Malaysia Information (Kuala Lumpur) @ Accorded.org

^ b. The current terminology as per government policy is Bahasa Malaysia (literally Malaysian language)^[5] but legislation continues to refer to the official language as Bahasa Melayu (literally Malay language). English may continue to be used for some official purposes under the National Language Act 1967.

^ c. Singapore became an independent country on 9 August 1965.

Malaysia (pronounced ⁱ / məˈleɪʒə / mə-LAY-zhə or ⁱ / /məˈleɪziə/ / mə-LAY-zee-ə) is a constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written , unwritten (i.e., uncodified) or blended constitution. It differs from absolute monarchy in that an absolute monarch serves as the sole source of political power in the state and is not legally bound by any constitution in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi).^[6]^[7] The capital city is Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of 244 km2 (94 sq mi), has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million. It is the fastest growing metropolitan region in the country, in terms of population, while Putrajaya Putrajaya is a planned city, located south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur due to the overcrowding and congestion there. Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur remains as Malaysia's national capital (as the seat of Parliament) as well as the country's is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million.^[2]

The country is separated by the South China Sea It is a part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². It is one of the largest sea bodies after the five oceans. The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago, number in the hundreds. The sea and its mostly uninhabited islands are subject to competing claims of into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia (formerly Malaya), is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Its area is 50,810 square miles (131,598 square kilometers). It accounts for the majority of Malaysia's population and economy and Malaysian Borneo East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, as well as the Federal Territory of Labuan, which lies off coast of Sabah. East Malaysia lies to the east, across the South China Sea from Peninsular Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula. While East Malaysia is less populated and less (also known as East Malaysia).^[7] Malaysia borders Thailand Thailand (pronounced /ˈtaɪlænd/ TYE-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/; Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย Ratcha Anachak Thai, IPA: [râːtɕʰa ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k tʰɑj]) (formerly Siam Thai: สยาม) is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos, Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an, Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. A and Brunei Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace[citation needed] (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: بروني دارالسلام), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea it is completely surrounded by.^[7] It is near the equator and has a tropical the tropics are cold The tropics is a region of the Earth by the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23° 26′ 16″ N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23° 26′ 16″ ( or 23.438° ) S. The tropics are also referred to as the tropical zone and the torrid climate.^[7]

Malaysia's head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Translated into literal English, the words mean "He who is made Lord". However, common alternatives are "King", "Supreme Ruler", "Paramount Ruler", or "Supreme Head of State". Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected monarch as head of state. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is one of the few,^[8] an elected monarch An elective monarchy is literally a monarchy ruled by someone who is an elected rather than hereditary monarch, the manner of election, the nature of the candidacy and the electors varying from case to case. It is not uncommon however for elective monarchies to decay in time into hereditary ones, and the head of government is the Prime Minister The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government (executive) of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat), the elected lower house of.^[9]^[10] The government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.^[11]

Malaysia has a biodiverse Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 has been declared as the International Year of Biodiversity range of flora and fauna Wildlife of Malaysia includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats, and is considered one of the 17 megadiverse countries The megadiverse countries are a group of countries that harbor the majority of the Earth's species and are therefore considered extremely biodiverse. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre, an agency of the United Nations Environment Programme, has identified 17 megadiverse countries, most located in the tropics. Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa,.^[12]

Etymology

Malaysia appears on a 1914 map from a United States atlas.

The name Malaysia was adopted in 1963 when the existing states of the Federation of Malaya, plus Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak formed a new federation.^[13] Prior to that, the name itself had been vaguely used to refer to areas in Southeast Asia. A map published in 1914 in Chicago has the word Malaysia printed on it referring to certain territories within the Malay Archipelago The Malay Archipelago is the archipelago located between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. Situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the group of 25,000 islands is the world's largest archipelago by area. It includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, and most of Papua New Guinea. The island of.^[14] Politicians in the Philippines The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas), is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and once contemplated naming their state "Malaysia", but in 1963 Malaysia adopted the name first.^[15] At the time of the 1963 federation, other names were considered: among them was Langkasuka Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu Malay kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula. Another possible source of its name could be the combination of (-langkha Sanskrit for "resplendent land" - and Asoka in tribute to the legendary Mauryan Hindu warrior king who eventually became a pacifist after embracing the ideals espoused in Buddhism), after the historic kingdom located at the upper section of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium of the common era.^[16]

In 1850 the English ethnologist George Samuel Windsor Earl, writing in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, proposed naming the islands of Indonesia as Melayunesia or Indunesia. He favoured the former^[17] for the colonial reference.

Following his 1826 expedition in Oceania, the French Navigator Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville was a French explorer, naval officer and rear admiral, who explored the south and western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica invented the terms Malaisia, Micronesia Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines and Indonesia lie to the west and Melanesia Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia. The name Melanesia was first used by Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1832 to denote an ethnic and geographical grouping of islands, distinguishing these Pacific cultures and island groups from Polynesia Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs. In 1831, he proposed these terms to The Société de Géographie The Société de Géographie , is the world's oldest geographical society. It was founded in 1821 (the first of all). Since 1878, its headquarters has been at 184 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris. The entrance is marked by two gigantic caryatids representing Land and Sea. It was here, in 1879, that the construction of the Panama Canal was decided (Paris, France), the world's oldest geographical society. For the name Malaisia, Dumont d'Urville had in mind a region including present day Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. At that time, it was thought that the inhabitants of this region could be designated by the encompassing term "Malay".

In a strict sense, however, the Malays are the people who speak the Malay language and live on the east coast of Sumatra, the Riau Islands, the Malay Peninsula and the coastline of the island of Borneo.

The Treaty of 1824 between the English and the Dutch resulted in a division of the Malay world. The term "Malaysian" is used to refer to Malaysia as a state, while the word "Malay" refers to the language, culture, and ethnicity, and thus covers a larger area. The term "Malay world", therefore, refers to the geographical area inhabited by the Malays.^[18]

The word Melayu itself is said^[who?] to have originated from the Melayu Kingdom, a classical kingdom that existed between the 7th and the 13th century and was established around present-day Dharmasraya on Sumatera Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are shared between Indonesia and other countries), and the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²). It was founded by the society around the Batanghari river and the gold traders from the Minangkabau Minangkabau, Indonesian and Malay hinterland.^[19] The continental part of the country bore the name Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya , is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. Comprising the nine Malay states and the British settlements of Penang and Malacca, it was eventually superseded by Malaysia until 1963, when it federated with the territories of Sabah Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. In spite of its status as a Malaysian state, Sabah and Sarawak Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang ("Land of the Hornbills"), it is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia; the second largest, Sabah, lies to the northeast on the northern part of the island of Borneo Borneo is the third largest island in the world, located north of Australia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Politically, the island is divided among three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. The Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah (East Malaysia), in the north,, and Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres north of the equator, in the Southeast Asian region of the Asian continent. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. A.^[20]^[21] Singapore left Malaysia and became an independent country on 9 August 1965.^[22]

Among the earliest kingdoms known to have been based in what is now Malaysia is the ancient empire of Langkasuka, located in the northern Malay Peninsula around Tasik Chini. It was closely tied to Funan in Cambodia, which also ruled part of northern Malaysia until the 6th century. According to the Sejarah Melayu ("Malay Annals"), the Khmer prince Raja Ganji Sarjuna founded the kingdom of Gangga Negara (modern-day Beruas, Perak) in the 700s. Between the 7th and the 13th century, much of Peninsular Malaysia was under the Srivijaya empire, which was centered in Palembang on the island of Sumatra.

In 1025 and 1026 Gangga Negara was attacked by Rajendra Chola I, the Tamil emperor who is now thought to have laid Kota Gelanggi to waste. Kedah—known as Kedaram, Cheh-Cha (according to I-Ching) or Kataha, in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit—was in the direct route of the invasions and was ruled by the Cholas from 1025. The senior Chola's successor, Vira Rajendra Chola, had to put down a Kedah rebellion to overthrow other invaders. The coming of the Chola reduced the majesty of Srivijaya, an Indonesian kingdom which had exerted influence over Kedah, Pattani and as far as Ligor.

"Pattinapalai", a Tamil poem of the second century CE, describes goods from Kedaram heaped in the broad streets of the Chola capital. A 7th-century Sanskrit drama, Kaumudhimahotsva, refers to Kedah as Kataha-nagari. The Agnipurana also mentions a territory known as Anda-Kataha with one of its boundaries delineated by a peak, which scholars believe is Gunung Jerai. Stories from the Katasaritasagaram describe the elegance of life in Kataha. The Buddhist kingdom of Ligor took control of Kedah shortly after. Its king Chandrabhanu used it as a base to attack Sri Lanka in the 11th century, an event noted in a stone inscription in Nagapattinum in Tamil Nadu and in the Sri Lankan chronicles, Mahavamsa.

After the fall of Srivijaya, the Java-based Majapahit empire had influence over most of Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, and the coasts of Borneo island.

Melaka

A Famosa fortress in Melaka. It was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

In the early 1400s, Parameswara, a prince from Palembang in the former Srivijayan empire, established a dynasty and founded what would become the Malacca Sultanate. Conquest forced him and many others to flee Palembang. Parameswara in particular sailed to Temasek to escape persecution. There he came under the protection of Temagi, a Malay chief from Patani who was appointed by the king of Siam as regent of Temasek. Within a few days, Parameswara killed Temagi and appointed himself regent. Some five years later he had to leave Temasek, due to threats from Siam. During this period, a Javanese fleet from Majapahit attacked Temasek.

Parameswara headed north to found a new settlement. At Muar, Parameswara considered siting his new kingdom at either Biawak Busuk or at Kota Buruk. Finding that the Muar location was not suitable, he continued his journey northwards. Along the way, he reportedly visited Sening Ujong (former name of present-day Sungai Ujong) before reaching a fishing village at the mouth of the Bertam River (former name of the Melaka River). Over time this developed into modern-day Malacca Town. According to the Malay Annals, here Parameswara saw a mouse deer outwitting a dog resting under a Malacca tree. Taking this as a good omen, he decided to establish a kingdom called Melaka (Malacca). He built and improved facilities for trade.

At the time of Melaka's founding, the emperor of Ming Dynasty China was sending out fleets of ships to expand trade. Admiral Zheng He called at Melaka and brought Parameswara with him on his return to China, a recognition of his position as legitimate ruler of Melaka. In exchange for regular tribute, the Chinese emperor offered Melaka protection from the constant threat of a Siamese attack. The Chinese and Indians who settled in the Malay Peninsula before and during this period are the ancestors of today's Baba-Nyonya and Chetti community.

According to a theory, Parameswara became a Muslim when he married a Princess of Pasai and he took the fashionable Persian title "Shah", calling himself Iskandar Shah.^[30] Chinese chronicles mention that in 1414, the son of the first ruler of Melaka visited the Ming emperor to inform them that his father had died. Parameswara's son was then officially recognised as the second ruler of Melaka by the Chinese Emperor and styled Raja Sri Rama Vikrama, Raja of Parameswara of Temasek and Melaka and he was known to his Muslim subjects as Sultan Sri Iskandar Zulkarnain Shah or Sultan Megat Iskandar Shah. He ruled Melaka from 1414 to 1424.^[30]^[31] Through the influence of Indian Muslims and, to a lesser extent, Hui people from China, Islam became increasingly common during the 15th century. Melaka's position as the most prominent kingdom in the peninsula allowed the faith to spread to neighbouring states. By the start of the 16th century it had become the dominant religion among Malays.

In 1511, Melaka was conquered by Portugal, which established a colony there. The sons of the last Melakan ruler established two kingdoms elsewhere in the peninsula — the Perak Sultanate to the north, and the Johor Sultanate (originally a continuation of the old Melaka sultanate) to the south. After the fall of Melaka, three powers struggled for the control of Melaka Strait: the Portuguese (in Melaka), Johor, and Aceh. This conflict went on until 1641, when the Dutch (allied to Johor) gained control of Melaka.

British arrival

Evolution of Malaysia

Britain established its first colony in the Malay Peninsula in 1786, with the lease of the island of Penang to the British East India Company by the sultan of Kedah. In 1824, the British took control of Melaka following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 which divided the Malay archipelago between Britain and the Netherlands, with Malaya in the British zone. In 1826, Britain established the crown colony of the Straits Settlements, uniting its four possessions in Malaya: Penang, Melaka, Singapore and the island of Labuan. The Straits Settlements were initially administered under the East India Company in Calcutta, before first Penang, and later Singapore became the administrative centre of the crown colony, until 1867, when they were transferred to the Colonial Office in London.

During the late 19th century, many Malay states decided to obtain British help in settling their internal conflicts. The commercial importance of tin mining in the Malay states to merchants in the Straits Settlements led to British government intervention in the tin-producing states in the Malay Peninsula. British gunboat diplomacy was employed to bring about a peaceful resolution to civil disturbances caused by Chinese and Malay gangsters employed in a political tussle between Ngah Ibrahim and Raja Muda Abdullah, and the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 paved the way for the expansion of British influence in Malaya. 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 de facto control of British Residents appointed to advise the Malay rulers. The British were "advisers" in name, but in reality, they exercised substantial influence over the Malay rulers.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur houses the High Court of Malaya and the Trade Court. Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federated Malay States and is the current Malaysian capital. A poster depicting the Malaysia Day celebration in 1963. (Majulah Malaysia means "Onwards Malaysia".)

The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States, while not directly under rule from London, also accepted British advisers around the turn of the 20th century. Of these, the four northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu had previously been under Siamese control. The other unfederated state, Johor, was the only state which managed to preserve its independence throughout most of the 19th century. Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor and Queen Victoria were personal acquaintances, and recognised each other as equals. It was not until 1914 that Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, Sultan Ibrahim accepted a British adviser.

On the island of Borneo, Sabah was governed as the crown colony of British North Borneo, while Sarawak was acquired from Brunei as the personal kingdom of the Brooke family, who ruled as white Rajahs.

Following the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and its subsequent occupation during World War II, popular support for independence grew.^[32] Post-war British plans to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called the Malayan Union foundered on strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the emasculation of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese.^[33] The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions in Malaya with the exception of Singapore, was dissolved in 1948 and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.

During this time, rebels under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency, as it was known, lasted from 1948 to 1960, and involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops in Malaya. Although the insurgency quickly stopped there was still a presence of Commonwealth troops, with the backdrop of the Cold War.^[34] Against this backdrop, independence for the Federation within the Commonwealth was granted on 31 August 1957.^[35]

Post independence

Mahathir bin Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power.

In 1963, Malaya along with the then British crown colonies of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, formed Malaysia. The Sultanate of Brunei, though initially expressing interest in joining the Federation, withdrew from the planned merger due to opposition from certain segments of its population as well as arguments over the payment of oil royalties and the status of the Sultan in the planned merger.^[36]^[37] The actual proposed date for the formation of Malaysia was 31 August 1963, to coincide with the independence day of Malaya and the British giving self-rule to Sarawak and Sabah. However, the date was delayed by opposition from the Indonesian government led by Sukarno and also attempts by the Sarawak United People's Party to delay the formation of Malaysia. Due to these factors, an 8-member United Nations team had to be formed to re-ascertain whether Sabah and Sarawak truly wanted to join Malaysia.^[38]

The early years of independence were marred by the conflict with Indonesia (Konfrontasi) over the formation of Malaysia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife in the form of race riots in 1969.^[39]^[40] The Philippines also made an active claim on Sabah in that period based upon the Sultanate of Brunei's secession of its north-east territories to the Sulu Sultanate in 1704.^[41]^[42]^[43] The claim is still ongoing.^[44] After the 13 May race riots of 1969, the controversial New Economic Policy—intended to increase proportionally the share of the economic "pie" of the bumiputras ("indigenous people", which includes the majority Malays, but not always the indigenous population) as compared to other ethnic groups—was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. Malaysia has since maintained a delicate ethno-political balance, with a system of government that has attempted to combine overall economic development with political and economic policies that promote equitable participation of all races.^[45]

Between the 1980s and the mid-1990s, Malaysia experienced economic growth under the premiership of Mahathir bin Mohamad.^[46] The period saw a shift from an agriculture-based economy to one based on manufacturing and industry in areas such as computers and consumer electronics. It was during this period, too, that the physical landscape of Malaysia changed with the emergence of numerous mega-projects. Notable amongst these projects were the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers (at the time the tallest building in the world, and, as of 2010, still the tallest twin building), KL International Airport (KLIA), the North-South Expressway, the Sepang International Circuit, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), the Bakun hydroelectric dam and Putrajaya, the new federal administrative capital.

In the late 1990s, Malaysia was shaken by the Asian financial crisis as well as political unrest caused by the sacking of the deputy prime minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.^[47] In 2003, Dr Mahathir, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister, retired in favour of his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. In November 2007, Malaysia was rocked by two anti-government rallies. The 2007 Bersih Rally, with 40,000 participants, was held in Kuala Lumpur on 10 November, campaigning for electoral reform. It was precipitated by allegations of corruption and discrepancies in the Malaysian election system that heavily favoured the ruling political party, Barisan Nasional, which had been in power since Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957.^[48] Another rally was held on 25 November in the Malaysian capital led by HINDRAF. The rally organiser, the Hindu Rights Action Force, had called the protest over alleged discriminatory policies which favoured ethnic Malays. The crowd was estimated to be between 5,000 and 30,000.^[49] In both cases the government and police tried to prevent the gatherings from taking place. In 16 October 2008, HINDRAF was banned when the government labelled the organisation as "a threat to national security".^[50]

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Malaysia The Malaysian Houses of Parliament is the building where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. The main building houses the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara while the representatives' offices are located in the tower. The Perdana Putra is a building complex in Putrajaya which houses the Prime Minister of Malaysia's office. Current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak.

Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. The federal head of state of Malaysia is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as the King of Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected to a five-year term among the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states; the other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection.^[51]

The system of government in Malaysia is closely modelled on that of the Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British colonial rule. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by a multi-party coalition known as the Barisan Nasional (formerly known as the Alliance Party).^[52]

Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral parliament consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (literally the "Chamber of the People") and the upper house, the Senate or Dewan Negara (literally the "Chamber of the Nation").^[53]^[54]^[54] The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years from single-member constituencies, which are defined based on population. All 70 Senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, 2 represent the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, each of the federal territories of Labuan and Putrajaya has 1 Senator, with the remaining 40 appointed by the king.

Besides the Parliament at the federal level, each state has a unicameral state legislative chamber (Malay: Dewan Undangan Negeri) whose members are elected from single-member constituencies. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, with the last general election being in March 2008.^[52] Registered voters of age 21 and above may vote for the members of the House of Representatives and, in most of the states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting is not compulsory.^[55]

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.^[56] The cabinet is chosen from among members of both houses of Parliament and is responsible to that body.^[57]

State governments are led by Chief Ministers (Menteri Besar in Malay states or Ketua Menteri in states without hereditary rulers), who are state assembly members from the majority party in the Dewan Undangan Negeri. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister is required to be a Malay-Muslim, although this rule is subject to the rulers' discretion.

Foreign relations and armed forces

The RMAF state-of-art Sukhoi Su-30 MKM MRCA. Main articles: Foreign relations of Malaysia and Malaysian Armed Forces

Malaysia is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and participates in many international organisations such as the United Nations.^[58]^[59] As a former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.^[60] It is a member of the Developing 8 Countries.^[61] Malaysia has diplomatic relations with many countries^[specify] but does not recognise the State of Israel. As a result, no traveller with a Malaysian passport can enter Israel.

Malaysian defence requirements are assigned to the Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia-ATM). The armed forces has three branches, the Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia-TLDM), Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia-TD), and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia-TUDM). The Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia operates both American and Russian manufactured fighter aircraft.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: States of Malaysia and Districts of Malaysia

Administratively, Malaysia consists of 13 states (11 in peninsular Malaysia and 2 in Malaysian Borneo) and 3 federal territories. Each state is further divided into districts (daerah or jajahan in Kelantan) and a subdivision of a district is called mukim. As Malaysia is a federation, the governance of the country is divided between the federal and the state governments.

Perlis Kedah Penang Kelantan Terengganu Perak Selangor Negeri Sembilan Malacca Johor Pahang Sarawak Sabah ● ● ● South China Sea Strait of Malacca Gulf of Thailand Sulu Sea Celebes Sea

Name	Capital	Pop.	Area (km²)	Population Density	Human Development Index (HDI)	Largest Metropolitan	Population
Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur	1,810,000	243	7449	0.868	Klang Valley	8,063,000
Federal Territory of Labuan	Victoria	90,000	92	978	–	–	–
Federal Territory of Putrajaya	Putrajaya	65,000	46	1413	–	–	–
Johor	Johor Bahru	3,385,000	19,984	169	0.805	Johor Bahru	1,800,000
Kedah	Alor Setar	2,000,000	9,426	213	0.741	Alor Setar	600,000
Kelantan	Kota Bharu	1,635,000	14,922	110	0.728	Kota Bharu	577,300
Malacca	Malacca Town	770,000	1,650	467	0.810	Malacca Town	455,300
Negeri Sembilan	Seremban	1,014,000	6,645	153	0.801	Seremban	419,500
Pahang	Kuantan	1,543,000	35,964	43	0.776	Kuantan	607,800
Perak	Ipoh	2,393,000	21,006	114	0.790	Ipoh	814,000
Perlis	Kangar	241,000	810	298	0.785	Kangar	50,000
Penang	George Town	1,578,000	1,046	1509	0.851	Penang	2,200,000
Sabah	Kota Kinabalu	3,203,000	76,115	42	0.735	Kota Kinabalu	900,000
Selangor	Shah Alam	5,180,000	7,956	650	0.907	Klang Valley	8,063,000
Sarawak	Kuching	2,504,000	124,450	20	0.763	Kuching	658,600
Terengganu	Kuala Terengganu	1,121,000	12,955	87	0.813	Kuala Terengganu	396,400

Geography

Main article: Geography of Malaysia Map of peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo). Beach scenery of Pulau Tioman.

Malaysia is the 43rd most populated country and the 66th largest country by total land area in the world, with a population of about 28 million and a land area of over 320,000 km² respectively. It is comparable in population to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and is roughly similar in size to Norway and Vietnam.

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 4,095.2 metres (13,436 ft) on the island of Borneo. East Malaysia, like most of the island of Borneo, was traditionally covered with Borneo lowland rain forests although much has been cleared, with wildlife retreating to the upland rain forests inland. The local climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.

Kota Kinabalu, capital of East Malaysian state of Sabah is located 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) east across the South China Sea from Kuala Lumpur.

Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia.^[62]^[63] The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.^[64]

Kuala Lumpur is the official capital and largest city of Malaysia. Putrajaya is the federal administrative capital. Although many executive and judicial branches of the federal government have moved there (to ease growing congestion within Kuala Lumpur), Kuala Lumpur is still recognised as the legislative capital of Malaysia since it houses the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia. It is also the main commercial and financial centre of the country.

Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Alor Star, Malacca Town, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Kuantan and Petaling Jaya.

Natural resources

Malaysia is well endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry and minerals. In terms of agriculture, Malaysia is one of the top exporters of natural rubber and palm oil, which, together with sawn logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapples and tobacco, dominate the growth of the sector. Palm oil is also a major generator of foreign exchange.

Palm oil estate in Malaysia.

Logging only began to make a substantial contribution to the economy during the 19th century. Today, an estimated 59% of Malaysia remains forested. The rapid expansion of the timber industry, particularly after the 1960s, has brought about a serious erosion problem in the country's forest resources. However, in line with the Government's commitment to protect the environment and the ecological system, forestry resources are being managed on a sustainable basis and accordingly the rate of tree felling has been on the decline.

In addition, substantial areas are being silviculturally treated and reforestation of degraded forestland is being carried out. The Malaysian government provides plans for the enrichment of some 312.30 square kilometers (120.5 sq mi) of land with rattan under natural forest conditions and in rubber plantations as an inter crop. To further enrich forest resources, fast-growing timber species such as meranti tembaga, merawan and sesenduk are also being planted. At the same time, the cultivation of high-value trees like teak and other trees for pulp and paper is also encouraged. Rubber, once the mainstay of the Malaysian economy, has been largely replaced by oil palm as Malaysia's leading agricultural export.

Tin and petroleum are the two main mineral resources of major significance to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was, at one time, the world's largest producer of tin prior to the collapse of the tin market in the early 1980s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, tin played a predominant role in the Malaysian economy. In 1972 petroleum and natural gas took over from tin as the mainstay of the mineral extraction sector. Meanwhile, the contribution by tin has declined. Petroleum and natural gas discoveries in oil fields off Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu have contributed much to the Malaysian economy. Other minerals of some importance or significance include copper, bauxite, iron-ore and coal together with industrial minerals like clay, kaolin, silica, limestone, barite, phosphates and dimension stones such as granite as well as marble blocks and slabs. Small quantities of gold are produced.

In 2004, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mustapa Mohamed, revealed that Malaysia's oil reserves stood at 4.84 billion barrels (769,000,000 m³) while natural gas reserves increased to 89 trillion cubic feet (2,500 km³). This was an increase of 7.2%.^{[citation needed]} As of January 2009, Malaysia has proven oil reserves of up to 4 billion barrels.^[65] In January 2008, the Malaysian natural gas reserves holds up to 14.67 billion barrels of oil equivalent.^[66]

The government estimates that, at current production rates, Malaysia will be able to produce oil for up to 18 years and gas for 35 years. In 2004, Malaysia is ranked 24th in terms of world oil reserves and 13th for gas. 56% of the oil reserves exist in the Peninsula, while 19% exist in East Malaysia. The government collects oil royalties of which 5% are passed to the states and the remainder retained by the federal government.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Main article: Economy of Malaysia See also: Gasoline and diesel usage and pricing in Malaysia

Southeast Asia has been a centre of trade for centuries. International trade, facilitated by the adjacent Strait of Malacca shipping route, ^[67] and manufacturing ^[68] are both key sectors of the country's economy.

In the 17th century, porcelain and spices were found in several Malay states and were actively traded. Later, as the British started to take over as administrators of Malaya, rubber and palm oil trees were introduced for commercial purposes. Over time, Malaysia became the world's largest producer of tin, rubber, and palm oil.^[69] These three commodities, along with other raw materials, firmly set Malaysia's economic tempo well into the mid-20th century.

Instead of relying on the local Malays as a source of labour, the British brought in Chinese and Indians to work in the mines and plantations and provide professional expertise. Although many of them returned to their respective home countries after their agreed tenure ended, some remained in Malaysia and settled permanently.

As Malaya moved towards independence, the government began implementing economic five-year plans, beginning with the First Malayan Five Year Plan in 1955. Upon the establishment of Malaysia, the plans were re-titled and renumbered, beginning with the First Malaysia Plan in 1965.

In the 1970s, Malaysia began to imitate the four Asian Tiger economies (Republic of Korea (South Korea), Republic of China (Taiwan), then British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and the Republic of Singapore) and committed itself to a transition from being reliant on mining and agriculture to an economy that depends more on manufacturing. With Japanese investment, heavy industries flourished and in a matter of years, Malaysian exports became the country's primary growth engine^{[citation needed]}. Malaysia consistently achieved more than 7% GDP growth along with low inflation in the 1980s and the 1990s.^[70]

During the same period, the government tried to eradicate poverty with the controversial New Economic Policy (NEP), after the 13 May Incident of racial rioting in 1969.^[45] Its main objective was the elimination of the association of race with economic function, and the first five-year plan to begin implementing the NEP was the Second Malaysia Plan. The success or failure of the NEP is the subject of much debate, although it was officially retired in 1990 and replaced by the National Development Policy (NDP). Recently much debate has surfaced once again concerning the results and relevance of the NEP. Some have argued that the NEP has indeed successfully created a Middle/Upper Class of Malay businesspeople and professionals. Despite some improvement in the economic power of Malays in general, the Malaysian government maintains a policy of discrimination that favours ethnic Malays over other races—including preferential treatment in employment, education, scholarships, business, access to cheaper housing and assisted savings. This special treatment has sparked envy and resentment amongst non-Malays.^[71]

The ethnic Chinese control of the locally owned sector of the country's economy, meanwhile, has been ceded largely in favour of the bumiputra/Malays in many essential or strategic industries such as petroleum retailing, transportation, agriculture and automobile manufacturing. The rapid economic boom led to a variety of supply problems, however. Labour shortages soon resulted in an influx of millions of foreign workers, many illegal. Cash-rich PLCs and consortia of banks eager to benefit from increased and rapid development began large infrastructure projects. This all ended when the Asian Financial Crisis hit in the fall of 1997, delivering a massive shock to Malaysia's economy.

Since 1994, the Malaysian car company, Proton, has owned Lotus, a previously British company that produces the Lotus Europa S (pictured here) and other models.

As with other countries affected by the crisis, there was speculative short-selling of the Malaysian currency, the ringgit. Foreign direct investment fell at an alarming rate and, as capital flowed out of the country, the value of the ringgit dropped from MYR 2.50 per USD to, at one point, MYR 4.80 per USD. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange's composite index plummeted from approximately 1300 points to around 400 points in a matter of weeks. After the controversial sacking of finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, a National Economic Action Council was formed to deal with the monetary crisis. Bank Negara imposed capital controls and pegged the Malaysian ringgit at 3.80 to the US dollar. Malaysia refused economic aid packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, surprising many analysts.

In March 2005, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published a paper on the sources and pace of Malaysia's recovery, written by Jomo K.S. of the applied economics department, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. The paper concluded that the controls imposed by Malaysia's government neither hurt nor helped recovery. The chief factor was an increase in electronics components exports, which was caused by a large increase in the demand for components in the United States, which was caused, in turn, by a fear of the effects of the arrival of the year 2000 (Y2K) upon older computers and other digital devices.

However, the post Y2K slump of 2001 did not affect Malaysia as much as other countries. This may have been clearer evidence that there are other causes and effects that can be more properly attributable for recovery. One possibility is that the currency speculators had run out of finance after failing in their attack on the Hong Kong dollar in August 1998 and after the Russian ruble collapsed. (See George Soros)

Regardless of cause and effect claims, rejuvenation of the economy also coincided with massive government spending and budget deficits in the years that followed the crisis. Later, Malaysia enjoyed faster economic recovery compared to its neighbours. The country has recovered to the levels of the pre-crisis era – as an example, the KLCI Composite Index hit an all time high of 1,386 on 20 June 2007 which is approximately 100 points higher than the pre-crisis record of 1,275 in 1993.

Malaysia's rapid economic growth and prosperity is reflected by the Petronas Towers, the headquarters of the national oil giant in Kuala Lumpur and, at one time, the tallest building in the world.

While the pace of development today is not as rapid, it is seen to be more sustainable. Although the controls and economic housekeeping may or may not have been the principal reasons for recovery, there is no doubt that the banking sector has become more resilient to external shocks. The current account has also settled into a structural surplus, providing a cushion to capital flight. Asset prices are generally back to their pre-crisis heights, despite the effects of the global financial crisis. Malaysia is also the world's largest Islamic banking and financial centre.

The fixed exchange rate was abandoned in July 21, 2005 in favour of a managed floating system within an hour of China announcing the same move.^[72] In the same week, the ringgit strengthened a percent against various major currencies and was expected to appreciate further. As of December 2005, however, expectations of further appreciation were muted as capital flight exceeded USD 10 billion.^[72] According to Bank Negara's published figures, Malaysia's foreign exchange reserves increased steadily since the initial capital flight, from USD75.2 billion as at 15 July 2005 (just before the peg was removed) to peak at USD125.7 billion as at 31 July 2008, a few months before the global credit crisis that started in September 2008. As at 29 May 2009, the reserves stood at USD88.3 billion.

In September 2005, Sir Howard J. Davies, director of the London School of Economics, at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, cautioned Malaysian officials that if they want a flexible capital market, they will have to lift the ban on short-selling put into effect during the crisis. In March 2006, Malaysia removed the ban on short selling.^[73] It is interesting to note that some of the measures taken by the Malaysian government in response to the Asian crisis, such as the ban on short selling, were swiftly adopted by the very countries that had previously been critical of the Malaysian response.

Malaysia is also one of the region's leading education and healthcare providers. Malaysia is recognised as a newly industrialised country.^[74] In 2008, GDP per capita (PPP) of Malaysia stands at US$14,215, ranking it 48th in the world, and 2nd in Southeast Asia (after Singapore).

Transportation and energy

Main articles: Transport in Malaysia and Energy policy of Malaysia

Transportation in Malaysia started to develop during its phase of British colonial rule. Today Malaysia has one of the finest transportation networks in Asia. Malaysia's road network is among the finest in Asia, covering 63,445 km. The main highway of the country covers a distance over 800 km, reaching the Thai border from Singapore. The network of roads in Peninsular Malaysia is of high quality, however, the road system in Sabah and Sarawak is not as developed as the other parts of the country. Malaysia also has six world class international airports. The official airline of Malaysia is Malaysia Airlines, providing international and domestic air service and there are also two more carriers offering domestic and regional flights. The railway system of the country is state-run, but covers only West Malaysia. The railway network covers a total distance of 1798 km. Another mode of transport which is extremely popular in Malaysia, within the cities, is Light Rail Transit. It is a boon to the crowded cities of the country as it reduces the traffic load, and is safe, comfortable and reliable.

Malaysia currently has approximately 13 gigawatts (GW) of electric generation capacity, of which 84% is thermal and 16% is hydroelectric. In 2000, Malaysia generated around 63 billion kilowatthours of electricity. The Malaysian government expects that investment of $9.7 billion will be required in the electric utility sector through 2010. Much of that amount will be for coal-fired plants, as the Malaysian government is promoting a shift away from the country's heavy reliance on natural gas for electric power generation. In recent developments, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, the main state-owned utility, began in 1999 to divest some of its power generation units. Eventually, Malaysia expects to achieve a fully competitive power market, with generation, transmission, and distribution decoupled, but reform is still at an early stage and the exact process of the transition to a competitive market has not been decided. The issue is still under study, and many observers have voiced caution in light of the experiences of other deregulated utility systems.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Malaysia See also: Tourism Malaysia

In an effort to diversify the economy and make Malaysia’s economy less dependent on exports the government has pushed to increase tourism in Malaysia. As a result tourism has become Malaysia’s third largest source of income from foreign exchange.^[75] The majority of Malaysia's tourists come from its bordering country, Singapore. In 1999, Malaysia launched a worldwide marketing campaign called “Malaysia, Truly Asia” which was largely successful in bringing in over 7.4 million tourists.^[76] The extra revenue recently generated by tourism helped the country’s economy during the economic crisis of 2008. However, it is mainly Malaysia’s heavy government regulation of the economy which enabled it to be barely affected by the recent 2008 global economic crisis.^[77] In recent years tourism has been threatened by the negative effects of the growing industrial economy. Due to the large amounts of air and water pollution along with deforestation, tourism has decreased in affected areas.^[78] On 20 May, 1987, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism (MOCAT) was established and TDC moved to this new ministry. TDC existed from 1972 to 1992, when it became the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), through the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board Act, 1992.

Tourism Malaysia has grown, with its focus on promoting Malaysia at the domestic and international levels. It aims to market Malaysia as a premier destination of excellence in the region. Its vision is to make the tourism industry a prime contributor to the socio-economic development of the nation. The growth of world tourism, and Malaysia's potential as a tourism destination, has contributed to the change and focus in the country's tourism sector. It has helped generate substantial foreign exchange earnings and employment. Tourism Malaysia now has 34 overseas and 11 marketing representative offices.

Science and technology

Main article: Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Malaysia)

Spaceflight program

Main article: Angkasawan program See also: Malaysian National Space Agency Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the first Malaysian in space

In 2001 MNSA started a plan for scientific development in collaboration with JAXA. In early 2006, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and three other finalists were selected for the Angkasawan spaceflight program. This program came about when Russia agreed to transport one Malaysian to the International Space Station as part of a multi-billion dollar purchase of 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Engineering

Military engineering

The rejection of requests for weapons and technologies from abroad, arms sanctions and massive rearmament of the Asian countries prompted Malaysia to develop a broad-based, indigenous arms industry. The Malaysian Armed Forces relies heavily on local military technology and high-tech weapons systems designed and manufactured by foreign countries.

Health sciences

Malaysia has an advanced infrastructure of medical and pharmaceutical research and bioengineering capabilities. Biotechnology, biomedical, and clinical research account for over half of the country's scientific publications, and the industrial sector has used this extensive knowledge to develop pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and treatment therapies.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Malaysia Malaysia population density (person per Km²).

Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups, with the Malays making up the majority at 50.4%; and other bumiputra at 11%^[79] of the population. By constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs (adat) and culture. Therefore, technically, a Muslim of any race who practices Malay customs and culture can be considered a Malay and allocated privilleged status in the form of the Bumiputra rights stipulated in the constitution.

Many Malay families today have their ancestries traced to Javanese, Bugis, and Minang sailors who originated in Indonesia, during the 17th to early 20th century. Bumiputra status is also accorded to certain non-Malay indigenous peoples, including ethnic Thais, Khmers, Chams and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Non-Malay bumiputra make up more than half of Sarawak's population (of which 30% are Ibans), and close to 60% of Sabah's population (of which 18% are Kadazan-Dusuns, and 17% are Bajaus).^[79] There also exist aboriginal groups in much smaller numbers on the peninsula, where they are collectively known as Orang Asli.

23.7% of the population are Malaysians of Chinese descent, while Malaysians of Indian descent comprise 7.1% of the population.^[79] While Peranakan ("straits-born") Chinese and Indian families have resided in Malaysia since as far back as 15th century Melaka, the majority of Malaysia's Chinese and Indian populations are descended from migrants who arrived during the colonial period. Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th century.^[80] The majority of the Indian community are Tamils but various other groups are also present, including Telugus, Malayalis, Punjabis, Sindhis, Bengalis and Gujaratis.

Europeans and Middle Easterners, who first arrived during the colonial period, assimilated through inter-marriage into the Christian and Muslim communities respectively. Most Eurasian Malaysians trace their ancestry to British, Dutch or Portuguese colonists, and there is a strong Kristang community in Melaka.

The Nepali population numbers little over 600 and lives in Rawang, Selangor. Originally brought by the British as bodyguards and security personnel, they come from the Rana, Chettri, Rai and Gurung clans. Other minorities include Filipinos and Burmese. A small number of ethnic Vietnamese from Cambodia and Vietnam settled in Malaysia as Vietnam War refugees.

The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the Malay Peninsula, while East Malaysia has about 7 million people. Due to the rise in labour intensive industries, Malaysia has 10% to 20% foreign workers, the exact figure being uncertain due in part to the large number of illegal workers. There are a million legal foreign workers and perhaps another million unauthorised foreigners. The state of Sabah alone had nearly 25% of its 2.7 million population listed as illegal foreign workers in the last census. Sabah NGOs estimate that out of the 3 million population, 2 million are illegal immigrants.^[81]

Additionally, according to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Malaysia hosts a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 155,700. Of this population, approximately 70,500 refugees and asylum seekers are from the Philippines, 69,700 from Burma, and 21,800 from Indonesia.^[82] The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants named Malaysia as one of the Ten Worst Places for Refugees on account of the country's discriminatory practices toward refugees. Malaysian officials are reported to have turned deportees directly over to human smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employs RELA, a volunteer militia, to enforce its immigration law.^[82]

Largest Cities of Malaysia
	City	State	Population			City	State	Population
1	Kuala Lumpur	Federal Territory	1,809,699	Kuala Lumpur Subang Jaya	8	Shah Alam	Selangor	617,149
2	Subang Jaya	Selangor	1,321,672		9	Kota Kinabalu	Sabah	579,304
3	Klang	Selangor	1,055,207		10	Kota Bharu	Kelantan	577,301
4	Johor Bahru	Johor	895 509		11	Petaling Jaya	Selangor	543,415
5	Ampang Jaya	Selangor	756,309		12	Tebrau	Johor	525,351
6	Ipoh	Perak	710,798		13	Cheras, Selangor	Selangor	515,961
7	Kuching	Sarawak	658,562		14	Sandakan	Sabah	479,121

Religion

Main article: Religion in Malaysia Further information: Islam in Malaysia, Buddhism in Malaysia, Christianity in Malaysia, Hinduism in Malaysia, and Sikhism In Malaysia Kampung Laut Mosque in Tumpat is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, dating to early 18th century

Islam is the largest and official religion of Malaysia, though it is a multi-religious society. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000 figures, approximately 60.4 percent of the population practised Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 2.6 percent practise Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions. The remainder was accounted for by other faiths, including animism, folk religion, and Sikhism while 0.9% either reported having no religion or did not provide any information.^[83]^[84]

All ethnic Malays are considered Muslim by Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.^[85] Most Malaysian Chinese follow a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor-worship but, when pressed to specify their religion, will identify themselves as Buddhists. Statistics from the 2000 Census indicate that 75.9% of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (10.6%) and Christianity (9.6%), along with small Hui-Muslim populations in areas like Penang.^[84]

The majority of Malaysian Indians follow Hinduism (84.5%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (7.7%), Muslims (3.8%) and over 150,000 Sikhs. Christianity is the predominant religion of the non-Malay Bumiputra community (50.1%) with an additional 36.3% identifying as Muslims and 7.3% follow folk religion.^[84] In addition to Christian missionaries from overseas, there are ongoing efforts by the government and NGOs to convert the animist communities to Islam, especially amongst the peninsular tribes who are not entitled to bumiputra status.

The Malaysian constitution guarantees religious freedom. Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of Syariah courts in matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges are expected to follow the Shafi`i legal school of Islam, which is the main madh'hab of Malaysia.^[86] The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such as marriage, inheritance, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others. No other criminal or civil offences are under the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to the Civil Courts. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts (including the Federal Court) in principle cannot overrule any decision made by the Syariah Courts, as ratified by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the late 1980's.

Islamic religiosity

In all probability, Islam was first brought to Malaysia around the 13th century by Indian traders in the area of the straits of Malacca.^[87] Since then the religion has become the predominant religion of the country and is recognised as the state's official religion. Despite the recognition of Islam as the state religion, the first 4 prime ministers have stressed that Malaysia could function as a secular state. This has had a profound impact on Malaysia.

Many factors have contributed to the establishment of a stricter form of Islam, which previously was plural with much influence from Hinduism and animist customs. Attributed to the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979, religious observance among Muslims soared significantly in the 80's and 90's in tandem with many Muslim-majority countries across the globe. The Islamic headscarf has since been ubiquitous. Another aspect of growing Islamic conservatism is Tun Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim's Islamic policies which have further fuelled the Islamisation process. Sectarianism in Malaysia has given Islamic identity a boost in this multi-religious and seemingly plural Malaysia. Many ethnic Chinese have become irreligious despite the surge of Christianity. Agnostics and atheists are widespread in this community though rarely disclosed.

Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of acts considered immoral.^[88] Western concerts are also increasingly curtailed by 'puritans' who view these in negative light, claiming such concerts are contrary to "Asian norms", although met with substantial resistance, concerts bans are rarely seen in other Muslim nations worldwide.

Education

Main article: Education in Malaysia Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) is one of the earliest boarding schools established in British Malaya. An aerial view of Multimedia University's Cyberjaya campus. Multimedia University is Malaysia's first private university. The main building of the University of Nottingham's Malaysian Campus.

Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.^[89]

Education system of Malaysia features a non-compulsive kindergarten education, followed by six years of compulsory primary education and five years of secondary education. Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten.

Primary education

Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. Primary schools are categorised into two categories, the national primary school and the vernacular school. Vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of instruction, whereas national primary school uses Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for subjects except English, Science and Mathematics.

Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit for the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) taken during Primary Year 3 was abolished in 2001.

Secondary education

Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main language of instruction. The only exceptions are Mathematics and Science and languages other than Malay, however this was only implemented in 2003, prior to which all non-language subjects were taught in Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR).

In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students sit the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the former British Ordinary or 'O' Levels. The government has decided to abandon the use of English in teaching maths and science and revert to Bahasa Malaysia, starting in 2012.^[90]

Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types: National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) (also referred to as Mission Schools), Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).

There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM). However, unlike government schools, independent schools are autonomous. It takes six years to complete secondary education in Chinese independent schools. Students will sit a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit the PMR and SPM additionally.

Tertiary education

Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10% of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students while the rest are reserved for Bumiputra students.

There are a number of public universities established in Malaysia. Private universities are also gaining a reputation for international quality education and students from all over the world attend these universities. In addition, four reputable international universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘offshore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi University College which partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.^[91]

International schools

In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country.

Healthcare

Further information: List of hospitals in Malaysia and Healthcare in Malaysia

The Malaysian government places importance on the expansion and development of health care, putting 5% of the government social sector development budget into public health care—an increase of more than 47% over the previous figure. This has meant an overall increase of more than RM 2 billion. With a rising and aging population, the Government wishes to improve in many areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals, expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth. Over the last couple of years, the Malaysian Health Ministry has increased its efforts to overhaul the system and attract more foreign investment.

The country generally has an efficient and widespread system of health care. It implements a universal healthcare system, which co-exists with the private healthcare system. Infant mortality rate – a standard in determining the overall efficiency of healthcare – in 2005 was 10, comparing favourably with the United States and western Europe. Life expectancy at birth in 2005 was 74 years.

The Malaysian health care system requires doctors to perform a compulsory three years service with public hospitals to ensure that the manpower in these hospitals is maintained. Recently foreign doctors have also been encouraged to take up employment in Malaysia. There is still, however, a significant shortage in the medical workforce, especially of highly trained specialists; thus, certain medical care and treatment are available only in large cities. Recent efforts to bring many facilities to other towns have been hampered by lack of expertise to run the available equipment.

The majority of private hospitals are in urban areas and, unlike many of the public hospitals, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities. Private hospitals have not generally been seen as an ideal investment—it has often taken up to ten years before companies have seen any profits. However, the situation has now changed and companies are now exploring this area again, corresponding with the increased number of foreigners entering Malaysia for medical care and the recent government focus on developing the health tourism industry.^[92]

Citizenship

Main article: Malaysian citizenship

Most Malaysians are granted citizenship by lex soli.^[93] Citizenship in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for immigration purposes. Every citizen is issued a biometric smart chip identity card, known as MyKad, at the age of 12, and must carry the card at all times.^[94]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Malaysia See also: Tourism in Malaysia, Cuisine of Malaysia, and Music of Malaysia A cook making murtabak, a type of pancake filled with eggs, small chunks of meat and onions, in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual society. Figures from 2007 show the population consisting of 62% Bumiputeras (including indigenous people), 24% Chinese, 8% Indians, with other minorities along with foreigners (mostly semi-skilled workers).^[95] Ethnic tensions have been evident in recent months in parallel with the rising temperature of the political scenario in the country.^[96]

The Malays, who form the largest community, play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as bumiputra. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Malaysia), which is the national language of the country.^[97] Malays of Minang, Bugis or Javanese origin may additionally speak their ancestral tongue. However, English is also widely spoken in major towns and cities across the country.

People of Indian origin in Kuala Lumpur.

In the past, Malays wrote in Pallava or using the Sanskrit-based alphabet of Kawi. Indian Muslims later introduced Jawi, an Arabic-based script, which became popular after the 15th century. Until then reading and writing were mostly the preserve of scholars and nobility, while most Malay commoners were illiterate. Jawi was taught along with Islam, allowing the script to spread through all social classes. Nevertheless, Kawi remained in use by the upper-class well into the 15th century. The Romanised script was introduced during the colonial period and, over time, it came to replace both Sanskrit and Jawi. This was largely due to the influence of the European education system, wherein children were taught the English alphabet as it was perceived to be easier to learn.^{[citation needed]}

Whilst Malays are defined by the constitution as Muslim, Malay culture shows strong influences from Hinduism, Buddhism and animism. Since the Islamisation movement of the 1980s and 90s, these aspects are often neglected or banned altogether. Because any Malay-speaking Muslim is entitled to bumiputra privileges, many non-Malay Muslims have adopted the Malay language, customs and attire in the last few decades. This is particularly the case with Indian Muslims from the peninsula and the Kadayan of Borneo.

The largest indigenous tribe is the Iban of Sarawak, who number over 600,000. Some Iban still live in traditional long houses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries, although many have moved to the cities. The Bidayuhs, numbering around 170,000, are concentrated in the southwestern part of Sarawak. The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan. They are largely Christian subsistence farmers. The 140,000 Orang Asli, or aboriginal peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in peninsular Malaysia. Many tribes, both on the peninsula and in Borneo, were traditionally nomadic or semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, including the Punan, Penan and Senoi. However, their ancestral land and hunting grounds are commonly reclaimed by the state, usually forcing the tribes to sedentarise and settle in longhouses or modern bungalows.

The Chinese community in Malaysia speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew. A large majority of Chinese in Malaysia, especially those from the larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Ipoh, Klang and Penang speak decent English as well. There has also been an increasing number of the present generation Chinese who consider English as their first language. The Chinese have historically been dominant in the Malaysian business and commerce community.

The Indians in Malaysia are mainly Tamils from southern India whose native language is Tamil. There are also other Indian communities which are Telugu-, Malayalam- or Hindi-speaking, living mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. Many middle to upper middle class Indians in Malaysia speak English as a first language. A Tamil Muslim community of 200,000 also thrives as an independent subcultural group. Most Indians originally migrated from India as traders, teachers or other skilled workers. A large number were also part of the migrations from India forced by the British during colonial times, to work in the plantation industry.^[98]^[99] Punjabis were originally brought in as police, guards and soldiers.

Penang Rojak in Malaysia.

A small number of Eurasians, of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent, speak a Portuguese-based creole, called Papiá Kristang. There are also Eurasians of mixed Filipino and Spanish descent, mostly in Sabah. Descended from immigrants from the Philippines, some speak Chavacano, the only Spanish-based creole language in Asia.

Of the remaining minorities, Malaysian Siamese, Khmers, Chams and Burmese live mostly in the northern peninsular states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu. Along with the Malays, they were historically paddy or dry rice farmers. In addition to speaking their mother tongue and the national language, most are fluent in a northern dialect of Malay. Some of the younger generation living in urban areas have taken to learning Hokkien, especially in the Chinese majority state of Penang.

Traditional Malay music and performing arts appear to have originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region with influences from India, China, Thailand and Indonesia. The music is based largely around the gendang (drum), but includes other percussion instruments (some made of shells): the rebab (a bowed string instrument), the serunai (a double-reed oboe-like instrument), the seruling (flute), and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas. Most of the older Malayan-Thai performing arts have declined in popularity due to their Hindu-Buddhist origin, most notably mak yong. Since the Islamisation period, the arts and tourism ministry have focused on newer dances of Portuguese, Middle Eastern, or Mughal origin. In recent years, dikir barat has grown in popularity, and the government has begun to promote it as a national cultural icon.^[100]

Malaysia shares some forms of art with neighbouring Indonesia, including wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre), silat (a stylised martial art), craft techniques such as weaving and metallurgy.^{[citation needed]}

Languages

The Malay language is the official national language of Malaysia. English was, for a protracted period, the de facto, administrative language of Malaysia, though its status was rescinded later. Despite that, the English language remains an important second language regnant among the urban population and hence the upper echelon of society. Malaysian English is a form of English used and spoken in Malaysia. Another form of English, known as Manglish or Street English, a portmanteau of the word Malay and English is also widely spoken. Tamil is widespread within the Indian community, while the Chinese Malaysians speak a total of more than six dialects alongside Mandarin. The Dayaks who constitute the majority population of Malaysian Borneo have their own distinctive languages, Iban and Kadazandusun. This diversity of languages is reflective of Malaysia's plurality.

Holidays

Main article: Public holidays in Malaysia Typical festive fare during Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Haji (clockwise from bottom left): beef soup, ketupat (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh.

Malaysians observe a number of holidays and festivities throughout the year. Some holidays are federally gazetted public holidays and some are public holidays observed by individual states. Other festivals are observed by particular ethnic or religion groups, but are not public holidays.

The most celebrated holiday is the "Hari Kebangsaan" (Independence Day), otherwise known as "Merdeka" (Freedom), on 31 August commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957, while Malaysia Day is only celebrated in the state of Sabah on 16 September to commemorate the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Hari Merdeka, as well as Labour Day (1 May), the King's birthday (first Saturday of June) and some other festivals are public holidays.

Muslims in Malaysia celebrate Muslim holidays. The most celebrated festival, Hari Raya Puasa (also called Hari Raya Aidilfitri) is the Malay translation of Eid al-Fitr. It is generally a festival honoured by the Muslims worldwide marking the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. The sight of the new moon determines the end of Ramadan. This determines the new month, therefore the end of the fasting month. In addition to Hari Raya Puasa, they also celebrate Hari Raya Haji (also called Hari Raya Aidiladha, the translation of Eid ul-Adha), Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) and Maulidur Rasul (Birthday of the Prophet).

Malaysian Chinese typically celebrate the same festivals observed by Chinese around the world. Chinese New Year is the most celebrated among the festivals, lasting for fifteen days and ending with Chap Goh Mei (十五瞑). The Vietnamese new year, or Tết, falls on the same day. Other festivals celebrated by Chinese are the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Malaysian Buddhists celebrate Vesak or Wesak, the day of Buddha's birth.

Hindus in Malaysia celebrate Diwali/Deepavali, the festival of light, while Thaipusam is a celebration in which pilgrims from all over the country flock to Batu Caves.

Punjabi Malaysians celebrate the Sikh new year or Baisakhi. Because it falls during the month of Vaisakh, the occasion is more commonly known as the Vaisakhi festival. Other Indian and Indochinese communities observe their new year celebrations at around the same time, such as Pohela Boishakh of the Bengalis and Songkran (water festival) of the Thais. Thai Malaysians in the northern states also celebrate Loy Kratong.

Malaysia's Christian community celebrates most of the holidays observed by Christians elsewhere, most notably Christmas and Easter. Good Friday, however, is only a public holiday in the two Bornean states. East Malaysians also celebrate the harvest festivals of Gawai in Sarawak and Kaamatan in Sabah.

Despite most of the festivals being identified with a particular ethnic or religious group, all Malaysians celebrate the festivities together, regardless of their background. The term Kongsi Raya (which means "sharing the celebration" in Malay) was coined for years when Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year because of the similarity between the word kongsi and the Chinese New Year greeting of Gong xi fa cai. Similarly, the portmanteau Deepa Raya was coined when Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali coincided.

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Additional references

1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. Malay States.
Zainal Abidin bin Abdul Wahid; Khoo Kay Kim; Muhd Yusof bin Ibrahim; Singh, D.S. Ranjit (1994). Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah Sejarah Tingkatan 2. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Jeong Chun Hai. (2007). Principles of Public Administration: An Introduction. Kuala Lumpur: Karisma Publication. ISBN 978-983-195-253-5.
Osborne, Milton (2000). Southeast Asia: An Introductory History. Allen & Unwin. ISBN

Pogadaev, V. A. Malaysia. A Pocket Encyclopedia. Moscow: Muravei-Gide, 2000. ISBN 5-8463-0115-0

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Brunei · Saudi Arabia · Swaziland · Vatican City

Constitutional

Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Andorra · The Bahamas · Bahrain · Barbados · Belize · Belgium · Bhutan · Cambodia · Canada · Denmark · Grenada · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kuwait · Liechtenstein · Lesotho · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Monaco · Morocco · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Oman¹ · Papua New Guinea · Qatar¹ · Spain · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Sweden · Thailand · Tonga · Tuvalu · United Arab Emirates · United Kingdom

Elective

Andorra · Cambodia · Kuwait · Malaysia · Swaziland · United Arab Emirates · Vatican City

Subnational

Ghana	Ashanti · Dagbon

Malaysia	Johor · Kedah · Kelantan · Negeri Sembilan · Pahang · Perak · Perlis · Selangor · Terengganu

Nigeria	Olubadan · Nri · Onitsha · Kano · Sokoto Caliphate · Lagos

Uganda	Ankole · Buganda · Bunyoro · Busoga · Rwenzururu · Toro

United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi · Ajman · Dubai · Fujairah · Ras al-Khaimah · Sharjah · Umm al-Quwain

Wallis and Futuna	Alo · Sigave · Uvea

Others	Māori (New Zealand) · Yogyakarta (Indonesia) · Zulu Kingdom (South Africa) · Kanongesha-Lunda (Zambia) · Barotseland (Zambia)

Italics indicate Commonwealth realms, which each share the same person as head of state. ¹ Monarchy is constitutional by law, but remains absolute in practice.

International membership

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Members	Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Philippines · Singapore · Thailand · Vietnam

Observers	Papua New Guinea · Timor-Leste

Summits/Forums	ASEAN Summits · ASEAN Free Trade Area · ASEAN +3 · ASEAN Regional Forum · ASEM · East Asia Summit

Related articles	Anthem · Charter · Common Time · Date of Establishment · Flag · Hymn · Organizations · SEA Games · Secretariat · Treaty of Amity and Cooperation

East Asia Summit (EAS)

First · Second · Third · Fourth · Fifth

Australia Brunei PR China

Cambodia India Indonesia

Japan Laos Malaysia

Myanmar New Zealand Philippines

Singapore Russia South Korea

Thailand United States Vietnam

Observers Timor-Leste Papua New Guinea

Members of the Commonwealth of Nations

Sovereign states

Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji (suspended) · 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 · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. 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

Dependencies

Australia	Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island

New Zealand	Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau

United Kingdom	Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands

Members and observers of the Non-Aligned Movement

Members

Bahamas · Bahrain · Barbados · Belarus · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia · Botswana · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burma · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · Colombia · Comoros · Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Honduras · India · Iran · Jamaica · Jordan · Kenya · Kuwait · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nepal · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · São Tomé and Príncipe · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Somalia · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Swaziland · Syria · Tanzania · Thailand · East Timor · Togo · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkmenistan · Uganda · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Observers

Countries	Antigua and Barbuda · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bosnia-Herzegovina · Brazil · China (PRC) · Costa Rica · Croatia · Cyprus · Dominica · El Salvador · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Mexico · Montenegro · Russia · Serbia · Ukraine · Uruguay
Organizations	African Union · Arab League · United Nations

Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)

Members

Afghanistan · Albania · Algeria · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Benin · Burkina Faso · Brunei · Cameroon · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Libya · Maldives · Malaysia · Mali · Mauritania · Morocco · Mozambique · Niger · Nigeria · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Sudan · Suriname · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkey · Tunisia · Togo · Turkmenistan · Uganda · Uzbekistan · United Arab Emirates · Yemen

Observers

Countries and territories	Bosnia and Herzegovina · Central African Republic · Russia · Thailand · Northern Cyprus (as Turkish Cypriot State)

Muslim communities	Moro National Liberation Front

International organizations	Economic Cooperation Organization · African Union · Arab League · Non-Aligned Movement · United Nations

Languages

Austronesian-speaking countries and territories

Formosan	Taiwan

Malayo-Polynesian	American Samoa · Brunei · Burma (Myanmar) · Cambodia · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Cook Islands · Easter Island · East Timor · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hainan · Indonesia · Kiribati · Madagascar · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · FS Micronesia · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · Niue · Northern Mariana Islands · Orchid Island · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · Sri Lanka · Suriname · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · United States (Hawaii) · Vanuatu · Vietnam · Wallis and Futuna

Malay-speaking countries and territories

Brunei Malaysia

Christmas Island

Cocos Islands Singapore

Philippines Thailand

Indonesia

Chinese-speaking nations and regions

People's Republic of China

Hong Kong

Macau

Singapore

Republic of China (Taiwan)

Malaysia

Names in italics indicate non-sovereign territories.

English-speaking world

Anglosphere

Dark blue: Countries and territories where English is spoken natively by a significant population. Light blue: Countries where English is an official language but less widely spoken. Click on the coloured regions to view the related article.

Regions where English is an official language and spoken by a significant population

Africa	Nigeria · Mauritius · Saint Helena · South Africa

Americas	Anguilla · Antigua and Barbuda · The Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Canada · Cayman Islands · Dominica · Falkland Islands · Grenada · Guyana · Jamaica · Montserrat · Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saint Eustatius, Saint Maarten) · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Turks and Caicos Islands · United States · United States Virgin Islands

Asia	Hong Kong · Philippines · Singapore

Europe	Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Malta · Republic of Ireland · United Kingdom

Oceania	Australia · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · New Zealand · Palau

Regions where English is an official language but not as widely spoken

Africa	Botswana · Cameroon · Ghana · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Namibia · Rwanda · Sierra Leone · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Americas	Puerto Rico

Asia	India · Malaysia · Pakistan

Oceania	Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu

English Wiktionary

The above information uses material from Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Some facts may not have been fully verified for accuracy. [Disclaimers]
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'Malaysia' News

thestar.com.my

Invest in Malaysia, DPM tells Korean firms - Malaysia Star
Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:22:59 GMT+00:00
, DPM tells Korean firms Malaysia Star SEOUL: Malaysia wants South Korea to take advantage of policy initiatives in the New Economic Policy and the 10th Malaysia Plan to explore opportunities and ... Malaysia's Football Team Can Chalk More Successes, Says Muhyiddin Bernama Muhyiddin Invites South Korean Companies To Invest In Malaysia Bernama Muhyiddin's Visit Paves Way For Improved Bilateral Relations Bernama

Google News Search: Malaysia,
Thu Jul 29 06:20:32 2010

'Malaysia' Images

zushi-kaisei.ac.jp

malaysia jpg
480px x 640px | 73.90kB

[source page]

82 2009 04 28 22 02 36 ID 1vh6kabD http zushihaya exblog jp 7733493 http www zushi kaisei ac jp club club2 brassband brassband2 malaysia jpg http pds exblog jp pds 1 200604 09 72 e0006772 18471485 jpg http pds exblog jp pds 1 200804 13 72

Yahoo Images Search: Malaysia,
Sat Jul 31 13:32:17 2010

'Malaysia' Blogs

malaysiapropertynews.com

Malaysia Property News: Fortunes diverge for UK house prices and ...

Kimberg

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:23:00 GM

Malaysia. Property News is a free resource Blog sharing Daily News & information for Property in . Malaysia. , related to, Property Investment, Commercial, Property . Malaysia. , Real Estate, Retail, Park, Luxurious, Condominium, Terraces, ...

Google Blogs Search: Malaysia,
Sat Jul 31 06:19:29 2010

'Malaysia' Answers

How the place malaysia is to settle down?
Q. I am an Indian and planning to migrate to Malaysia. How the place Malaysia is for settling down with family (specifically for Hindu Maharashtrian family)? Is there any good ICSC/CBSC school in KL? I would be greatful if any Indian migrated to Malaysia can answer my query.
Asked by amruta - Mon Jul 27 02:15:35 2009 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. um yes.I've been there for 2 years malaysia is such as nice place to live.KL capitol really big city.They have real good school and so alot of indian are live in malaysia.go to malaysia
Answered by bjv - Wed Jul 29 12:25:26 2009

Yahoo Answers Search: Malaysia,
Sat Jul 31 05:05:57 2010

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Contents

Etymology

History

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Early history

Melaka

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