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People & Culture
Kuala Lumpur Insights
 A
multi-racial community settled in various sections of town. The ethnic makeup of KL's population varies from the overall national pattern, reflecting the city's
origins as a Chinese settlement. Whereas ethnic Malays are in the majority
nationally, ethnic Chinese constitute the predominant group in KL, although the
city also has a large Malay population and a substantial ethnic Indian minority.
There are also smaller communities of Sikhs, Eurasians as well as Europeans.
Population of Kuala Lumpur - Approximately 1.8
Million
Malay - 38% / Chinese - 43% / Indians 10% / Foreign residents - 9%
People Below 15 Years - 27%
People Below 15 - 59 Years - 67%
People above 59 Years - 6%
The principal languages include Malay which is the national Language also known
as "Bahasa Malaysia", Chinese, and Tamil (an Indian language); English is widely
spoken and used.
Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism are the principal religions practiced by Chinese,
Malays, and Indians, respectively.
The Malays
Almost all Malays are Muslims, though Islam here is less extreme than in the
Middle East. Malays in the city are in the pubic sectors and commerce.
 The
Chinese
The Chinese were the earliest settlers in the city. When they first arrived,
however, Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and
construction. Having succeeded in many industries, they are mainly in business,
commerce and in the private sectors. Chinese here are mainly Cantonese and the
main dialect spoken is Cantonese, and Mandarin.
The Indians
Indians had been visiting Malaysia for over 2,000 years, but did not settle en
masse until the 19th century. Most came from South India, fleeing a poor
economy. Mainly brought in by the British to work in the rubber industry.
Arriving in Malaysia, many worked as rubber-tappers, while others built the
infrastructure or worked as administrators and small businessmen. They are now
mainly in the service sectors. Being mainly Hindus with some of the Christian
faith, their culture with it's exquisite Hindu temples, cuisine, and colorful
garments is visible throughout the city. The main Indian dialect spoken is Tamil
with a minority speaking Telugu and Malayalam.
Others
KL's metropolitan area also has its fair share of expats as well as large
numbers of immigrants from nearby nations, especially Indonesia, the
Philippines, India, Burma and Bangladesh.
The city has many places of worship catering to the multi religious population.
Islam is practiced primarily by the Malays and the Indian Muslim communities
while other religions include Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism (mainly among
Chinese), Hinduism (among Indians) and Christianity.
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