What Are The Characteristics Of Women From Malaysia?

In many countries around the world – especially in developing countries – the family structure is vitally essential for the well-being and happiness of its members. This is just as true for men and women in Malaysia, for whom the family structure plays a vital role in daily life. However, as is common in many Islamic countries, the family structure is still incredibly patriarchal, with Malaysian women often expected to become homemakers and look after the house. Of course, we should recognize that traditional family structures and demands in Malaysia are beginning to soften slightly, allowing Malaysian women a little more freedom than they may have had before. Nevertheless, even with a growing number of Malaysian women entering the field of work, it’s often perceived that they should be loyal to their households unwaveringly. As such, they should work to ensure the house is well-maintained at all times for their husbands. Fortunately, the Married Women Act of 1957 helped give Malaysian women more rights regarding court cases, property ownership, and bank accounts, and marital rape was outlawed in Malaysia in 2007. 

However, one highly notable – and often contentious – feature of the Malaysian family structure comes in polygamy. While most cultures internationally focus on monogamous relationships (where an individual only has one partner), polygamy is much more common in some Islamic countries. This is also the case in Malaysia. As such, Malaysian men can now take up to four wives, meaning marriage and divorce are more lax in the country. However, the number of marriages in Malaysia has decreased since 2019, and in 2020, just shy of 185,000 marriages occurred. In addition, the number of divorces also reduced to around 45,000 cases. However, this indicates that a significant number (almost one quarter) of all marriages in Malaysia end in divorce. Therefore, when dating stunning Malaysian women, make sure she’s the right person for you to increase your chances of having a happy, successful marriage.

One of the most significant changes many young women from Malaysia have experienced in recent years is a staggering shift toward a smaller family structure. Indeed, while expected norms in the past were to have a relatively large family, this has changed significantly in recent times. For example, in 1970, the average number of children per woman in Malaysia was nearly five. However, in 2020, the average number of children per woman was just 1.7, putting Malaysia on par with much of the rest of the world. This change may result from improving healthcare in Malaysia, which is mainly accessible to Malaysian people. Fortunately, thanks to the high standard of free healthcare in Malaysia, the number of maternal mortalities for Malaysian women is also meager at around 25 deaths per 100,000 people – in other words, 0.00025% chance per person, approximately. As such, when dating a gorgeous new Malaysian woman, it’s worth having a close discussion with her about whether or not she would like to start a family or if she’d prefer one or several children.

Ensuring that every child receives a good education is an essential responsibility of most governments internationally – however, in many countries, this is not always the case. Fortunately, this is not the case for Malaysia, which aims to invest sufficiently in education to help support the growth and learning of its population. The total number of students in education at one time in Malaysia is roughly around 5.4 million; with a 13:1 ratio of children to teachers, teaching in Malaysia is also much more focused than in other countries, where percentages of 30:1 or more are not uncommon. As such, the net enrolment rate of young men and women in Malaysia is high at approximately 99%, based on estimates from UNESCO. Meanwhile, for 2021, the literacy rate in Malaysia reached an estimated 95.71%, indicating a strong level of growth and progression for the country. Notably, while the official language in Malaysian schools is Malay, education is also provided in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil. As such, the Malaysian national education system is highly effective for setting young Malaysian children up for a prosperous careers in many different countries when they grow up.

Malaysia’s national public school system was implemented in 1956, although education was available earlier than this for those who could afford it. Children enter preschool at around three to four years, then begin kindergarten at four years old and until six. Primary school starts at six years old, and secondary school starts at twelve. Students in Malaysia have a month off between school years in December. It was through the work of several different British individuals during the time of British colonialism that the importance of a solid education was first recognized, so public education commenced. Initially, public education was only available in English, but this would eventually change to encourage more students – even those who didn’t speak English – to participate in school. In addition to the standard public schooling system, several private missionary schools are in Malaysia. These typically use fee-paying boarding school models, and their attendance is limited to just those families earning a higher income.

Outside of education and entering the working world, many of Malaysia’s largest employers work with the country’s natural resources. Notably, Malaysia’s rich and abundant natural resources have helped shape it into the newly industrialized market economy it is today. However, with natural resources slowly beginning to decline in the country, opportunities are starting to arise for different specialties instead, such as tourism, science, and commerce. Productivity is an essential aspect of Malaysian employment, so if you’re looking to get a job in Malaysia, you’ll need to be willing to work hard; overall, productivity levels rise by around 5% annually. However, the average annual income in Malaysia is only 36,000 Malaysian ringgit, which equates to just £7,000. At the same time, the cost of living is lower in Malaysia, which explains why many Malaysian women are also embracing the world of work.

Religion is one of Malaysia’s most important driving forces, which directly relates to how many Malaysian women live. Notably, Malaysia’s primary and official religion is Islam, which directly impacts many laws and legislative points in the country. However, let’s start by clarifying that Malaysia is incredibly diverse, especially regarding religion. As such, while the country’s official religion is Islam, which dictates its laws, religious freedom is embraced in the country, thanks to its multicultural nature. As such, many people in Malaysia follow religions other than Islam. Nevertheless, Islam remains the most common religion in Malaysia, with an estimated 63.5% of the Malaysian population of women and men following Islam. The next largest religion is Buddhism, which accounts for approximately 18.7% of the population. Around 9% of people living in Malaysia are Christian, and a further 6% follow Hinduism. The remaining 2.7% of people in Malaysia comprises those who are irreligious or follow another faith, such as Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, folk religion, and more.

The most predominant form of Islam in Malaysia currently is the Sunni theology. Interestingly, despite Malaysia’s overall high level of religious tolerance for other religions, this does not extend to other Islamic theologies, and practicing alternative forms of Islam is strongly restricted. As such, if you’re looking to move to Malaysia, you must be aware of the potential penalties for practicing another form of Islamic belief. Still, Sunni Islam has been well-established in Malaysia for many generations, with the first travelers arriving in Malaysia in the 15th century with teachings of Sunni theology. Notably, this first conversion to Sunni Islam occurred long before Malaysia was even recognized as its own country, comprising an essential part of modern Malaysian tradition in many cases. Nowadays, representing the importance of religion in the country, the government has established numerous groups to help further promote understanding and acceptance among the community of different faiths. Considering that one-third of the population approximately follows a religion other than Islam, the importance here is understandable to keep the peace.

It is also interesting to recognize that the prevalence of different religions varies wildly from state to state. For example, Terengganu is overwhelmingly Islamic, with over 97% of the population following Islam and 2% following Buddhism. Contrastingly, Sarawak only has around one-third of its population following Islam, while over 50% of people in the state follow Christianity, and 12.8% of people follow Buddhism. Finally, religions such as Hinduism are more common in states such as Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, with around 13.1% and 10.3% of the population following Hinduism. As such, depending on where you choose to visit in Malaysia, the religious affiliations of the locals may be significantly different. It would be best if you always kept this in mind before traveling so you know what religions you are most likely to encounter when meeting new Malaysian women; for example, in Terengganu, the chances of meeting someone who isn’t a follower of Islam are very low. Meanwhile, in other states, you’re more likely to meet someone who doesn’t follow Islam.

Before you can begin dating women from Malaysia, it’s essential to ensure that you understand their typical mentality. Indeed, women from Malaysia will often expect you to have an understanding of their mentality, even if this is the first time you’ve ever visited the country. As such, you are taking steps in advance to prepare can be hugely helpful. Still, if you ask us, there’s something delightfully refreshing about the mentality of women from Malaysia since their culture is steeped in both modern societal norms and tribal lore and influences. This fact helps distinguish women in Malaysia from many other countries; their highly unique mentality is, in a word, hard to ignore, making getting to know women from Malaysia an exciting experience. When meeting Malaysian women, you’ll often learn many unique new traditions steeped in history and culture, which will likely hold a lot of meaning to Malaysian people. A little scarily, the practice has so much importance to Malaysians that there’s a common saying: “Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat.” Simply put, this translates to the idea that tradition comes above all else, sometimes even above family.

One curious point of note among Malaysian women and men, despite the overall diversity and inclusiveness of Malaysian society, is that they can sometimes be a little brash. It’s common for Malaysian people to act without significant regard for how their actions might hurt someone else. While this is rarely meant maliciously, you should keep this in mind carefully to ensure that you don’t accidentally take something the wrong way. Indeed, in many cases, these seemingly painful statements can be just poor word choices or sound more severe than the person intended. Try not to dwell on it, just in case you end up on the receiving end of this – but a remarkable trait of Malaysian people is that they’re often quick to apologize once they realize what they said was wrong. In short: most Malaysian women and men are eager to get into a discussion, so they’ll often speak first and think later.

A final trait of Malaysian women that’s important to recognize before you begin getting to know them is that Malaysian women are very tolerant, understanding, and respectful. This trait is instilled into them from an early age when young girls and women are raised to become homemakers despite the country’s relative equality compared to some other Arab countries. While women have far greater freedoms in Malaysia now than in the past, it is still essential to recognize that they are still restricted by marriage, and laws are in place (under Islamic Family Law) that require married Malaysian women to follow the command and expectations of their husbands. As such, when meeting new Malaysian women, you can often expect them to be very courteous while getting to know you. However, once you’ve gotten to know your new Malaysian partner, she’ll likely be more willing to be open with you accordingly.