Some people call it the Land of Breathtaking Islands, some call it the Food Paradise. Whatever you call it, Malaysia is truly Asia's hidden gem. There's always good food, beautiful scenery, and rich culture in every corner of the country.
But how well do you think you know your country, as Malaysians?
Let me give you 15 fascinating facts about Malaysia that you probably didn't know about:
1. The Jalur Gemilang AKA the Malaysian flag was actually designed by the architect.
Mohamad Hamzah, a 29-year-old architect of the Public Works Department, created it in 1963 when he won a competition to design a new flag after the Federation of Malaya replaced the much-hated Malayan Union.
2. The 'Negaraku' was originally the national song of Perak.
It all started when Malaysia did not have a national anthem at the time of independence. As such, Tunku Abdul Rahman, then Minister of Home Affairs, organized a national competition to find an acceptable national anthem for the country. After receiving a total of 512 entries and seeing nothing appropriate, he opted instead to use the Perak State Anthem, titled 'Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan,' as a national anthem. Tunku, along with a panel of judges, wrote the new lyrics for 'Negaraku.'
3. Any guesses about Malaysia's oldest name?
Okay, the Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy first named our nation Aurea Chersonesus, which means 'peninsula of gold.' The name was contained in Ptolemy 's book Geography, written around A.D. 150.
4. This may shock you, but Borneo is actually the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea.
The island of Borneo, covering more than 743,000 km2, is divided between Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Indonesia. Here's another interesting thing about Borneo – it's also home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world.
5. It might sound strange to you, but the local time in the peninsula of Malaysia has been adjusted a total of eight times!
The first adjustment was made in 1932, when the clocks were advanced by 20 minutes to 'late' daylight; in 1941, the time lasted another 10 minutes; in 1942, we increased it by another two hours to match Tokyo's time; in 1945, we took the clocks back to the time observed in 1941; and eventually, on 1 January 1982, Tun Dr. Mahathir made the final adjustment by moving forward time. Surprisingly, Singapore also adjusted its clocks on the same day.
6. Kok Shoo Yin, a 17-year-old, was the first Malaysian citizen to hold a certificate when he received his official documentation on 14 November 1957.
7. The National Service Training Program began in the 1960s.
Many of us recall that the three-month National Service Training Program officially began in 2003, but do you know that our country's very first national service experience took place 55 years ago? In 1962, during the deadly Indonesian Confrontation, the government decided to bring young people aged 21 and 28 to a two-year military training session.
8. We've got the largest roundabout on Earth.
Here's another thing that we Malaysians should be proud of. The biggest roundabout in the world is located in Malaysia. The Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Putrajaya is 2.2 miles in length and 3.5 km in diameter.
9. The Sultanate of Kedah has been said to become one of the oldest in the world.
We all know that the Sultanate of Kedah is the first Sultanate on the Malaya Peninsula, but it is also believed to be the oldest in the world. Sultan Mudzafar Shah I, supposedly founded in 1136, was appointed the first Sultan of Kedah.
10. Malaysia is the only country in the world that has actually won the war against communism.
The 12-year guerrilla war waged by the Communist forces ended in 1960. Many people know this time as the Malayan Emergency.
11. Malaysia's total road length is longer than the Earth's circumference.
Shocking but it's true. Malaysia has a total of 65, 877 km (and count) of highways. But the circumference of the Earth is only 40, 075 km! That's why we've got to pay so much for the tolls.
12. This is particularly adorable: did you know that newborn babies and young children in old-fashioned Iban communities are affectionately called ulat (worms)?
Until an official name is given, adults refer to them as ulat, and their official name is always named after a deceased relative, for fear that using the name of a living relative would shorten the child's life.
13. Speaking of the most isolated settlement in Malaysia, Bario is crowned in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak.
In case you're not aware, there are no roads in this part of the world, and everything has to be transported in and out by plane.
14. The Sarawak Chamber in the Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak is known as the world 's largest underground cave chamber.
Apparently, it is said that the Gua Rusa corridor – a 2-km-long passage of caves that is part of the Sarawak Chamber – could fit five rows of eight Boeing 747 jetliners parked from nose to tail.
15. The Kuala Kangsar district officer’s official residence is the home to the last surviving rubber tree brought by H.N. Ridley from London’s Kew Gardens in 1877.
Author: Shobana Manokaran
That something new for me
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