The distinctive culture of Malaysia makes their country more colourful than any other countries in Asia. To begin with, the Malay is considered the largest ethnic group in Malaysia and they continually honour their pioneering race from the past until present. In the history of Malaysia that started fifteen hundred years ago, they were influenced by other foreign and Asian countries like China, India, Eurasia and others. Among these countries, China and India greatly influenced them in many aspects of their culture. These two countries served as Malaysia’s major traders that changed a large part of Malaysians’ daily lives. These three different races combined as one to create a unique inheritance that still exist in modern times. The Chinese immigrants consists the twenty five per cent of ancestry.They were the largest race who had a great impact in Malaysian culture. They were the one who influenced Malaysians in terms of practices, beliefs, and arts. Apart from Muslims, the Chineseintroduced the religion of Buddhism and Christianity. They were also very influential in business and commerce that helped Malaysia in economic growth. In addition to Chinese influence, India also had a significant contribution in Malaysian culture and Indians consists of ten per cent of ancestry. As an example, Malaysians applied the Hindu traditions when it comes to wedding ceremonies. Aside from this, Malaysia has multilingual adaptation from other countries. The English language was largely spoken by the influenced of British colonizers. Cantonese, Hokkien and Mandarin were taught by Chinese while Tamil and other languages came from Indians.

The Malay population mostly live in the Eastern and northern part of Malaysia. They are very conservative so everyone is expected to dress up properly. When it comes to religion and politics, they are sensitive with this point of view since they really give importance on these topics and very particular in hearing feedbacks. In Malaysia, they value their unique culture and they treasure the customs and traditions they learned from other countries. They celebrate the heterogeneous society which is very relevant in relation to their religious practices and festivals. Malaysians are optimistic and very polite. They treat each other with respect and most of them have introverted personalities. In Kuala Lumpur which is the capital city of Malaysia, you’ll taste a large variety of food that would really make your stomach full. As part of their culture, they considered food as their ultimate pride. Indeed, Malaysians had been blended with different religions, races and traditions yet they managed to unite each other’s differences.

C. Tizon

References:

http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/cultures.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293951-s202/Malaysia:Culture.html

http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Malaysia.html

The Problem of Pollution

Recent years have witnessed increasing attention to the problem of pollution across the world. With social and economic progress, increasing numbers of technology-based products have flooded the world. Along with convenience, they have generated a lot of waste harmful to the environment and life. Today, clear skies and clean rivers are more like a legend passed down from old generations. This suggests the impending seriousness of environmental problems.

In terms of particle pollution PM2.5, studies have shown that half of the year is filled with poisonous gases. People who work in such environments are likely to suffer from various diseases or cancer. PM2.5 gets into the body by the nose and enters the lung, gradually accumulating to a point that could cause a fatal disease. This indicates a need for a better understanding of environmental pollution and strategies for more effective environmental conservation.

People are to blame for air pollution. People cut down many trees to heat homes or make paper. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and release oxygen. They also protect land from soil erosion. Without trees, the environment has little protection. Greenhouse gases can disrupt weather patterns and reduce air quality.

The most important contributor to air pollution is the use of automobiles. With rapid economic development, many people now own cars for daily use. However, few understand the serious implications of using cars in terms of air quality. Cars account for a large portion of fossil fuel use, which is a key factor behind global warming and air pollution. That is, cars produce poisonous gases and carbon dioxide, and the worst part is the chemical reaction in the engine that makes gases even more lethal. Pedestrians are exposed to these gases and thus are at a greater risk of developing a fatal disease. In addition to personal cars, countless trucks and other commercial vehicles further exacerbate air pollution. For example, emissions from low-quality trucks are 500 times those from cars.

Studies have shown that strict compliance with rules and regulations would cut emissions by up to 60%. However, it is difficult to enforce such compliance, particularly because most people depend on the industrial sector for their livelihood. In this regard, the problem, unless appropriately mitigated, is expected to worsen over time.

In sum, it is now time for people to do something about protecting the fragile environment by controlling air pollutants such as PM2.5.This is the only way to leave behind a better world for future generations.

Charles Yan