However this RM 300 fine will only be in effect between the 1st of January 2009 to 30th June 2009. From the 1st of July 2009 onwards, the fine will be increased to RM 2,000 and /or a jail term of up to 1 year.

The fine / jail term only applies to passengers over 17 years old. The driver will be liable for any passengers below 17 years old who fail to comply with the seat belt regulations.

The seat belt regulation includes the rear seat belts, but excludes the following:

* Cars registered before 1st of January 1995
* Cars registered after the 1st of January 1995 but not equipped with rear seatbelt anchorage points
* Commercial vehicles such as taxis and rental cars
* Vehicles with more than 9 seats including the driver’s
* Transport vehicles with capacity above 3.5 tonnes

Answer: I will strongly advise NOT driving in Kuala Lumpur as the driving conditions in the city is horrendous, especially during peak hours — and in Malaysia we drive on the other side of the road (as compared to United States), this will take a while to get used to. The road planning system in Kuala Lumpur is BAD, if you missed a turn, you probably need a long time to find your way back. There’s often serious traffic congestions during peak hours too!

If you insist on driving, do take some time to read through the tips on driving in Malaysia. For driving in Kuala Lumpur, i will also suggest investing in a gps by Garmin. There are free route maps of Kuala Lumpur and the rest of Malaysia at www.malsingmaps.com (the maps will only work with Garmin GPS), and have a street directory in your car!

The Malaysia car rental guide is a good read.

If you are entering Kuala Lumpur from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the easiest way to get a car is to approach the car rental shops found at the airport — you probably get the best value for the car there (Do check the condition of the vehicle (engine oil, lights functioning, brakes) and make sure insurance is provided before signing an agreement). Else try emailing different car companies and ask for a quote — do remember that you can bargain on email too!

For online booking, Hawk Rent A Car, Avis and Kasina are those that I will recommend.

Below are few car rental companies based in Kuala Lumpur.

Advantage Car Rentals +(603) 2142 5855

Avis Malaysia
+(603) 9222 2558 (Ground Floor, Menara MAA, Jalan Dewan Bahasa)
+(603) 8787 4087 (Counter B-16, Arrival Level, Main Terminal, KLIA)

Enesty Hire & Drive +(603) 7984 7535

Hertz Malaysia
+(603) 2148 6433 (Kompleks Antarabangsa, Jalan Sultan Ismail)
+(603) 8776 4507 (Counter B10, Arrival Level, Main Terminal Building, KLIA)

Insas Pacific Rent A Car
+(603) 2287 0131 (47-5 The Boulevard, Mid Valley City)

Kasina Rent A Car
+(603) 8787 1739 (Counter A1, Domestic Arrival Hall, Main Terminal Building, KLIA)

Mayflower Car Rental
+(603) 6252 1888 (Mayflower Building, 18 Jalan Segambut Pusat)
+(603) 8787 3850 (Lot No.18, Covered Car Park, Ground Floor, Block D Building, KLIA)

Orix Car Rentals
+(603) 9284 7799 (No.16-1 Jalan 6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa)
+(603) 8787 4294 (Counter C2, Arrival Level, Main Terminal Building, KLIA)

SMAS Rent A Car
+(603) 2080 5066 (Suite 5.03, 5th Floor, Wisma Chase Perdana, Damansara Heights)

Answer: Refer to the Malaysia car rental guide.
Getting your car from the car rental companies at the airport or ferry will almost ensure you of getting the best deal in Langkawi. But do remember never accept the starting price, always negotiate for a much better deals. Don’t worry about rejecting any offers and go to the next company, if nothing works out, you can always go back to the earlier company that gave you the best offer. Most of the cars offered will be Protons – this will be good enough for you to use in Langkawi.

Bring a IDL or you may have insurance cover problems, i.e. your UK one will get you the car, but it will not allow you full cover for insurance purposes.

Do check the condition of the vehicle (engine oil, lights functioning, brakes) and make sure insurance is provided before signing an agreement.

Below are few car rental companies based in Langkawi.

Mayflower Car Rental
Sun Village, Jln Teluk Baru, 07000 Kuah, Kedah
Phone: 04-955 1330

Kasina Rent A Car
602/48, Jln Telok Baru (Kg Pantai Tengah), 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Phone: 04-955 5999

Mahamas Jaya Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd
No. 35, Jln Kelibang Batu 1 3/4, Kampung Kelibang, 07000 Kuah, Kedah
Phone: 04-966 7689

Indra Travel & Tours (Langkawi) Sdn Bhd
Pusat Dagangan Kelana Mas, Jln Persiaran Mutiara, 07000 Kuah, Kedah
Phone: 04-966 0163

Mohd Zakri Ismail
LPC6, Lapangan Terbang Langkawi, Jln Padang Matsirat, Padang Mat Sirat, 07000 Kuah, Kedah
Phone: 04-955 2143

Gerteknik Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd
106-C, 2nd Floor, Langkawi Mall, Jln Persiaran Bunga Raya, 07000 Kuah, Kedah
Phone: 04-966 5981

1st Jan 2009 New Seat Belt Law – PLEASE READ!

In East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) and Langkawi I will always recommend renting a car, but in Kuala Lumpur, it is better and easier to utilize the efficient public transport.

Will you be able to drive in Malaysia? If you’re an experienced, confident driver who can drive on the left-hand side of the road (same as Britain and Australia) and are willing to adapt to a foreign country’s driving habits, then you’ll probably enjoy the freedom of driving in Malaysia. Here are some tips on driving a car in Malaysia.

Things to note when renting a car:

All drivers must show a valid driver’s license at time of rental. Additional drivers must meet the same eligibility requirements as the Primary driver.

The price you will pay for a car depends on the time of the year – check the Malaysia 2009 Events Listings.

Airport often has car rental that is cheaper than from the hotels (Personally I will never book in advance or from travel agents. You will pay twice as much). Getting a rented car from the airport will not only be cheaper and definitely much easier. You can pick it up when you get off the plane and drop it when you leave. No need to worry about a transfer from the hotel to the airport (which sometimes you have to pay for). You shouldn’t have to book ahead unless it is a major holiday.

Never take the first price they ask – Remember to bargain and haggle for it! The starting price offered will often be twice what they will settle for. There are numerous car rental desks and agents waiting around the doors to the airport.

Checklist before agreement:

• Whether rental inclusive of full fuel tank, and whether upon returning has to be a full tank; if not, what are the charges
• CDW-charge
• Drop off point(s)
• Breakdown service(s)
• Insurance – Take an IDL for insurance purposes. If you don’t they will still rent you a car, but you will not have insurance.
• Provision of a road map, with indications of petrol kiosks.
• Don’t rely on the pictures of the car offered. Check the actual car.
• Check tires and things like oil before you complete the transaction.

IMPORTANT: Photocopy your driving license and passport beforehand, so that you can use the copied versions, instead of giving them your originals, and allow the staffs to go somewhere to photocopy them – with a photocopied passport, one can register a mobile phone line, and if it is used for unhealthy avenues, you can get into troubles with the authorities. Make sure to cross with diagonal lines and state for car rental purposes only (with car rental company name).

From my general fact findings and asking around, a Perodua Kancil can be rented from low of RM25/day to RM60/day. Also the rates are dependent on how many days of rental. Then, there is the new Perodua MyVi, which current going rental price is around RM50-RM60/day,and this is still a fairly new model,and you could be lucky to rent one with a low odometer reading, then again these folks are shrewd enough to tamper with the odometer spring and pinion,which drives the meter to click at each engine revolution.

Other information:

• Road signs are generally easy to recognize though you have to learn a few Malay words, e.g. AWAS. Here are some commonly used words on Malaysia road signs.
• Parking is normally not a problem. Ask the locals for direction to use the prepaid tickets. Parking coupons should be displayed on the dashboard.
• Driving is on the left-hand side of the road in both Singapore and Malaysia.
• Seat belts and child seats are mandatory.
• Head lights must be on between 7 PM and 7 AM.
• Driving in rural areas: watch out for the water buffaloes sleeping on the road at night.
• What to do when stopped by traffic police for a traffic offence – the price is usually RM300 for a speeding offence. Check with the car rental agency whether they can help with remittance of the fine, of which, must still be borne by you, as stipulated in their terms and conditions.

Online Car Rental Companies Contact:
Advantage Car Rentals

http://www.advmsia.com.my/

Tel: 03-2142-5855

Avis Malaysia

http://www.avis.com.my/

Tel: 1800-88-1054

Kasina Rent-A-Car

http://www.kasina.com.my/

Tel: 03-8787-1739

Mayflower Car Rental

http://www.mayflowercarrental.com.my/

Tel: 03-6252-1888

There is a one way up and one way down road system now at Fraser’s Hill.

The old Gap Gates is the way down and the new road which is about 200m further from the Gap Resthouse is the way up.

Fraser’s Hill is open to private vehicles, but drivers are warned that there’s no fuel station in Fraser’s; the nearest place with fuel are Raub and KKB.

1. The Speeding Motorcyclist. If one forgets how young people think they cannot die it is easy to believe some motorcyclists have a death wish. Certainly there are rather a large number of motorcyclists who seem unaware and/or unconcerned about the very high death rate among motorcyclists in this country – more than half the road deaths are motorcyclists. He (they are usually young and male) will pass your car on either side, often very close with the small motorbike engine screaming at maximum revs, and then swerve in front of you to change lanes, exit or just test his driving skills. This can be quite unsettling (for which read “bloody annoying”) but sounding your horn and screaming abuse will be wasted as he will be long gone and anyway the wind in his ears will prevent him hearing anything.

2. The Motorcyclist at traffic lights. At traffic lights when you just miss the green light and console yourself that you are first in line for a quick get away when they turn green, don’t expect it to happen. It is very likely your car will soon be surrounded by a large number of motorcyclists all revving their engines for a grand prix getaway while some of the less powerful bikes, often overloaded with passengers struggle to get moving again often right in front of you. All of which means you will need to expend some effort to avoid hitting any of them even though the temptation may be to leave your hand on the horn and drive straight through them.

3. The Motorcyclists Rear Light. All motorcyclists in Malaysia are required to drive with their lights on all the time. While most will quickly discover if their front light does not work the rear one can often be out for a while. It is necessary to bear this in mind when driving at night or other times when there is poor visibility.

4. Motorcyclists, Rain and Bridges. As most new arrivals quickly learn the rain in Malaysia can be extremely heavy and it only takes a few seconds to get very wet. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable and the practice in Malaysia is to shelter under the nearest bridge. Obviously this can add up to quite a few motorbikes under one bridge and it is very common to find the slow lane full of parked motorbikes when you enter a tunnel or go under a bridge. If the rain is very heavy you may only see them at the last minute with potentially disastrous consequences. The rule is try not to enter a tunnel or bridge in the slow lane unless you can clearly see there are no bikes waiting there.

5. Red Traffic Lights Don’t Always Mean “Stop”. If the traffic lights have just changed many cars will carry on through them. This practice has decreased somewhat since cameras were installed at many lights in KL but nevertheless it still happens so be careful if you are approaching a light that has just gone green. Motorcyclists will often go through any red traffic light so it’s worth bearing that in mind if you are travelling rapidly towards a traffic light that has just turned green.

6. The Slow Lane is Not For Cars. Very few Malaysian drivers are willing to drive in the “slow” left hand lane on a three lane road. Most will drive happily in the middle or even the fast lane. While it has been explained to me that this is because of motorcyclists the reality is I have often seen completely empty inside lanes which had no traffic of any kind as far as the eye could see. This of course encourages many drivers to overtake on the inside lanes and this is quite a common practice in Malaysia.

7. The Aging Trucks. There are still some very old trucks (lorries) on the road. In the last few years many larger more powerful trucks have been introduced onto the Malaysian roads but there are still plenty of the older ones around. You can recognise them as they often have either half a door or no door at all. These lorries usually travel slowly and going up a hill they travel so slowly the casual observer would be justified in thinking they have actually stopped so exercise caution when coming up behind a truck on a hill – the gap may close much more quickly than you expect. Trucks will sometimes break down and there will be no warning sign behind the truck such as a hazard sign or flashing lights. At night they may have no lights on particularly if the engine has packed up. One expatriate wife was killed when she drove into the back of one of these stalled trucks.

8. Joining The Major Road. One of the most common practices in Malaysia is not to pause when coming out of a side road. It would be fair to say that in Malaysia many drivers ask themselves only one question – can that driver stop his car before hitting me if I don’t stop and pull out in front of him. If the answer is “Yes” then many will keep going. So do not be surprised when a car suddenly approaches a side street in front of you and does not even pause before pulling out in front of your car.

9. The Highway – Long Distance Buses. Long distance buses pose another problem. The upgrading of most bus fleets has substantially reduced the belching black fumes they used to emit but the drivers sometimes seem to be just as bad. Some still drive as though their size justifies any action they take. Sadly this country experiences quite a regular number of terrible bus accidents which suggests that more work needs to be done on either the quality of the buses or the drivers or both. It is not at all uncommon for buses to decide to overtake when they choose without consideration for you approaching rapidly in the fast lane. Of course it’s not just buses that do this but they can be more intimidating.

10. The Highway – Driving in the Fast Lane. Which is the fast lane? The answer of course is the right lane but some drivers, once they have settled into it, will not leave it and when you come up behind them, no end of horn blowing or flashing lights will move them. You will then have to decide whether to break the law and pass them on the inside or wait patiently behind them. Even those that know they should move back to the slow lane after overtaking will rarely move back until they have passed every vehicle in their field of vision. This can be rather frustrating but again horn blowing and flashing lights will rarely encourage them to move back until their mission is accomplished.

11. Passing on the Inside. It is not uncommon for some drivers on motorways who confront the above two practices, to not even attempt to get the vehicle in front to move out of the fast lane. They will just pass on the inside without indicating their presence at all so if you find that you are returning to the slow lane a little later than you should have done always check the inside lane or you may end up being hit. This rule is equally important on other roads and especially when turning left as motorbikes can often appear from nowhere in your inside lane.

12. Blinking Hazard Lights Doesn’t Mean I’ve Stopped. In many counties putting on all four blinking lights indicates that you have stopped your car. In Malaysia it is quite common for drivers to do this when they drive slowly in heavy rain, apparently at one time the government suggested this. Some motorists will also put on their hazard lights in preference to side lights when they enter a tunnel.

13. Two Laws that May be Different from Your Own Country. In many countries you can use a hand phone while driving. In Malaysia this is against the law and only hand-free kits are permitted. The other law which is different from some countries (like the United States) is that you are not permitted to turn (left) at a red light.

14. Drive Around the City During Major Festive Holidays. One time when it is wise to stay off the highways is during Hari Raya and Chinese New Year when hundreds of thousands of Malaysians “balik kampong” meaning return to the village. Although some fly and many take the train, the roads also fill up. Those that see these holidays as a chance to discover the countryside may find the speed of progress gives them more time than they wish to examine the landscape. This is a good time to drive around the city for some sightseeing and photography because you should find the city streets pleasantly deserted.

IMPORTANT: In recent years, there have been an increase in cases of car mugging, in order to prevent this from happening to you, do take the following precautions.

1. Don’t stop if a passing motorist tells you that something is wrong with your vehicle or if someone bumps you from behind. Pull into the nearest service station or well-lit public area. Call the police.

2. At stoplights, leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one in front of you in case you must pull away quickly. Always keep doors locked and windows rolled up when driving or when parked. Keep valuables in the trunk or in the locked glove compartment.

3. Learn emergency vehicles’ signals. Police lights are red and blue. Do not stop for flashing white headlights alone. Do not resist in the rare event that a stranger demands your valuables. Your well-being is more important than your belongings.

4. Don’t pick up hitchhikers under any circumstances. Always be aware of the pedestrian traffic around your vehicle.

5. Always park in a well-lit area. Have car keys in hand and check in and around the car before entering.

6. Don’t take shortcuts to save time or exit expressways prematurely to save tolls. Tolls are a nominal charge, change is available at many booths, and your safety is most important.

7. If your car malfunctions on a major thoroughfare, lock the doors, turn on the hazard lights and wait for the police to arrive. If someone offers help, have them call the police.

Driving in Malaysia

1st Jan 2009 New Seat Belt Law – PLEASE READ!

Car travel gives you freedom to go where you want when you want, but it has disadvantages too: expense, and sometimes having to drive when the public transport is way more convenient.

Will you be able to drive in Malaysia? If you’re an experienced, confident driver who can drive on the left-hand side of the road (same as Britain and Australia) and are willing to adapt to a foreign country’s driving habits, then you’ll probably enjoy the freedom of driving in Malaysia. Here are some tips on driving a car in Malaysia, and commonly used words on Malaysia road signs.

A car is useful mostly for touring a specific region. For long-distance travel, public transport is usually more comfortable and cheaper. In other words, don’t plan to drive from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru; fly, or ride the bus to get there, and then rent a car in Johor Bahru to tour the region. Do the same if you’re going to Melaka, Penang or any of the other states!

Unless your driver’s license is from some exotic place, it will normally be accepted in Malaysia. If in doubt, get an International Driving Permit through your local auto club.

More on car rental.