1. The oldest remains of modern man in Southeast Asia were found in a cave in Borneo.
2. Although Malaysia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, it was not until 1963 that it began calling itself Malaysia.
3. Before the name Malaysia was adopted, the country also considered calling itself Langkasuka, which was the name of one of the ancient kingdoms of the Malay Peninsula.
4. The oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia is St. George Church in Penang.
5. The Sarawak Chamber in Malaysia is the world’s largest underground cave.
6. The Sarawak Chamber is so spacious, it could easily hold in forty Boeing 747 planes.
7. The 107 km Clearwater Cave found also in Sarawak is the longest cave in Asia.
8. In Malay, the word ringgit means “jagged.” It initially referred to the rough edges of Spanish silver coins that were once circulated in the region.
9. The king cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake; the greatest number of king cobras in the world are found in Malaysia.
10. Malaysians seldom call themselves Malaysians when they are in their own country. Inside Malaysia, they describe themselves as Chinese, Indians, Malays, or “Dan Lain Lain (others).”
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