Malaysia is often described an Islamic country, but Muslims make up at most 60% of the population, which leaves a hefty 40% of people who practise a whole range of other religions, from animism to Zoroastrianism. The largest minority, comprising one in five Malaysians, are Buddhists, most of them ethnic Chinese. Although a majority of … read the full post

When is a pub not a pub? This may seem like an odd question, but in Malaysia, what you call a drinking establishment can have a big impact on how it is treated by licensing authorities. Call somewhere a restoran dan pub (restaurant and pub), and you can be open to the world, with outside … read the full post

Up until a few decades ago, Kuala Lumpur had a Chinese majority, and it was only very recently that Malays became the city’s largest single community. Even today, most of central KL feels much more Chinese than it does Malay, which probably comes as a big surprise for any visitor expecting a conservative city dominated … read the full post

While Chinatowns are all round the world, Little Indias are rather rarer. Except in Kuala Lumpur that is, which as of last year, has not one but two of them. Or not, depending on whether the area in central KL, which has been known as Little India for decades, has been officially stripped of its title. … read the full post