6. Federal
Constitutional
Monarchy

7. Total Land Area
329,847 km2 (67th)
127,355 sq mi
Water (%)
0.3

8. Currency:
Ringgit

9. Malaysia came from
word Melayu, thought to derive
from
the Tamil words Malai and ur me
aning "mountain" and "city,
land", respectively.The term was
later used as the name of
the Melayu Kingdom, which
existed between the 7th and
13th centuries on Sumatra.

10. Malaysia is
a federal constitutional
elective monarchy. The
system of government is
closely modelled on that of
the Westminster
parliamentary system, a
legacy of British colonial
rule.

11. Najib Razak, Prime
Minister since 2009.

12. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and
Malacca,
three federal territories. These are divided
Johor,
between two regions, with 11 states and
Pahang,
two federal territories on Peninsular
Sarawak
Malaysia and the other two states and one
,Sabah,
federal territory in East Malaysia.
Labuan
Governance of the states is divided
Kuala Lumpur
between the federal and the state
Putrajaya
governments, and the Federal government
West Malaysia
has direct administration of the federal
East Malaysia
territories.

13. There are about 210 mammal
species in the country.Over 620
species of birds have been recorded
in Peninsular Malaysiawith many
endemic to the mountains there. A
high number of endemic bird
species are also found in Malaysian
Borneo. 250 reptile species have
been recorded in the country, with
about 150 species of snakes and 80
species of lizards. There are about
150 species of frogs,and thousands
of insect species.

14. Nearly 4000
species of fungi,
including lichen-
forming species
have been
recorded from
Malaysia.

15. About
two thirds of
Malaysia is
covered in
forest,with
some forests
believed to be
130 million
years old.

16. Rafflesia genus, the
largest flowers in
the world,with a
maximum diameter
of 1 metre (3 ft).

17. Malaysia is a relatively open state-
oriented and newly
industrialized market economy.
Malaysia has had one of the best
economic records in Asia, with GDP
growing an average 6.5 per cent
annually from 1957 to 2005. In 2011
the GDP (PPP) was about
$450 billion, the 3rd largest
economy in ASEAN and 29th largest
in the world.

18. In the 1970s, the
predominantly mining and
agricultural-based economy
began a transition towards a
more multi-sector economy.
Since the 1980s the industrial
sector has led Malaysia's
growth

19. As of the 2010 census, the population of Malaysia was
28,334,135, making it the 42nd most populated
country

20. Malaysian Literature

21. Malaysian
literature is the
collection of
literary works
produced in the
Malay peninsula
until 1963 and in
Malaysia
thereafter.

22. Malaysian literature is
typically written in any
of the country's four
main languages: Malay,
English, Chinese and
Tamil. It portrays
various aspects of
Malaysian life and
comprises an important
part of the culture of
Malaysia.

23. The earliest works of
Malaysian literature
were transmitted orally
in the absence of writing
scripts. Oral literature
encompasses a variety
of genres of Malay
folklore, such as myths,
legends, folk tales,
romances, epics, poetry,
proverbs, origin stories
and oral histories.

24. Early Malay literature
was influenced by
Indian epics, such as
the Mahabharata
and the Ramayana,
which later included
other traditions.

25. Different ethnic
groups have
different versions
of the same story,
although there are
several recurring
themes and
elements in every
tale.

26. The oral traditions
of Sabah
encompass folk
tales and legends,
such as creation
myths, that have
been preserved by
the ethnic groups
in the state.

27. By the 19th
century, oral
literature on the
Malay peninsula
was superseded
by written
literature.

28. Traditional
Malay poetry
was used for
entertainment
and the
recording of
history and
laws.

30. Mantra
is usually any repeated word or phrase, but it
can also refer more specifically to a word
repeated in meditation. Mantra
comes from a Sanskrit word meaning a
“sacred message or text”.

31. OM
The King of mantras of a single syllable is 'Om'. It is the sound of
infinity and immortality, containing within it all the scriptures of
the world.
'Om' is often used at the beginning of meditation to focus the
mind, or as a prefix to other mantras.
OM NAMO
These words are often said before invocation of a particular
deity. 'Om' retains its significance as above. 'Namo', in Sanskrit,
means to honor, appreciate and be humble towards.
Therefore, putting it before the deity's name means something
like "praise be to" or "all thanks to".

32. The following are different mantras using these prefixes :
OM NAMO GANESHAYA
Ganesha is the God of beginnings and success. Therefore, this mantra is formed at the
beginning of new undertakings and to bring about success by removing obstacles.
OM NAMO LAKSHMAI
Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess associated with prosperity in all aspects of life - financial,
emotional and spiritual. Mantras to Her bring richness to life and a wealth of good
fortune.
OM NAMO SHIVAYA
This mantra represents the tranquil insight to the meditative experience. It helps
destroy negative qualities.
OM NAMO NARAYANA
Narayana is the name of Vishnu, the source of humanity. It is a mantra said in times of
trouble to re-establish harmony and balance. Many powers come from saying this
mantra. It also aids in attaining enlightenment.

33. Pantun is consists of a quatrain which
employs an abab rhyme scheme. A
pantun is traditionally recited
according to a fixed rhythm and as a
rule of thumb, in order not to deviate
from the rhythm, every line should
contain between eight and 12
syllables.

34. Example:
Tanam selasih di tengah padang,
Sudah bertangkai diurung semut,
Kita kasih orang tak sayang,
Halai-balai tempurung hanyut.

35. I planted sweet-basil in mid-field
Grown, it swarmed with ants,
I loved but am not loved,
I am all confused and helpless.
-Katharine Sim

36. SYAIR
It is a form of
traditional Malay poetry that made up
of four-line stanzas or quatrains. The
syair can be a narrative poem, a
didactic poem, or a poem used to
convey ideas on religion or philosophy,
or even one to describe historical
event.

37. Other types of Malaysian Poetry
Seloka - a poem, similar to pantun
Madah - a kind of rhyming speech,
a discourse through poetry
Gurindam - poetry, set to music

38. Fables in Malaysia
Animal fables are often used to explain
certain natural phenomena. Other
times, they are simple moral tales. In
almost all instances, the animals in
these stories possess the ability to
speak, reason and think like humans,
similar to Aesop's
Fables.

39. The kancil or mouse-deer
serves as the main character in
a number of the stories. The
Malays regard this humble
animal in the highest esteem
due to its ability to overcome
obstacles and defeat
adversaries despite of its rather
small and benign appearance.
The mouse-deer appears in the
state herald of Melaka and even
plays a part in the legend of
Malacca's founding.

40. Below are listed some of the common fables as well as their approximate title
translations. (Note that the word sang, an Old Malay honorific meaning
"revered", appears in all instances preceding the name kancil to indicate
respect)
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Buaya - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
crocodile
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Monyet - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
monkey
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Harimau - The tale of the mouse-deer and the tiger
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Sang Sempoh - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
bison
Kisah Anjing dengan Bayang-bayang - The dog and the shadow
Kisah Burung Gagak dan Merak - The crow and the peacock
Kisah Burung Gagak yang Haus - The thirsty crow
Kisah Labah-labah Emas - The golden spider
Kisah Labah-labah dengan Burung Merpati - The spider and the pigeon
Kisah Kerengga dengan Pemburu - The fire-ant and the hunter
Kisah Burung Murai - The mockingbird
Kisah Burung Kakak Tua - The cockatoo

41. Malay Ghost Myths
The Malay word for ghost is
hantu. However, this word
also covers all sorts of
demons, goblins and
undead creatures and are
thought to have real
physical bodies, instead of
just apparitions or spectres.
The most famous of these is
the pontianak or matianak,
the ghost of a female
stillborn child which lures
men in the form of a
beautiful woman.

42. Below are listed other popular supernatural beings and
ghosts as well as their descriptions.
Bajang: the spirit of a stillborn child in the form of a civet cat
(musang).
Hantu kopek: a female ghost with large bosoms who lures
men who cheat on their wives
Hantu kum-kum: the ghost of an old woman who sucks the
blood of virgin girls to regain her youth
Hantu tinggi: lit. "tall ghost", a type of giant that will flee at
the sight of a naked body
Lang suir: the mother of a pontianak. Able to take the form
of an owl with long talons, and attacks pregnant women out
of jealousy
Penanggal: a flying head with its disembodied stomach sac
dangling below. Sucks the blood of infants

43. Epics (HIKAYAT)
The hikayat or epics are
collections of stories and
legends of heroism that often
involve mythological and
historical figures in a setting
usually engaging the role of
protagonists and antagonists.

44. Fairy tales (kisah dongeng)
Kisah dongeng are a loose
collection of bedtime stories,
fables and myths that involves
human or non-human
characters, often with
superhuman powers along
with talking animals, and an
unearthly setting.

46. Abdullah bin
Abdul Kadir
1796
Malacca
Died 1854 (aged 57–58)
Jeddah, Ottoman Empire
Occupation Author,
translator and teacher
Period19th century
Genres Non-fiction
Subjects Early Malay
history

47. His most important works are
the Hikayat Abdullah (an
autobiography), Kisah Pelayaran
Abdullah ke Kelantan (an
account of his trip for the
government to Kelantan), and
Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke
Mekah (a narrative of his
pilgrimage to Mecca 1854). His
work was an inspiration to
future generations of writers
and marks an early stage in the
transition from the classical
Malay literature to modern
Malay literature.

48. Ee Tiang Hong (1933–1990) was a Malayan poet
of Chinese ancestry.[1]
Born at Malacca during the British colonial
period, Ee wrote poetry in English. His first book
of poetry appeared in 1960.

49. Usman Awang
(12 July 1929,
Kuala Sedili,
Johore - 29
November 2001,
Kuala Lumpur)
was a Malaysian
poet, playwright
and novelist.

50. Much of his poems are
simple, clear, oftentimes
romantic, and just
beautiful. He is a master at
weaving words into
striking phrases, sentences
and verses that are of
exceptional classical
beauty and sometimes
appear to be nostalgic and
even escapist.

51. Huzir Sulaiman
Malaysian actor, director
and writer. One of
Malaysia's leading
dramatists, acclaimed
for his vibrant, inventive
use of language and
incisive insight into
human behavior in
general and the Asian
psyche in particular.

52. He is best known for his works
"Atomic Jaya", "The Smell of
Language", "Hip-Hopera" the
Musical, "Notes on Life and Love
and Painting", "Election Day",
"Those Four Sisters Fernandez",
"Occupation" and "Whatever
That Is" which have been
published in his collection of
"Eight Plays" by Silverfish Books.
He also contributes articles to
the The Star (Malaysia).

59. Philip’s prominent family, the Huttons, are the 3rd generation
descendants of English settlers who have achieved fame and
success in the running of their business concern, Hutton &
Sons which was founded by Philip’s great-grandfather, Graham
Hutton and now under the control of Philip’s father, Noel
Hutton. Noel Hutton has 3 other children (William,
Edward and Isabel) from a previous marriage to an
Englishwoman. Upon her death, he had remarried a local
Chinese lady, Khoo Yu Lian (Philip’s mother) from a well to do
family. As a child of mixed-parentage, the young Philip feels torn
between two worlds – his father’s and his mother’s. He is called
a “half-breed” by the locals and “slant-eyed” by the European
community.

60. This feeling of non-belonging leads Philip to stay
behind one holiday as the Huttons take one of
their regular sojourns home to Mother England.
In the solitude of their palatial sea-side mansion
called Istana (which means “palace” in the local
Malay language), Philip comes to befriend his
father’s “tenant”, a man who has rented the
Hutton’s small island just a short distance out to
sea from Istana. His name is Hayato
Endo or Endo-san, as Philip calls him.

61. Endo-san is the Deputy Consul at the Japanese
Consulate on Penang Island and is an avid
photographer of the local scenery. As Philip begins to
spend more time with Endo-san, each day rowing his
boat to the island, Endo-san agrees to impart his skill in
aikijutsu to Philip in return for Philip’s giving him a tour
of Georgetown, Penang and later, the surrounding
Malayan states. (From this point onwards, the book is
littered with various aikijutsu jargon and its underlying
philosophy of violence as an act of last resort)

62. The world is at war and there are references to the
advances made by the Axis in Europe and the slaughter
of innocent civilians in China by the invading Japanese
military. Life in Malaya is relatively tranquil with both
the colonials and locals in agreement that Japan would
never invade or successfully mount such an attempt
against the might of the British Empire. Malaya was
protected by Fortress Singapore with its heavy guns all
trained at the sea as military tacticians anticipate a
Japanese assault to start from the South China Sea.

63. The Huttons return from England. Philip’s
eldest half-brother William, wastes no time
in joining the war effort and is assigned to
HMS Prince of Wales to form the main
British bulwark at sea near Singapore
awaiting the Japanese landing. (Later, the
HMS Prince of Wales would go down at sea
together with the HMS Repulse, both sunk
by Japanese aircraft)

64. Much to his father’s chagrin, Philip spends more and
more time with Endo-san, showing him around Penang
and its surroundings and travelling with him to Kuala
Lumpur; sharing his knowledge of Malaya and its peoples.
This would also later prove to have disastrous results as
bits and pieces of information from Philip are gathered
and passed back to the Japanese Government, enabling
its war planners to alter the plans for the assault on
Malaya by having Japanese invading troops enter from
the South of Thailand and down towards Singapore from
its unguarded rear. To overcome the difficult terrain, the
troops transport themselves on bicycles – just
like Philip did when exploring with Endo-san earlier.

65. The relationship between the Sensei (or Master)
and student is further forged when the Japanese
Imperial Army takes over and occupies Malaya.
The ‘liberation’ of Malaya by the Japanese is
anything but and soon violence, summary
executions, rape and pillage are exacted on the
local populace to ensure total submission. (The
author asks the simple question of how a race
that prides itself with so much cultural
refinement and finesse such as the Japanese can
resort to such brutal and barbaric behaviour
during war. It is something that I myself find
hard to understand about the Japanese psyche.

66. Endo-san works within the confines of his duties
to protect Philip and on a few occasions cover
up his actions against the Japanese. Throughout
the book, there are instances of Endo-san’s
inner struggle between what he perceives to be
his duty to his country, that is, to obey and carry
out the orders of his superiors, and to walk away
from all the aggression and pursue that which
his heart truly yearns for – his love for a woman
he left behind in Japan and to practice the
discipline and philosophy of peaceful co-
existence advocated by aikijutsu

67. To survive, Philip offers his service to the
Japanese Occupying Forces and through Endo-
san is recruited as a translator at the Consulate.
Using his position, he passes information to his
Chinese friends who are in the local resistance
groups to be used in their acts of subterfuge and
sabotage against the Japanese. In the capacity
of translator, he is also brought along by the
Japanese on raids of villages to flush out
members of the Resistance.

68. He witnesses (and is helpless to do anything) the
capture and massacre of people he knew. Some
locals regard him as a Japanese collaborator and
some, a saviour. His own father is unable to
accept his decision to work for the Japanese. His
work with the Japanese also tears apart his
family with ruinous results. His close friend, Kon,
joins Force 136 – a paramilitary group formed
and trained by the retreating British Forces to
stay behind and continue the fight against the
Japanese.

69. Ultimately, the tide turns against the
Axis Forces. The bombs are dropped
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan
concedes defeat shortly thereafter.
The British return to Malaya and
though cleared of the charges of being
a Japanese collaborator, Philip remains
a person both loved and despised by
the locals.

70. His decision to work for the Japanese is something he comes to
terms with and accepts in the later part of the book as
inevitable, destined ... fated. A childhood prophecy once
revealed to his father by a temple fortune-teller – that he (Philip)
would bring destruction to his family and those around him; the
Gift of Rain – fulfilled. In the end, Philip arrives at the conclusion
that:
“While I now accept that the course of our lives has been set
down long before our births, I feel that the inscriptions that
dictate the directions of our lives merely write out what is
already in our hearts; they can do nothing more. ... we being
beings capable mainly of love and memory. These capabilities
are the greatest gifts given to us, and we can do nothing else but
live out the remembered desires and memories of our hearts”.

71. Thank you. ^_^
God bless..