Malaysia: "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu"

::: Malaysia :::
Malaysia
“Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia

consisting of thirteen states and three Federal Territories,
with a total landmass of 329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi).
The capital city is Kuala Lumpur,
while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government.
RECIFE - 2010
Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 1

::: Malaysia :::
Contents
2. History ............................................................................................................................ 9
2.1 Prehistory................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Early history ............................................................................................................. 10
2.3 British arrival ............................................................................................................ 11
2.4 Post independence .................................................................................................. 13
3. Government and politics............................................................................................. 14
3.1 Foreign relations ...................................................................................................... 16
3.2 Military...................................................................................................................... 16
4. Administrative divisions ............................................................................................. 17
5. Geography.................................................................................................................... 18
5.1 Natural resources..................................................................................................... 20
6. Economy ...................................................................................................................... 21
7. Demographics.............................................................................................................. 25
7.1 Religion .................................................................................................................... 28
7.2 Education ................................................................................................................. 29
7.3 Healthcare................................................................................................................ 33
7.4 Citizenship ............................................................................................................... 33
8. Culture .......................................................................................................................... 34
8.1 Holidays ................................................................................................................... 36
9. References ................................................................................................................... 38

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Malaysia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the biogeographical region, see Malesia.
Malaysia (pronounced /mə’leə/ mə-LAY-zhə or /mə’leziə/ mə-LAY-zee-ə) is a country in

Southeast Asia consisting of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of
329,845 square kilometres (127,354 sq mi).[8][9] The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya
is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million.[5] The country is
separated by the South China Sea into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo
(also known as East Malaysia).[9] Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei.[9]
It is near the equator and has a tropical climate.[9] Malaysia's head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong,[10] an elected monarch, and the head of government is the Prime Minister.[11][12] The
government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system.[13]
Malaysia as a unified state did not exist until 1963. Previously, the United Kingdom had established
influence in colonies in the territory from the late 18th century. The western half of modern
Malaysia was composed of several separate kingdoms. This group of colonies was known as
British Malaya until its dissolution in 1946, when it was reorganized as the Malayan Union. Due to
widespread opposition, it was reorganized again as the Federation of Malaya in 1948 and later
gained independence on 31 August 1957.[14] Singapore, Sarawak, British North Borneo, and the
Federation of Malaya merged to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963.[15] Tensions in the early
years of the new union sparked an armed conflict with Indonesia, and the expulsion of Singapore
on 9 August 1965.[16][17]
During the late 20th century, Malaysia experienced an economic boom and underwent rapid
development. It borders the Strait of Malacca, an important international shipping crossroad, and
international trade is integral to its economy.[18] Manufacturing makes up a major sector of the
country's economy.[19] Malaysia has a biodiverse range of flora and fauna, and is also considered
one of the 17 megadiverse countries.[20]
FLAG
Malaysian Flag
The Malaysian flag, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory), and the Malaysian coat of
arms are symbols of the nation’s stateliness and sovereignty. The Government encourages the
flying of the Jalur Gemilang particularly during the Month of Independence in August as an
expression of love, loyalty and pride for the country.

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The Jalur Gemilang

The Malaysian flag or Jalur Gemilang consists of 14 horizontal red and white stripes of equal width
(along the fly), representing the 13 component States and the Federal Government.
The canton of dark blue in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending down to the top of the
fifth stripe stands for the unity of the people of Malaysia. The union contains a crescent which
symbolizes Islam, the official religion of Malaysia.
The 14 points of the star signify the unity of the 13 states with the Federal Government. The colour
yellow signifies the royal colour of the Rulers.
The Coat of Arms of Malaysia

The coat of arms or armorial ensign of Malaysia shows a 14-pointed star representing the 13
constituent states within the Federation of Malaysia together with the Federal Government, while
the star and the crescent together symbolize Islam as the official religion of Malaysia.
The five Kris represents the five former Unfederated Malay States (Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan
and Terengganu). The left-hand division of the shield represents the state of Penang and the right-
hand section shows the Malacca tree that depicts the State of Malacca. These two states formed
part of the former Straits Settlements.
In the four equal sized panels in the centre, the colours black and white are colours of the State of
Pahang; red and yellow are colours of the State of Selangor; black, white and yellow are the
colours of the State of Perak; and red, black and yellow those of the State of Negeri Sembilan.
These four States formed the original Federated Malay States. The three sections below represent
the State of Sabah on the left and the State of Sarawak on the right.
In the centre is the hibiscus, the national flower. Flanking the shield are tigers, a design element
retained from the earlier armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya (and before that, of the
Federated Malay States).
COAT OF ARMS

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The Motto of Malaysia

The motto in Romanised-script on the left and Jawi (Arabic) script on the right reads “Bersekutu
Bertambah Mutu”, the Malay equivalent of “Unity is Strength”. The yellow colour of the scroll is
the royal colour of the Rulers.
"Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”

"Unity Is Strength" [ http://www.malaysia.gov.my/ ]
Negaraku
From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Negaraku" (English: My Country) is the national anthem of Malaysia. "Negaraku" was selected as
a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957.
The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak [1], which was adopted from a popular
French melody titled "La Rosalie" composed by the lyricist Pierre-Jean de Béranger.
English: My Country
National anthem of Malaysia
Lyrics: Multiple authors
Music: Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-1857)
Adopted: 1957
Lyrics
Malay Literal English translation

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku, My country, the land where my blood is shed,
Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju, The people live united and progressive,
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan, Blessings of happiness, may God grant,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta. (And that) our King may reign in peace.
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan, Blessings of happiness, may God grant,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta (And that) our King may reign in peace.

::: Malaysia :::
Location of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Capital
3°08′N 101°42′E
Largest city Kuala Lumpur
Official languages Malay
Official scripts Malay alphabet
54% Malay, 25% Chinese, 7.5% Indian,
Ethnic groups
11.8% other Bumiputera, 1.7% other
Demonym Malaysian
Federal constitutionalelective
Government
monarchy andParliamentary democracy
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
Independence
From the United
31 August 1957
Kingdom (Malayaonly)
Federation
16 September 1963
(withSabah, Sarawakand Singapore
Area
329,845 km2 (66th)
Total
127,354 sq mi
Water (%) 0.3
Population
2009 estimate 28,310,000[5] (43rd)
2000 census 24,821,286
85.8/km2 (114th)
Density
222.3/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
Total $384.388 billion[6] (30th)
Per capita $14,081[6] (59th)

::: Malaysia :::
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
Total $221.606 billion (39th)
Per capita $8,118[6] (65th)
Gini (2004) 40.3
HDI (2007) ▲ 0.829[7] (high) (66th)
Currency Ringgit (RM) (MYR)
Time zone MST (UTC+8)
Date formats dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the Left
Internet TLD .my
Calling code +60
History
At the time of independence, each of the eleven States of Malaya that made up the Federation had
their own anthem, but there was no anthem for the Federation as a whole. Tunku Abdul Rahman,
at the time the Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, organized and presided over a
committee for the purpose of choosing a suitable national anthem. On his suggestion, a worldwide
competition was launched. 514 entries were received from all over the world including a special
submission from recording artist Is'real Benton. None were deemed suitable.
Next the committee decided to invite selected composers of international repute to submit
compositions for consideration. The composers chosen were Benjamin Britten, Sir William Walton
who had recently composed the march for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the American opera
composer Gian Carlo Menotti and Zubir Said, who later composed Majulah Singapura, the anthem
of Singapore. They were all turned down too.
The Committee then turned to the Perak State Anthem. On August 5, 1957 it was selected on
account of the "traditional flavour" of its melody. New lyrics for the National Anthem were written
jointly by the Panel of Judges— with the Tunku himself playing the leading role.
At the time this melody was, while still the State Anthem of Perak, Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan.
The song had been very popular on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles. where the Sultan of
Perak had formerly been living in exile. He heard it at a public band concert on the island, a song
to a popular French melody, originally composed by the lyricist Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-
1857), who was born and died in Paris. When Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah who was the
Ruler of the State of Perak from 1887 to 1916 represented the Malay Rulers of the Federated
Malay States at the installation ceremony of King Eward VII in 1901, his protocol officer was asked
what his state anthem was. Realizing that his state did not in fact possess an anthem, he, in order
not to appear backward in front of his hosts, proceeded to hum the aforementioned tune. Thus was
an anthem born.[3]
The song was later introduced into an Indonesian Bangsawan (Opera), which was performing in
Singapore around 1940. In no time at all, the melody became extremely popular and was given the
name Babun Bulan. Aside from its dignity and prestige as the Perak State Anthem, the song
became a Malayan "evergreen", playing at parties, in cabarets and sung by almost everybody in
the 1920s and 1930s. (Today, of course, since independence, it is not played as a popular melody,
and any such use is proscribed by statute.)
The anthem was given a new quick march beat in 1992, which proved unpopular. Some
Malaysians have gone as far as to say that the altered tempo resembled circus music, and was the
subject of much derision. In July, 2003 it was reported in the Malaysian press that the anthem
would be rearranged for the second time after that and the title and lyric would be changed from
Negaraku to Malaysiaku. There was a public outcry of dismay and the change of name was
scrapped, but the anthem was re-arranged and returned to the pre-1992 pace by composer Wah
Idris.

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Earlier Recording
The anthem was also recorded circa 1936 by Conductor Paul Lombard (also known as Paul
Lombard and His Orchestra), and sung by Joan Wilton (in English) duet with Geotti Brooke (in
Malay) released by Columbia Records (Magic Notes series) in New South Wales, Australia;
Carrying the song number (CT2763); Columbia Catalogue Reference D0-3460. The song runs
2:50. This record was found to be earlier than the recording of Felix Mendholsson's version of
Mamula Moon as in the late 40's most songs are themed and modified to the Hawaiian tune and
mainly was done by most famous orchestra conductors such as Victor Sylvester and Mantovani.
The significance of this piece of recording where it is only playable on gramophones running at
speed 78 rpm is that the background music conducted so similarly to the Malayan style of music
background, setting the originality and authentic Malayan atmosphere to the tune. The song was
performed by non-natives (Australians) singing in both English and Malay. The lyrics present a love
story setting between the two lovers. The song is titled as 'Malayan Moon' and the other side of the
record is the song 'Planting Rice' also performed by Paul Lambard accompanied by Vocal Chorus
by Joan Wilton. This piece of record was a copyright under Southern Music Co. of Sydney.
Controversy
Main article: Wee Meng Chee
In 2007, a YouTube video featuring a parody of the Negaraku anthem caused controversy in
Malaysia. The video, named Negarakuku, features Wee Meng Chee, a Malaysian student studying
in Taiwan, who weaves the Negaraku into a Chinese language rap. The Flag of Malaysia was
featured at the backdrop. This controversial video caused outrage among most members of the
Malaysian cabinet. The song criticises the government and pejoratively speaks about the Malays,
the primary ethnic group of Malaysia.
Lokananta, Indonesia's state-owned recording company alleged that "Negaraku" imitated

Indonesia's song titled "Terang Boelan". "Terang Boelan" itself is a song adapted from French
song "La Rosalie".[4] . This continues the conflict that has already been sparkling since the first
days of the independence between the people of Malaysia and Indonesia, mainly using the
Internet as the battleground. Soekarno told his people not to sing "Terang Boelan" anymore
because its composition was and is similar to "Negaraku".
Use
The anthem is played during official functions and school assemblies. Radio Televisyen Malaysia,
a state owned public broadcaster, plays the national anthem on midnight everyday before the
news bulletin.

::: Malaysia :::
1. Etymology
Malaysia appears on a 1914 map from a United States atlas.
The name Malaysia was adopted in 1963 when the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North
Borneo and Sarawak formed a 14-state federation.[15] However the name itself had been vaguely
used to refer to areas in Southeast Asia prior to that. A map published in 1914 in Chicago has the
word Malaysia printed on it referring to certain territories within the Malay Archipelago.[21]
Politicians in the Philippines once contemplated naming their state "Malaysia", but in 1963
Malaysia adopted the name first.[22] At the time of the 1963 federation, other names were
considered: among them was Langkasuka, after the historic kingdom located at the upper section
of the Malay Peninsula in the first millennium of the common era.[23]
In 1850 the English ethnologist George Samuel Windsor Earl, writing in the Journal of the Indian
Archipelago and Eastern Asia, proposed naming the islands of Indonesia as Melayunesia or
Indunesia. He favoured the former.[24]
2. History
Main article: History of Malaysia
2.1 Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Malaysia
Archaeological remains have been found throughout peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
The Semang, an ethnic Negrito group, have a deep ancestry within the Malay Peninsula, dating to
migration from Africa over 50,000 years ago. They are considered an indigenous people to the
area.
The Senoi appear to be a composite group, with approximately half of the maternal DNA lineages
tracing back to the ancestors of the Semang and about half to later ancestral migrations from
Indochina. Scholars suggest they are descendants of early Austronesian-speaking agriculturalists,
who brought both their language and their technology to the southern part of the peninsula
approximately 5,000 years ago. They united and coalesced with the indigenous population.
The Aboriginal Malays are more diverse. Although they show some connections with island
Southeast Asia, some also have an ancestry in Indochina around the time of the Last Glacial
Maximum, about 20,000 years ago.
Anthropologists support the notion that the Proto Malays originated from what is today Yunnan,
China.[25] This was followed by an early-Holocene dispersal through the Malay Peninsula into
island Southeast Asia.[26]

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2.2 Early history
Ptolemy showed the Malay Peninsula on his early map with a label that translates as "Golden
Chersonese". He referred to the Straits of Malacca as Sinus Sabaricus.[27] From the mid to the
late first millennium, much of the Peninsula as well as the Malay Archipelago was under the
influence of Srivijaya.
A Famosa fortress in Malacca. It was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
The Chinese and Indians established kingdoms in the area in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE—as
many as 30, according to Chinese sources. Kedah—known as Kedaram, Cheh-Cha (according to
I-Ching) or Kataha, in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit—was in the direct route of invasions of Indian
traders and kings. Rajendra Chola, the ancient Tamil emperor who is now thought to have laid
Kota Gelanggi to waste, controlled Kedah in 1025. His successor, Vira Rajendra Chola, had to put
down a Kedah rebellion to overthrow the invaders. The coming of the Chola reduced the majesty of
Srivijaya, which had exerted influence over Kedah, Pattani and as far as Ligor.
The Buddhist kingdom of Ligor took control of Kedah shortly after. Its king Chandrabhanu used it
as a base to attack Sri Lanka in the 11th century, an event noted in a stone inscription in
Nagapattinum in Tamil Nadu and in the Sri Lankan chronicles, Mahavamsa. During the first
millennium, the people of the Malay Peninsula adopted Hinduism and Buddhism and the use of the
Sanskrit language. They later converted to Islam.
Areas older than Kedah appeared in historical writings. The ancient kingdom of Gangga Negara,
around Beruas in Perak, for instance, pushes Malaysian history further into antiquity.
"Pattinapalai", a Tamil poem of the second century CE, describes goods from Kadaram heaped in
the broad streets of the Chola capital. A 7th-century Sanskrit drama, Kaumudhimahotsva, refers to
Kedah as Kataha-nagari. The Agnipurana also mentions a territory known as Anda-Kataha with
one of its boundaries delineated by a peak, which scholars believe is Gunung Jerai. Stories from
the Katasaritasagaram describe the elegance of life in Kataha.
Between the 7th and the 13th century, much of Peninsular Malaysia was under the Srivijaya
empire, which was centred in Palembang on the island of Sumatra. Following that, a wider
Majapahit empire, based on Java island, had influence over most of Indonesia, Peninsular
Malaysia, and the coasts of Borneo island.

::: Malaysia :::
In the early 15th century, Parameswara, a prince from Palembang from the once Srivijayan empire,
established a dynasty and founded the Malacca Sultanate. Conquest forced him and many others
to flee Palembang. Parameswara in particular sailed to Temasek to escape persecution. There he
came under the protection of Temagi, a Malay chief from Patani who was appointed by the King of
Siam as Regent of Temasek. Within a few days, Parameswara killed Temagi and appointed
himself regent. Some five years later he had to leave Temasek, due to threats from Siam. During
this period, a Javanese fleet from Majapahit attacked Temasek.
Parameswara headed north to found a new settlement. At Muar, Parameswara considered siting
his new kingdom at either Biawak Busuk or at Kota Buruk. Finding that the Muar location was not
suitable, he continued his journey northwards. Along the way, he reportedly visited Sening Ujong
(former name of present-day Sungai Ujong) before reaching a fishing village at the mouth of the
Bertam River (former name of the Malacca River). Over time this developed into modern-day
Malacca Town. According to the Malay Annals, here Parameswara saw a mouse deer outwitting a
dog resting under a Malacca tree. Taking this as a good omen, he decided to establish a kingdom
called Malacca. He built and improved facilities for trade.
According to a theory, Parameswara became a Muslim when he married a Princess of Pasai and
he took the fashionable Persian title "Shah", calling himself Iskandar Shah.[28] There are also
references that indicate that some members of the ruling class and the merchant community
residing in Malacca were already Muslims. Chinese chronicles mention that in 1414, the son of the
first ruler of Malacca visited the Ming emperor to inform them that his father had died.
Parameswara's son was then officially recognised as the second ruler of Malacca by the Chinese
Emperor and styled Raja Sri Rama Vikrama, Raja of Parameswara of Temasek and Melaka and
he was known to his Muslim subjects as Sultan Sri Iskandar Zulkarnain Shah or Sultan Megat
Iskandar Shah. He ruled Malacca from 1414 to 1424.[28][29]
In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugal, which established a colony there. The sons of the
last Sultan of Malacca established two sultanates elsewhere in the peninsula — the Sultanate of
Perak to the north, and the Sultanate of Johor (originally a continuation of the old Malacca
sultanate) to the south. After the fall of Malacca, three nations struggled for the control of Malacca
Strait: the Portuguese (in Malacca), the Sultanate of Johor, and the Sultanate of Aceh. This conflict
went on until 1641, when the Dutch (allied to the Sultanate of Johor) gained control of Malacca.
2.3 British arrival

Britain established its first colony in the Malay Peninsula in 1786, with the lease of the island of
Penang to the British East India Company by the Sultan of Kedah. In 1824, the British took control
of Malacca following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 which divided the Malay archipelago between
Britain and the Netherlands, with Malaya in the British zone. In 1826, Britain established the crown
colony of the Straits Settlements, uniting its four possessions in Malaya: Penang, Malacca,
Singapore and the island of Labuan. The Straits Settlements were initially administered under the
East India Company in Calcutta, before first Penang, and later Singapore became the
administrative centre of the crown colony, until 1867, when they were transferred to the Colonial
Office in London.
During the late 19th century, many Malay states decided to obtain British help in settling their
internal conflicts. The commercial importance of tin mining in the Malay states to merchants in the
Straits Settlements led to British government intervention in the tin-producing states in the Malay
Peninsula. British gunboat diplomacy was employed to bring about a peaceful resolution to civil
disturbances caused by Chinese and Malay gangsters employed in a political tussle between Ngah
Ibrahim and Raja Muda Abdullah, and the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 paved the way for the
expansion of British influence in Malaya. By the turn of the 20th century, the states of Pahang,
Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, known together as the Federated Malay States (not to be
confused with the Federation of Malaya), were under the de facto control of British Residents
appointed to advise the Malay rulers. The British were "advisers" in name, but in reality, they
exercised substantial influence over the Malay rulers.

::: Malaysia :::
Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur houses the High Court of Malaya and the Trade Court.
Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the Federated Malay States and is the current Malaysian capital.
A poster depicting the Malaysia Day celebration in 1963. (Majulah Malaysia means "Onwards
Malaysia".)
The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated Malay States, while not
directly under rule from London, also accepted British advisers around the turn of the 20th century.
Of these, the four northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu had previously been
under Siamese control. The other unfederated state, Johor, was the only state which managed to
preserve its independence throughout most of the 19th century. Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor and
Queen Victoria were personal acquaintances, and recognised each other as equals. It was not
until 1914 that Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, Sultan Ibrahim accepted a British adviser.
On the island of Borneo, Sabah was governed as the crown colony of British North Borneo, while
Sarawak was acquired from Brunei as the personal kingdom of the Brooke family, who ruled as
white Rajahs.
Following the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and its subsequent occupation during World War II,
popular support for independence grew.[30] Post-war British plans to unite the administration of
Malaya under a single crown colony called the Malayan Union foundered on strong opposition from
the Malays, who opposed the emasculation of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to
the ethnic Chinese.[31]

::: Malaysia :::
The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions in Malaya
with the exception of Singapore, was dissolved in 1948 and replaced by the Federation of Malaya,
which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.
During this time, rebels under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla
operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency, as it was known,
lasted from 1948 to 1960, and involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops
in Malaya. Although the insurgency quickly stopped there was still a presence of Commonwealth
troops, with the backdrop of the Cold War.[32] Against this backdrop, independence for the
Federation within the Commonwealth was granted on 31 August 1957.[14]
2.4 Post independence

In 1963, Malaya along with the then-British crown colonies of Sabah (British North Borneo),
Sarawak and Singapore, formed Malaysia. The Sultanate of Brunei, though initially expressing
interest in joining the Federation, withdrew from the planned merger due to opposition from certain
segments of its population as well as arguments over the payment of oil royalties and the status of
the Sultan in the planned merger.[33][34] The actual proposed date for the formation of Malaysia
was 31 August 1963, to coincide with the independence day of Malaya and the British giving self-
rule to Sarawak and Sabah. However, the date was delayed by opposition from the Indonesian
government led by Sukarno and also attempts by the Sarawak United People's Party to delay the
formation of Malaysia. Due to these factors, an 8-member United Nations team has to be formed to
re-ascertain whether Sabah and Sarawak truly wanted to join Malaysia.[35]
The early years of independence were marred by the conflict with Indonesia (Konfrontasi) over the
formation of Malaysia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife in the form of race riots in
1969.[16][36] The Philippines also made an active claim on Sabah in that period based upon the
Sultanate of Brunei's cession of its north-east territories to the Sulu Sultanate in 1704. The claim is
still ongoing.[37] After the 13 May race riots of 1969, the controversial New Economic Policy—
intended to increase proportionately the share of the economic pie of the bumiputras ("indigenous
people", which includes the majority Malays, but not always the indigenous population) as
compared to other ethnic groups—was launched by Prime Minister Abdul Razak. Malaysia has
since maintained a delicate ethno-political balance, with a system of government that has
attempted to combine overall economic development with political and economic policies that
promote equitable participation of all races.[38]
Between the 1980s and the mid-1990s, Malaysia experienced significant economic growth under
the premiership of Mahathir bin Mohamad.[39] The period saw a shift from an agriculture-based
economy to one based on manufacturing and industry in areas such as computers and consumer
electronics. It was during this period, too, that the physical landscape of Malaysia has changed
with the emergence of numerous mega-projects. The most notable of these projects are the
Petronas Twin Towers (at the time the tallest building in the world, and still retains its status as the
tallest twin building), KL International Airport (KLIA), North-South Expressway, the Sepang
International Circuit, the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), the Bakun hydroelectric dam and
Putrajaya, the new federal administrative capital.

::: Malaysia :::
Mahathir bin Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power.
In the late 1990s, Malaysia was shaken by the Asian financial crisis as well as political unrest
caused by the sacking of the deputy prime minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim.[40] In 2003, Dr
Mahathir, Malaysia's longest serving prime minister, retired in favour of his deputy, Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi. On November 2007, Malaysia was rocked by two anti-government rallies. The
2007 Bersih Rally numbering 40,000 strong was held in Kuala Lumpur on 10 November
campaigning for electoral reform. It was precipitated by allegations of corruption and discrepancies
in the Malaysian election system that heavily favour the ruling political party, Barisan Nasional,
which has been in power since Malaysia achieved its independence in 1957.[41] Another rally was
held on 25 November in the Malaysian capital lead by HINDRAF. The rally organiser, the Hindu
Rights Action Force, had called the protest over alleged discriminatory policies that favour ethnic
Malays. The crowd was estimated to be between 5,000 and 30,000. [42] In both cases the
government and police were heavy-handed and tried to prevent the gatherings from taking place.
In 16 October 2008, HINDRAF was banned as the government labelled the organisation as "a
threat to national security".[43]
3. Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Malaysia
Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. The federal head of state of Malaysia is the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as the King of Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan
Agong is elected to a five-year term among the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states; the
other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection.[44]

::: Malaysia :::
Current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak.
The Malaysian Houses of Parliament is the building where the Malaysian Parliament assembles. It
was officially opened on November 21, 1963. The main building houses the Dewan Rakyat and the
Dewan Negara while the representatives' offices are located in the tower.
The system of government in Malaysia is closely modeled on that of Westminster parliamentary

system, a legacy of British colonial rule. Since independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed
by a multi-party coalition known as the Barisan Nasional (formerly known as the Alliance).[45]
Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral parliament
consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (literally the
"Chamber of the People") and the upper house, the Senate or Dewan Negara (literally the
"Chamber of the Nation").[46][47][48] The 222-member House of Representatives are elected from
single-member constituencies that are drawn based on population for a maximum term of five
years. All 70 Senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, two
representing the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, one each from federal territories of Labuan and
Putrajaya, and 40 are appointed by the king.

::: Malaysia :::
Besides the Parliament at the federal level, each state has a unicameral state legislative chamber
(Malay: Dewan Undangan Negeri) whose members are elected from single-member
constituencies. Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, with the last
general election being in March 2008.[45] Registered voters of age 21 and above may vote for the
members of the House of Representatives and in most of the states, the state legislative chamber
as well. Voting is not compulsory. [49]
The Perdana Putra is a building complex in Putrajaya which houses the Prime Minister of Malaysia's
office.
Executive power is vested in the cabinet led by the prime minister; the Malaysian constitution
stipulates that the prime minister must be a member of the lower house of parliament who, in the
opinion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commands a majority in parliament.[50] The cabinet is
chosen from among members of both houses of Parliament and is responsible to that body.[51]
State governments are led by Chief Ministers (Menteri Besar in Malay states or Ketua Menteri in
states without hereditary rulers), who is a state assembly member from the majority party in the
Dewan Undangan Negeri. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief Minister is
required to be a Malay Muslim, although this rule is subject to the rulers' discretions.
3.1 Foreign relations

Malaysia is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
participates in many international organizations such as the United Nations.[52][53] As a former
British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.[54] It is a member of the
Developing 8 Countries.[55] Malaysia has diplomatic relations with many countries but does not
recognize the State of Israel. As such, no traveller with a Malaysian passport can enter Israel.
3.2 Military
Malaysia defense requirements are assigned to the Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera
Malaysia-ATM). The armed forces have three branches, the Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut
Diraja Malaysia-TLDM), Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia-TD), and the Royal Malaysian
Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia-TUDM). The Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia operates
both American made and Russian made fighter aircraft.

::: Malaysia :::
4. Administrative divisions
Main articles: States of Malaysia and Districts of Malaysia
Administratively, Malaysia consists of 13 states (11 in peninsular Malaysia and 2 in Malaysian

Borneo) and 3 federal territories. Each state is further divided into districts (daerah or jajahan in
Kelantan) and a subdivision of a district is called mukim. As Malaysia is a federation, the
governance of the country is divided between the federal and the state governments.
Name Capital Pop. Area (km²)

Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur — 1,887,674 243
Federal Territory of Labuan Bandar Labuan 85,000 92
Federal Territory of Putrajaya — 50,000 46
Johor Johor Bahru 3,300,000 19,984
Kedah Alor Setar 1,818,188 9,426
Kelantan Kota Bharu 2,100,000 14,922
Melaka Bandar Melaka 733,000 1,650
Negeri Sembilan Seremban 1,004,807 6,645
Pahang Kuantan 1,396,500 35,964
Perak Ipoh 2,260,576 21,006
Perlis Kangar 215,000 810
Pulau Pinang George Town 1,503,000 1,046
Sabah Kota Kinabalu 3,387,880 76,115
Selangor Shah Alam 5,000,000 7,956
Sarawak Kuching 2,500,000 124,450
Terengganu Kuala Terengganu 1,150,286 12,955

::: Malaysia :::
5. Geography
Main article: Geography of Malaysia
Malaysia is the 43rd most populated country and the 66th largest country by total land area in the
world, with a population of about 28 million and a land area of over 320,000 km2 respectively. It is
comparable in population to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and is roughly similar in size to Norway
and Vietnam, along with the U.S. state of New Mexico.
Map of peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo).
The two distinct parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a
largely similar landscape in that both West and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to often
densely forested hills and mountains, the highest of which is Mount Kinabalu at 4,095.2 meters
(13,436 ft) on the island of Borneo. The local climate is equatorial and characterized by the annual
southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.
Beach scenery of Pulau Tioman.

::: Malaysia :::
Kota Kinabalu, capital of East Malaysian state of Sabah is located 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) east
across the South China Sea from Kuala Lumpur.
Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental
Asia.[56][57] The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is arguably
the most important shipping lane in the world.[58]
Kuala Lumpur is the official capital and largest city of Malaysia. Putrajaya is the federal
administrative capital. Although many executive and judicial branches of the federal government
have moved there (to ease growing congestion within Kuala Lumpur), Kuala Lumpur is still
recognised as the legislative capital of Malaysia since it houses the seat of the Parliament of
Malaysia. It is also the main commercial and financial centre of the country.
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of
244 km2 (94 sq mi), has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006.[4] Greater Kuala Lumpur,
also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million.[5] It is the fastest growing
metropolitan region in the country, in terms of population as well as economy.[6]
Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia. The city was once home to the executive
and judicial branches of the federal government, but they have since moved to Putrajaya starting in
1999.[7] Some sections of the judiciary remain in the capital. The official residence of the
Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is also situated in Kuala Lumpur. The city is also the cultural
and economic centre of Malaysia due to its position as the capital as well as being a primate
city.[8] Kuala Lumpur is rated as an alpha world city, and is the only global city in Malaysia,
according to the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC).[9]
Kuala Lumpur is defined within the borders of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is one of
three Malaysian Federal Territories. It is an enclave within the state of Selangor, on the central
west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.[10] Residents of the city are known as KLites.[11]
Beginning in the 1990s, the city has played host to many international sporting, political and
cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One World
Championship.[12] In addition, Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the
Petronas Twin Towers.[13]

::: Malaysia :::
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur is served by two main airports, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or better
known as KLIA in Sepang and Subang International Airport which now only serve domestic flights
within Malaysia.
Other major cities include George Town, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Alor
Star, Malacca Town, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Kuantan and Petaling Jaya.
5.1 Natural resources

Malaysia is well-endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry and
minerals. In terms of agriculture, Malaysia is one of the top exporters of natural rubber and palm
oil, which together with sawn logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco
dominate the growth of the sector. Palm oil is also a major generator of foreign exchange.
Palm oil estate in Malaysia.
Regarding forestry resources, it is noted that logging only began to make a substantial contribution
to the economy during the 19th century. Today, an estimated 59% of Malaysia remains forested.
The rapid expansion of the timber industry, particularly after the 1960s, has brought about a
serious erosion problem in the country's forest resources.

::: Malaysia :::
However, in line with the Government's commitment to protect the environment and the ecological
system, forestry resources are being managed on a sustainable basis and accordingly the rate of
tree felling has been on the decline.
In addition, substantial areas are being silviculturally treated and reforestation of degraded
forestland is being carried out. The Malaysian government provide plans for the enrichment of
some 312.30 square kilometers (120.5 sq mi) of land with rattan under natural forest conditions
and in rubber plantations as an inter crop. To further enrich forest resources, fast-growing timber
species such as meranti tembaga, merawan and sesenduk are also being planted. At the same
time, the cultivation of high-value trees like teak and other trees for pulp and paper are also
encouraged. Rubber, once the mainstay of the Malaysian economy, has been largely replaced by
oil palm as Malaysia's leading agricultural export.
Tin and petroleum are the two main mineral resources that are of major significance in the
Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once the world's largest producer of tin until the collapse of the
tin market in the early 1980s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, tin played a predominant role in the
Malaysian economy. It was only in 1972 that petroleum and natural gas took over from tin as the
mainstay of the mineral extraction sector. Meanwhile, the contribution by tin has declined.
Petroleum and natural gas discoveries in oil fields off Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu have
contributed much to the Malaysian economy. Other minerals of some importance or significance
include copper, bauxite, iron-ore and coal together with industrial minerals like clay, kaolin, silica,
limestone, barite, phosphates and dimension stones such as granite as well as marble blocks and
slabs. Small quantities of gold are produced.
In 2004, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mustapa Mohamed, revealed that
Malaysia's oil reserves stood at 4.84 billion barrels (769,000,000 m3) while natural gas reserves
increased to 89 trillion cubic feet (2,500 km3). This was an increase of 7.2%.[citation needed] As of
1 January 2007, Petronas reported that oil and gas reserves in Malaysia amounted to 20.18 billion
barrels (3.208×109 m3) equivalent.[59]
The government estimates that at current production rates Malaysia will be able to produce oil up
to 18 years and gas for 35 years. In 2004, Malaysia is ranked 24th in terms of world oil reserves
and 13th for gas. 56% of the oil reserves exist in the Peninsula while 19% exist in East Malaysia.
The government collects oil royalties of which 5% are passed to the states and the rest retained by
the federal government.[citation needed]
6. Economy
Main article: Economy of Malaysia
Further information: Petrol prices # Malaysia
Southeast Asia has been a centre of trade for centuries. Various items such as porcelain and
spices were actively traded even before Malacca and Singapore rose to prominence.
In the 17th century, they were found in several Malay states. Later, as the British started to take
over as administrators of Malaya, rubber and palm oil trees were introduced for commercial
purposes. Over time, Malaysia became the world's largest major producer of tin, rubber, and palm
oil. [60] These three commodities, along with other raw materials, firmly set Malaysia's economic
tempo well into the mid-20th century.
Foreign News: Rubber from Malaya
When the Japanese took Singapore and the Dutch East Indies they captured 90% of the world's supply of
crude rubber. Americans felt the pinch in tire and gasoline rationing; the U.S. Army needed all the rubber

::: Malaysia :::
that could be had and more besides, which was to be produced in many new synthetic-rubber plants. Malaya
as a rubber source was written off.
But all Malayan rubber was not lost to the U.S. Last week it was learned that a small trickle has begun to
come to U.S. ports once more—via Japan and Russia. Tokyo, saddled with a mountainous surplus, sells it to
the Soviet Union; Russia again trades it for U.S. war goods which she needs to fight Japan's allies in
Europe. Some day Malayan rubber from Japan might roll again down Singapore's wide streets under the
U.S. flag. Meanwhile, the world had another example of a paradox of international war and commerce: how
to trade, at second hand, with the enemy.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932934,00.html#ixzz0eEcZKrOH
Rubber latex. Malaysia was the world's largest producer of rubber.
Instead of relying on the local Malays as a source of labour, the British brought in Chinese and
Indians to work in on the mines, plantations and fill up the void in professional expertise. Although
many of them returned to their respective home countries after their agreed tenure ended, some
remained in Malaysia and settled permanently.
As Malaya moved towards independence, the government began implementing economic five-year
plans, beginning with the First Malayan Five Year Plan in 1955. Upon the establishment of
Malaysia, the plans were re-titled and renumbered, beginning with the First Malaysia Plan in 1965.
In the 1970s, Malaysia began to imitate the four Asian Tiger economies (Republic of Korea (South
Korea), Republic of China (Taiwan), then British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and the Republic of
Singapore) and committed itself to a transition from being reliant on mining and agriculture to an
economy that depends more on manufacturing. With Japanese investment, heavy industries
flourished and in a matter of years, Malaysian exports became the country's primary growth
engine[citation needed]. Malaysia consistently achieved more than 7% GDP growth along with low
inflation in the 1980s and the 1990s.[61] Today, Malaysia is one of the world's largest computer
hard disk manufacturing sites.
During the same period, the government tried to eradicate poverty with the controversial New
Economic Policy (NEP), after the May 13 Incident of racial rioting in 1969.[38] Its main objective
was the elimination of the association of race with economic function, and the first five-year plan to
begin implementing the NEP was the Second Malaysia Plan. The success or failure of the NEP is
the subject of much debate, although it was officially retired in 1990 and replaced by the National
Development Policy (NDP). Recently much debate has surfaced once again concerning the results
and relevance of the NEP. Some have argued that the NEP has indeed successfully created a
Middle/Upper Class of Malay businesspersons and professionals. Despite some improvement in
the economic power of Malays in general, the Malaysian government maintains a policy of
discrimination that favours ethnic Malays over other races—including preferential treatment in
employment, education, scholarships, business, access to cheaper housing and assisted
savings.[62] This special treatment has sparked envy and resentment between non-Malays and
Malays.

::: Malaysia :::
The ethnic Chinese control of the locally owned sector of the country's economy, meanwhile, has
been ceded largely in favour of the Bumiputras/Malays in many essential or strategic industries
such as petroleum retailing, transportation, agriculture, automobile manufacturing, and other
industries. The rapid economic boom led to a variety of supply problems, however. Labour
shortages soon resulted in an influx of millions of foreign workers, many illegal. Cash-rich PLCs
and consortia of banks eager to benefit from increased and rapid development began large
infrastructure projects. This all ended when the Asian Financial Crisis hit in the fall of 1997,
delivering a massive shock to Malaysia's economy.
As with other countries affected by the crisis, there was speculative short-selling of the Malaysian
currency, the ringgit. Foreign direct investment fell at an alarming rate and, as capital flowed out of
the country, the value of the ringgit dropped from MYR 2.50 per USD to, at one point, MYR 4.80
per USD. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange's composite index plummeted from approximately
1300 points to around 400 points in a matter of weeks. After the controversial sacking of finance
minister Anwar Ibrahim, a National Economic Action Council was formed to deal with the monetary
crisis. Bank Negara imposed capital controls and pegged the Malaysian ringgit at 3.80 to the US
dollar. Malaysia refused economic aid packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
the World Bank, however, surprising many analysts.
Since 1994, the Malaysian car company, Proton, has owned Lotus, a previously British company that
produces the Lotus Europa S (pictured here) and other models.
In March 2005, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
published a paper on the sources and pace of Malaysia's recovery, written by Jomo K.S. of the
applied economics department, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. The paper concluded that the
controls imposed by Malaysia's government neither hurt nor helped recovery. The chief factor was
an increase in electronics components exports, which was caused by a large increase in the
demand for components in the United States, which was caused, in turn, by a fear of the effects of
the arrival of the year 2000 (Y2K) upon older computers and other digital devices.
However, the post Y2K slump of 2001 did not affect Malaysia as much as other countries. This
may have been clearer evidence that there are other causes and effects that can be more properly
attributable for recovery. One possibility is that the currency speculators had run out of finance
after failing in their attack on the Hong Kong dollar in August 1998 and after the Russian ruble
collapsed. (See George Soros)
Regardless of cause and effect claims, rejuvenation of the economy also coincided with massive
government spending and budget deficits in the years that followed the crisis. Later, Malaysia
enjoyed faster economic recovery compared to its neighbors. The country has recovered to the
levels of the pre-crisis era – as an example, the KLCI Composite Index hit an all time high of 1,386
on 20 June 2007 which is approximately 100 points higher than the pre-crisis record of 1,275 in
1993.

::: Malaysia :::
While the pace of development today is not as rapid, it is seen to be more sustainable. Although
the controls and economic housekeeping may or may not have been the principal reasons for
recovery, there is no doubt that the banking sector has become more resilient to external shocks.
The current account has also settled into a structural surplus, providing a cushion to capital flight.
Asset prices are generally back to their pre-crisis heights, despite the effects of the global financial
crisis. Malaysia is also the world's largest Islamic banking and financial centre.
The fixed exchange rate was abandoned in July 2005 in favour of a managed floating system
within an hour of China's announcing of the same move.[63] In the same week, the ringgit
strengthened a percent against various major currencies and was expected to appreciate further.
As of December 2005, however, expectations of further appreciation were muted as capital flight
exceeded USD 10 billion. [64] According to Bank Negara's published figures, Malaysia's foreign
exchange reserves increased steadily since the initial capital flight, from USD75.2 billion as at 15
July 2005 (just before the peg was removed) to peak at USD125.7 billion as at 31 July 2008, a few
months before the global credit crisis that started in September 2008. As at 29 May 2009, the
reserves stood at USD88.3 billion.
In September 2005, Sir Howard J. Davies, director of the London School of Economics, at a
meeting in Kuala Lumpur, cautioned Malaysian officials that if they want a flexible capital market,
they will have to lift the ban on short-selling put into effect during the crisis. In March 2006,
Malaysia removed the ban on short selling.[65] It is however interesting to note that in response to
the global financial crisis, some of the measures taken by the Malaysian government in response
to the Asian crisis, such as the ban on short selling, were swiftly adopted by the very countries that
had previously been critical of the Malaysian response.
Malaysia's rapid economic growth and prosperity is reflected by the Petronas Towers, the
headquarters of the national oil giant in Kuala Lumpur and, at one time, the tallest building in the
world.

::: Malaysia :::
Malaysia is also one of the region's top education and healthcare destinations. Malaysia is
recognised as a newly industrialized country.[66] In 2008, GDP per capita (PPP) of Malaysia
stands at US$14,215, ranking her 48th in the world, and 2nd in Southeast Asia, lagging far behind
neighboring Singapore, having a developed economy in Southeast Asia, with a GDP per capita
(PPP) of US$49,288, ranking 3rd in the world. By comparison, Thailand has a per capita income of
US$7,703 (ranked 81st) and Indonesia with US$3,975 (ranked 106th).
7. Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Malaysia
Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups, with the Malays at 50.4% making up the
majority and other bumiputra/indigenous (Aborigine) groups in Sabah and Sarawak at 11%[67] of
the population. By constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs (adat)
and culture. Therefore, technically, a Muslim of any race who practices Malay customs and culture
can be considered a Malay and have equal rights when it comes to Malay rights as stated in the
constitution. Non-Malay bumiputra groups make up more than half of the state of Sarawak's
population (of which 30% are Ibans), and close to 60% of Sabah's population (of which 18% are
Kadazan-Dusuns, and 17% are Bajaus).[67] There also exist aboriginal groups in much smaller
numbers on the Peninsula, where they are collectively known as Orang Asli.
Malaysia population density (person per Km2).
23.7% of the population are Malaysians of Chinese descent, while Malaysians of Indian descent
comprise 7.1% of the population.[67] Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th
century.[68] The majority of the Indian community are Tamils but various other groups are also
present, including Telugus, Malayalis, Punjabis, Bengalis and Gujaratis. Other Malaysians also
include those whose origin, can be traced to the Middle East, Thailand and Indonesia. Europeans
and Eurasians include British who settled in Malaysia since colonial times, and a strong Kristang
community in Malacca. A small number of Cambodians and Vietnamese settled in Malaysia as
Vietnam War refugees.
Population distribution by states and territories

Area Pop. Urban Bumiputera Chinese Indian
State Population
(km2) density pop.(%) (%) (%) (%)
Selangor 4,188,876 7960 526 87.6 43.5 35.7 19.6
Johor 2,740,625 18987 144 65.2 57.1 35.4 6.9
Sabah 2,603,485 73619 35 48.0 80.5 13.2 0.5
Sarawak 2,071,506 124450 17 48.1 72.9 26.7 0.2
Perak 2,051,236 21005 98 58.7 44.7 37.0 20

::: Malaysia :::
Kedah 1,649,756 9425 175 39.3 76.6 14.9 7.1
FT Kuala Lumpur 1,379,310 243 5676 100.0 38.6 46.5 13.4
Penang 1,313,449 1031 1274 80.1 27.5 61.5 10.6
Kelantan 1,313,014 15024 87 34.2 95.0 3.8 0.3
Pahang 1,288,376 35965 36 42.0 76.8 17.7 5.0
Terengganu 898,825 12955 69 48.7 96.8 2.8 0.2
Negeri Sembilan 859,924 6644 129 53.4 57.9 25.6 16.0
Malacca 635,791 1652 385 67.2 63.8 29.1 6.5
Perlis 204,450 795 257 34.3 85.5 10.3 1.3
FT Labuan 76,067 92 827 77.7 79.6 15.8 1.3
FT Putrajaya 45,000 148 304 100.0 94.8 1.8 2.7
Source: National Census 2000, Department of Statistics Malaysia. Putrajaya data is for 2004.
The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated on the
Malay Peninsula, while East Malaysia is relatively less populated. Due to the rise in labour
intensive industries, Malaysia has 10 to 20% foreign workers with the uncertainty due in part to the
large number of illegal workers. There are a million legal foreign workers and perhaps another
million unauthorized foreigners. The state of Sabah alone has nearly 25% of its 2.7 million
population listed as illegal foreign workers in the last census. However, this figure of 25% is
thought to be less than half the figure speculated by NGOs. [69]
Largest Cities of Malaysia

City State Population City State Population
1 Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory 1,809,699 8 Shah Alam Selangor 617,149
2 Subang Jaya Selangor 1,321,672 9 Kota Kinabalu Sabah 579,304
3 Klang Selangor 1,055,207 10 Kota Bharu Kelantan 577,301
4 Johor Bahru Johor 895 509 11 Petaling Jaya Selangor 543,415
5 Ampang Jaya Selangor 756,309 12 Tebrau Johor 525,351
6 Ipoh Perak 710,798 13 Cheras, Selangor Selangor 515,961
7 Kuching Sarawak 658,562 14 Sandakan Sabah 479,121
Additionally, according to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for
Refugees and Immigrants, Malaysia hosts a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering
approximately 155,700. Of this population, approximately 70,500 refugees and asylum seekers are
from the Philippines, 69,700 from Burma, and 21,800 from Indonesia.[70] The U.S. Committee for
Refugees and Immigrants named Malaysia as one of the Ten Worst Places for Refugees on
account of the country's discriminatory practices toward refugees. Malaysian officials are reported
to have turned deportees directly over to human smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employs the
RELA, a volunteer militia, to enforce its immigration law.[70]

::: Malaysia :::
Kuala Lumpur- Skyline Night
Subang Jaya is a residential town in the Klang Valley in Selangor, Malaysia. It is situated in the
district of Petaling. Subang Jaya refers, in varying contexts, to the original township developed by
Sime UEP Berhad (comprising roughly of the sections SS12-SS19, the larger Subang Jaya
township comprising of UEP Subang Jaya (USJ), Kampung Baru Subang and/or Subang town,
and rarely, the area governed by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), which governs areas
of the Petaling district not under Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam. Neighbouring Bandar Sunway,
technically part of Petaling Jaya, is also often mistaken to be part of Subang Jaya.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council has a land area of 70 square kilometres and has a population of
over 1,000,000 people including Puchong and Seri Kembangan[1]. Over the years, Subang Jaya
has matured into a community well-provided with amenities. The township has numerous schools,
colleges, a hospital, places of worship, and vibrant commercial areas.

::: Malaysia :::
7.1 Religion
Main article: Religion in Malaysia
Further information: Islam in Malaysia, Buddhism in Malaysia, Christianity in Malaysia, and

Hinduism in Malaysia
Islam is the largest and the official religion of Malaysia, though it is a multi-religious society with
many other religions prevailing. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000 figures,
approximately 60.4 percent of the population practiced Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent
Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 2.6 percent practice Confucianism, Taoism and other
traditional Chinese religions. The remaining was accounted for by other faiths, including Animism,
Folk religion, Sikhism and other faiths while 0.9% either reported as having no religion or did not
provide any information.[71][72]
All ethnic Malays are considered Muslim as defined by Article 160 of the Constitution of
Malaysia.[73] Additional statistics from the 2000 Census indicate that ethnic Chinese are
predominantly Buddhist (75.9%), with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (10.6%)
and Christianity (9.6%). The majority of ethnic Indians follow Hinduism (84.5%), with a significant
minority identifying as Christians (7.7%) and Muslims (3.8%). Christianity is the predominant
religion of the non-Malay Bumiputra community (50.1%) with an additional 36.3% identifying as
Muslims and 7.3% follow folk religion. [72]
Masjid Negara, is the national mosque of Malaysia.
The Malaysian constitution guarantees religious freedom. Muslims are obliged to follow the
decisions of Syariah courts when it comes to matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges
are expected to follow the Shafi`i legal school of Islam, which is the main madh'hab of
Malaysia.[74] The jurisdiction of Shariah court is limited only to Muslims over matters such as
marriage, inheritance, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others. No other criminal
or civil offenses are under the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to
the Civil Courts. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts (including the
Federal Court) in principle cannot overrule any decision made by the Syariah Courts.

::: Malaysia :::
7.2 Education
Main article: Education in Malaysia
Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.[75]

Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten. Most
kindergartens are run privately, but there are a few government-run kindergartens.
Primary education
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. There are two major
types of government-operated or government-assisted primary schools. The vernacular schools
(Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of teaching. Before
progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit for the Primary
School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR). A programme called First
Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) was used to measure the ability of bright pupils,
and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5, skipping Year 4.[76] However, this programme was
abolished in 2001.
Secondary education
Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah

Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main medium of
instruction. The only exceptions are the Mathematics and Science subjects as well as languages
other than Malay, however this was only implemented in the year 2003, and before that all non-
language subjects were taught in Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year,
students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR).
In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students sit for the Malaysian Certificate of
Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the former British
Ordinary or 'O' Levels. The oldest school in Malaysia is Penang Free School, also the oldest
school in South East Asia. The government has decided to abandon the use of English in teaching
Math and Science and revert to Bahasa Malaysia, starting in 2012. [77]
Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) is one of the earliest boarding schools established in British
Malaya.

::: Malaysia :::
An aerial view of Multimedia University's Cyberjaya campus. Multimedia University is Malaysia's first
private university.
The main building of the University of Nottingham's Malaysian Campus.
Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types, namely National
Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah
Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan)
which is also referred as Mission Schools, Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik),
Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).
There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught
in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardized by the United
Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, more commonly referred to by its
Chinese name, Dong Zong), however, unlike government schools, every independent school is
free to make its own decisions. Studying in independent schools takes 6 years to complete, divided
into Junior Level (3 years) and Senior Level (3 years). Students will sit for a standardized test
conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior
Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent
schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit
for the PMR and SPM as well.

::: Malaysia :::
As an interesting side note, the Pavilion shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur was built where a
Malaysian National Girls' School once stood.
Tertiary education
Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had
to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit for the Malaysian
Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British
Advanced or 'A' levels. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to
STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej
matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10%
of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students while the rest are reserved for Bumiputra
students.
There are public universities such as University of Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti
Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti
Teknologi Mara, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka,Universiti Tun
Hussein Onn Malaysia, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Private universities are also gaining
enough reputation for international quality education and many students from all over the world are
attracted to these universities. Such as Multimedia University, Universiti Teknologi Petronas,
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman etc. In addition, four international reputable universities have set
up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘offshore
campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus.
Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia
at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University
Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of
Technology Sarawak Campus and University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies.
Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States,
the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration
abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi College which
partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.[78] Malaysian students abroad study mostly in East
Asia, Middle East, Oceania, Northern America and Western Europe.
International schools
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools.
International schools offer students the opportunity to study the curriculum of another country.
These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country. International
schools include: the Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian curriculum), The Alice
Smith School (British Curriculum), elc International school (British Curriculum), The Garden
International School (British Curriculum), Lodge International School (British Curriculum), The
International School of Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American Curriculum), The
Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese Curriculum), The Chinese Taipei School, Kuala
Lumpur and The Chinese Taipei School, Penang (Taiwanese Curriculum), The International
School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British Curriculum), Lycée Français de Kuala
Lumpur (French Curriculum),Horizon International Turkish School[79] amongst others.
Multimedia University
Multimedia University is Malaysia's first private university which was established in 1994. It has two
campuses with one in Cyberjaya and another in Melaka. The distance between the two campuses
are approximately 150 kilometers, via the North South Expressway.

::: Malaysia :::
History
In 1994, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), the largest telecommunications company in Malaysia
established the Institute of Telecommunication and Information Technology (ITTM) in Taiping,
Perak. The first campus was Telekom Malaysia Berhad's former northern region office where the
first batch of 42 students was selected to undergo an experimental 2-year telecommunication
engineering diploma program. With the excellent academic success of the 1st and 2nd batch, ITTM
was rewarded the first private university status in Malaysia. With the university status in 1996,
ITTM renamed itself to Universiti Telekom. Two campuses were established, one in its original
location in Taiping, Perak and the other in Melaka.
The Melaka campus was set up in 1997 and is located in the Ayer Keroh district, the initial setting
up of the campus involved converting an old building belonging to the Telekom Malaysia Berhad's
southern region office.
Its Cyberjaya campus opened in Malaysia's first intelligent city, Cyberjaya, on 8 July 1999. This
campus was the brainchild of the country's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and
was as a centre of learning and research for the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), a 750 km² area
designated as the country's high-tech research and industrial area. The relationship between the
campus and the MSC is intended to be similar to the relationships U.C. Berkeley and Stanford
University share with the Silicon Valley. Later, he requested the management to change the name
of Universiti Telekom to Multimedia University.
Within the first five years of its founding, the university's total student population grew beyond
10,000 in both campuses.
The university is a member of LAOTSE, an international network of leading universities in Europe

and Asia.
Multimedia University's Melaka Campus
Recognition & Achievement
In 2002, The Multimedia Learning System (MMLS) of MMU won the Asia Pacific MSC IT&
Telecommunication Award (APMITTA) and the 2001 Asia Pacific Award for Best of Smart Learning
Applications[2].During 2004, MMU secured four awards from the Ministry of Education , namely,
the Highest Enrolment of Local Students, Excellence in R&D, the Highest Number of Courses
Accredited, Special Award in Recognition of MMU's Overall Achievement[3].

::: Malaysia :::
In film and video, the Westport Television Commercial Project by MMU students bagged the Silver
Screen Awards at the International Film and Video Awards held in the US. Also locally, film and
animation students from MMU also won several awards such as the Astro Next-gen
Contenpreneur Awards in 2008 and 2009, especially in the field of visual effects.[4].
As for engineering education, the AFEO Board unanimously agreed to confer upon MMU the
AFEO Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award 2007 for its outstanding achievements [5].
In 2009, MMU was ranked at 171 by THES-QS in the Asian University Rankings [6]. It is the first
private university in Malaysia to achieve such feat, making it the highest ranked of its kind in the list
to date.
7.3 Healthcare
Further information: List of hospitals in Malaysia and Healthcare in Malaysia
The Malaysian government places importance on the expansion and development of health care,
putting 5% of the government social sector development budget into public health care—an
increase of more than 47% over the previous figure. This has meant an overall increase of more
than RM 2 billion. With a rising and aging population, the Government wishes to improve in many
areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals,
expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth.
Over the last couple of years, the Malaysian Health Ministry has increased its efforts to overhaul
the systems and attract more foreign investment.
The country generally has an efficient and widespread system of health care. It implements a
universal healthcare system, and co-exists with private healthcare system. Infant mortality rate – a
standard in determining the overall efficiency of healthcare – in 2005 was 10, comparing favourably
with the United States and western Europe. Life expectancy at birth in 2005 was 74 years.
The Malaysian health care system requires doctors to perform a compulsory three years service
with public hospitals to ensure the manpower of these hospitals is maintained. Recently foreign
doctors have also been encouraged to take up employment here. There is still, however, a
compound shortage of medical workforce, especially that of highly trained specialists resulting in
certain medical care and treatment only available in large cities. Recent efforts to bring many
facilities to other towns have been hampered by lack of expertise to run the available equipment
made ready by investments.
The majority of private hospitals are in urban areas and, are very dense, unlike many of the public
hospitals, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities. Private hospitals have not
generally been seen as an ideal investment—it has often taken up to ten years before companies
have seen any profits. However, the situation has now changed and companies are now looking
into this area again, particularly in view of the increasing interest by foreigners in coming to
Malaysia for medical care and the recent government focus to develop the health tourism
industry.[80]
7.4 Citizenship
Main article: Malaysian citizenship
Most Malaysians are granted citizenship by lex soli. [81] Citizenship in the states of Sabah and
Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for immigration
purposes. Every citizen is issued a biometric smart chip identity card, known as MyKad, at the age
of 12, and must carry the card at all times.[82]

::: Malaysia :::
8. Culture
Main article: Culture of Malaysia
See also: Tourism in Malaysia, Cuisine of Malaysia, and Music of Malaysia
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society. The population is 28 million.[5]

Figures from 2007 show the population consisting of 62% Bumiputeras (including Indigenous
people), 24% Chinese, 8% Indians, with other minorities along with foreigners (mostly semi-skilled
workers) (Dept of Stats. Malaysia). Ethnic tensions have been volatile in recent months in tandem
with the rising temperature of the political scenario in the country. [83]
The Malays, who form the largest community, are defined as Muslims in the Constitution of
Malaysia. The Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as
bumiputra. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Melaysia), which is the national language of
the country. [84] However, English is also widely spoken in major towns and cities across the
country.
A cook making a murtabak, a type of pancake filled with eggs, small chunks of meat and onions, in
Kuala Lumpur.
In the past, Malays wrote in Sanskrit or using Sanskrit-based alphabets. After the 15th century,
Jawi (a script based on Arabic) became popular.[citation needed] Over time, romanised script
overtook Sanskrit and Jawi as the dominant script. This was largely due to the influence of the
colonial education system, which taught children in roman writing rather than in Arabic script.
The largest non-Malay indigenous tribe is the Iban of Sarawak, who number over 600,000. Some
Iban still live in traditional jungle villages in long houses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and
their tributaries, although many have moved to the cities. The Bidayuhs, numbering around
170,000, are concentrated in the southwestern part of Sarawak. The largest indigenous tribe in
Sabah is the Kadazan. They are largely Christian subsistence farmers. The 140,000 Orang Asli, or
aboriginal peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in peninsular
Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter/gatherers and agriculturalists, many have been
sedentarised and partially absorbed into modern Malaysia.

::: Malaysia :::
The Chinese population in Malaysia are mostly Buddhist (of Mahayana sect) or Taoist, although
some of the younger generations are choosing Christianity as their religion. The Chinese
community in Malaysia speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien,
Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew. A large majority of Chinese in Malaysia, especially those from
the larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Ipoh, Klang and Penang speak decent
English as well. There has also been an increasing number of the present generation Chinese who
consider English as their first language. The Chinese have historically been dominant in the
Malaysian business and commerce community.
People of Indian origin in Kuala Lumpur.
The Indians in Malaysia are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India whose native language is
Tamil. There are also other Indian communities which are Telugu-, Malayalam- or Hindi-speaking,
living mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. Many middle- to upper-middle
class Indians in Malaysia speak English as a first language. A 200,000-strong Tamil Muslim
community also thrives as an independent subcultural group. There are also Tamil Christian
communities in major cities and towns. Most Indians originally migrated from India as traders,
teachers or other skilled workers. A larger number were also part of the forced migrations from
India by the British during colonial times to work in the plantation industry.[85][86] There is also a
sizable Punjabi-Sikh community in Malaysia of over 100,000. The Sikhs migrated to Malaya to
work as police, soldiers and jagas (security guards).
Penang Rojak in Malaysia.

::: Malaysia :::
Eurasians, Cambodians, Vietnamese, Thais, Bugis, Javanese and indigenous tribes make up the
remaining population. A small number of Eurasians, of mixed Portuguese and Malay descent,
speak a Portuguese-based creole, called Papiá Kristang. There are also Eurasians of mixed
Filipino and Spanish descent, mostly in Sabah. Descended from immigrants from the Philippines,
some speak Chavacano, the only Spanish-based creole language in Asia.
Cambodians and Vietnamese are mostly Buddhists (Cambodians of Theravada sect and
Vietnamese, Mahayana sect). Thai Malaysians have been populating a big part of the northern
peninsular states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu. Besides speaking
Thai, most of them are Buddhists, celebrate Songkran (Water festival) and can speak Hokkien, but
some of them are Muslim and speak the Kelantanese Malay Dialect. Bugis and Javanese make up
a part of the population in Johore. In addition, there have been many foreigners and expatriates
who have made Malaysia their second home, also contributing to Malaysia's population.
Chinese and Islamic forms heavily influence Malaysian traditional music. The music is based
largely around the gendang (drum), but includes other percussion instruments (some made of
shells); the rebab, a bowed string instrument; the serunai, a double-reed oboe-like instrument;
flutes, and trumpets. The country has a strong tradition of dance and dance dramas, some of Thai,
Indian and Portuguese origin. In recent years, dikir barat has grown in popularity, and the
government has begun to promote it as a national cultural icon.[87]
Malaysia encompasses certain art forms with neighbouring Indonesia, including wayang kulit
(shadow puppet theatre), silat (a stylised martial art) and craft techniques such as weaving and
metallurgy.[citation needed]
8.1 Holidays
Main article: Public holidays in Malaysia
Malaysians observe a number of holidays and festivities throughout the year. Some holidays are
federal gazetted public holidays and some are public holidays observed by individual states. Other
festivals are observed by particular ethnic or religion groups, but are not public holidays.
The most celebrated holiday is the "Hari Kebangsaan" (Independence Day), otherwise known as
"Merdeka" (Freedom), on 31 August commemorating the independence of the Federation of
Malaya in 1957, while Malaysia Day is only celebrated in the state of Sabah on 16 September to
commemorate the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Hari Merdeka, as well as Labour Day (1 May),
the King's birthday (first Saturday of June) and some other festivals are federal gazetted public
holidays.
Typical festive fare during Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Haji (clockwise from bottom left): beef soup,
ketupat (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh.

::: Malaysia :::
Muslims in Malaysia celebrate Muslim holidays. The most celebrated festival, Hari Raya Puasa
(also called Hari Raya Aidilfitri) is the Malay translation of Eid al-Fitr. It is generally a festival
honoured by the Muslims worldwide marking the end of Ramadan, the fasting month. The sight of
the new moon determines the end of Ramadan. This determines the new month, therefore the end
of the fasting month. In addition to Hari Raya Puasa, they also celebrate Hari Raya Haji (also
called Hari Raya Aidiladha, the translation of Eid ul-Adha), Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) and
Maulidur Rasul (Birthday of the Prophet).
Chinese in Malaysia typically celebrate festivals that are observed by Chinese around the world.
Chinese New Year is the most celebrated among the festivals which lasts for fifteen days and ends
with Chap Goh Mei. Other festivals celebrated by Chinese are the Qingming Festival, the Dragon
Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to traditional Chinese festivals, Buddhists
Chinese also celebrate Vesak.
The majority of Indians in Malaysia are Hindus and they celebrate Diwali/Deepavali, the festival of
light, while Thaipusam is a celebration which pilgrims from all over the country flock to Batu Caves.
Apart from the Hindus, Sikhs celebrate the Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year.
Other festivals such as Good Friday (East Malaysia only), Christmas, Hari Gawai of the Ibans
(Dayaks), Pesta Menuai (Pesta Kaamatan) of the Kadazan-Dusuns are also celebrated in
Malaysia.
Despite most of the festivals being identified with a particular ethnic or religious group, all
Malaysians celebrate the festivities together, regardless of their background. For years when the
Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year coincided, a portmanteau Kongsi Raya was coined,
which is a combination of Gong Xi Fa Cai (a greeting used on the Chinese New Year) and Hari
Raya (which could also mean "celebrating together" in Malay. Similarly, the portmanteau Deepa
Raya was coined when Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali coincided.
Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting
unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of
acts considered immoral. [88]

::: Malaysia :::
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::: Malaysia :::
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::: Malaysia :::
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::: Malaysia :::
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caste groups so the British took advantage of that," says Ramanujan, adding that thousands of Indians,

::: Malaysia :::
especially from Tamil Nadu, came as indentured labor to work the plantations, with only a few coming
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Malaysia: "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu"

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Malaysia: "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu"

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::: Malaysia :::

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 1

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 2

Malaysia (pronounced /mə’leə/ mə-LAY-zhə or /mə’leziə/ mə-LAY-zee-ə) is a country in

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 3

The Jalur Gemilang

The Coat of Arms of Malaysia

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 4

The Motto of Malaysia

"Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”

Malay Literal English translation

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 5

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 6

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 7

Lokananta, Indonesia's state-owned recording company alleged that "Negaraku" imitated

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 8

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

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 9

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 10

2.3 British arrival

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 11

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 12

2.4 Post independence

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 13

3. Government and politics

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 14

Current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak.

The system of government in Malaysia is closely modeled on that of Westminster parliamentary

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 15

3.1 Foreign relations

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 16

Administratively, Malaysia consists of 13 states (11 in peninsular Malaysia and 2 in Malaysian

Name Capital Pop. Area (km²)

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 17

Map of peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo).

Beach scenery of Pulau Tioman.

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 18

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 19

Kuala Lumpur International Airport

5.1 Natural resources

Palm oil estate in Malaysia.

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 20

Foreign News: Rubber from Malaya

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 21

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932934,00.html#ixzz0eEcZKrOH

Rubber latex. Malaysia was the world's largest producer of rubber.

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 22

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 23

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 24

Malaysia population density (person per Km2).

Population distribution by states and territories

Selangor 4,188,876 7960 526 87.6 43.5 35.7 19.6

Johor 2,740,625 18987 144 65.2 57.1 35.4 6.9

Sabah 2,603,485 73619 35 48.0 80.5 13.2 0.5

Sarawak 2,071,506 124450 17 48.1 72.9 26.7 0.2

Perak 2,051,236 21005 98 58.7 44.7 37.0 20

Source: Wikipedia | Maurijones J. de Albuquerque 25

FT Kuala Lumpur 1,379,310 243 5676 100.0 38.6 46.5 13.4

Penang 1,313,449 1031 1274 80.1 27.5 61.5 10.6

Kelantan 1,313,014 15024 87 34.2 95.0 3.8 0.3

Pahang 1,288,376 35965 36 42.0 76.8 17.7 5.0

Terengganu 898,825 12955 69 48.7 96.8 2.8 0.2