Southeast Asia's Melting Pot Just Got Hotter: Now You Can Yelp in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On a map, Malaysia looks like two open palms. To the west is peninsular Malaysia - the southernmost part of continental Asia - and to the east are the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Bring these hands together and you have a nation of 30 million people and Yelp's 31st international market. Welcome to the Yelp family Malaysia!

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Malaysia has a long, proud history and to this day remains a magnet for a wide variety of ethnic groups, cultures, and religions. With lots of influence from Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures - not to men tion over 130 different languages - Malaysia is southeast Asia's melting pot.

Malaysia's diversity doesn't stop with culture. It is home to nearly 20 percent of the world's animal species, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Many of these animals can be found in the Taman Negara rainforest, which is thought to be 75 million years older than the Amazon!

If you have diverse tastes, there's never a dull bite in Malaysia. Choose a classic laksa or go for the festive favourite - rendang. You can grab eggs and toast at a kopitiam, or scarf down roti canai from a mamak.

Yelp Malaysia kicks off in the country's largest city and home of the famed Petronas Towers, in Kuala Lumpur, and people all over the country can now begin to search for their favorite businesses on Yelp.

Miriam Warren, Yelp's Vice President of New Markets, said the Yelp app and website were a great fit for Malaysia's highly connected citizens. "Malaysians have over 40 million mobile devices and the vast majority of the country uses social networks regularly. Given they are so digitally savvy, we know they're going to love using Yelp to find great local businesses."

Download the Yelp app or log on to Yelp.my to discover the diversity of Malaysia's melting pot. Businesses can get in on the action too at biz.yelp.my by claiming their business for free and building their Yelp Business Page.

CONTACT: Nicholas Lembo, nlembo@yelp.com