People

A blend of the great Asian cultures of the world, Malaysian comprises Malays and the indigenous tribes, which make up some 60 percent of the population, Chinese fewer than 10 percent, and a potpourri of other ethnic groups.

The main and official religion is Islam, adopted by the Malaysia but religous tolerance sees the open practice of Buddhism and Taoism among the Chinese, Hinduism among the Indians and Christianity among the non-Malays. Some indigenous people retain their animist beliefs.

This diversity has seen the flowering of Malaysia's places of worship, colorful festivals, variety of food, and their particular brand of English. A Malaysian custom during major festivals is the ‘open house', whereby practitioners of the various religions open their doors to visitors all day. This is when people of different races visit each other to wish each other Gong Xi Fa Cai during Chinese New Year, Selamat Hari Raya during the Muslim New Year, and Happy Deepavali during the Hindu Festival of Lights.