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General
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The population of Malaysia is about 20
million. They are a uniquely diverse group of people. The earliest inhabitants
are the "orange Azalea" in the Peninsula. There are similar tribes in
Sabah and Sarawak who still pursue a nomadic way of life. The next immigrants
were the Proto-Malays and the Deutero-Malays. Other indigenous peoples
of Malaysia are collectively called "Bumiputra", or "sons of
the soil". They make up 59% of the population. Later, the Chinese
and Indian migrated from China and India respectively. Today, the population
of Chinese is 32% while the Indians make up 9% of the population of Malaysia.
Malaysia's history has
been one of continual interaction with foreign powers and influences because
of its strategic position between the Indian Ocean and the South China
Sea. Its location has made it the meeting place for both traders and travelers
alike. Hindu-Buddhist influence was strong in the northwest before the
coming of Islam. Archaeological findings in Kedah provide evidence of
a Hindu-Buddhist civilization that dated back to 300AD. It flourished
as an important center of trade and commerce until the 13th Century when
Malacca, abundant in spices, attracted colonial powers. By 1511, Malacca
fell to the Portuguese, then in 1641 the Dutch took over, and finally
the British in 1815. The British consolidated their hold on the Malay
states following Francis Light's arrival in Penang in 1786. Across the
seas, on the island of Borneo, Sarawak was ruled by a British adventurer,
James Brooke, and his descendants since 1841 to 1888. Sarawak and North
Borneo (Sabah) thus became the British protectorates. In the 1930's, the
first stirring of Malayan nationalism were felt. Following the end of
World War II, there was a resurface of the nationalism movement culminating
in the independence for the Federation of Malaya on August 31, 1957. In
1963, Malaysia was formed. Today, Malaysia is a prominent member of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Malaysia's economy was
once exclusively based on agricultural commodities. It is still one of
the world's largest producers of rubber, tin, palm oil, timber, and pepper.
However, the current government had aspired to shift the economy to manufacturing
and service based. Today, manufacturing forms the largest single component
of Malaysia's economy. Revenue from oil and natural gas reserves together
with increasing foreign investments have helped the economy diversify
into car production and the manufacturing of computers. Tourism is also
emerging as a major source of revenue. Malaysia has become one of the
greatest economic success stories of Asia.
Malaysia declared independence
on the August 31, 1957 from the United Kingdom. The capital of Malaysia
is Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia comprises 13 states and two federal territories
- Kuala Lumpur and Labuan (an island off the coast of Sabah). Nine of
the states have a hereditary ruler from which the Supreme Head of State,
the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (King), is elected every five years. The government
is based on parliamentary democracy. The head of the government, the Prime
Minister, heads the cabinet of Ministers.
Malaysia is a tropical
country situated 7 degrees north of the Equator in the heart of Southeast
Asia. It is divided into West Malaysia and East Malaysia. West Malaysia
is the Peninsular, which comprises of 11 states. East Malaysia comprises
the two states of Sabah and Sarawak, which are situated on the Island
of Borneo. The capital and the largest city, Kuala Lumpur, is on the Peninsula.
Malaysia has a tropical climate, which is warm and humid throughout the
year with cooler temperatures in the hill resorts. Temperatures range
from 21 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius. It is a beautiful country
with coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Malaysia is 8 hours
ahead of GMT and 16 hours ahead of the U.S. Pacific Standard Times.
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