Page 22 - The Guide To Sarawak

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INTRODUCTION TO MALAYSIA
has emerged as a world leader in Islamic finance and financial services.
Malaysia offers foreign investors a complete business package of incentives, a well-educated workforce, a transparent legal framework and a network of special Growth Corridors targeted at a variety of industries. The country is ranked 6th in the world for ease of doing business, according to the World Bank Group (2014).
Transportation
Malaysia has some of the best transport infrastructure in the region. An extensive network of multi-lane highways links major cities and towns on the peninsula, with 2-lane highways connecting major towns and cities in East Malaysia.
An intercity rail line
operates and connects to Thailand and Singapore. For urban transportation,
a Light Rail Transit and Monorail network covers Kuala Lumpur and parts
of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, with a High- Speed Rail link offering connection to the KLIA and KLIA2 terminals of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. An underground Mass Rapid Transit system is under construction
to augment the existing systems. In Sabah, a 134km narrow-gauge railway
runs from Tanjung Aru, near Kota Kinabalu, to
the town of Tenom, in the Interior Division. The Kuala Lumpur
International Airport (KLIA) is the main international air transport hub, supported by a new low-cost carrier terminal (KLIA2) and
international terminals at Penang, Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Langkawi. Numerous domestic airports serve offshore islands and rural towns and villages throughout the country.
KLIA is the home base
for Malaysia’s flag carrier airline, Malaysia Airlines, whose origins stretch back to 1947 and KLIA2 is the base for AirAsia, Malaysia’s pioneering low-cost air carrier. Together with several other airlines these carriers offer flights domestically, regionally and internationally to hundreds of destinations around the world.
International sea connections are handled by major ports, including Port Klang, Penang Port, Pasir Gudang, Tanjung Pelepas, Bintulu (Sarawak) and Kota Kinabalu (Sabah). Smaller ports handle domestic, regional and barter trade shipping. Ferries serve most offshore islands,
while fast express boats connect riverine and coastal towns in Sarawak.
Culture, Arts & Crafts
Malaysia’s history and diverse ethnic mix has created a vibrant cultural mingling. A fusion of Oriental and European architectural styles can be seen in modern structures such as the Petronas Twin Towers, and Putrajaya, the new administrative capital.
The Colonial past is represented by the Cheong
The KL Monorail, which carries over 20 million passengers every year, is part of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated urban rail transport system.