipedia)
Malaysian New Economy Policy (NEP) (Wikipedia)

Below you can see some pictures of party advertising that were taken during the 2 weeks leading up to the election that virtually changed the face of Malaysia for a few weeks:

The 12th general election in Malaysia Gallery

Start PicLens Slideshow PicLens
Have Your Say
If you want contribute some extra information, report some correction or just comment, please feel encouraged to do so.
Comments are moderated to avoid spam. It might take a few moments until they appear on the website before we approved the comment.
Add your comment here.

Comments:

Name: (required)

Email: (optional, will not be displayed on the website)

URL: (optional)

Write your Comment:   Smiley Select an Emoticon

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

2007:
8.Nov - Deepavali
20.Dec - Hari Raya Qurban
25.Dec - Christmas Day

2008:
1 January (Tues) New Year’s Day
10 January (Thurs) Awal Muharam (Maal Hijrah)
7 & 8 February(Thurs & Fri) Chinese New Year
20 March (Thurs) Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
1 May (Thurs) Labour Day
19 May (Mon) Wesak Day
7 June (Sat) Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong
31 August (Sun) National/Merdeka Day
1 & 2 October (Wed & Thurs) Hari Raya Puasa *
27 October (Mon) Deepavali *
8 December (Mon) Hari Raya Qurban
25 December (Thurs) Christmas Day
29 December (Mon) Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)

* - Subject to confirmation

DID YOU KNOW?
Safety

Travelling in Malaysia is very safe in general. Though is you should be careful in crowded place of pick-pocket. Also watched out for the infamous poker scam in KL, when people approach ou and ask politely where you come from and invite you to their home because they claim to have a family member going this way. There have also been reports of people snatching hand bags from driving motorbikes.

Things to do & see
Penang, Penang Museum

Museum and Art Gallery in building from 1821 about the History Penang. One of the best museum in Malaysia. Exhibits on the costums and traditions of Penangs various ethnic groups ... more
Kuala Terengganu, Pasar Besar Kedai Payang (Central Market)

The colourful wet and dry market of KT is right next to Chinatown and along the river. At the entrance are traditional trishaws who take costumers back to their home for RM3 ... more
RANDOM GALLERY PHOTO
Taman Negara
Canopy Walk
RANDOM LINKS
thebookaholic.blogspot.com/
literature blog by a british living in Malaysia for more than 20 years
Weather in Malaysia
Weather in Malaysia (Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation)
Juiceonline.com
parties & events in Malaysia
tourism.gov.my
government tourism website
Malaysia-Maps.com
collection of maps

see all links
PRESS ARTICLES
Malaysia documented “Discover Malaysia - the backpacker’s trail (The Star)

Malaysia truly features a melting pot of cultures with multi-ethnic traditions and culinary diversity. In line with Visit Malaysia 2007, film director Michael Chick has produced a TV series that focuses on the country’s rich heritage, culture and nature.  Chick was inspired to produce the independent series after hearing complaints from tourists about how fake some Malaysian tourism advertisements looked.

BOOK HOSTELS