Follow the jump links to learn more about Malaysia
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun Facts Lifestyle and Family Living
Thanks to the diverse structure of Malaysian society, your family may belong to any one of the main ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese or Indian. Customs, values and manners might be very different from those you are accustomed to. A modest and humble attitude will help in communication and adapting to your new environment.
Traditional Malaysian houses are made of timber and blend into natural settings. These days, however, families may live in semi-western style houses, apartments, link houses, semi-detached or detached houses. Extended families often live together. Elders are highly regarded and respected.
Malaysians have a relaxed attitude about time and punctuality.
When visiting a Malaysian house, it is customary to stop at the bottom step and announce your presence, or knock at the door and wait. Nobody walks through an open door uninvited (a man’s intentions towards the women of the household can be misconstrued).
After being invited in, visitors take off their shoes and leave them at the door. Most of the time, visitors will be served drinks and snacks, and Malaysians may be offended if food is refused.
Your host family, regardless of your age, will be protective of you and would like to know about your whereabouts. You may share a room with a member of the family or have a room to yourself. Bedrooms are not private. Family members can enter at all times, but your host parents’ bedroom is out of bounds.
Modesty, privacy and respect are shown while dressing or changing clothes or relaxing at home. Families will explain their rules for using the bathroom, showering, washing clothes and drying them.
Malaysian host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.Teen Life
Malaysian teenagers love sports. Soccer and badminton are the most popular games. Tennis, bowling, golf, squash, motor racing, swimming and horseback riding are also loved by many, especially those who live in the bigger cities. You can engage in sea sports such as surfing and jet skiing, or try martial arts and traditional games like sepak takraw (a foot-kick-ball type of volleyball), giant top spinning or kite-flying.
City teenagers like watching movies and going window-shopping. Some of them who are in the examination year will spend their free time staying at home to study or attending supplementary classes.
Dating is not encouraged among teenagers. As a Muslim country, the religious authority has the right to fine fellow Muslims who are found kissing or courting in public.
All religions in Malaysia respect each other. Body contact between different sexes is frowned upon, although it is acceptable for men to walk with their arms on another man’s shoulder and for girls to hold each others’ hands.Dress and Appearance
Two things are seen as public interest in a small town: dress and personal morality. A Muslim woman is expected to cover her arms, head and legs. Long-sleeved shirts, trousers and sarongs are acceptable. Short or mini skirts or tight spaghetti-strap dresses are not acceptable in small towns but propriety is slightly flexible in the city.
Usually you will have to change clothes in the bathroom. In some families, a sarong or dressing gown is worn when you are going to the bathroom for your bath.
It is not advisable to undress in the company of others, even if they are of the same sex. Girls and boys are expected to wash their own underwear and clean and change their clothes daily.
You will be expected to bathe twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening before dinner.
A school uniform is worn in school at all times, with some common rules such as: no nail polish, short hair for boys and tied back long hair for girls, no jewelry or makeup, no ear piercing for boys. Diet and Meals
Malaysia offers a range of mouth-watering food—spicy Malay dishes, an endless variety of Chinese food, exotic cuisine from North and South India, as well as local Nyonya and Portuguese dishes. Western cuisine is also easily accessible, and there are many international fast-food chains.
Chinese dishes come mainly from Cantonese and Hokkien kitchens. All feature soup, meat, seafood and vegetables. You may get a chance to try exotic foods such as bird’s nest, yap pot dish or shark fin soup.
Malay dishes are generally spicy. They resemble Indonesian and Indian cooking. Most dishes are characterized by the liberal addition of spices, chilies and coconut cream.
Satay is cubed BBQ chicken or beef dipped in hot peanut sauce, eaten with square-shaped compressed rice and cucumber.
The Indian community is famous for curries and chilies. Rice, vegetable, milk, yogurt and lentils are frequently used in Indian cooking.
Fish is made for any occasion and in many styles. One favorite dish is Yong Tau Foo—stuffed paste made from fish or salted fish, filled with tofu, vegetables, eggplants or okra.
Food on the table is shared by all the family. It is proper etiquette not to finish everything even if you love it and to break and eat a small piece at a time. It is courteous to invite elders to eat before you begin.
It is imperative that you never use your left hand to pass things to others or for eating—always use your right hand. Use your left hand to wash yourself every time you go the bathroom.Educational System
School plays an important role in Malaysian society. It not only gives knowledge but also helps the family in inculcating moral values and behavior. Teachers will look out for your welfare, and you can ask them for help anytime.
Most ABM/AFS students will be placed in form 4, 5 or 6 (with students age 15, 16, 17). School normally starts at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 1:20 p.m. from Monday through Friday. In states where Friday is a weekend day, school runs from Sunday through Thursday.
To develop a common national identity and to promote integration, all Malaysian schools follow a common curriculum and syllabus.
After the Form 3 examination, students can decide to pursue their education in Form 4 in one of these categories—Pure Science, Social Science, Commerce or Technical—which most secondary schools provide. AFS students can choose which classes to join depending on their interests and availability.
Most schools in Malaysia (both primary and secondary) have computer labs, and learning to use the computer is required.
The national school uniform for girls is a turquoise pinafore, white shirt or white baju kurung and turquoise sarong. For boys: olive green long pants and white shirt. Shoes and socks are white. The uniform costs around US$30.
Extracurricular activities, including sports and clubs, are conducted after school hours or on Saturdays.
All instruction, with the exception of foreign languages, is done in Bahasa Melayu. In the beginning, you may find it hard to follow, but as you learn more of the language, school will become less challenging, so be patient, work hard, and keep at it!
While it may be possible to obtain academic credit for the coursework you successfully complete abroad, AFS cannot guarantee this. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
Malaysia is situated in southeast Asia just north of the Equator. The neighboring countries are Singapore to the south, Thailand to the north and the Philippines to the east. The area of the country is comparable to that of Germany, covering two regions: peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak, which are on Borneo Island.
Malaysia has a warm and humid climate throughout the year, with temperatures averaging 21°C-23°C /70°F-73°F. The annual rainfall is from 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm, and humidity is high year-round.
Population
The population of Malaysia is about 21.3 million people. The three main racial groups are: Malays (50%), Chinese (35%) and Indians (10%), with diverse indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak. The Federal Capital is Kuala Lumpur with more than 1.5 million people.
Language
The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Melayu, but English is a compulsory second language. You will have two classes of Bahasa Melayu during the arrival orientation as well as a refreshment class during the delayed regional camp.
The official language is Bahasa Melayu. Other spoken languages are Chinese, Tamil, and English, which is widely used all over the country.
Government
Malaysia comprises 13 states and two federal territories—Kuala Lumpur and Labuan (an island off the coast of Sabah). Nine of the states have hereditary rulers from whom the Supreme Head of State, the Yang Di Pertuan Agong (King) is elected every five years. The government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is the head of government. Each state has its own elected Chief Minister or Menteri Besar and its own State Assembly.
Religion
The official religion is Islam. Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and other religions are freely practiced.
Spending Money
The ringgit is the official currency in Malaysia.
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month.
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- Near Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, are the world’s largest reserves of tin.
- The Petronas Twin Towers, at a height of 1,453 feet, were the world’s tallest buildings until 2001, and they rise above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur.
- In the world’s oldest rainforest jungle in Malaysia is the home of the Sumatran rhinoceros, the clouded leopard and Malaysian tiger, the sun bear, the monitor lizard, and the orangutan also called “man of the forest.”
