MALAYSIA at HOME : RECIPES

RECIPES: NASI LEMAK (Rice in coconut milk) Ingredients
	1 cup rice, washed
	2 cups thick coconut milk
	1 shallot, sliced
	1 cm ginger
	3 screwpine leaves
	Salt to taste

Method Mix rice, coconut milk, shallots, ginger, screwpine leaves and salt in a ricecooker and cook. Serve with hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumber and Sambal Ikan Bilis. (Serves 4-6)

MALAYSIA at HOME : RECIPES

RECIPES: SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE Ingredients
	1.5kg chicken, deboned and cubed
	1 tsp cumin
	½ tsp cinnamon
	8 shallots, diced
	1 tsp coriander
	2.5 cm piece fresh turmeric
	1 tsp sugar
	1 stalk lemon grass
	2 tbsp roasted peanuts
	Salt to taste
	2 tbsp cooking oil

Method
Pound coriander, cumin, turmeric, peanuts, salt and sugar. Add cinnamon, shallots and 1 tbsp cooking oil and mix well. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for several hours, preferably overnight. Thread the marinated strips of meat through satay skewers. Grill over burning coal until meat is evenly browned on both sides and cooked through. While grilling, sprinkle cooking oil over the meat using crushed lemon grass. Serve immediately with peanut sauce. (Serves 6-8)

Activities : Malaysia My Second Home

Malaysia My Second Home
To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia. Many would agree that Malaysia is the perfect combination of comforts and indulgences. Great weather, amazing food, warm people, low cost of living coupled with high standard of living, state-of-the-art infrastructure, rich culture and a charming history make it a place easy to call home. Countless people have come to Malaysia and fallen in love with it, coming back repeatedly or even making plans to retire here. The Malaysian Government recognizes this and has set up a programme to make it easier for expatriates to retire here. The Malaysia My Second Home Programme allows foreigners to stay in the country indefinitely on a social visit pass with a multiple entry visa.

There is a large expatriate community living in Malaysia. Like Malaysians, they enjoy an active social life, being able to easily indulge in a huge range of activities, from fine dining to sailing. Malaysia has one of the highest standards of living in the region where luxuries are so affordable that it is easy to enjoy the good life here. Cost of living is one of the lowest in Asia and will remain so for a very long time. This is achieved through the Government’s efficient monitoring of the economy in ensuring that inflation is kept low at all times and thereby also the prices of goods and services.

This strong economy has secured a comprehensive infrastructure. The whole country is very well connected with up-to-date, modern road, rail, air, and sea transportation systems. Public transport by buses, taxis, trains and planes are comfortable, efficient and relatively low in cost. The healthcare system is also excellent, drawing many short-term visitors from around the world. The country has a very efficient healthcare system where medical services are provided at nominal cost. Private doctors, clinics and also hospitals of international standards are easily available throughout the country at a very reasonable cost.

A healthy economy, good infrastructure and luxury amenities aren’t the only draw; Malaysia is also a pluralistic society where people practise their own way of life in peace and harmony. Freedom is one of the key reasons many find Malaysia attractive. It is so easy to live the calm life here, where people respect each other’s differences. Malaysians in general are very warm and friendly, always open to learning about other cultures. Although Islam is the national religion, there is a sizable population of Christians, Buddhists and Hindus here, with ample places of worship dotting the entire country.

The weather is pleasant, warm and balmy with moderate rain throughout the year. There are also highland residential areas and resorts with permanent spring-like weather throughout the country. See it to believe it, an ideal place to call home and a government programme to make your dream a reality. To find a home away from home, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.

Activities : DIVING

Diving
Malaysia is fast becoming one of the leading dive destinations of the world with one of the richest marine environments in the Indo-Pacific Basin. The incredible bio-diversity of marine life, coupled with beautiful islands, white sandy beaches and clear warm waters, keeps divers coming back time and time again.

Top dive sites around Malaysia include diverse underwater geography such as sloping reefs, coral blocks, wall dives, deep dives, drift dives and wreck dives. A dip below the warm sea’s surface guarantees you an astounding experience, with a concentration of vibrant and exotic marine life rarely rivalled anywhere else in the world. From schooling Hammerhead Sharks, to huge schools of barracudas and various species of turtles, to the bizarre Frogfish and Ghost Pipefish, there is always something fascinating awaiting you. It's no exaggeration to say that almost every time a marine bio-diversity survey is conducted in Malaysia’s tropical seas, the species list increases!

If you plan to do some diving out here, you should try to book a package with an operator that would include diving, food and accommodation. It's a good way to save money. Also, the sea gets rough and murky during the east coast's monsoon (November - March), so try to time your visit outside of this period.

Dive centres in Malaysia are numerous, well equipped and certified by all the internationally recognised dive agencies like PADI, SSI and SSAC for maintaining their standards of safety and professionalism. Naturally, all scuba diving courses in Malaysian waters are also endorsed by these certifying agencies. After completing your scuba course, get outfitted with the latest scuba equipment as all international brands are available from dive centres in Malaysia. Almost all the islands in Malaysia cater to divers of all levels of experience - be it easy, shallow drift-diving, to advanced wreck-diving or technical diving.

Located in the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the heart of the world's richest marine biodiversity area, Malaysia also offers pristine beaches and professional dive centres for the pleasure and safety of the advanced and novice diver. For a most memorable diving holiday, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.

Key Tips
If you plan to do some diving out here, you should try to book a package with an operator that would include diving, food and accommodation. It's a good way to save money. Also, the sea gets rough and murky during the east coast's monsoon (November - March), so try to time your visit outside of this period.

Destination : Homestay Sri Tanjung

Homestay Seri Tanjung

Come experience the village, or kampung, way of life first-hand. And there's no better place to do this than staying in a village that has twice been the winner of the National Beautiful Village competition. Warm, hospitable, tight-knit communities offer the best home-cooked meals and are eager to share their customs and traditions with visitors. Beautiful scenery is part of village life - slanted coconut trees that pierce the bright blue sky and line red dirt roads add to the enlightening and fun-filled experience.

You will be invited to participate in animal husbandry and farming, if you want a hands-on experience. It is common for children to play traditional games in the cool, late afternoon. They will eagerly teach you these games, but be prepared to lose gracefully to these expert players. This is village life at its best!

The villagers will organise traditional performances such as Silat, the Malay martial arts, or traditional top spinning. This is the perfect way to learn about Malaysian culture and get to know Malaysians.

KEY TIPS

Delicious and exotic home-cooked dishes will be prepared by your friendly hosts. They will gladly share their recipes or let you watch them cook so that you can take a piece of Malaysia home.

By Road
Seri Tanjung Village is located just 24km by good roads from Melaka town. You can either take a taxi there or get your hosts to pick you up from your city hotel.

Accommodation Overview
Homestay involves staying in a typical village, or kampung, house, possibly on stilts.

Malaysian food customs and etiquettes

Rice or rice-based dishes form the staple diet of a Malaysian meal. Various meat dishes and vegetables accompany a meal. It is the norm for a family or a group of friends to sit around a table with various dishes, helping themselves from the spread. It fosters a closer sense of friendship whilst at the same time enabling diners to try different dishes than if they were to eat alone. Malays ( melayu ), being Muslims, eat only food that is halal, i.e. cows, lambs, deer and chicken must be slaughtered by a Muslim according to the Islamic rites. Pork or pork by-products are forbidden. When dining with a Muslim, respect their sensitivities and do not order pork-related dishes, nor liquor. Intoxicating drinks in any form are prohibited in the Islam. The fingertips of the right hand are used for eating. A finger bowl is used for washing before and after. Polite by nature and courteous in his behaviour, exercise restraint when dining with your Malay friends and don’t grab the best portions for yourself. The Chinese have no food prohibitions. Food is eaten with chopsticks. Everyone reaches out for choicest morsel with his chopsticks. So, be quick or use a fork or spoon when dining out with Chinese. You may feet squeamish about picking food where everyone has dipped their own chopsticks. To avoid this, take your portion and put it on the side plate. Slurping, belching and spitting fish bones, chicken bones or shrimp tails onto the table are normal Chinese customs. So is smoking at the table. Be tolerant.

When finished, set your chopsticks on the table or on the chopstick-rest provided. Placing them parallel on top of your bowl is considered a sign of bad luck. Also, don’t use chopsticks to spear food, and don’t stick chopsticks into a bowl of cooked rice. Indians places great emphasis on ‘clean food’, i. e. parts of lambs, chicken and fish such as feet, fins and offal are not eaten. Most Indians are Hindus. They do not eat beef as the animal is venerated in Hinduism because it gives milk, works on the field, gives manure for fuel and fertiliser and so on. So, one does not eat an animal whose very human existence is tied up with it. Indians also do not eat pork, as pigs are natural scavengers. Nor do Hindus enjoy clams, shellfish, prawns and other crustaceans that live in shallow waters the site of effluents. These restrictions may seem to limit variety, but the burst of the vivid colours in Indian cooking, spicy aromas, textures, flavours and creative ways with vegetables do make up for for it. Like the Malays or melayu boleh, the fingertips of the right hand is used for eating. Most popular melayu boleh like eat nasi lemak every morning.

Visit Malaysia Year 2007 : Celebrating 50 years of nationhood

Come 2007, Malaysia will celebrate 50 years of independence. The month of August will be filled with a myriad of parades, cultural performances, street shows and carnivals to commemorate the country's Independence or Merdeka Day on 31st August.

It was on 31st August 1957 when history was made as the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted, with the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj leading the people in the famous shouts of Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! (Independence!)

For more than 30 years, Merdeka Day celebrations have been marked by parades involving uniformed personnel, corporate players, school children, cultural dancers, athletes and Malaysians from all walks of life. However, in recent years, the event has grown into a much anticipated and exciting month-long celebration nationwide.

This forthcoming Golden Jubilee celebration marks a significant milestone in the history of the nation. Join the enthusiastic crowd at the Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of Merdeka Day for the countdown to this momentous event. Another highlight of the year will be the Citrawarna or Colours and Flavours of Malaysia parade, an annual event showcasing the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the country. This will be the grandest celebration for this event yet.

Malaysia invites all visitors to share in the joy and excitement of this momentous occasion. Come and be mesmerised by a unique multicultural populace celebrating 50 years of nationhood in harmony and peaceful co-existance. You will truly be fascinated.