Malaysia is located in South East Asia and its land area is divided into two sections - West and East Malaysia. West Malaysia occupies the peninsula that extends south from Thailand. East Malaysia occupies the northern part of the large island of Borneo. The South China Sea separates West Malaysia from East Malaysia. The combined land area of West and East Malaysia is about 330,400 square kilometers or 127,000 square miles. There are eleven states in West Malaysia and two states in East Malaysia. The country has a tropical climate with temperatures of 22 to 34 degrees Celsius year round and generally high humidity. Two monsoon seasons bring heavier rains and a slight drop in temperature depending on the geographic location. Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and The Philippines.
With its strategic location between the Western and Eastern parts of the globe, Peninsular or West Malaysia had attracted early travelers since the first century. Archaeological evidence of ancient Hindu and Buddhist artifacts have been documented in specific river valleys. Islam was introduced by Middle Eastern and Indian traders in the 1400s during the reign of the Melaka Sultanate (also spelled Malacca). The Sultan or King embraced the new religion and personally helped to spread it across the region. He also established trade with the Chinese Kingdom which gave rise to a small contingent of Chinese settlers in Melaka. The Sultanate’s prosperous trade in spices led Portugal to attack it in 1511 which ended the power of the Melaka Sultanate. The Portuguese brought Catholicism to the local population and later in 1641, the Dutch gained control of Melaka. With the start of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, Britain was looking for raw materials in Asia by the 1780s. The British intervened in local Malayan politics to secure trading ports and natural resources including tin and rubber for their factories. Previously independent Malay states were eventually brought under British control. In 1941, the Japanese invaded Malaya and ruled it until Japan surrendered at the end of the Second World War (1945). The British returned to a different Malaya that had an increasingly nationalistic Malay political class and populace. On August 31, 1957, the Malay States of Malaya freed themselves from British colonial rule and proclaimed independence. In 1963, Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah united to form the new country of Malaysia. (Singapore chose to leave the union in 1965 and it has been an independent country since then.)
Malaysia has been a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy since gaining independence in 1957. The head of state is the King and the government is led by the Prime Minister. The country is composed of 13 states and three federal territories with Kuala Lumpur as its capital. The official religion is Islam and Bahasa Malaysia is the official language. English is widely spoken and it is the common language of most urbanized Malaysians. Other languages including Mandarin Chinese, various Chinese dialects such as Cantonese and Hokkien, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic are common among specific groups.
Malaysia is a country of diverse cultures and its 33 million people (2022 estimate) consist of three main ethnic groups - the Malays, Chinese, and Indians. Each group has long histories of occupying the land and they generally live in harmony.
At roughly 55 percent of the population, the Malays are the largest group. In its population census, the Malaysian government combines the Malays with indigenous groups, often called Orang Asli or “Original People,” that make up about 14 percent of the population. Collectively, the Malays and the indigenous groups are called Bumiputras, or “sons of the soil” and are accorded some special privileges by the government. The Chinese comprise about 23 percent while Indians account for about 7 percent of the population. Along with small percentages of mixed ethnic groups, the census figures seldom add up correctly due to the differences in how various Malaysian states consider Bumiputra status.
In the past, most Malays live in rural villages or “kampung” and the concept of family duty and mutual support of village life remains central to Malay culture. Despite recent mass migration to urban areas for economic opportunities, most Malays continue making special trips back to their family or ancestral village during important Muslim festivals. By law, Malays are Muslim.
For centuries, the Chinese have traded with the Malay sultanates and the first Chinese group to arrive in the 1400s settled in the port of Melaka. These pioneers gradually adopted many elements of Malay culture especially after generations of intermarriages with the locals. Called the Peranakan, this group combines Malay culture and Chinese traditions, speak a synthetic dialect and wear Malay-inspired clothing. The Peranakans follow the Chinese custom of ancestral worship and remain practicing Buddhists or Daoists. During the late 1800s, large numbers of Chinese immigrants arrived in Malaya to work in the tin mines and rubber industries. These later immigrants preserved much more of their Chinese traditions, language and customs. They built schools, temples and community halls to transmit their cultural heritage.
Indians have travelled to the Malay sultanates for over two thousand years but did not put down roots here until the 1800s. Then, large numbers of Indians, primarily Tamils from the southern part of India, arrived in Malaya as immigrant laborers for the rapidly expanding rubber industry. Tamils came to tap the rubber trees, build roads and other construction projects for the British colonial government as well as administer and manage plantations. Most of the Indian immigrants are Hindus and they built temples and established schools to teach the Tamil language.
Malaysia is a dynamic developing country with strong connections to the global economy. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has successfully diversified its economy from one that was initially based on agriculture and natural resources to one that has robust manufacturing and service sectors. It is a leading exporter of electrical appliances, parts and components.
About 78 percent of Malaysians live in urban areas. Malaysian towns and cities are well connected by roads and rail and air travel between the bigger cities is increasingly popular. The largest city is the capital, Kuala Lumpur, which is located in West Malaysia. Other big cities in West Malaysia include Penang, Ipoh, Melaka, Johor Baru and Kuantan. Across the South China Sea in East Malaysia, the bigger cities include Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
Kuala Lumpur Skyline.
Masjid Jamek in central city of Kuala Lumpur.
Canals of Melaka. Melaka was an important and early port in Malaysia.
Rice field in Kedah - woman cutting rice seed for next years crop.
Khoo Kongsi - Chinese Clan House in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Historic Jetty in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia - with new condominiums in the background.