80 Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia
Malaysians obviously feel comfortable with their own cultural
traditions and will defend them.
■
*
Know Before You Go
Malaysia is close to the epicenter of the tsunami of 2004, but it was shielded from full
impact by the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Besides the tragedy of the earthquakes and
tsunamis, the greatest hazards faced by the average foreign traveler are those found in
most countries near the equator: sunburn, heat stroke, and/or digestive upsets. Frighten-
ing incidents reported in the global news that also occur, but are relatively rare, include:
mob violence, typhoons, and floods.
Malaysia maintains some of the strictest censorship laws in the world. It is official
policy to insulate the Malaysian population from the “corrupting” foreign media. Foreign
journalists are routinely asked to leave the country after writing something uncompli-
mentary about Malaysia.
Although Malaysia has virtually no Jewish population, anti-Semitism is common,
especially among Muslims. Even former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad publicly
blamed Jews for his country’s financial problems.
Bribery and corruption are not unknown in Malaysia. Historically, Malaysia has been
considered less corrupt than Indonesia but more corrupt than Singapore (which enforces
strict antibribery laws).
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3
CULTURAL ORIENTATION
Cognitive Styles: How Ethnic Malays Organize
and Process Information
Although the ethnic Malays have assimilated many indigenous
religious rituals into their Islamic religion, they adhere to the closed
thinking of Islam when it comes to accepting outside information
into their everyday lives. Information is processed subjectively and

pronouncement. Respect for authority, unbreakable family ties, and
the performance of proper social behavior provide strength in times
of stress.
Issues of Equality/Inequality
Most states have sultans, and the division between royalty and
commoners is rarely bridged. Royalty is treated with great deference,
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82 Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia
which includes elaborate ritual and special terms of address. e eth-
nic Malays hold the political power, but they and the economically
dominant Chinese continually joust with each other. Ethnocentrism
and stereotypes abound, but virulent racism is stied. Malaysians
practice the strong masculine hierarchy of a secular Muslim state.
Cultural Note
Malaysia has joined a selective core of intellectual property conventions. They include the
Berne Convention for Protection of Copyright, the Paris Convention (relative to patents and
trademarks), and the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Malaysia has managed to stay out of the
spotlight while many of its neighbors have been targeted as pirates and counterfeiters. As a
former colony of the United Kingdom, Malaysia carries vestiges of common law trademarks.
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3
BUSINESS PRACTICES
Punctuality, Appointments, and Local Time
●
Although most Malays are Muslim, not all of Malaysia follows
the traditional Islamic work week pattern (Friday is the Islamic
holy day, so the traditional Muslim “weekend” is ursday and
Friday). e Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is in the state
of Selangor, where the work week is Monday through Friday.
●

executives are extremely busy. Many travel frequently, especially
to conferences in their area of specialization.
●
English is the language of many business transactions and cor-
respondence. However, the English spoken oen has native
inections, syntax, and grammar, which can easily lead to
misunderstandings.
●
Bahasa Malaysia is the ocial language of Malaysia. Although
most government ocials will speak some English, they may
prefer to hold meetings in their native tongue. Fortunately, an
English-speaking translator is usually close at hand.
●
All ocial correspondence with government ocials must be in
Bahasa Malaysia. You may accompany this correspondence with
an English translation, if you wish.
●
Unlike in nearby Singapore (which has mandated Mandarin
Chinese as the ocial Chinese dialect), Malaysian Chinese oen
speak mutually unintelligible dialects of Chinese. As a result, the
only spoken language a Cantonese-speaking Chinese may have
in common with a Hakka-speaking Chinese is English. Similarly,
the dierent linguistic groups within the Indian community oen
speak English between themselves. English is seen as a unifying
force in Malaysia.
●
Although lunch has generally been reduced to a single hour (from
two hours), Muslims may take a two-hour break on Fridays in
order to attend a mosque.
●

determination of Malaysian businesspeople to get their own way.
●
Standards of polite behavior vary widely between cultures. Many
Malaysians will ask you highly personal questions (such as “Why
aren’t you married?” or “How much do you earn?”) without real-
izing that Westerners nd such questions intrusive. Simply smile
and change the topic—and be aware that you, too, will unknow-
ingly violate local standards of polite behavior.
●
Because courtesy requires that a Malaysian not disagree openly,
the word “no” is rarely heard. A polite but insincere “yes” is simply
a technique to avoid giving oense. In Malaysia, “yes” can mean
anything from “I agree” to “maybe” to “I hope you can tell from
my lack of enthusiasm that I really mean ‘no.’”
●
“Yes” really means “no” when there are any qualications attached.
“Yes, but . . .” probably means “no.” “It might be dicult” is a dis-
tinct “no.”
●
A clear way to indicate “no” is to suck in air through the teeth.
is sound always indicates a problem.
●
When it comes to making a decision, a “yes” oen comes more
quickly than a “no.” is is because a way must be found to deliver
the “no” politely. e “no” may even be delivered through a third
party.
●
Because Malaysians (especially the Chinese) oen consult astrolo-
gers, signing a contract may be delayed until an “auspicious” day
arrives.

oer his or her card. Make sure you give a card to each person pres-
ent. Present your card either with both hands or with your right
hand (with the le hand lightly supporting your right). Give your
Malaysia 85
86 Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia
card to the recipient with the print facing him or her (so the recipi-
ent can read it). He or she will receive the card with both hands,
then study the card for a few moments before carefully putting it
away in a pocket. You should do the same when a card is presented
to you. Never put a card in your back pocket (where many men
carry their wallets). Do not write on someone’s business card.
●
Topics to avoid in conversation include any criticism of Malaysian
ways, religion, bureaucracy, or politics. Also, avoid any discussion
of sex or the roles of the sexes.
●
Good topics for discussion include tourism, travel, plans for the
future, organizational success (talking about personal success is
considered bombastic), and food (while remaining complimen-
tary to the local cuisine).
Cultural Note
Speak in quiet, gentle tones. Always remain calm. Leave plenty of time for someone to
respond to a statement you make; people in Malaysia do not jump on the end of one another’s
sentences. They often leave a respectful pause (as long as ten seconds) before responding.
Westerners often assume that they have agreement and resume talking before a Malaysian
has the chance to respond.
Business Entertaining
●
Take advantage of any invitations to social events. Establishing
successful business relationships hinges on establishing strong

ten or twelve seconds. (By contrast, most North American hand-
shakes last for only three or four seconds.) Oen, both hands will
be used.
●
In Malaysia, westernized women may shake hands with both men
and women. Malaysian businessmen usually wait for a woman
to oer her hand. It is perfectly acceptable for a woman to sim-
ply nod upon an introduction rather than oering her hand.
A woman should oer her hand only upon greetings; too-frequent
handshaking is easily misinterpreted as an amorous advance.
(Among themselves, men tend to shake hands both on greeting
and on departure.)
●
Ethnic Malays are generally Muslim. Traditionally, there is no
physical contact between Muslim men and women. (Indeed, if a
religious Muslim male is touched by a woman, he must ritually
cleanse himself before he prays again.) Because of this, women
should not oer to shake hands with Malay men, nor should men
oer to shake hands with Malay women. Of course, if a western-
ized Malay oers to shake hands, do so.
●
e traditional Malay greeting is the salaam, which is akin to a
handshake without the grip. Both parties stretch out one or both
hands, touch each other’s hand(s) lightly, then bring their hand(s)
back to rest over their heart. is greeting is done only between
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88 Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia
people of the same sex: from man to man or from woman to
woman. However, if cloth (such as a scarf or shawl) prevents
actual skin-to-skin contact, then a Malay man and woman may

●
Addressing Malaysians properly is a complex aair, especially for
Westerners unfamiliar with the naming patterns of Malaysian
ethnic groups. Take your time over an introduction, which will
probably involve business cards. Repeat the title and name of the
person and ask if you are pronouncing them correctly. is oen