MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA DIRECTORY •• Money lonelyplanet.comMONEY
For information on basic costs, see Fast Facts
( p429 ).
The Malaysian ringgit (RM) consists of 100
sen. Coins in use are one, five, 10, 20 and 50
sen, and RM1; notes come in RM1, RM2,
RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100. Locals some-
times refer to the ringgit as a ‘dollar’.Bargaining & Tipping
Bargaining is not usually required for every-
day goods in Malaysia, but feel free to bar-
gain when purchasing souvenirs, antiques
and other tourist items, even when the prices
are displayed. Transport prices are generally
fixed, but negotiation is required for trishaws
and taxis around town or for charter.
Tipping is not common in Malaysia.Exchanging Money
The US dollar is the most convenient currency
to take to Malaysia, but you’ll have no problems
changing other major currencies either.
Banks are efficient and there are plenty of
money changers in the main centres. Credit
cards are accepted at midrange to high-
end restaurants and lodgings, and many
ATMs accept international key cards, Visa
and MasterCard. Some banks are also con-
nected to networks such as Cirrus, Maestro
and Plus.POST
There are poste restante services at all major
post offices, which are open from 8am to 5pm
daily except Sundays and public holidays (also
closed on Fridays in Kedah, Kelantan and
Terengganu districts).
Aerograms and postcards cost 50 sen to
send to any destination. Letters weighing
20g or less cost 90 sen to Asia, RM1.40 to
Australia or New Zealand, RM1.50 to the UK
and Europe, and RM1.80 to North America.
You can send parcels from any major post
office, although the rates are fairly high (from
RM20 to RM60 for a 1kg parcel, depending
on the destination).RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Malaysia has a serious rubbish problem,
so try to create as little waste as possible
by avoiding packaged drinks and eating
locally grown food; if possible, bring your
own water filter to avoid buying water in
plastic bottles. When diving and snorkel-ling never touch or walk on coral and avoid
tour operators who practise poor ecological
habits such as dropping anchor on coral.
Try to buy local handicrafts and souvenirs
in preference to mass-produced items, so
that the money goes back to local com-
munities. It might seem obvious, but never
buy butterflies or any products made from
endangered species.STUDYING
Kota Bharu and Cherating are the best
places to get a hands-on feel for batik, while
Kuala Lumpur is the place to study Bahasa
Malaysia. Cooking courses are occasionally
offered in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Ask at local tourist offices to see what’s on
offer when you’re in town.TELEPHONE
If you have your mobile phone with you, once
you’ve sorted out a local SIM you should have
no problem dialling overseas. Otherwise our
advice is to buy a cheap local mobile phone
to avoid the frustration of having to deal
with the neglected and run-down public
phone system.
If you’re sticking to Peninsula Malaysia
any of the major mobile phone service pro-
viders are fine, but if you’re heading into the
remoter parts of Malaysian Borneo then get
Celcom (www.celcom.com.my), which has the larg-
est coverage; numbers begin with 013 or 019.
Rates for a local call are around 40 sen per
minute and an SMS is 10 to 15 sen. Top-up
cards for prepaid SIM cards are available at all
7-Elevens and, if you’re planning on callingEXCHANGE RATES
Exchange rates at the time of press:
Country Unit Ringgit (RM)
Australia A$1 3.06
Brunei B$1 2.46
Canada C$1 3.23
Euro zone €1 5.06
Indonesia 10,000Rp 3.51
Japan ¥100 3.85
New Zealand NZ$1 2.50
Philippines P100 7.33
Singapore S$1 2.46
Thailand 10B 1.03
UK UK£1 5.52
USA US$1 3.46530