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166-659: The Menora tunnel was opened officially on 24 September 1987. There are two tunnels side by side for each direction. The tunnel is a frequent site of accidents. This article about a Malaysian building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about transport in Malaysia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Malaysia – in Asia  (dark gray & white) – in ASEAN  (dark gray) Malaysia

332-547: 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

498-553: 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

664-517: A Chinese and Indian workforce. Early in 1961, when Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman outlined a "Grand Malaysian Alliance" of the British protectorate of Brunei and the crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore , Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew supported the proposal. Lee's People's Action Party (PAP) rallied for the equality of all Malaysians, regardless of "class, skin colour or creed", known as " Malaysian Malaysia ", in

830-426: 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

996-501: 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

1162-538: 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

1328-591: A long time for us all to come to the same conclusions despite our differing experiences in Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak . Our friends in Sabah are not here today officially, but I can assure you that we have many friends there. There is no doubt that it took us a long time to reach the inevitable conclusion that these people [referring to the racial politics in Malay Peninsula] were up to no good. You know

1494-521: 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

1660-675: A mass emigration from China to the Malay Peninsula. After the establishment of British rule in Labuan in 1846, more ethnic Chinese (primarily Hakka , and many from Singapore) arrived in British Borneo . The migration continued through the first few years of the North Borneo Chartered Company . Chinese migration to Labuan and North Borneo was largely confined to the agricultural sector; migration to

1826-769: A meeting of Chin and Deng Xiaoping in Beijing, China urged the Communist Party of Malaya to continue their armed struggle. The establishment of a communist government in mainland China affected Chinese youth in Sarawak, who organized the pro-Beijing Sarawak Overseas Chinese Democratic Youth League (later the Sarawak Advanced Youth Association, which sparked the 1960 communist insurgency in Sarawak . Malaysia's economy continued to prosper, dependent on tin and rubber industries dominated by

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1992-458: A million people, most of them ethnic Chinese. The large number of emigrants, many of whom are young with education or skills, constitutes a significant " brain drain " from the country, especially towards the country's immediate neighbour Singapore . Aside from their economic dominance, ethnic Chinese Malaysians are known for their contribution in the country healthcare sectors with their traditional health practice. Around 3,000 medicine shops in

2158-633: A multi-ethnic society without Malayisation . Although Lee was seen by Malay extremists in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), as opposed to Ketuanan Melayu after the 1963 formation of Malaysia, he had adopted Malay as Singapore's national language and appointed Malay Yusof Ishak as Yang di-Pertuan Negara . The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), led by Tan Cheng Lock and part of

2324-639: A new insurgency from their stronghold in southern Thailand. The following year , the MCA was challenged by the DAP and the Malaysian People's Movement Party (GERAKAN). Of its 33 parliamentary seats contested in the election, the MCA retained 13 and lost control of the Penang state government to GERAKAN; Chinese-Malay tensions culminated in the 13 May incident . Other clashes were also ethnic in nature. In

2490-472: A number of secret societies . This exacerbated political unrest among the Malay aristocracy, which enlisted help from the secret societies. Contemporary local Malay politics was characterised as anarchy and civil war between people from similar backgrounds, prompting alliances between senior Malay political leaders and officials from China and Europe who were protecting their investments. You can help shoulder

2656-513: 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

2822-606: A re-alignment of forces between those who wanted a "true Malaysian nation" and those who preferred a country led by a component of the Alliance Party, and his criticism of Malays advocating Malay dominance, led to bitter PAP–UMNO relations and the 1964 race riots in Singapore ; Singapore was later expelled from the federation in August 1965, and became its own sovereign nation. The struggle for equality continued with

2988-512: A result of similar growing frustration over long-time manipulation of the state demographics and resources with lack of development through the administration of the Malay-led supremacists government of UMNO with frequent labelling as "fixed deposit state". During the election, the DAP won a large amount of seats due to the support of many Chinese constituents and subsequently diminished MCA influence among ethnic Chinese Malaysians. Although

3154-401: 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

3320-562: A smaller number of Vietnamese immigrants, however, with local men marrying women from China and Vietnam . Since their early ancient trade connection and subsequent migrations, the majority of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia are ethnic Han from the historical areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces in southern China . Nearly all ethnic Chinese Malaysians living in the country today are either patrilineal descendants of these early immigrants, or new immigrants born in mainland China. Among

3486-844: 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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3652-460: 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

3818-673: 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

3984-515: 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

4150-466: Is a subgroup of mixed spoken dialects and has the fewest people as compared to other Chinese subgroups. The first San Jiang Clansmen Association or San Kiang Association was formed in Penang back in 1897. Although the ethnic Chinese population had been increasing since the 1970s, their proportion within the total population had been decreasing gradually, particularly caused by the lower birth rate among

4316-512: Is also a small community of Huáběi -ren (Northern Chinese or 华北人) in Sabah whose ancestors coming from various parts of Hebei (河北) and Shandong (山东) provinces in China with most of them calling themselves as Tiānjīn -ren (天津人 or 津侨). Besides that, Sanjiang-ren ( Chinese : 三江人 ) is a collective term used to categorise the group of people whose ancestors hailed from Shanghai (上海), Zhejiang (浙江), Jiangsu (江苏), Hubei (湖北) and Jiangxi (江西). It

4482-568: 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

4648-670: 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

4814-451: 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

4980-501: 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

5146-660: 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

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5312-651: Is now widely used as a working language or lingua franca among the different Chinese ethnicities, particularly for younger generations. The first census conducted in 1970 after Malaysia was formed in 1963 reported that there were 3,555,879 ethnic Chinese Malaysians, with the Hokkien or Min Nan (福建人 or 闽南人) being the majority at 32.4%, followed by Hakka (客家人) at 22.1%, Cantonese (广府人) at 19.8%, Teochew (潮汕人) and Hainanese (海南人) at 12.4% and 4.7% respectively. This increase to 4,554,664 in 1980 and 4,623,900 in 1991. In 2000,

5478-420: 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

5644-549: 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

5810-517: 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

5976-539: 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

6142-429: 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

6308-614: 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

6474-653: 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

6640-649: The Batang Kali massacre , 24 unarmed Malaysian civilians suspected of providing aid to the MNLA were shot by a Scots Guard division in late 1948. According to Chin Peng , the success of Templer's campaign was primarily due to the Briggs Plan's resettlement programme; Gurney also introduced a quasi-ministerial system, with a bill to increase the number of non-Malays eligible for citizenship after independence. After

6806-816: 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

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6972-540: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) as the latter were seen as more vocal on their rights. The recent country general election in 2018 saw the fall of National Front coalition following additional aid from Bornean parliamentary seats particularly in Sabah that were won by Pakatan Harapan coalition ally of regionalist Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) as well from another indigenous party of United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) as

7138-532: The Democratic Action Party (DAP), which succeeded the PAP in 1965. Many Malaysian Chinese began to view the Malaysian Chinese Association as more concerned with business and economic interests than social factors, although Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman considered the MCA the sole legitimate representative of the federation's Chinese community. In 1968, communists supported by China began

7304-531: The Dutch East Indies , the Philippines , Siam , British Singapore, Malaya and Borneo) and began Nanyang organising activities in Saigon , Hanoi , Pontianak , Manila , Bangkok , Singapore and George Town . Competition arose among three groups, with each group targeting overseas Chinese (particularly in Malaya and Singapore) for support. One group was a pro-Qing elite who targeted wealthy Chinese;

7470-890: 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

7636-572: The Fuzhou (福州人), Hokkien and Teochew in Sarawak. The population increased further to 6,392,636 by 2010 and 6,892,367 by 2020. As of 2020 , over three-fifths of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese resided in Selangor , Johor , Kuala Lumpur and Penang . Penang also had the largest percentage of Chinese and was the only state where the Chinese constituted a plurality. The Hokkien are notably prominent in

7802-535: 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

7968-536: The Kinabatangan River . Their arrival was welcomed by the indigenous people , who benefited from the jars, beads, silk, and pottery brought to the island by the Chinese. Chinese explorer and sailor Zheng He commanded several expeditions to south-east Asia between 1405 and 1430; during his third voyage, Zheng also visited Malacca . His companion and translator, Ma Huan , described Malacca in his Yingya Shenglan . Formerly part of Thailand, Malacca

8134-557: The Malay Peninsula and Po-Ni in western Borneo , have long been connected. The first recorded movement of people from China into present-day Malaysia was the 1292 arrival of Mongol expeditionary forces under Kublai Khan in Borneo in 1292 in preparation for their invasion of Java the following year. Many of Khan's Chinese followers settled on the island with Chinese traders after the campaign, establishing an enclave along

8300-520: 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

8466-590: The Malaysian Alliance Party , refused to join the struggle for equality. The MCA feared that equality would disrupt an agreement between the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) in which Malays were politically dominant and the Chinese controlled the country's economy; Malaysian Indians played a smaller economic role, with the Malays promising to share future political power with

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8632-642: The Nanyang region. According to Hai Yü ( Words about the Sea) , written by Huang Zhong and published in 1537, the lifestyle of the Chinese community in Malacca differed from that of the local Malays . This close relationship was maintained during the Islamisation of the Malacca and Brunei kingdoms, whose thalassocracy once covered much of present-day Malaysia. Both the Muslim sultanates pledged protection to

8798-441: 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

8964-431: The Parliament of Malaysia for the establishment of "Traditional and Complementary Medicine Council or Majlis Perubatan Tradisional dan Komplementari" to register and regulate traditional and complementary medicine practitioners, including traditional Chinese medicine practitioners as well Malay, indigenous and Indians traditional medicine which followed by the enforcement of T&CM Act in the following year. Since most of

9130-581: The Raj of Sarawak was largely restricted to the mining and agricultural sectors. Rajah Charles Brooke of Sarawak promoted the migration of Chinese and Dayak people to interior Sarawak to develop the region. This resulted in the establishment of an administrative center and bazaar by the 19th century, primarily in Sarawak's First, Second, and Third Divisions . Rajah Charles invited Chinese black-pepper growers from Singapore to settle in Kuching in 1876, and they were later joined by local Chinese miners and others from neighbouring Dutch Borneo . With

9296-403: 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

9462-465: The Teochew from Chaozhou of eastern Guangdong are mainly on plantation agriculture, the Fuzhou from central Fujian specialise in entrepreneurship , while the Hainanese from Hainan as one of the ethnic Chinese minority saw themselves as sojourners with many of Hainanese chefs and waiters ruled the kitchen of local Chinese kopi tiam and restaurants . The Henghua and Hokchia from eastern Fujian are usually managing family industries while

9628-424: 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),

9794-410: 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

9960-412: 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

10126-427: 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

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10292-427: The 13th and the 17th centuries heavily assimilated aspects of the indigenous Malay cultures and formed a distinct group known as the Peranakan in Kelantan and Terengganu , the Baba-Nyonya in Malacca and Penang , and as the Sino-Natives in Sabah . They exhibit a degree of intermarriage with native groups and are culturally distinct from the majority of the Malaysian Chinese but have recently begun to merge into

10458-513: The 18 June 1948 declaration of the Malayan Emergency , the early government response was chaotic; its primary aim was to guard important economic targets. Most Malayan Chinese opposed the MNLA. The 1950 Briggs Plan , devised by British general Harold Briggs , intended to isolate the Chinese population from the insurgents. Independence was promised, and supported by the Malays; the Chinese population feared being treated as second-class citizens in an independent Malaya. In addition to new villages,

10624-408: The 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution , foreign missionaries in China were forced to leave; Templer invited them to Malaya to provide spiritual healing , medical education and welfare measures to residents of the new government villages. By September 1952, every person born in Malaya (includes 1.2 million Chinese) was granted full citizenship. When the Federation of Malaya gained independence from

10790-562: The Alliance Party coalition in 1972. The growing Islamisation with "Islamic version of non-tolerant and open", increasing racism within the Malay party members throughout the coalition imposing further into the country social demographics as well as the government discriminative policies on their education and employment, caused further disenchantment among non-Malays, especially ethnic Chinese. This subsequently caused dwindling support from ethnic Chinese Malaysians when many original strongholds of MCA constituents and even Gerakan turned to

10956-472: The British in 1957, there was still an insurgency. Chinese communists who surrendered were given a choice of repatriation to China or declaring loyalty to the elected government of Malaya and renouncing communist ideology. The anti-communist campaign continued until 1960, when the Malayan government declared the end of its state of emergency after Chin Peng demobilized his forces and left his hide-out in southern Thailand for Beijing via North Vietnam . At

11122-412: The Chinese co-operated with the British and pledged loyalty to King George VI when the Crown Colony of North Borneo was formed after the war. The answer [to the uprising] lies not in pouring more troops into the jungle, but in the hearts and minds of the people.  —Gerald Templer after his appointment as British High Commissioner for Malaya to deal with the 1952 Malayan Emergency With

11288-409: The Chinese community. Ethnic Chinese Malaysians have been traditionally dominant in the business sector of the Malaysian economy with large local Chinese enterprises involved in natural resources and food ingredients industries such as sugar and palm oil . Almost every biscuits manufacturer in the country is dominated by ethnic Chinese Malaysians. Up to the 1970s, their economic structure

11454-488: The Chinese dynasties from further conquest by the neighbouring Javanese Majapahit or the Siamese Ayutthaya . This relationship resulted in interethnic marriage between the sultanate's royal family and the Chinese envoy and representatives. Zheng He's arrival encouraged the spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago and aided the growth of the Chinese Muslim population from the Eastern Chinese coastal towns of Fujian and Canton , with many of their traders arriving in

11620-506: The Chinese played a leading role in the tin-mining industry. The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War in 1780 adversely affected the tin trade, however, and many Chinese miners left. Early Chinese settlements in Malacca and several areas along the archipelago's coasts notwithstanding, most mass Chinese migration to Malaysia occurred after the founding of British settlements in Malaya and Borneo during the early 19th century. A 1786 British settlement in Penang and another in Singapore in 1819 triggered

11786-417: 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

11952-586: 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

12118-464: The Kuomintang and other Chinese organizations in Malaya. Since the conflict with Japan also involved the British, Chiang Kai-shek urged Kuomintang members to fight alongside them; in return, British colonial authorities lifted their ban of Chinese associations (including the Kuomintang and the Chinese communist movement). This, and British recognition of the Communist Party of Malaya, resulted in

12284-469: The Kwongsai from Guangxi are employed in labour sectors. Followed by the third wave of ethnic Chinese migration thereafter, this resulted from Malaysia as being one of the countries outside China and Taiwan with largest population of Chinese speakers in the world. Following the establishment of diplomatic relationship between Mainland China and Malaysia in 1974, a joint communiqué was made between

12450-584: The MPAJA renamed as the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), communist insurgents used guerrilla tactics in the jungles, sabotaged transportation networks and attacked British plantations (assassinating several European plantation owners). British intelligence estimated MNLA support at about 500,000, out of a total Chinese population of 3.12 million; battling the insurgents was difficult, since most hid in inaccessible jungles. With

12616-472: 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

12782-593: The Malay kingdoms fell under colonial rule. Their related entities were politically and economically stable. Economic prosperity was fueled by British capital and Chinese and Indian work forces who expanded and supplied tin and rubber production. Before the 1911 Xinhai Revolution which overthrew the Qing dynasty in China, Tongmenghui leader Sun Yat-sen raised funds and organisational support from overseas Chinese communities (primarily in French Indochina ,

12948-778: The Malayan government and the colonial government of Singapore in 1940. At the beginning of the Sino-Japanese conflict and the Japanese occupation of Malaya and British Borneo , Kuomintang activities were ended. When the Chinese Communist Party (under Mao Zedong ) reached an agreement with the Kuomintang government (under Chiang Kai-shek ) to put aside their differences and rally against Japanese aggression in July 1940, pro-independence sentiment led to bans on

13114-608: The Malaysian Chinese and the Malays remain unresolved. The failure of Malaysia's social contract has led to a strong Chinese identity , in contrast to the Chinese communities in neighbouring Indonesia , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand and Vietnam . After the 1969 racial clashes, the Malaysian New Economic Policy favouring the Malays from 1971 to 1990 increased Bumiputera economic control by 60 percent. Malaysian Chinese remain

13280-708: The Malaysian Chinese mainstream. The Malaysian Chinese are referred to as simply "Chinese" in Malaysian English, " Orang Cina " in Malay , " Sina " or " Kina " among indigenous groups in Borneo , " Cīṉar " (சீனர்) in Tamil , and " Huaren " (華人/华人, Chinese people) or " Huayi " (華裔/华裔, ethnic Chinese) in Mandarin . China and other early kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago , such as the northern area of

13446-531: The Malaysian Chinese population is increasing in every census , the proportion of ethnic Chinese among the country's total population has been declining in recent decades because of a lower birth rate and high emigration rate. There are significant concerns about the loss of political representation. According to a report by the World Bank , the Malaysian diaspora around the world in 2010 included around

13612-536: 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

13778-735: The Portuguese for their activities in Malacca during the Ming dynasty after the arrival of their fleet in Canton. The Chinese emperor was reluctant to help the deposed Malaccan ruler reclaim his position, however, since the dynasty 's foreign policy was changing to maintain friendly relations with the Portuguese. His successor, the Jiajing Emperor , changed the attitude of the Ming court by executing two government officials and reaffirming

13944-526: 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

14110-473: 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

14276-775: 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

14442-542: 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

14608-557: The aftermath of the riots, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman blamed the communists rather than racial issues and said that the Vietnam War in their neighbour was "not simply a civil war but communist-ideology expansion ". The Malaysian government introduced several policy initiatives in security and development, a neighbourhood-watch program and the People's Volunteer Corps . The Communist Party of Malaya split into two factions during

14774-630: 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

14940-508: 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

15106-428: The belief that the interests of the Malay race must be upheld over anything else. From 1968, the inability of MCA to preserve ethnic Chinese Malaysian interests, particularly with regards to their culture, education, and language, resulted in the formation of another ethnic Chinese representative party, the Malaysian People's Movement Party (GERAKAN) led by Chinese overseas-educated elite, although this party also joined

15272-768: The business sector's dominant players; equity ownership doubled from 22.8 percent in 1969 to 45.5 percent in 1990, and nearly all of Malaysia's richest people are Chinese. Since Malaysian Chinese manage the country's economy, most (75.8 percent in 1991) live in urban areas. They generally do not speak Malay among themselves; this contrasts with earlier Chinese communities such as the Straits-born Chinese of Baba-Nyonya, Kelantanese and Terengganuan Peranakans , Penangite Hokkien and Sabah Sino-natives , who mingled with local Malay and other indigenous peoples. Chinese in East Malaysia in Sabah and Sarawak, particularly in small inland towns, interact more closely with

15438-415: The census reported that ethnic Chinese Malaysians numbered at 5,691,908, which was approximately 24.45% of the country's population at the time, with 86% of them living in urban areas. In West Malaysia , Hokkien became the leading group followed by Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew. The pattern differs in East Malaysia where Hakka is the majority in Sabah and Sarawak followed by Hokkien and Cantonese in Sabah and

15604-414: 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

15770-650: The coastal towns of present-day Malaysia and Indonesia by the early 15th century. In addition to the early settlements in Kinabatangan and Malacca, two more old Chinese settlements are located in Terengganu and the Penang Island as part of trade networks with their respective areas. Although many Chinese traders avoided Portuguese Malacca after its 1511 conquest , the flow of emigrants from China continued. The Zhengde Emperor retaliated against

15936-524: The colony's economic life; the Dutch also established a settlement in Perak in 1650 through an earlier treaty with Aceh and suggested that Alauddin, the 17th Sultan of Perak, allow the Chinese to develop tin mines . This facilitated Alauddin's plan to request more Chinese workers from Malacca, and the sultan promised to punish any official guilty of mistreating the Chinese. With the sultan 's consent,

16102-662: 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

16268-459: The country sell traditional Chinese medicine with development support also given by the country Health Ministry . Chinese traditional health practice services in the country generally encompass the zhong yi 中医 (Chinese medicine), qigong (气功), chiropractic care (整骨), acupuncture (针灸) and several others. In 2012, the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Bill (T&CM) was passed by

16434-544: 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

16600-707: The country's foundation in 1963, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) was the sole legitimate political representation for ethnic Chinese in Malaysia under the multi-racial political coalition of the Alliance Party (later expanded into National Front coalition). However, the growing restriction of non-Malay interests in Malaysian society and politics since the 1970s caused deep dissension among Chinese Malaysians. The perception that their ethnic party representatives were unable to stand for their people's rights grew, and that decision-making

16766-506: 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

16932-1259: The customs and habits of the people there, and live in unity with them, and their proper rights and interests will be protected by the Government of China and respected by the Government of Malaysia. Different Chinese dialects are spoken in Malaysian towns and cities. Among them are Hokkien in George Town , Alor Setar , Kangar , Seberang Perai , Klang , Taiping , Kota Bharu , Kuala Terengganu , Malacca City , Johor Bahru and Kuching , Teochew in Johor Bahru , Sungai Petani , Parit Buntar and Miri , Cantonese in Kuala Lumpur , Cheras , Kajang , Ipoh , Kuantan , Seremban , Mersing , Kampar , Petaling Jaya and Sandakan , Hakka in Kota Kinabalu , Tawau , Kulai and Kuala Kangsar , Fuzhou in Sibu , Miri and Sitiawan , and Hainanese in Kuala Terengganu and Papar . However, Mandarin

17098-583: The discovery of tin deposits in British Malaya , many Chinese immigrants worked in the tin-mining industry. As tin mines opened in Perak, many Chinese in neighbouring Penang became wealthy. Many Chinese tin-mining communities were established in the Malay Peninsula by the 1870s, particularly in Ipoh ( Kinta Valley ), Taiping , Seremban and Kuala Lumpur ( Klang Valley ). Each of the mining communities

17264-632: 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

17430-712: 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

17596-620: The dominant immigrant group as the first group of ethnic Chinese to settle in large numbers with their language become a contact language among Chinese of different linguistics background. The Cantonese from Guangdong follow suit and became well known as mineworkers, land reclamation , mechanics and their familiarity with cash cropping . Another large group, the Hakka are mostly hill farmers originated from northeastern Guangdong and various southern China places who specialise in forest clearance, mining as well on metalworking . Other groups like

17762-590: The early 1970s: a revolutionary wing in 1970 and a Marxist–Leninist wing in 1974. Kuala Lumpur and Beijing established diplomatic relations in 1974; China ended its aid to the factions, prompting their 1983 merger into the Malaysian Communist Party before their surrender to Thai authorities four years later and the 1989 peace agreement ending the insurgency. A Chinese communist insurgency in Sarawak, supported by neighboring Indonesia, ended with peace negotiations in 1990. Issues between

17928-717: The early 19th and the mid-20th centuries before the country attained independence from British colonial rule. The majority originate from the provinces of Fujian and Lingnan (including the three modern provinces of Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi). They belong to diverse ethnic Han subgroups such as the Hokkien and Fuzhou from Fujian, the Teochew , Cantonese , and Hakka from Guangdong, the Hainanese from Hainan and Kwongsai from Guangxi. Most Malaysian Chinese have maintained their Han Chinese heritage, identity, culture and language. Another group of Chinese migrants who arrived between

18094-622: The establishment of the South Seas Communist Party in Singapore, followed by the Indochinese Communist Party , Communist Party of Malaya , Communist Party of Burma and Communist Party of Siam ; the movement also maintained relations with the earlier, Southeast Asian Communist Party of Indonesia . The Communist Party of Malaya followed the general communist policy of opposing Western democracies before World War II , increasing propaganda against

18260-453: The expanding British colonial ambitions in the region which led to the establishment of Straits Settlements , more migrants were attracted and the region became an important destination for Chinese emigration . By the late 19th century with the second wave of migration through the British colonial rule, the Hokkien of southern Fujian led by many of their wealthy and powerful individuals with skills in finance and maritime shipping became

18426-486: 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

18592-569: 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

18758-536: 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

18924-650: The first group from the first migration wave are the Peranakans in Kelantan and Terengganu , Sino-Natives in Sabah and Straits-born Chinese (Baba-Nyonya) in Malacca and Penang . The Taiping Rebellion in the mid-19th century caused much chaos and suffering in southern China, which led many ethnic Chinese civilians to seek refuge overseas, particularly to the Nanyang region (Southeast Asia) in further south. With

19090-577: 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

19256-449: The following year; Templer preferred winning hearts and minds to military measures against the insurgents. As part of his campaign, Templer incentivised rebel surrender and used strict curfews and tight control of food supplies in involved areas to flush them out. Crops grown by insurgents were sprayed with herbicides and defoliants , and restrictions were lifted in areas free of insurgents by elevating them to "white status". In

19422-678: 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

19588-900: The formation of the guerrilla Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) in 1941. The MPAJA (primarily consisting of ethnic Chinese in Malaya) waged a guerrilla war against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) with 10,000 men in eight battalions, and contacted the British Force 136 . Local Kuomintang revolts, such as the Jesselton uprising in British Borneo, were suppressed by the Kenpeitai . Much Chinese underground anti-Japanese activity in North Borneo

19754-484: The importance of Malaccan issues in major policy decisions. Some Chinese, including those from Fujian (defying Ming-Dynasty regulation for the sake of trade), informed the Portuguese of the trade route between Guangdong and Siam. Since the local Malaccan Chinese were not treated favourably by the Portuguese, they and most overseas Chinese refused to cooperate with them. Through the Portuguese administration in Malacca, Chinese Muslims sided with other Islamic traders against

19920-452: The indigenous communities. Integration issues in present-day Malaysia are largely inherited from Malayan racial politics, in which ethnic communities consolidated into a single political community. Malaysia's contemporary educational and social policies has created a Chinese brain drain to developed countries , especially Singapore . The country has experienced a slight wave of Mandarin -speaking immigrants from northeastern China and

20086-566: The introduction of different kind of technologies and managerial systems which resulted from Malaysia becoming the largest trading partner to China in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Nevertheless, unlike the more transboundary business influence by neighbouring Chinese Singaporeans , a majority of Chinese Malaysian businesses are still seen as less concentrating on developing business ties with other Southeast Asian Chinese businessmen despite there have been few businesses made by several local Malaysian Chinese companies. Since

20252-617: The introduction of pepper to the kingdom, pepper cultivation in Sarawak's First Division Kuching-Serian region was dominated by the Hakka; Fuzhou and Cantonese people dominated cultivation in the Third Division Sarikei-Binatang region, making Sarawak the world's second-largest pepper producer. After the British gained control of the four states of Perak, Selangor , Negeri Sembilan and Pahang , nearly two million Chinese immigrated to Perak and Selangor. After

20418-474: 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,

20584-469: The latter by providing ships and human capital . Negotiations were later held in Guangdong between Chinese officials and Portuguese envoys about Malaccan issues, with Malacca remaining under Portuguese control. After the 1641 Dutch takeover of Malacca , many local Malaccan Chinese were hired to construct Dutch buildings. The Dutch found the Chinese industrious, and encouraged their participation in

20750-426: The line they were taking with growing truculence on a heavy racial accent, the intimidatory postures and the snarling guttural notes on which they sent out their signals to their followers on the basis of the race lead us to only one conclusion -- that if this goes on, Malaysia will not belong to Malaysians . Since there are so many Malaysians, we decided that the time has come for us to speak our minds. Lee's call for

20916-399: 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

21082-534: 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

21248-598: 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

21414-505: 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

21580-408: 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

21746-550: 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,

21912-431: The other two groups. After two years as part of the federation and the enactment of Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia , Lee was joined by the Malay Peninsula's United Democratic Party and People's Progressive Party and Sarawak's United Peoples' Party and Machinda Party in the Malaysian Solidarity Convention to campaign for equality. In a June 1965 speech at the MSC meeting in Singapore, Lee said: It took

22078-689: The other two were reformists and revolutionaries who advocated constitutional reforms , the introduction of a parliamentary system , and the overthrow of Qing and Manchu influence on a modern Chinese nation. After the revolution which established the Republic of China , branches of the Kuomintang emerged in British Malaya. Kuomintang activities in British Borneo were coordinated by the Democratic Party of North Borneo, consisting of Chinese-educated towkays . Patriotism among Chinese immigrant communities focused on China. British colonial authorities initially did not object to Kuomintang membership. A communist movement developed among overseas Chinese by 1925 with

22244-401: 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

22410-410: 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

22576-650: The peninsular as well as Sandakan and Keningau ( Taishanese or 台山人) in Sabah, and to a lesser extent, Miri and Sarikei in Sarawak. The Teochews are mostly found in Johor and Melaka, with a minority of them settling in pockets of Kedah, pockets of Penang and parts of coastal Selangor. The Fuzhounese are numerous in Yong Peng , Sitiawan , Sungai Pelek , Miri , Bintangor , Sarikei , Bintulu , Kapit , and Sibu . The population of Hainanese can be found in all cities and towns in Malaysia, numerously in Malacca and Terengganu and Henghuas or Putian (兴化人 or 莆田人) and Hockchia or Fuqing (福清人) in various other areas. There

22742-438: The plan included labour reorganisation, the deployment of troops throughout Malaya, and cooperation between the police, the army, and intelligence. Under the resettlement scheme, more than 700,000 rural Chinese communities were relocated in 582 new government settlements. After British high commissioner Henry Gurney died in a 1951 ambush, Gerald Templer are appointed as the new high commissioner for Malaya by Winston Churchill

22908-407: The responsibility of saving our country by donating your money, while our comrades in our country are sacrificing their lives.  —Sun Yat-sen at the 1910 Penang conference in the Straits Settlements of Penang Civil wars and other conflicts among the indigenous ethnic groups ended when the British gained control of Malaya and the northern island of Borneo by the 1900s. However, none of

23074-404: 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

23240-421: 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

23406-476: The second-largest ethnic group in Malaysia, after the Malay majority , and constitute 22.4% of the Malaysian total population. Today, Malaysian Chinese form the second largest community of Overseas Chinese in the world, after the Thai Chinese . Malaysian Chinese maintain a significant and substantial presence in the business sector of the Malaysian economy . Most Malaysian Chinese are descendants of Southern Chinese immigrants who arrived in Malaysia between

23572-415: 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

23738-416: 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

23904-654: The states of Johor , Kedah , Kelantan , Malacca , Penang , Perlis , Perak , Sarawak , Labuan and Terengganu while the Hakka is prominent in Sabah and the second largest sub-group in Labuan . The Cantonese (including the smaller population of Kwongsais or Guangxi (广西人) people in states such as Johor , Pahang and Perak ) are mostly concentrated in the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh , and to some extent in Bera , Kuantan , Muallim , Bentong , Kuala Kangsar , Lipis , Mersing , Raub , Cameron Highlands , Jerantut , Temerloh , Bahau , Kampar , Rompin , Gopeng , Maran , Tapah , Pekan , Bidor and Seremban in

24070-408: 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

24236-515: 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

24402-426: 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

24568-445: 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

24734-429: The two nations, which stated: The Chinese government considers anyone of Chinese origin who has taken up his own will or acquired Malaysian nationality as automatically forfeiting Chinese nationality . As for residents who retain Chinese nationality of their own will, the Chinese government, acting in accordance with its consistent policy, will enjoin them to abide by the law of the Government of Malaysia , respect

24900-402: 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

25066-438: 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

25232-512: 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);

25398-478: 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

25564-442: 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

25730-463: 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

25896-406: 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

26062-469: Was founded after convoys from the Ming Dynasty developed a city and the area's chief was crowned king. During his fourth imperial-fleet visit, Ma wrote that the local king had just converted to Islam and dressed like an Arab . The last edition of Mingshi , one of the official Chinese Twenty-Four Histories , mentioned a pre-established Chinese settlement in the area. Mentions in other records exist, especially after trade contacts were established with

26228-401: Was governed by a Kapitan Cina , with duties and privileges similar to those in Johor 's Kangchu system . Chinese migration sprang from poverty in rural China and employment opportunities in the British colonies or protectorates , and an estimated five million Chinese had immigrated by the 19th century. Despite economic prosperity after immigration, the new Chinese communities split into

26394-439: Was influenced by the Malay supremacists dominated party of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The UMNO was the most influential part of the existing political coalition, and also championed Islamic values. Despite the coalition's multi-racial appearance, UMNO founding president Onn Jaafar has once said that their movement did not adhere to any ideology other than " Malayism ", defined by Malay scholar Ariffin Omar as

26560-408: Was intertwined with very much family and kinship ties. By the 21st century with the rising of China's economic influence , their economy network are jointly connected with other Overseas Chinese through the bamboo network . The local Chinese played a key role in facilitating China's capital to invest in Malaysia while in the process both benefited from expanded markets, lower labour costs and

26726-413: 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 ,

26892-519: Was part of the Nanyang Chinese National Salvation Movement, led by Tan Kah Kee ; in Sarawak, activities were coordinated by the Sarawak Anti-Fascist League. The MPAJA was disbanded after the 1945 Allied victory in the Pacific , and many of its leaders were commended by the British. It began to massacre perceived collaborators (primarily Malay) after it was disbanded, however, sparking a Malay backlash. The MPAJA also targeted British posts, with several grenade attacks on British troops. In North Borneo,

27058-460: 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

27224-494: 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,

27390-424: 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

27556-449: 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. Malaysian Chinese Malaysian Chinese , Chinese Malaysians , or Sino-Malaysians are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese ethnicity. They form

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