98-837: MJ Department Stores Sdn Bhd is a popular retail company in Malaysia which offers items at a medium-to-high rate. The company opened its first store at Pertama Complex, Kuala Lumpur in September, 1976,with a retail space of 18,305 sq ft (1,705 sq metres). Metrojaya's latest outlet, in Berjaya Times Square closed in December 2009, after only three years of operation. Metrojaya currently has four outlets in Malaysia namely Mid Valley Megamall , Suria Sabah , Brem Mall and LaLaport BBCC . The Metrojaya group currently operates
196-547: A crown colony . In the Second World War , the Japanese Army invaded and occupied Malaya , North Borneo, Sarawak , and Singapore for over three years. During this time, ethnic tensions were raised and nationalism grew. Popular support for independence increased after Malaya was reconquered by Allied forces. Post-war British plans to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called
294-553: A dormant claim to the eastern part of Sabah. Singapore's land reclamation has caused tensions, and minor maritime and land border disputes exist with Indonesia. The Malaysian Armed Forces have three branches: the Malaysian Army , Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force . There is no conscription, and the required age for voluntary military service is 18. The military uses 1.5% of
392-417: A chain of four department stores and more than 70 specialty stores that occupy over one million square feet of floor space, including Cape Cod, East India Company, Living Quarters, Reject Shop and Somerset Bay. The company is principally involved in operating departmental stores and investment holding whilst its subsidiary companies are principally involved in property holding, investment holding as well as
490-426: A high priority to the security and stability of Southeast Asia, and seeks to further develop relations with other countries in the region. Historically the government has tried to portray Malaysia as a progressive Islamic nation while strengthening relations with other Islamic states. A strong tenet of Malaysia's policy is national sovereignty and the right of a country to control its domestic affairs. Malaysia signed
588-501: A large influence in the country's economy, although Malaysia's economic structure has been moving away from it. Malaysia remains one of the world's largest producers of palm oil. Tourism is the third-largest contributor to Malaysia's GDP, after the manufacturing and commodities sectors. In 2019, the sector contributed about 15.9 per cent to the total GDP. According to the World Tourism Organization , Malaysia
686-538: A largely similar landscape in that both Peninsular and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Peninsular Malaysia, containing 40 per cent of Malaysia's land area, extends 740 km (460 mi) from north to south, and its maximum width is 322 km (200 mi). It is divided between its east and west coasts by the Titiwangsa Mountains , rising to a peak elevation of 2,183 metres (7,162 ft) at Mount Korbu , part of
784-521: A maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the country's largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government . Putrajaya is the administrative centre, which represents the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet , federal ministries, and federal agencies ) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With
882-513: A population of over 34 million, the country is the world's 43rd-most populous country . Malaysia is tropical and is one of 17 megadiverse countries ; it is home to numerous endemic species . Tanjung Piai in the Malaysian state of Johor is the southernmost point of continental Eurasia . The country has its origins in the Malay kingdoms , which, from the 18th century on, became subject to
980-401: A series of mountain ranges running down the centre of the peninsula. These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed of granite and other igneous rocks. Much of it has been eroded, creating a karst landscape. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems. The coastal plains surrounding the peninsula reach a maximum width of 50 kilometres (31 mi), and
1078-844: A special court to hear cases brought by or against royalty. Race is a significant force in politics. Affirmative actions such as the New Economic Policy and the National Development Policy which superseded it, were implemented to advance the standing of the bumiputera , consisting of Malays and the indigenous tribes who are considered the original inhabitants of Malaysia, over non- bumiputera such as Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians . These policies provide preferential treatment to bumiputera in employment, education, scholarships, business, and access to cheaper housing and assisted savings. However, it has generated greater interethnic resentment. There
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#17327874262551176-460: Is Malaysian Malay , a standard form of the Malay language . English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the official religion , the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system , and the legal system is based on common law . The head of state is an elected monarch , chosen from among
1274-673: Is 334,671 km (129,217 sq mi) and 1.5 times larger than its land area. It is mainly in the South China Sea . Some of its waters are in the Coral Triangle , a biodiversity hotspot. The waters around Sipadan island are the most biodiverse in the world. Bordering East Malaysia, the Sulu Sea is a biodiversity hotspot, with around 600 coral species and 1200 fish species. The unique biodiversity of Malaysian Caves always attracts lovers of ecotourism from all over
1372-515: Is a country in Southeast Asia . A federal constitutional monarchy , it consists of 13 states and three federal territories , separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo 's East Malaysia . Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore , Vietnam , and Indonesia . East Malaysia shares land borders with Brunei and Indonesia, as well as
1470-568: Is also detrimentally affected by uncontrolled tourism. The Malaysian government aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection, but has been accused of favouring big business over the environment. Some state governments are now trying to counter the environmental impact and pollution created by deforestation; and the federal government is trying to cut logging by 10 per cent each year. A total of 28 national parks have been established, 23 in East Malaysia and five in
1568-670: Is chosen from members of both houses of Parliament. The Prime Minister is both the head of cabinet and the head of government . As a result of the 2018 general election Malaysia was governed by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) political alliance , although Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned amid a political crisis in 2020. In March 2020, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition formed under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin , before Muhyiddin lost majority support and
1666-451: Is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states . The other four states, which have titular Governors , do not participate in the selection. By informal agreement the position is rotated among the nine, and has been held by Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor since 31 January 2024. The King's role has been largely ceremonial since changes to the constitution in 1994 , picking ministers and members of
1764-501: Is found inside reserves and national parks. Habitat destruction has proved a threat for marine life. Illegal fishing is another major threat, with fishing methods such as dynamite fishing and poisoning depleting marine ecosystems. Leatherback turtle numbers have dropped 98 per cent since the 1950s. Hunting has also been an issue for some animals, with overconsumption and the use of animal parts for profit endangering many animals, from marine life to tigers. Marine life
1862-660: Is linked to Singapore by a narrow causeway and a bridge . The country also has maritime boundaries with Vietnam and the Philippines. The land borders are defined in large part by geological features such as the Perlis River , the Golok River and the Pagalayan Canal, whilst some of the maritime boundaries are the subject of ongoing contention. Brunei forms what is almost an enclave in Malaysia, with
1960-500: Is ongoing debate over whether the laws and society of Malaysia should reflect Islamism or secularism . Islamic criminal laws passed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party with the support of UMNO state assemblymen in the state legislative assembly of Kelantan have been blocked by the federal government on the basis that criminal laws are the responsibility of the federal government. After UMNO lost power at
2058-549: Is only thought to have developed into an ethnonym as Malacca became a regional power in the 15th century. Islamisation established an ethnoreligious identity in Malacca, with the term Melayu beginning to appear as interchangeable with Melakans . It may have specifically referred to local Malays speakers thought loyal to the Malaccan Sultan. The initial Portuguese use of Malayos reflected this, referring only to
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#17327874262552156-517: The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal . Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. These are divided between two regions, with 11 states and two federal territories on Peninsular Malaysia and the other two states and one federal territory in East Malaysia . Each state is divided into districts , which are then divided into mukim . In Sabah and Sarawak districts are grouped into divisions. Governance of
2254-539: The 2018 Malaysian general election , Malaysia's ranking increased by 9 places in the 2019 Democracy Index to 43rd compared to the previous year and is classified as a 'flawed democracy'. Malaysia's ranking in the 2020 Press Freedom Index increased by 22 places to 101st compared to the previous year, making it one of two countries in Southeast Asia without a 'Difficult situation' or 'Very Serious situation' with regards to press freedom. However, it fell 18 places
2352-429: The 31st-largest by PPP . In 2017, the large service sector contributed to 53.6% of total GDP , the industrial sector 37.6%, and the small agricultural sector roughly 8.8%. Malaysia has a low official unemployment rate of 3.9%. Its foreign exchange reserves are the world's 24th-largest . It has a labour force of about 15 million, which is the world's 34th-largest . Malaysia's large automotive industry ranks as
2450-721: The Anglo-Dutch Treaty . By 1826, the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the island of Labuan , which they established as the crown colony of the Straits Settlements . By the 20th century, the states of Pahang , Selangor , Perak , and Negeri Sembilan , known together as the Federated Malay States , had British residents appointed to advise the Malay rulers, to whom
2548-653: The Basidiomycota are only partly surveyed: bracket fungi , and mushrooms and toadstools have been studied, but Malaysian rust and smut fungi remain very poorly known. Without doubt, many more fungal species in Malaysia are yet to be recorded, and it is likely that many of those, when found, will be new to science. About two thirds of Malaysia was covered in forest as of 2007, with some forests believed to be 130 million years old. The forests are dominated by dipterocarps . Lowland forest covers areas below 760 m (2,490 ft), and formerly East Malaysia
2646-588: The British Crown except in religious matters. The Malayan Union was placed under the jurisdiction of a British Governor, signalling the formal inauguration of British colonial rule in the Malay peninsula. Moreover, while the State Councils were still kept functioning in the former Federated Malay States, they lost the limited autonomy that they enjoyed, left to administer only some less important local aspects of government, and became an extended hand of
2744-816: The British Empire , along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. During World War Two , British Malaya , along with other nearby British and American colonies, was occupied by the Empire of Japan . Following three years of occupation, Peninsular Malaysia was briefly unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 until 1948 when it was restructured as the Federation of Malaya . The country achieved independence on 31 August 1957. On 16 September 1963 , independent Malaya united with
2842-890: The East Asia Summit (EAS), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth , and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The name Malaysia is a combination of the word Malays and the Latin-Greek suffix -ia / -ία which can be translated as 'land of the Malays'. Similar-sounding variants have also appeared in accounts older than
2940-535: The Gunung Mulu National Park which is also a World Heritage Site. The largest river in Malaysia is the Rajang . Around these two halves of Malaysia are numerous islands , the largest of which is Banggi . The local climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons . The temperature is moderated by the presence of
3038-474: The Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca . It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administration. Following opposition by the ethnic Malays , the union was reorganised as the Federation of Malaya in 1948. Prior to World War II , British Malaya consisted of three groups of polities:
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3136-585: The Malayan Union met with strong opposition from the Malays , who opposed the weakening of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese . The Malayan Union, established in 1946, and consisting of all the British possessions in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore , was quickly dissolved and replaced on 1 February 1948 by the Federation of Malaya , which restored
3234-634: The North–South Expressway , the Multimedia Super Corridor , and the new federal administrative capital of Putrajaya . In the late 1990s, the Asian financial crisis impacted the country, nearly causing their currency, stock, and property markets to crash; however, they later recovered. The 1MDB scandal was a major global corruption scandal that implicated then-Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2015. The scandal contributed to
3332-544: The Sarawak Communist Insurgency and Second Malayan Emergency together with several other issues such as the cross-border attacks into Sabah by Moro pirates from the southern islands of the Philippines, Singapore being expelled from the Federation in 1965, and racial strife. This strife culminated in the 13 May race riots in 1969. After the riots, the controversial New Economic Policy
3430-484: The nine state sultans every five years. The head of government is the prime minister . The country's economy has traditionally been driven by its natural resources but is expanding into commerce, tourism, and medical tourism . The country has a newly industrialised market economy , which is relatively open and state-oriented. The country is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
3528-621: The protectorate of the Federated Malay States , five protected Unfederated Malay States and the crown colony of the Straits Settlements . On 1 April 1946, the Malayan Union officially came into existence with Sir Edward Gent as its governor, combining the Federated Malay States, Unfederated Malay States and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca under one administration. The capital of
3626-410: The 11 Peninsular states, known as the Malay states , retain their royal families. The King is elected by and from the nine rulers to serve a five-year term. This King appoints governors serving a four-year term for the states without monarchies, after consultations with the chief minister of that state. Each state has its own written constitution. Sabah and Sarawak have considerably more autonomy than
3724-520: The 11th century, as toponyms for areas in Sumatra or referring to a larger region around the Strait of Malacca. The Sanskrit text Vayu Purana , thought to have been in existence since the first millennium CE, mentioned a land named 'Malayadvipa' which was identified by certain scholars as the modern Malay Peninsula . Other notable accounts are by the 2nd-century Ptolemy's Geographia that used
3822-594: The 13 state assemblies, and the remaining 44 are appointed by the King upon the Prime Minister's recommendation. The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through a first-past-the-post system. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years. Before 2018, only registered voters aged 21 and above could vote for the members of the House of Representatives and, in most of
3920-478: The Commonwealth of Nations. Subsequently, a comprehensive plan was devised to unite Malaya with the crown colonies of North Borneo (known as Sabah upon joining), Sarawak , and Singapore . The envisioned federation was originally intended to take place on 31 August 1963, to coincide with the commemoration of Malayan independence. However, due to the necessity of conducting a survey on the level of support for
4018-586: The East. The forests of East Malaysia are estimated to be the habitat of around 2,000 tree species, and are one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, with 240 different species of trees every hectare. These forests host many members of the Rafflesia genus, the largest flowers in the world, with a maximum diameter of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). Logging , along with cultivation practices, has devastated tree cover, causing severe environmental degradation in
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4116-529: The English or Malay language and "had to take an oath of allegiance to the Malayan Union". However, the citizenship proposal was never actually implemented. Due to opposition to the citizenship proposal, it was postponed then modified, which made it harder for many Chinese and Indian residents to obtain Malayan citizenship. The Sultans , the traditional rulers of the Malay states, conceded all their powers to
4214-651: The Federal government in Kuala Lumpur . Also, British Residents replacing the Sultans as the head of the State Councils meant that the political status of the Sultans was greatly reduced. A Supreme Court was established in 1946 of which Harold Curwen Willan was the only Chief Justice . The Malays generally opposed the creation of the Union. The opposition was due to the methods Sir Harold MacMichael used to acquire
4312-472: The Malay Peninsula, the first inhabitants are thought to be Negritos . Areas of Malaysia participated in the Maritime Jade Road between 2000 BC to 1000 AD. Traders and settlers from India and China arrived as early as the first century AD, establishing trading ports and coastal towns in the second and third centuries. Their presence resulted in strong Indian and Chinese influences on
4410-484: The Malay state rulers' approval for the Malayan Union in the same month. In a short period of time, he managed to obtain all the Malay rulers' approval. The reasons for their agreement, despite the loss of political power that it entailed for the Malay rulers, has been much debated; the consensus appears to be that the main reasons were that as the Malay rulers were resident during the Japanese occupation, they were open to
4508-589: The Muslim areas of the southern Philippines and southern Thailand would spill over into Malaysia. Because of this, Malaysia began to increase its border security. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia , and authorities have imposed punishments such as caning and imprisonment. Human trafficking and sex trafficking in Malaysia are significant problems. There have also been cases of vigilante executions and beatings against LGBT individuals in Malaysia. The illegality of homosexuality in Malaysia has also been
4606-526: The Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 12 June 1993, and became a party to the convention on 24 June 1994. It has subsequently produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan , which was received by the convention on 16 April 1998. The country is megadiverse with a high number of species and high levels of endemism . It is estimated to contain 20 per cent of the world's animal species. High levels of endemism are found on
4704-473: The Southeast Asian market sharing common family and cultural ties. International trade, facilitated by the shipping route in adjacent Strait of Malacca , and manufacturing are the key sectors. Malaysia is an exporter of natural and agricultural resources, and petroleum is a major export. Malaysia has once been the largest producer of tin , rubber and palm oil in the world. Manufacturing has
4802-534: The Straits Settlements only if their fathers were citizens of the Malayan Union and those who reached 18 years old and who had lived in British Malaya or Singapore "10 out of 15 years before 15 February 1942". The group of people eligible for application of citizenship had to live in Singapore or British Malaya "for 5 out of 8 years preceding the application", had to be of good character, understand and speak
4900-463: The Sultans' approval, the reduction of the Sultans' powers, and easy granting of citizenship to immigrants. The United Malays National Organisation or UMNO, a Malay political association formed by Dato' Onn bin Ja'afar on 10 May 1946, led the opposition against the Malayan Union. Malays also wore white bands around their heads, signifying their mourning for the loss of the Sultans' political rights. After
4998-775: The U.N. treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . The Spratly Islands are disputed by many states in the area, and a large portion of the South China Sea is claimed by China . Unlike its neighbours of Vietnam and the Philippines , Malaysia historically avoided conflicts with China. However, after the encroachment of Chinese ships in Malaysian territorial waters, and breach of airspace by their military aircraft, Malaysia has become active in condemning China. Brunei and Malaysia in 2009 announced an end to claims of each other's land, and committed to resolve issues related to their maritime borders. The Philippines has
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#17327874262555096-607: The Union was Kuala Lumpur . The former Straits Settlement of Singapore was administered as a separate crown colony. The idea of the Union was first expressed by the British in October 1945 (plans had been presented to the War Cabinet as early as May 1944) in the aftermath of the Second World War by the British Military Administration . Sir Harold MacMichael was assigned the task of gathering
5194-542: The United Kingdom. Joint exercises and war games have also been held with Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam have agreed to host joint security force exercises to secure their maritime border and tackle issues such as illegal immigration, piracy , and smuggling . Previously there were fears that extremist militant activities in
5292-434: The accusation of collaboration, and that they were threatened with dethronement . Hence the approval was given, though it was with utmost reluctance. When it was unveiled, the Malayan Union gave equal rights to people who wished to apply for citizenship. It was automatically granted to people who were born in any state in British Malaya or Singapore and were living there before 15 February 1942, born outside British Malaya or
5390-621: The assembly. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister is normally required to be a Malay , appointed by the ruler upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Except for state elections in Sarawak, by convention state elections are held concurrently with the federal election. Lower-level administration is carried out by local authorities, which include city councils, district councils, and municipal councils, although autonomous statutory bodies can be created by
5488-433: The autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection. During this time, the mostly ethnically Chinese rebels under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops in Malaya. On 31 August 1957, Malaya became an independent member of
5586-414: The coast of Borneo , and smaller islands that lie between these areas. The state that gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957 took the name the Federation of Malaya , chosen in preference to other potential names such as Malaysia and Langkasuka , after the historic kingdom located at the upper section of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium CE. Nonetheless, the name Malaysia
5684-533: The country participates in many international organisations such as the United Nations (U.N.), APEC, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation , and NAM. It has chaired ASEAN, OIC, and NAM in the past. A former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth . Kuala Lumpur was the site of the first EAS in 2005. Malaysia's foreign policy is officially based on the principle of neutrality and maintaining peaceful relations with all countries, regardless of their political system. The government attaches
5782-493: The country's GDP, and employs 1.23% of Malaysia's manpower. Malaysian peacekeeping forces have contributed to many U.N. peacekeeping missions, such as in Congo , Iran–Iraq , Namibia , Cambodia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Somalia , Kosovo , East Timor and Lebanon . The Five Power Defence Arrangements is a regional security initiative which has been in place for almost 40 years. It involves joint military exercises held among Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and
5880-506: The country. Over 80 per cent of Sarawak's rainforest has been logged. Floods in East Malaysia have been worsened by the loss of trees, and over 60 per cent of the peninsula's forest have been cleared. With current rates of deforestation , mainly for the palm oil industry, the forests are predicted to be extinct by 2020. Deforestation is a major problem for animals, fungi and plants, having caused species such as Begonia eiromischa to go extinct. Most remaining forest
5978-513: The discretion of the court. In July 2023, The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy slammed the country's anti-LGBTQ laws by kissing bandmate Ross MacDonald on stage at a music festival in Kuala Lumpur causing the Ministry of Communications and Digital to cancel the 3 day event. Malaysia is the 66th largest country by total land area , with a total area of 330,803 km (127,724 sq mi). It has land borders with Thailand in West Malaysia, and Indonesia and Brunei in East Malaysia. It
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#17327874262556076-574: The diverse forests of Borneo's mountains, as species are isolated from each other by lowland forest. There are about 210 mammal species in the country. Over 620 species of birds have been recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, with many endemic to the mountains there. A high number of endemic bird species are also found in Malaysian Borneo. 250 reptile species have been recorded in the country, with about 150 species of snakes and 80 species of lizards. There are about 150 species of frogs, and thousands of insect species. The Exclusive economic zone of Malaysia
6174-486: The federal and state governments to deal with certain tasks. The federal constitution puts local authorities outside of the federal territories under the exclusive jurisdictions of the state government, although in practice the federal government has intervened in the affairs of state local governments. There are 154 local authorities, consisting of 14 city councils, 38 municipal councils and 97 district councils. The 13 states are based on historical Malay kingdoms, and 9 of
6272-436: The federation in Sabah and Sarawak by the United Nations , as requested by opponents of the federation such as Indonesia 's Sukarno and the Sarawak United Peoples' Party , the date of the federation was postponed until 16 September 1963. The federation brought heightened tensions including a conflict with Indonesia as well as continual conflicts against the Communists in Borneo and the Malay Peninsula, which escalated to
6370-425: The first change in the ruling political party since independence in the 2018 general election . In the 2020s, the country was gripped by a political crisis that coincided with health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . This was then followed by an earlier general election in November 2022, which resulted in the first hung parliament in the nation's history. On 24 November 2022, Anwar Ibrahim
6468-471: The following year due to the policies of the PN government. Malaysia is marked at 48th and 62nd place according to the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index , indicating above average levels of corruption . Freedom House noted Malaysia as "partly free" in its 2018 survey. A lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice alleged that at least $ 3.5 billion involving former prime minister Najib Razak had been stolen from Malaysia's 1MDB state-owned fund, known as
6566-497: The forefront of Anwar Ibrahim 's sodomy trials , which Anwar has called politically motivated, a characterization supported by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention , along with Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch . The death penalty is in use for serious crimes such as murder , terrorism , drug trafficking , and kidnapping , but in June 2022, Malaysian law minister Wan Junaidi pledged to abolish capital punishment and replace it with other punishments at
6664-482: The inauguration of the Malayan Union, the Malays, under UMNO continued opposing the Malayan Union. They utilised civil disobedience as a means of protest by refusing to attend the installation ceremonies of the British governors. They had also refused to participate in the meetings of the Advisory Councils, hence Malay participation in the government bureaucracy and the political process had totally stopped. The British had recognised this problem and took measures to consider
6762-406: The islands of Southeast Asia as "Melayunesia" or "Indunesia", favouring the former. The name Malaysia gained some use to label what is now the Malay Archipelago. In modern terminology, Malay remains the name of an ethnoreligious group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and portions of the adjacent islands of Southeast Asia , including the east coast of Sumatra,
6860-399: The local cultures, and the people of the Malay Peninsula adopted the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism . Sanskrit inscriptions appear as early as the fourth or fifth century. The Kingdom of Langkasuka arose around the second century in the northern area of the Malay Peninsula, lasting until about the 15th century. Between the 7th and 13th centuries, much of the southern Malay Peninsula
6958-401: The location of the 4,095 m (13,435 ft) high Mount Kinabalu , the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is located in the Kinabalu National Park , which is protected as one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia . The highest mountain ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves, the largest cave system in the world, in
7056-598: The name Malayu Kulon for the west coast of Golden Chersonese , and the 7th-century Yijing 's account of Malayu . At some point, the Melayu Kingdom took its name from the Sungai Melayu . Melayu then became associated with Srivijaya , and remained associated with various parts of Sumatra, especially Palembang, where the founder of the Malacca Sultanate is thought to have come from. It
7154-677: The only political coalition not in the coalition government became the Opposition. Malaysia's legal system is based on common law . Although the judiciary is theoretically independent, its independence has been called into question and the appointment of judges lacks accountability and transparency. The highest court in the judicial system is the Federal Court , followed by the Court of Appeal and two high courts , one for Peninsular Malaysia and one for East Malaysia. Malaysia also has
7252-408: The onset of European colonisation, the Malay Peninsula was known natively as Tanah Melayu ('Malay Land'). Under a racial classification created by a German scholar Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , the natives of maritime Southeast Asia were grouped into a single category, the Malay race . Following the expedition of French navigator Jules Dumont d'Urville to Oceania in 1826, he later proposed
7350-931: The operating of specialty stores and general merchandising stores. Metrojaya department stores offer a wide range of merchandise that cater to the needs and tastes of middle and high income groups. The group operates four department stores, one hypermarket store under the Cosmart name at the Bukit Jambul Complex in Penang and one "MJ by Metrojaya" Fashion Concept Store at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara. The retail operations can be broadly classified as: Malaysia – in Asia (dark gray & white) – in ASEAN (dark gray) Malaysia
7448-550: The other states, most notably having separate immigration policies and controls, and a unique residency status. Federal intervention in state affairs, lack of development, and disputes over oil royalties have occasionally led to statements about secession from leaders in several states such as Penang , Johor , Kelantan , Sabah and Sarawak, although these have not been followed up and no serious independence movements exist. A list of thirteen states and each state capital (in parentheses): A founding member of ASEAN and OIC,
7546-401: The peninsula's coastline is nearly 1,931 km (1,200 mi) long, although harbours are only available on the western side. East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo , has a coastline of 2,607 km (1,620 mi). It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. The Crocker Range extends northwards from Sarawak, dividing the state of Sabah. It is
7644-410: The peninsula. Tourism has been limited in biodiverse areas such as Sipadan island. Wildlife trafficking is a large issue, and the Malaysian government has held talks with the governments of Brunei and Indonesia to standardise anti-trafficking laws. Malaysia is a relatively open state-oriented and newly industrialised market economy . It has the world's 36th-largest economy by nominal GDP and
7742-480: The rulers were bound to defer by treaty. The remaining five states on the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States , while not directly under British rule, also accepted British advisers around the turn of the 20th century. Development on the peninsula and Borneo were generally separate until the 19th century. Under British rule the immigration of Chinese and Indians to serve as labourers
7840-421: The ruling people of Malacca. The prominence of traders from Malacca led Melayu to be associated with Muslim traders, and from there became associated with the wider cultural and linguistic group. Malacca and later Johor claimed they were the centre of Malay culture, a position supported by the British which led to the term Malay becoming more usually linked to the Malay peninsula rather than Sumatra. Before
7938-467: The state of Sarawak dividing it into two parts. Malaysia is the only country with territory on both the Asian mainland and the Malay archipelago. The Strait of Malacca , lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the most important thoroughfares in global commerce, carrying 40 per cent of the world's trade. The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea , share
8036-416: The states is divided between the federal and the state governments, with different powers reserved for each, and the Federal government has direct administration of the federal territories. Each state has a unicameral State Legislative Assembly whose members are elected from single-member constituencies. State governments are led by Chief Ministers , who are state assembly members from the majority party in
8134-471: The states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting is not mandatory. In July 2019, a bill to lower the voting age to 18 years old was officially passed. Executive power is vested in the Cabinet , led by the Prime Minister . The prime minister must be a member of the House of Representatives, who in the opinion of His Majesty the King, commands the support of a majority of members. The Cabinet
8232-572: The surrounding oceans. Humidity is usually high, and the average annual rainfall is 250 cm (98 in). The climates of the Peninsula and the East differ, as the climate on the peninsula is directly affected by wind from the mainland, as opposed to the more maritime weather of the East. Local climates can be divided into three regions, highland, lowland, and coastal. Climate change will cause sea level rise and increased rainfall, increasing flood risks and leading to droughts. Malaysia signed
8330-660: The terms of Malaysia , Micronesia and Melanesia to the Société de Géographie in 1831, distinguishing these Pacific cultures and island groups from the existing term Polynesia . Dumont d'Urville described Malaysia as "an area commonly known as the East Indies". In 1850, the English ethnologist George Samuel Windsor Earl , writing in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia , proposed naming
8428-445: The then British crown colonies of North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate, independent country . The country is multiethnic and multicultural , which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay , with minorities of Chinese , Indians , and indigenous peoples . The official language
8526-505: The upper house. Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral federal parliament consists of the lower house , the House of Representatives and the upper house , the Senate . The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years from single-member constituencies. All 70 senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by
8624-438: The world's 22nd-largest by production . Malaysia is the world's 23rd-largest exporter and 25th-largest importer . However, economic inequalities exist between different ethnic groups. The Chinese make up about one-quarter of the population, but account for 70 per cent of the country's market capitalisation. Chinese businesses in Malaysia are part of the larger bamboo network , a network of overseas Chinese businesses in
8722-570: The world. Nearly 4,000 species of fungi, including lichen-forming species have been recorded from Malaysia. Of the two fungal groups with the largest number of species in Malaysia, the Ascomycota and their asexual states have been surveyed in some habitats (decaying wood, marine and freshwater ecosystems, as parasites of some plants, and as agents of biodegradation), but have not been or have been only poorly surveyed in other habitats (as endobionts, in soils, on dung, as human and animal pathogens);
8820-478: Was adopted in 1963 when the existing states of the Federation of Malaya, plus Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak formed a new federation. One theory posits the name was chosen so that si represented the inclusion of Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak to Malaya in 1963. Politicians in the Philippines contemplated renaming their state Malaysia before the modern country took the name. Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years. In
8918-679: Was an important commercial centre during this time, attracting trade from around the region. In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugal , after which it was taken by the Dutch in 1641. In 1786, the British Empire established a presence in Malaya, when the Sultan of Kedah leased Penang Island to the British East India Company . The British obtained the town of Singapore in 1819, and in 1824 took control of Malacca following
9016-534: Was covered in such rainforest , which is supported by its hot wet climate. There are around 14,500 species of flowering plants and trees. Besides rainforests, there are over 1,425 km (550 sq mi) of mangroves in Malaysia, and a large amount of peat forest. At higher altitudes, oaks, chestnuts, and rhododendrons replace dipterocarps. There are an estimated 8,500 species of vascular plants in Peninsular Malaysia, with another 15,000 in
9114-518: Was encouraged. The area that is now Sabah came under British control as North Borneo when both the Sultan of Brunei and the Sultan of Sulu transferred their respective territorial rights of ownership, between 1877 and 1878. In 1842, Sarawak was ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to James Brooke , whose successors ruled as the White Rajahs over an independent kingdom until 1946, when it became
9212-477: Was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak , trying to increase the share of the economy held by the bumiputera . Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization beginning in the 1980s. The economy shifted from being agriculturally based to one based on manufacturing and industry. Numerous mega-projects were completed, such as the Petronas Towers ,
9310-584: Was part of the maritime Srivijayan empire. By the 13th and the 14th century, the Majapahit empire had successfully wrested control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago from Srivijaya. In the early 15th century, Parameswara , a runaway king of the former Kingdom of Singapura linked to the old Srivijayan court, founded the Malacca Sultanate . The spread of Islam increased following Parameswara's conversion to that religion. Malacca
9408-686: Was replaced by deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob , a veteran politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), in August 2021. As a result of the 2022 Malaysian general election , a hung parliament was elected. Anwar Ibrahim of the PH coalition was appointed as the new Prime Minister to lead the coalition government of PH, Barisan Nasional , Gabungan Parti Sarawak , Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and several other political parties and independents. Meanwhile, PN,
9506-480: Was sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia , leading a grand coalition government. Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy ; the only federal country in Southeast Asia. The system of government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British rule . The head of state is the King, whose official title is the Yang ;di-Pertuan Agong . The King
9604-510: Was the fourteenth-most visited country in the world, and the fourth-most visited country in Asia in 2019, with over 26.1 million visits. Malaysia was ranked 38th in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $ 19.8 billion. Malayan Union The Malayan Union ( Malay : Kesatuan Malaya ; Jawi : كساتوان مالايا) was a union of
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