Malaysia
LOCATION
Situated in Southeast Asia just North of the Equator.  To the south is Singapore and Indonesia, to the north, Thailand and to the east lies the Philippines.

POPULATION
22.2 million people made up by mostly of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak.

LANGUAGE
Official language            Bahasa Malaysia (Malay). 
Other Languages           English (wildly used all over the country), Chinese and Tamil.

CLIMATE
Sunny, hot, and humid all year round.  Temperatures range from 21 degrees C to 32 degrees C, annual rainfall from 2000cm-2500cm.  It can rain at anytime in Malaysia but generally it falls mainly in the afternoons.  Wety season: November/February (East Coast, Sabah/Sarawak).  August/ September (West Coast). 

CURRENCY
Malaysian Ringgit (Dollar), divided into 100 sen.  (1 US$ = 3.80 RM)

 
 
AREA
330,434sq km covering two regions - Peninsular Malaysia (which is the southernmost tip of Mainland Asia), and the states of Sabah and Sarawak (on Borneo Island).

TIME
8 hrs ahead of GMT and 16 hrs ahead of US Pacific standard time.

FEDERAL CAPITAL
Kuala Lumpur. (45 min flying time from Singapore, 2½ hrs from Bangkok, and 6 hrs from Tokyo)

 
HISTORY
     Because of its strategic position between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Malaysia has long been a meeting place for traders and travelers from West and East.  Hence, its history is one of continual interaction with foreign powers and influences. 
     Hindu-Buddhist influence was strong in the centuries before the coming of Islam.  By 1400, when the Malacca Malay Kingdom once at the height of its power, Islam has become a major influence.  By 1511, however, Malacca has fallen to the Portuguese.  Meanwhile, the Dutch had been establishing their influence and presence in Java.  By 1641, the Dutch has also taken over Malacca but they in turn lost it to the British who had been slowly  consolidating their hold on the Malay states following Light's arrival in Penang in 1786.  In 1815 Malacca is in British hands and in 1819, Stamford Raffles founded Singapore.  Thereafter, through treaties, relentless political pressure and diplomacy, the British slowly extended their control over all the states of the Malay Peninsula.

GOVERNMENT 
     Parliamentary democracy based on universal suffrage.  Malaysia comprises 13 states, 9 of which have hereditary rulers.  Supreme head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) who is selected every 5 yrs from among the 9 rulers.
     The head of government is the Prime Minister, who must be a member of the Dewan Rakyat (house of representatives) of parliament.  Parliament itself comprises two Houses: the Dewan Rakyat, which is fully elective, and the Dewan Negara (Senate) to which members are nominated by H.M. the King from among citizens who have rendered distinguished public service or have achieved distinction in professions or are representatives of racial minorities or are capable of representing the interests of the aborigines. 
     As head of governement, the Prime Minister heads the Cabinet, which is made up of the various Ministers of Government.
     Each of the 13 states of Malaysia also has its own Chief Minister or Mentery Besar, who is also elected to office, and its own (elected) State Assembly.
ECONOMY
     Basically a developing free-enterprise economy based on primary products but steadily undergoing industrialisation.  Malaysia is among the world's largest producers of tin, rubber, and palm oil.  Other major products: Petroleum (the exploration and production of which is carried under the supervision of the national oil corporation, Petronas), timber and pepper.  A number of agencies such as Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia (HICOM), and State Economic Development Corporations. 

 

Home    Autobiography     Biography  Picture Gallery    Bibliography    Malaysia    Critiques     Literary Works    Acknowledgements