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'''Malaysia''' is a country in Southeast
Asia. It consists of two geographical regions divided by the
South China Sea:
Peninsular Malaysia on the
Malay Peninsula is bordered to the north by
Thailand and to the south by
Singapore;
East Malaysia, the northern part of the island of
Borneo (also known as Kalimantan) is bordered to the south by
Indonesia and borders the kingdom of
Brunei on the east, south, and west.
== History ==
''Main article:
History of Malaysia''
The
Malay Peninsula developed as a major
Southeast Asian commercial centre, as trade between
China and
India and beyond flourished through the busy
Straits of Malacca since ancient time.
Ptolemy showed it on his early map with the label ‘Golden Chersonese’ with the Straits of Malacca as Sinus Sabaricus. The earliest recorded Malay kingdoms grew from coastal city-ports established in the 10th Century AD. These include
Langkasuka and
Lembah Bujang in
Kedah, as well as
Beruas and
Gangga Negara in
Perak and
Pan Pan in
Kelantan.
Islam arrived in the
14th century in
Terengganu. In the early part of the 15th Century, the
Sultanate of Malacca was established under a local dynasty. Its prosperity attracted invaders from
Portugal and the port became the centre of colonial expansion involving the
Dutch and
British, which successively dominated the Straits.
The British
crown colony of the
Straits Settlements was established in
1826 and Britain gradually increased its control over the rest of the peninsula. The Straits Settlements included Penang, Singapore and Malacca. Penang was established in
1786 by Captain
Francis Light as a military as well as a commercial outpost. Its development was soon overshadowed by Singapore, established by Sir
Stamford Raffles in
1819. Malacca came into British hands after the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 and two years later, the Straits Settlements were formed. These settlements were collectively ruled from the
British East India Company seat of government in Calcutta until
1867 when their administration was transferred to the Colonial Office in London.
It was at about this time that many Malay states decided to elicit British's help in settling their own internal conflicts. Within ten years of the end of the transfer movement, several west coast Malay States came under British influence. The role of the merchants of the Straits Settlements saw the British government intervening into the affairs of the tin producing states in the Malay Peninsula. Coupled with Chinese Secret Society disturbances and civil war, British gunboat diplomacy was employed to bring about a peaceful resolution that favoured the merchants of the Straits Settlements. Finally, the
Pangkor Treaty of 1874 paved the way for British expansion and by the turn of the 20th century, the states of
Pahang,
Selangor,
Perak and
Negeri Sembilan, known together as the
Federated Malay States (not to be confused with the
Federation of Malaya), were under the rule of
British residents who took orders from the High Commissioner in Singapore, who was also the Governor of the Straits Settlements. This officer in turn received orders from the
Colonial Office in
London.
The other Peninsular states were known as the
Unfederated Malay States and, while not directly under rule from London, had British advisors in the Sultans' courts. The four northern states of
Perlis,
Kedah,
Kelantan and
Terengganu were previously under
Thai control. British North Borneo (currently the state of
Sabah) was a British Crown Colony formerly under the rule of the Sultanate of Sulu, whilst the huge jungle territory of
Sarawak was the personal fiefdom of the Brooke family. Following the
Japanese occupation during
World War II popular support for independence grew, coupled with a
communist insurgency. Post-war British plans to form a 'Malayan Union' were scuppered by strong
Malay opposition who wanted a more pro-Malay system, rejecting
Singapore's inclusion and demanding only single citizenship as opposed to the dual-citizenship option which would have allowed the significant immigrant communities to have claimed citizenship in both Malaya and their country of origin. Independence was achieved for the peninsula in
August 31,
1957 under the name of the
Federation of Malaya, which did not include
Singapore.
A new federation under the name of '''Malaysia''' was formed on
September 16,
1963 through a merging of the Federation of Malaya and the British crown colonies of Singapore, North Borneo (renamed
Sabah) and
Sarawak, the latter two colonies being on the island of
Borneo. The Sultanate of
Brunei, though initially expressing interest in joining the Federation pulled out due to opposition from certain segments of the population as well as wrangling over the payment of oil royalties. The early years were marred by
Indonesian efforts to
control Malaysia, Singapore's eventual secession in
1965 and racial strife in
1969. The
Philippines also made an active claim on Sabah on that period based upon the Sultanate of Brunei's cession of its north-east territories to the
Sultanate of Sulu in 1704. The Philippine claim is still on-going.
After 1969, the controversial
New Economic Policy - intended to increase the share of the economic pie owned by locals as opposed to other ethnic groups - was launched by Prime Minister
Tun Abdul Razak. Malaysia has since maintained a delicate ethno-political balance, and developed a unique rule combining economic growth and a political rule that favours ethnic Malayans (known as ''
bumiputras'') and moderate
Islam.
In the late
1990s, when Malaysia was shaken by the
Asian financial crisis, considerable opposition to the existing system was put down by the government, including
democratic opposition as well as proponents of a stricter Islamic rule.
== Politics ==
''Main article:
Politics of Malaysia''
The
federation of Malaysia is a
constitutional elective monarchy. It is nominally headed by the Paramount Ruler or ''
Yang di-Pertuan Agong'', commonly referred to as the king. Kings are selected for five-year terms from among the nine
sultans of the
Malay states, the other four states have titular Governors.
The system of government is closely modelled on that of
Westminster, due to Malaysia's being a former
British Colony. In practice however, more power is vested in the executive branch of government than the in the legislative. The
general election must be held at least once every five years.
Executive power is vested in the
cabinet led by the
prime minister; the Malaysian
constitution stipulates that the prime minister must be a member of the lower house of
parliament who, in the opinion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commands a majority in parliament. The cabinet is chosen from among members of both houses of parliament and is responsible to that body.
The bicameral
parliament consists of the
Senate (''Dewan Negara'', literally "National Hall") and the
House of Representatives (''Dewan Rakyat'', literally "People's Hall"). All 69 Senators sit for 6-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and 43 are appointed by the king. The 193 members of the House of Representatives are elected from single-member districts by universal adult suffrage, for a maximum term of 5 years.
Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures.
The state goverments are led by chief ministers (''Menteri Besar'') selected by the state assemblies advising their respective sultans or governors.
==Judiciary==
See
Courts of Malaysia
== States ==
''Main article:
States of Malaysia''
Malaysia is divided into fourteen political divisions: thirteen states (''negeri'') and three
federal territories (''wilayah persekutuan'') that collectively has the status of a state.
Eleven states and two federal territories are in
Peninsular Malaysia. Two states and one federal territories are in
East Malaysia.
The states are:
Johor,
Kedah,
Kelantan,
Malacca,
Negeri Sembilan,
Pahang,
Perak,
Perlis,
Penang,
Sabah,
Sarawak,
Selangor, and
Terengganu.
The federal territories are:
Kuala Lumpur,
Labuan, and
Putrajaya.
== Geography ==
''Main article:
Geography of Malaysia''
The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the
South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both
West- and
East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to often densely forested hills and mountains, the highest of which is
Mount Kinabalu at 4,101 m on the island of
Borneo. The local
climate is
equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February)
monsoons.
Putrajaya is the newly created administrative capital for the federal government of Malaysia, aimed in part to ease growing congestion within Malaysia's largest city,
Kuala Lumpur. The prime minister's office moved in
1999 and the move is expected to be completed in
2005. Kuala Lumpur remains the seat of parliament, as well as the commercial and financial capital of the country. Other major cities include
George Town,
Ipoh and
Johor Bahru. See also
List of cities in Malaysia.
== Economy ==
''Main article:
Economy of Malaysia''
Malaysia, a middle income country, transformed itself from
1971 through the late
1990s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy via the controversial
New Economic Policy (NEP). Growth is almost exclusively driven by exports - particularly of
electronics - and, as a result, Malaysia was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the
information technology (IT) sector in
2001.
GDP in 2001 grew only 0.3% due to an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal stimulus package has mitigated the worst of the
recession.
Kuala Lumpur's stable macroeconomic environment, in which both
inflation and
unemployment stand at 3% or less, coupled with its healthy foreign exchange reserves and relatively small external debt make it unlikely that Malaysia will experience a crisis similar to the
Asian financial crisis of
1997, but its long-term prospects are somewhat clouded by the lack of reforms in the corporate sector, particularly those dealing with competitiveness and high corporate debt.
The major stock exchanges are
Bursa Malaysia and the
MASDAQ.
== Demographics ==
''Main article:
Demographics of Malaysia''
Malaysia's population is comprised of many ethnic groups, with the politically dominant
Malays making up the majority. By constitutional definition, all Malays are
Muslim. About a quarter of the population are
Chinese, who have historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians of
Indian descent comprise about 7% of the population and include
Hindus, Muslims,
Sikhs,
Christians, and
Buddhists. About 85% of the Indian community is
Tamil, but various other groups are represented, including
Malayalis,
Punjabis, and
Chettiars.
Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than half of the state of
Sarawak's population, constitute about 66% of
Sabah's population, and also exist in much smaller numbers on the Peninsula, where they are collectively called
Orang Asli. The non-Malay indigenous population is divided into dozens of ethnic groups, but they share some general cultural similarities. Until the
20th century, most practiced
traditional beliefs, but many have converted to Islam or Christianity. Other Malaysians also include those of, inter alia,
European,
Middle Eastern,
Cambodian, and
Vietnamese descent. Europeans and
Eurasians include British who colonized and settled Malaysia and some
Portuguese, and most Middle Easterners are mostly
Arabs who first brought Islam to Malaysia. A small number of Kampucheans and Vietnamese settled in Malaysia as Vietnam War refugees. Population distribution is uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the
Malay Peninsula.
May 13,
1969 saw an incident of civil unrest which was then thought to be largely due to the socio-economic imbalance of the country along racial lines. This incident led to the adoption of the
New Economic Policy as a two-pronged approach to address racial and economic inequality and to eradicate poverty in the country.
== Culture ==
''Main article:
Culture of Malaysia''
Malaysia is a multicultural society, with Malays, Chinese and Indians living side by side. The Malays are the largest community, numbering 60% of the population. They are Muslims, speak
Malay (
Bahasa Melayu) and are largely responsible for the political fortunes of the country. The Chinese comprise of about a quarter of the population. They are mostly
Buddhists (of
Mahayana sect),
Taoists or
Christian, and speak the
Hokkien,
Cantonese,
Hakka and
Teochew dialects, and have been historically dominant in the business community. The Indians account for about 10% of the population. They are mainly Hindu
Tamils from southern India, speaking Tamil,
Malayalam, and some
Hindi, and live mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. There is also a sizeable
Sikh community.
Eurasians, Kampucheans, Vietnamese, and indigenous tribes make up the remaining population. Most Eurasians are Christians. Eurasians, of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent, speak a
Portuguese creole, called
Papia Kristang.
Cambodians and Vietnamese are mostly Buddhists (Cambodians of
Theravada sect and Vietnamese, Mahayana sect).
Malay is the official language of the country but English is widely spoken.
The largest indigenous tribe in terms of numbers is the
Iban of Sarawak, who number over 600,000. The Iban who still live in traditional jungle villages live in
longhouse along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries. The
Bidayuh (170,000) are concentrated in the south-western part of Sarawak. The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the
Kadazan. They are largely Christian subsistence farmers. The
Orang Asli (140,000), or aboriginal peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities live in Peninsular Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and agriculturists, many have been sedentarised and partially absorbed into modern Malaysia. However, they remain the poorest group in the country. Malaysian traditional music is heavily influenced by Chinese and Islamic forms. The music is based largely around the gendang (drum), but includes percussion instruments (some made of shells); the rebab, a bowed string instrument; the serunai, a double-reed oboe-like instrument; flutes; and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas, some of Thai, Indian and Portuguese origin. Other artistic forms include wayang kulit (shadow-puppets),
silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts such as
batik, weaving and silver and brasswork.
*
Music of Malaysia
*
Cuisine of Malaysia
*
Holidays in Malaysia
== Miscellaneous topics ==
*
Communications in Malaysia
*
Transportation in Malaysia
*
Education in Malaysia
*
Military of Malaysia
*
Foreign relations of Malaysia
*
List of Malaysian companies
*
Bumiputra
*
List of Malaysian People
== External Links ==
*
Travel guide to ''Malaysia'' from
Wikitravel
*
JHEOA - Department of Orang Asli Affairs (the aborigines)
*
Prime minister's home page - Official prime ministerial site
*
Virtual Malaysia - Tourism site
*
Malaysia Travel Infos - Malaysia Travel information
*
myGovernment Portal - Malaysian Government Portal
*
Malaysian Civil Service Link (MCSL) - Contains links to various Malaysian Government websites
*
MalaysiaKini - Malaysia's top alternative media website
{| align="center" id="toc" cellspacing="0"
|- bgcolor="#ccccff"
! align="center" |
Countries in
Southeast Asia
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" |
Brunei |
Cambodia |
East Timor |
Indonesia |
Laos |
Malaysia |
Myanmar |
Philippines |
Singapore |
Thailand |
Vietnam
|}
{| id="toc" align=center style="text-align:center; margin: 0 2em 0 2em;"
|-
! style="background:#ccccff; padding-left:60px;" width=100% |
Commonwealth of Nations
|
Image:Commonwealth-Flag.png
|-
| colspan=2 style="font-size: 90%;" |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Australia |
Bahamas |
Bangladesh |
Barbados |
Belize |
Botswana |
Brunei |
Cameroon |
Canada |
Cyprus |
Dominica |
Fiji |
The Gambia |
Ghana |
Grenada |
Guyana |
India |
Jamaica |
Kenya |
Kiribati |
Lesotho |
Malawi |
Malaysia |
Maldives |
Malta |
Mauritius |
Mozambique |
Namibia |
Nauru |
New Zealand |
Nigeria |
Pakistan |
Papua New Guinea |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Saint Lucia |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Samoa |
Seychelles |
Sierra Leone |
Singapore |
Solomon Islands |
South Africa |
Sri Lanka |
Swaziland |
Tanzania |
Tonga |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Tuvalu |
Uganda |
United Kingdom |
Vanuatu |
Zambia
|}
af:Maleisi
da:Malaysia
de:Malaysia
es:Malasia
eo:Malajzio
fr:Malaisie
hi:मलेशिया
id:Malaysia
ms:Malaysia
minnan:M-li-se-a
nl:Maleisi
ja:マレーシア
no:Malaysia
pl:Malezja
pt:Malsia
ru:Малайзия
sl:Malezija
fi:Malesia
sv:Malaysia
tl:Malaysia
ta:மலேசியா
th:ประเทศมาเลเซีย
zh-cn:马来西亚
