Population: 18,410,920
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Flag: Fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the U.S. flag.
Shop Hours: Department stores and supermarkets are usually open from 10am to 10pm and shops from 9:30am to 7pm. In Kuala Lumpur, as well as in most major towns, there are several 24-hour stores.
Bank Hours: Monday through Friday from 10am to 3pm, and Saturday 9:30am to 11:30am.
Holidays: Weekly holidays vary from region to region. In Selangor, Melaka, Penang, Perak, Pahang and Negri Sembilan, there is a half-day holiday on Saturday and a full-day holiday on Sunday. In the states of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan a traditional half-day holiday is observed on Thursday and full-day holiday on Friday; Saturday and Sunday are treated as weekdays.
January 1 - New Year's Day (except Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis)
April 13 - Good Friday
May 1 - Labor Day
May 9 - Vesak Day (except for Federal Territory of Labuan)
June 6 - Birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King)
July 23 - Maal Hijrah
August 31 - National Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
In addition, many moveable feasts are observed, depending on the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu calendar.
Chinese New Year (2 days; except Kelantan and Terengganu - 1 day)
Hari Raya Puasa (2 days)
Hari Raya Haji (1 day; 2 days in Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis)
Prophet Mohammed's Birthday
Awal Ramadan
Note: If a holiday falls on a weekend or Friday, the following day becomes a holiday.
Time: 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, 7 hours of GMT;
Tipping:
Tipping is usually not necessary, unless service is excellent. Most hotels and large restaurants automatically add a 10% service charge in addition to the 5% government tax to the bill (indicated by a ++ sign on menus and rate cards).
Restaurants: 10% service charge added automatically. Additional tipping is unnecessary, unless service is excellent.
Porters: Tip porters about M$1 per bag. Any tip less than 50 sen would be considered insulting.
Hotel maids: Service charge added automatically. Additional tipping is unnecessary, unless to acknowledge excellent service.
Taxis: Most taxis are fitted with meters, but these are used only in major towns such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Ipoh. Taxi rates are currently M$1 for the first kilometer (.62mi) and 30 sen for each subsequent half kilometer (.31mi). A 20-30% air-conditioning charge is added to the fare and is not optional. Malaysians usually tip drivers with their coin change. To acknowledge excellent service, 10% is greatly appreciated but not expected. When traveling early in the morning or late at night, drivers prefer to fix a price for the destination. Negotiating is advisable.
