MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA •• Environment lonelyplanet.comthan a dozen types. Other percussion instru-
ments include the gong, cerucap (made of
shells), raurau (coconut shells), kertuk and
pertuang (both made from bamboo), and the
wooden celampang.
Wind instruments include a number of
types of flute (such as the seruling and se-
runai) and the trumpet-like nafiri, while
stringed instruments include the biola, gam-
bus and sundatang.
The gamelan, a traditional Indonesian
gong-orchestra, is also found in the state of
Kelantan, where a typical ensemble will com-
prise four different gongs, two xylophones
and a large drum.ENVIRONMENT
The Land
Malaysia covers 329,758 sq km and consists of
two distinct regions. Peninsular Malaysia is the
long finger of land extending south from Asia
and though the mountainous northern half
has some dense jungle coverage, unprotected
forests are getting cut down at an alarming
rate, mostly to create palm oil plantations.
The peninsula’s western side has a large fertile
plain running to the sea, while the eastern
side is fringed with sandy beaches. Malaysian
Borneo consists of Sarawak and Sabah; both
states are covered in thick jungle and have
extensive river systems. Sabah is crowned by
Mt Kinabalu (4095m), the highest mountain
between the Himalayas and New Guinea.Wildlife
Malaysia’s ancient rainforests are endowed
with a cornucopia of life forms. In Peninsular
Malaysia alone there are over 8000 species
of flowering plants, including the world’s
tallest tropical tree species, the tualang. In
Malaysian Borneo, where hundreds of new
species have been discovered since the 1990s,
you’ll find the world’s largest flower, the raf-
flesia, measuring up to 1m across, as well
as the world’s biggest cockroach. Mammals
include elephants, rhinos (extremely rare),
tapirs, tigers, leopards, honey bears, tem-
padau (forest cattle), gibbons and monkeys(including, in Borneo, the bizarre proboscis
monkey), orang-utans and pangolins (scaly
anteaters). Bird species include spectacular
pheasants, sacred hornbills and many groups
of colourful birds such as kingfishers, sun-
birds, woodpeckers and barbets. Snakes
include cobras, vipers and pythons. Once
a favourite nesting ground for leatherback
turtles, recorded landings now hover around
10 per year.National Parks
Malaysia’s 19 national parks cover barely
5% of the country’s landmass. The coun-
try’s major national park is Taman Negara,
on the peninsula, while Gunung Mulu
and Kinabalu are the two main parks in
Sarawak and Sabah respectively. Especially
on Borneo, the rarity and uniqueness of local
flora and fauna is such that scientists – from
dragonfly experts to palm-tree specialists –
are regular visitors and vocal proponents of
new parks and reserves both on land and in
the surrounding waters. There are also 13
marine parks in Malaysia, notably around
Pulau Perhentian, Tioman and Sipadan, al-
though enforcement of protection measures
is very loose.Environmental Issues
When it comes to environmental faux pas,
Malaysia has done it all. Logging is believed
to have destroyed more than 60% of the
country’s rainforests and generates some
US$4.5 billion per year for big business.
Another growing phenomenon is palm-
tree plantations, where vast swathes of land
are razed and planted with trees that yield
lucrative palm oil. But the crown of eco
and social irresponsibility goes to the con-
struction of the controversial Bakun Dam
in Sarawak, scheduled to become Southeast
Asia’s biggest dam, at the time of writing
expected to be completed by 2010. The dam
will drown approximately 700 sq km of
virgin rainforest and will have forced up to
10,000 indigenous people from their homes.
In equally bad environmental news, much
of the power generated at Bakun looks
likely to go to a giant aluminium smelter
in Sarawak.
Responsible ecotourism is the travel-
ler’s best weapon in a country where cold
cash is fiercer than tigers; see p530 for
more information.ARTS WEB TIP
The best source of information on what’s
currently going on in the Malaysian arts
scene is http://www.kakiseni.com.434