Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule, celebrated on August 31. In a wider context, it is to celebrate the formation of Malaysia. The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was then announced on September 16, 1963 as Malaysia Day. The nationwide Independence Day celebration is still held on August 31, the original independence date of Malaya, while Malaysia Day is a nationwide public holiday.
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the King (Yang di-Pertuan Agong), who in His Majesty's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives, the elected lower house of Parliament. He heads the Cabinet, whose members are also appointed by the King on the prime minister's advice. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament.
The main populations live in Malaysia; Malays, Chinese and Indians. All populations live together in harmony, though of course there are tensions every now and then but tourists will usually not notice that much of this. Over half of the population is of Malay descent; the Chinese form almost a quarter of the total population. Malaysians of Indian descent form approximately 7% of the population; while all indigenous people combined form about 11% of the total population in Malaysia.
Generally speaking tourists often think of Kuala Lumpur as a clean city. This is true for most popular tourist places, sights and attractions in and around the city. If you however venture out of those places; you will experience the not so clean places as you can in many other Asian cities. This is of course just part of the hot climate; with these temperatures a pile of garbage attracts insects and rodents within minutes. Luckily not many tourists will experience these scenes; unless they choose to!
The National Monument (Tugu Negara) is a sculpture that commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom, principally against the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Malayan Emergency, which lasted from 1948 until 1960. It is located in Kuala Lumpur, nearby Lake Gardens. The monument depicts a group of soldiers holding the Malaysian national flag. Each of the bronze figures symbolizes leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice.
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At our news section you will find the latest news that is relevant to tourists visiting Malaysia and tourism in general. Do not expect the latest political updates, or news items of every car accident that occurred in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend. We are not a news agency. Visitors are able to leave their opinions, but the section is strictly moderated in order to weed out irrelevant replies. Tour agencies and other travel related companies are able to have their press releases published free of charge. Got a tourism related news scoop or other travel related news? Let us know by contacting us directly.
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