- Currency
- The Malaysian ringgit (MYR), written as RM on price tags. Cards are accepted in malls, hotels and restaurants, but cash is handy at markets, with street vendors and in small guesthouses.
- Sockets
- British-type G sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz. A European charger will not fit without an adapter, so bring a type G adapter or ask your hotel.
- Emergency numbers
- The single number 999 serves police and ambulance, and firefighters are reached on 994. From a mobile you can also dial 112 if 999 does not connect. Keep your hotel address saved in English on your phone.
- Time
- Malaysia uses UTC+8 with no daylight saving. That is three hours ahead of Kazakhstan, which uses UTC+5 nationwide: when it is noon in Astana it is 15:00 in Kuala Lumpur.
- Language
- The official language is Malay, but English is understood almost everywhere in cities and resorts. Chinese and Tamil are also common, so menus and signs often mix several languages.
- Cash and ATMs
- ATMs are found in cities, big hotels and malls, and there are fewer on islands and in small villages. Take some cash before heading to the islands or the mountains. Before you go, ask your bank about limits and fees for withdrawing cash abroad.
- Water and tipping
- Tap water is usually not drunk, so buy bottled water. Restaurants often add a service charge to the bill, so tipping is not considered obligatory.
- Public Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi is available in malls, cafes and hotels, but quality varies and login often requires registration. For banking apps and payments, mobile data on an eSIM is safer.
- City transport
- Kuala Lumpur has a metro, light rail and monorail, and the KLIA Ekspres runs from the airport to KL Sentral. The Touch 'n Go card is often used for fares, but routes and transfers are easier to check in an app on your phone.