CultureShock! Malaysia

CultureShock! Malaysia contains a wealth of information for anyone who wishes to stay in the country for any length of time. Peppered with personal anecdotes, the book provides practical tips on how to settle in with the least amount of fuss including what to bring from home and the steps to take if ‘spirits’ make an appearance. Be amazed by the immense variety of food as well as the array of local pastimes and places to visit. Most of all, understand the Malaysian psyche and culture so you are prepared for all eventualities such as what to do when invited for Hari Raya celebrations and how to conduct business there.  


Heidi Munan was born Adelheid Oettli in Switzerland. Her family migrated to New Zealand, where she attended University and Teachers’ College. Fate in the person of Sidi Munan took her to Sarawak in 1965. The couple have two children. Heidi Munan taught for a number of years but eventually retired to become a part-time journalist and full-time mother, daughter-in-law, aunt, niece, granny, cook, driver, nurse and general trouble-shooter to an over-extended family.

In her rare free moments, Heidi is a private researcher at the Sarawak Museum, and contributor to a number of local and overseas publications. She takes a keen interest in the varied cultures of her home State, particularly in the language and literature of the Iban people.

 In collaboration with Malaysian

composer Julia Chong, Heidi has produced Sarawak’s first operetta, Life

in the Jungle, and a number of shorter occasional pieces. She is also

the author of CultureShock! Borneo, Cultures of the World: Malaysia

(both published by Marshall Cavendish), Sarawak Crafts (OUP), short

collections of Borneo folk tales and The Beads of Borneo (Editions

Dider Millet).