Malaysia's cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.[203] Many cultures from within the country and from surrounding regions have greatly influenced the cuisine. Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures,[97] largely due to the country being part of the ancient spice route.[204] The cuisine is very similar to that of Singapore and Brunei,[110] and also bears resemblance to Filipino cuisine.[97] The different states have varied dishes,[110] and often the food in Malaysia is different from the original dishes.[161]
Sometimes food not found in its original culture is assimilated into another; for example, Chinese restaurants in Malaysia often serve Malay dishes.[205] Food from one culture is sometimes also cooked using styles taken from another culture,[110] This means that although much of Malaysian food can be traced back to a certain culture, they have their own identity.[204] Rice is popular in many dishes. Chili is commonly found in local cuisine, although this does not necessarily make them spicy.[203]
Media[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: Media of Malaysia
Malaysia's main newspapers are owned by the government and political parties in the ruling coalition,[206] although some major opposition parties also have their own.[207] A divide exists between the media in the two halves of the country. Peninsular-based media gives low priority to news from the East, and often treats the eastern states as colonies of the Peninsula.[208] The media have been blamed for increasing tension between Indonesia and Malaysia, and giving Malaysians a bad image of Indonesians.[209] The country has Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil dailies.[208]
There is very little freedom of the press, leading to very little government accountability.[210] The government has previously tried to crack down on opposition papers before elections.[207] In 2007, a government agency issued a directive to all private television and radio stations to refrain from broadcasting speeches made by opposition leaders,[211] a move condemned by politicians from the opposition Democratic Action Party.[212] Sabah, where all tabloids but one are independent of government control, has the freest press in Malaysia.[208] Laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act have also been cited as curtailing freedom of expression