Malaysia Business Basics, Visas, Safety, and Etiquette

Malaysia is a country made up of multiple distinct cultures, predominantly ethnically Malay, Chinese, and Indian (principally Tamil). Each has its own preferences for cuisine, dress, speech, religion, business style, and even individual names and titles. The U.S. Commercial Service does not endorse all the sites or advice linked on this page, but below are some web-based resources on the country and basic business etiquette:

U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur

Home Page http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/

American Citizen Services http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/service.html

Business Information http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/doing-business-local.html

Safety and Security http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/cons_safety_security.html

Emergency Contact http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/emergency_contact.html

Embassy of Malaysia in the United States http://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home - As of this writing, Malaysia will extend to U.S. citizens a 90 day visa upon arrival. However, check the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, DC, to confirm current visa requirements for U.S. citizens.

Department of State Consular Information Sheet – Malaysia http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/malaysia.html

World Health Organization – Malaysia http://www.who.int/countries/mys/en/

CIA World Factbook - Malaysia https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/my.html

Economist Country Topics – Malaysia http://www.economist.com/topics/malaysia

BBC – Malaysia Profile http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15356257

Executive Planet – Malaysia http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Malaysia

eHow.com – Malaysian Business Etiquette http://www.ehow.com/about_6454680_malaysian-business-etiquette.html

Destination Asia – Malaysian Etiquette http://www.destination-asia.com/malaysia/about/etiquette/

For further details on Doing Business in Malaysia, U.S. companies and U.S. commercial organizations may send an email to office.kualalumpur@trade.gov to get a copy of our most recent Country Commercial Guide (CCG). Exclusively for our U.S. clients and partners, this guide presents a comprehensive look at Malaysia’s commercial environment, reviews economic and political conditions and trends, identifies commercial opportunities for U.S. exports and investment, and also the overall investment climate in Malaysia. CCGs are prepared annually at U.S. embassies and represent the combined efforts of several U.S. Government agencies.