Pandan

Pandanus amaryllifolius

Tree and PlantNationwide

A fragrant plant with long, narrow leaves that give a sweet aroma to rice, kuih and desserts such as pandan chiffon. The leaves are tied in a knot and boiled with rice. It grows in almost every Malaysian garden.

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Tree and Plant · Nationwide

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  Angsana

  A large shade tree often planted along Malaysian roads, with fragrant yellow flowers that bloom for just a day and then fall. Its timber is reddish and valued for furniture.

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  Ant Plant

  A strange tree-living plant with a swollen, spiny base full of tunnels where ants live and feed it with their waste. It grows on tree trunks and branches across Malaysian forests.

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  Borneo Black Orchid

  A scented orchid of Borneo's lowland forests with green petals and a dark, frilly lip that looks almost black. Its flowers last only a few days.

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  Bunga Kantan (Torch Ginger)

  A tall ginger plant with striking pink flower torches. The buds give a fresh, sour fragrance to laksa, asam pedas and rice salad (nasi ulam).

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  Bunga Raya (Hibiscus)

  The red hibiscus, Malaysia's national flower since 1960. Its five petals stand for the five principles of the national ideology (Rukun Negara).

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  Bunga Telang (Butterfly Pea)

  A climbing vine with deep blue flowers. Its petals colour rice, kuih and drinks natural blue, as in nasi kerabu from Kelantan, and turn purple with lime juice.

Nationwide

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  Asian Arowana

  The prized dragon fish of Malaysia's rivers and lakes. Endangered. Wild fish are protected, and captive-bred fish can be traded only with permits.

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  Asian Small-clawed Otter

  The smallest otter in the world, living in mangroves, wetlands and streams. Vulnerable. Playful and social, it hunts crabs and shellfish.

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  Asian Softshell Turtle

  A large turtle with a leathery shell and a snorkel-like nose, found in rivers, lakes and ponds across Malaysia. Vulnerable.

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  Atlas Moth

  One of the largest moths in the world, with wings about 25 centimetres across and tips that look like snake heads. Found in forests, and sometimes comes to lights at night.

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  Bazaar Ramadan (Seasonal) Nationwide · Various

  The HOLIEST food experience! During Ramadan, bazaars pop up everywhere selling iftar delights - kurma, murtabak, ayam percik, bubur lambuk.

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  Binturong

  A shaggy, tree-living animal with a grasping tail, also called the bearcat, whose fur smells like buttered popcorn. Vulnerable. It lives in forests of Malaysia and is rarely seen.