A blog post i read written by an expat in KL. I’m just gonna copy and paste it here:

FAQ: Driving in Malaysia

1. What side of the road should you drive on in Malaysia?

99.7% of cars drive on the left hand side, 0.2% on the right hand side, and 0.1% drive in reverse (be on the lookout for drivers reversing at high speed in the left hand lane of freeways, having just missed their exit). Therefore on the basis of ‘majority rules’, it is recommended that you drive on the left. However, be aware that only 90% of motorcyclists travel on the left hand side – the other 10% ride in the opposite direction or on the sidewalk. Fortunately, motorcyclists traveling in reverse are rarely seen.

2. When can I use the emergency lane?

You can use the emergency lane for any emergency, e.g. you are late for work, you left the toaster plugged in at home, you are bursting to go to the toilet, you have a toothache or you have just dropped your Starbucks coffee in your lap. As it is an emergency, you may drive at twice the speed of the other cars on the road.

3. What does the sign ‘Jalan Sehala’ mean?

This means ‘One Way Street’ and indicates a street where the traffic is required to travel in one direction. The arrow on the sign indicates the preferred direction of the traffic flow, but is not compulsory. If the traffic is not flowing in the direction in which you wish to travel, then reversing in that direction is the best option.

4. What does the sign ‘Berhenti’ mean?

This means ‘Stop’, and is used to indicate a junction where there is a possibility that you may have to stop if you cannot fool the cars, on the road that you are entering, into thinking that you are not going to stop.

5. What does the sign ‘Dilarang Masuk’ mean?

This means ‘No Entry’. However, when used on exit ramps in multi-storey car parks, it has an alternative meaning which is: ‘Short cut to the next level up’.

6. What is the speed limit in Malaysia?

The concept of a speed limit is unknown in Malaysia.

7. So what are the round signs on the highways with the numbers, 60, 80 and 110?

This is the amount of the ‘on-the-spot’ fine (in ringgits – the local currency) that you have to pay to the police if you are stopped on that stretch of the highway. Note that for expatriates or locals driving Mercedes or BMWs, the on-the-spot fine is double the amount shown on the sign.

8. Is it necessary to use indicator lights in Malaysia?

These blinking orange lights are commonly used by newly arrived expatriate drivers to indicate they are about to change lanes. This provides a useful signal to local drivers to close up any gaps to prevent the expatriate driver from changing lanes. Therefore it is recommended that expatriate drivers adopt the local practice of avoiding all use of indicator lights. However, it is sometimes useful to turn on your left hand indicator if you want to merge right, because this confuses other drivers enabling you to take advantage of an unprotected gap in the traffic.

Finally, the most important rule is that you must arrive at your destination ahead of the car in front of you. This is the sacrosanct rule of driving in Malaysia . All other rules are subservient to this rule.

This is what other nation think about driving in Malaysia. This is how much we know and care about road safety. Not that i am complaining. I mean, i’m proud to admit that i have contributed to the statistics of  case number 1, 2, 6. Okay maybe 3 and 4 too. And i think i might have half-committed 7 too.

So maybe the next time we want to perform any of the above stunts, think about what you pledge for MUFORS. (I know you haven’t but i’m going to make you to).

MUFORS stands for Malaysians Unite for Road Safety, a community project that was set up not only to empower you, the Rakyat, to voice out your thoughts and concerns on road safety in the country but more importantly as a platform for all of us to take a minute to think about how we as road users can do our part to making our roads safer for all.
In 2009, an overwhelming 240,000 Malaysians made their personal pledges for road safety via text, photo, video and SMS through the MUFORS website and road shows all over Malaysia.

Pledge for road safety! This is my pledge, starting from me being less angry on the road.

How i handle my fiery and argumentative British Bitch. A little Miss Sunshine to calm her down. Or rather me down.

Lots and lots and lots of caramel chocolate at my disposal.

We need nothing less than than driving on Malaysian roads. After handling road rage, i will then move on to actually focus on my driving (without tweeting and BBM’ing) and lastly knowing how to drive properly. O.o

I WANT TO AND WILL BE A GOOD, CIVILIZED DRIVER.

You? You YouYouYouYou You YouYou You YouYou You YouYou You YouYou You YouYou YouYou You You?

Also, MUFORS is running MUFORS Road Reels Short Film Competition, open to students of all universities, colleges and institutions of higher learning in Malaysia with the theme “Attitudes on Roads – A Malaysian Journey”.

I agree that road safety (or the lack thereof) is all about the drivers’ attitude! This competition let students play their part in changing negative attitudes on Malaysian roads by capturing moments and messages that will reflect attitudes on Malaysian roads and how these attitudes are related to road accidents and deaths.

Wanna make your college or uni proud? The winner of each category stands to win RM10,000 in cash while the university or college he/she is studying in will get RM3,000.

Closing Date for the contest is 30 October 2010.

For more info, go to: www.mufors.org.my