Publisher’s note

Publisher
J Andrew Davison

Malaysian geography is relatively unusual in that its lands are split into

two distinct parts – the Peninsula (also called West Malaysia) and

East Malaysia (or Malaysian Borneo) – areas of the country separated

by hundreds of kilometres of ocean. Moreover, these two parts of

Malaysia are different in many significant ways: culturally, socially,

geologically, and more. Though most of Malaysia’s rich natural

resources are found in East Malaysia, as well as a majority of the

country’s overall land area,some 80% of its population live in the

Peninsula. Lying between Thailand and Singapore, and bounded on its

sides by the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, Peninsular

Malaysia covers about 130,000 sq km and is home to 11 of Malaysia’s

13 states, along with two of its three federal territories.

In this issue ofSenses of Malaysia, we visit some of the key destination

cities of the Peninsula, not least of which is Penang. Second only to

the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in both size and economic

importance, Penang is a popular getaway for foodies, a bastion of

heritage and multiculturalism, and offers a few decent beaches, too.

We also explore Ipoh, a small city that is really increasing its tourism

profile. Set amid visually striking forest-covered limestone cliffs, Ipoh

is also probably the country’s number two foodie destination behind

Penang, and offers a great deal to visitors who are looking to explore

and discover new places.

Greater Kuala Lumpur can take up an entire category of its own, so

we skip the country’s largest population centre and instead visit the

charming and bustling heritage city of Melaka, about two hours south

of KL. A UNESCO World Heritage City along with George Town in

Penang, Melaka is Malaysia’s unofficial cradle of history and a must-

see stop in anyone’s travel plans along the Peninsula.

In this issue, we also turn our focus to tertiary and continuing

education here in Malaysia. Education is a thriving industry in the

country, and the higher education offerings – both local and those in

partnership with well-established universities abroad – are growing in

both scale and prestige.

Of course, we also bring you a range of fascinating stories about

Malaysia and Malaysians, as we do in every issue. Our goal inSenses of

Malaysia is to highlight the many positive aspects of this dynamic and

engaging country. We hope you enjoy the issue.