East Malaysia - wikipedia East Malaysia East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal territory of Labuan. Political map of the island of Borneo, with East Malaysia shown in orange East Malaysia ( Malaysia Timur ), also known as Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan ( Sabah, Sarawak dan Labuan ) or Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on the island of Borneo, the world 's third largest island. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah, closer to the Philippines than the west of the country, Sarawak in the west and the Federal Territory of Labuan. Labuan is an island in its small archipelago of the same name due north of Brunei ; its closest land mass is with Sabah. It lies to the east of Peninsular Malaysia ( West Malaysia ), the part of the country on the Malay Peninsula. The two are separated by the South China Sea. East Malaysia is less populated and overall less developed in its settlements than its West which contains Kuala Lumpur and Penang however its land mass is larger and it has more of many natural resources including oil and gas reserves. City status award is restrained in the pan-regional style so reserved to Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Miri ; Victoria, Labuan for example is an Offshore Financial Centre and major port. In ecology it has a significant proportion of the biodiverse Borneo lowland rain forests and Borneo montane rain forests. Contents 1 History 2 Federation 3 Administration 4 Politics 5 Physical geography 6 Geology 7 Population 8 Education 9 Transport 10 Security 11 References 12 External links 13 Bibliography History See also : History of Sabah, History of Sarawak, History of Labuan, and British Borneo Some parts of present - day East Malaysia, especially the coastal regions, were once part of the thalassocracy of the Sultanate of Brunei. However, most parts of the interior region consisted of independent tribal societies. In 1658, the northern and eastern coasts of Sabah were ceded to the Sultanate of Sulu while the west coast of Sabah and most of Sarawak remained part of Brunei. Beginning in the mid 19th century, Sabah and Sarawak became British protectorates, and, in 1946, they became separate British colonies. Federation Sabah ( formerly British North Borneo ) and Sarawak were separate British colonies from Malaya, and did not become part of the Federation of Malaya in 1957. However, each voted to become part of the new Federation of Malaysia along with the Federation of Malaya and Singapore in 1963. Previously, there were efforts to unite Brunei, Sabah, and Sarawak under the North Borneo Federation but that failed after the Brunei Revolt occurred. Sabah and Sarawak retained a higher degree of local government and legislative autonomy than other states in West Malaysia. For example, both states have their own immigration controls, requiring Malaysian citizens from West Malaysia to carry passports or identity cards when visiting East Malaysia. The islands of Labuan were once part of North Borneo ( later Sabah ) in 1946 before becoming a Federal Territory in Malaysia on 1984. It was used to establish a centre for offshore finance in 1990. Since 2010, there has been some speculation and discussion, at least on the ground level, about the possibility of secession from the Federation of Malaysia because of allegations of resource mishandling, illegal processing of immigrants, etc. Administration It has been a source of debate whether the states of Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia as equal partners with Malaya and Singapore or whether they became merely equal partners of the states of Malaya ( Peninsular Malaysia ). The consensus seems to be that Sabah and Sarawak are merely states of the federation with a slightly higher degree of autonomy compared to states in Peninsular Malaysia. For example, the East Malaysian states have separate laws regulating the entry of citizens from other states in Malaysia ( including the other East Malaysian state ), whereas, in Peninsular Malaysia, there are no restrictions on interstate travel or migration, including visitors from East Malaysia. There are also separate land laws governing Sabah and Sarawak, as opposed to the National Land Code, which governs Peninsular Malaysia. With regard to the administration of justice, the courts in East Malaysia are part of the federal court system in Malaysia. The Constitution of Malaysia provides that there shall be two High Courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction -- The High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak ( formerly the High Court in Borneo ). The current Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak is Richard Malanjum from Sabah. His office is the fourth highest in the Malaysian judicial system ( behind the Chief Judge of Malaya, President of the Court of Appeal, and Chief Justice of Malaysia ). Politics In 1976, all the Sabah and Sarawak MPs supported the Malaysian parliament bill which downgraded both the states from equal partners to one of the 13 states in the federation. Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan currently holding a total of 57 out 222 seats ( 25.68 % ) in the Malaysian parliament with majority of the seats going to the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional ever since the two states hold their first state elections. However, Jeffrey Kitingan from Sabah, who is vocal of East Malaysian rights, is concerned that the number of seats from East Malaysia is under - represented in the Malaysian parliament as compared to the ideal representation of 35 % stated in the Cobbold Commission report. After the conclusion of 2013 Malaysian general election, East Malaysia contributed a total of 47 parliamentary seats ( 35.34 % ) out of the 133 seats won by the Barisan Nasional coalition following the Barisan dismal performance in Peninsular Malaysia. This has resulted an increase in ministers and deputy ministers allocation for East Malaysia in the Malaysian Cabinet from 11 out of 57 portfolios in 2008 election to 20 out of 61 after the 2013 election. On the basis that East Malaysia should be treated as an equal partner as compared to the Peninsular, local lawmakers have urged the federal government since the year 2011 to appoint at least one deputy prime minister from East Malaysia to the federal cabinet. Political parties in Sarawak and Sabah evolved independently of each other. Party switching and party leadership tussles are common in both the states. Physical geography A topographic map of Borneo with East Malaysia located on the northern portion of the island The landscape of East Malaysia is mostly lowland rain forests with areas of mountain rain forest towards the hinterland. The total area of East Malaysia is 198,447 km, representing approximately 60 % of the total land area of Malaysia and 26.4 % of the total area of Borneo, which is 50 % bigger than Peninsular Malaysia at 132,156 square kilometres ( 51,026 sq mi ), comparable with South Dakota or Great Britain. East Malaysia contains the five highest mountains in Malaysia, the highest being Mount Kinabalu at 4095 m, which is also the highest mountain in Borneo and the 10th highest mountain peak in Southeast Asia. It also contains the two longest rivers in Malaysia -- Rajang River and Kinabatangan River. Banggi Island in Sabah and Bruit Island in Sarawak are the two largest islands that are located entirely within Malaysia. The largest island is Borneo, which is shared with Indonesia and Brunei. The second largest island is Sebatik Island, in Sabah, which is shared with Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves within Gunung Mulu National Park. Its Sarawak Chamber is the largest known cave chamber in the world. The Gunung Mulu National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in November 2000. Sabah 's attractions include World Heritage Site Kinabalu Park ( which includes Mount Kinabalu ), and Sipadan Island ( a diving and bio-diversity hot - spot ). Geology Several oil and gas fields have been discovered offshore, including the Samarang oil field ( 1972 ) offshore Sabah, the Baronia oil field ( 1967 ) offshore Sarawak, and the Central Luconia natural gas fields ( 1968 ), also offshore Sarawak. The Baronia Field is a domal structural trap between two east - west growth faults, which produces from late Miocene sandstones interbedded with siltstones and clays at 2 km depth in 75 m of water. The Samarang Field produces from late Miocene sandtones in an alternating sequence of sandstones, siltstones and clays in an anticline at a depth of about 3 km in water 9 -- 45 m. The Central Luconia Gas Fields produce from middle to late Miocene carbonate platform and pinnacle reefs from 1.25 - 3.76 km deep and water depths 60 - 100m. Population Ethnicity in East Malaysia ( 2015 ) Indigenous / Non - Malay Bumiputera ( 50.9 % ) Non - Malaysian Citizen ( 17.8 % ) Chinese ( 14.7 % ) Bumiputera ( Malay ) ( 14.4 % ) Others ( 1.9 % ) Indian ( 0.3 % ) Religion in East Malaysia -- 2010 Census Religion Percent Islam 51.3 % Christianity 33.3 % Buddhism 9.3 % Chinese folk religion 2.6 % Unknown / None 1.6 % No religion 1.3 % Others 0.5 % Hinduism 0.1 % The total population of East Malaysia in 2010 was 5.77 million ( 3.21 million in Sabah, 2.47 million in Sarawak, and 0.09 million in Labuan ), which represents 20.4 % of the population of Malaysia. A significant part of the population of East Malaysia today reside in towns and cities. The largest city and urban centre is Kuching, which is also the capital of Sarawak and has a population of over 600,000 people. Kota Kinabalu is the second largest, and one of the most important cities in East Malaysia. Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Miri are the only three places with city status in East Malaysia. Other important towns include Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah, Sibu and Bintulu in Sarawak, and Victoria in Labuan. The earliest inhabitants of East Malaysia were the Dayak people and other related ethnic groups such as the Kadazan - Dusun people. These indigenous people form a significant portion, but not the majority, of the population. For hundreds of years, there has been significant migration into East Malaysia and Borneo from many parts of the Malay Archipelago, including Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, and Sulu. More recently, there has been immigration from India and China. The indigenous inhabitants were originally animists. Islamic influence began as early as the 15th century, while Christian influence started in the 19th century. The indigenous inhabitants are generally partisan and maintain culturally distinct dialects of the Malay language, in addition to their own ethnic languages. Approximately 13 % of the population of Sabah, and 26 % of the population of Sarawak, is composed of ethnic Chinese Malaysians. However, the demography of Sabah has been altered dramatically with the alleged implementation of Project IC in the 1990s. Citizenships are alleged to be granted to immigrants of Indonesia and Philippines in order to keep the UMNO ruling party in power. Royal Commission of Inquiry ( RCI ) has been conducted from 11 August 2012 to 20 September 2013. The outcome of the investigation was submitted to the prime minister on 19 May 2014. The report was released on 3 December 2014 after 6 months delay. It stated that Project IC might have existed, which was responsible for a sudden spike in the state population. However, the report did not pinpoint any responsibility except for `` corrupt officials '' who took advantage of the system. Education East Malaysia currently has two public universities, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak ( UNIMAS ) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah ( UMS ). Universiti Teknologi Mara ( UiTM ) also has branch campuses in both states. Labuan 's own institution of higher education is Universiti Malaysia Sabah Labuan International Campus, which has a branch in Sepanggar Bay, Kota Kinabalu. All prospective university entrants from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan must sit the examinations of one matriculation college, Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan. UCSI University, Sarawak Campus, University College of Technology Sarawak ( UCTS ) Tunku Abdul Rahman University College ( Sabah campus ), International University College Of Technology Twintech ( Sabah campus ), and Open University Malaysia ( Sabah campus ) have local private university branch campuses in East Malaysia. Curtin University, Malaysia and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus are foreign university branch campuses in Sarawak. There are 4 teacher training colleges ( Malay : Maktab Perguruan ) in Sarawak, and 4 teacher training colleges in Sabah. Transport The Pan Borneo Highway connects Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. The road has been poorly maintained since it was built. The narrow road is dark at night without any street lights and there are many danger spots, sharp bends, blind spots, potholes, and erosion. However, federal government funds have been allocated for the upgrade of the highway, which will be carried out in stages until completion in 2025. The major airports in East Malaysia are Kuching International Airport, Labuan Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport. There are frequent air flights by carriers including Malaysia Airlines ( MAS ) and AirAsia between East Malaysia and Peninsular Malaysia. Other ports of entry to East Malaysia include Sibu Airport, Bintulu Airport, and Miri Airport in Sarawak, Sandakan Airport and Tawau Airport in Sabah. MAS also operates international flights to major cities in East Malaysia. The rural areas in Borneo can only be accessed by air or river boat. River transport is especially prevalent in Sarawak because there are many large and long rivers, with Rajang River being the most used. Rivers are used by boats and ferries for communications ( i.e. mail ) and passenger transport between inland areas and coastal towns. Timber is also transported via vessels and log carriers down the rivers of Sarawak. The Labuan Ferry operates boat express and vehicle ferries from Labuan Island to Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. Ferries have overtaken air travel as the chief transportation mode on and off the island. Security Main article : Cross border attacks in Sabah The state of Sabah has been subjected to attacks by Moro pirates and militants since the 1960s and intensification in 1985, 2000, 2013. The Eastern Sabah Security Zone ( ESSZONE ) and Eastern Sabah Security Command ( ESSCOM ) were established on 25 March 2013 to tighten security in the region. Since 2014, a 12 - hour dusk - to - dawn curfew has been imposed on six Sabah east coast districts. References Jump up ^ The latter term is more commonly used in Malaysia to avoid the connotation of `` East Malaysia '' and `` West Malaysia '' ( Peninsular Malaysia ) being two separate countries, as in former East Germany and West Germany. Jump up ^ `` Malaysia urged to scrap coal plant in eco-sensitive Borneo ''. AFP. 7 July 2010. 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Aquaviews : Online Scuba Magazine. Retrieved 20 July 2010. ^ Jump up to : Scherer, F.C., 1980, Exploration in East Malaysia Over the Past Decade, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, ISBN 0891813063, p. 424 Jump up ^ `` Chart 3 : Population distribution by state, Malaysia, 2010 '' ( PDF ). Population Distribution and Basic Demographic Characteristics 2010 ( in Malay and English ). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. p. 2 ( p. 13 in PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` SPECIAL REPORT : Sabah 's Project M ( subscription required ) ''. Malaysiakini. 27 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` RCI report on Sabah 's illegal immigrants handed to PM, Agong ''. The Malay Mail. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014. Jump up ^ Chi, Melissa ( 3 December 2014 ). `` ' Corrupt officials ' blamed for Sabah problems, but RCI says hands tied ''. The Malay Mail. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` Institut Pendidikan Guru ( Teachers ' Training Institute ) ''. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia ( Malaysian Ministry of Education ). Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015. IPG Kampus Sarawak, IPG Kampus Tun Abdul Razak, IPG Kampus Batu Lintang ( 1st page ), IPG Kampus Rajang ( 2nd page ) Jump up ^ Then, Stephen ( 13 September 2013 ). `` Repair Pan Borneo Highway now, says Bintulu MP following latest fatal accident ''. The Star ( Malaysia ). Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2014. Jump up ^ `` Pan Borneo Highway project will be carried out in stages, says minister ''. The Star ( Malaysia ). 14 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. 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Memorandum by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 29 August 1945 Manila Accord ( 31 July 1963 ) Exchange of notes constituting an agreement relating to the implementation of the Manila Accord of 31 July 1963 Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Malaysia Act 1963 Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore Coordinates : 3 ° N 114 ° E ﻿ / ﻿ 3 ° N 114 ° E ﻿ / 3 ; 114 Malaysia articles History Timeline Prehistoric Portuguese Malacca Dutch Malacca British Malaya Straits Settlements Federated Malay States Unfederated Malay States British Borneo Kingdom of Sarawak Crown Colony of Labuan North Borneo Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo British Military Administration ( Malaya / Borneo ) Malayan Union Federation of Malaya Independence Malayan Emergency Crown Colony of Singapore Self - government Crown Colony of Sarawak Self - government Crown Colony of North Borneo Self - government Malaysia Agreement 1962 Singapore referendum Cobbold Commission 18 - point agreement 20 - point agreement Indonesia -- Malaysia confrontation Sarawak Communist Insurgency Proclamation Malaysia Day PAP -- UMNO relations 1964 race riots Singapore in Malaysia Second Malayan Emergency 13 May Incident 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1997 Asian financial crisis Geography Cities, towns and villages Districts Divisions East Malaysia Environment Fauna Flora World Heritage Sites Islands Lakes Mountains National parks Peninsular Malaysia Rivers States Politics Cabinet Constitution Elections Foreign relations Government Human rights Judiciary Law Law enforcement Military Monarchies Parliament Political parties Prime Minister State legislative assemblies Head of state Economy Agriculture Banks Central bank Energy Federal budget Ringgit ( currency ) States by GDP Science and technology Stock exchange Telecommunications Tourism Transport Unions Society Crime Demographics Malaysians Education Post-secondary Universities Ethnic groups Health Income disparity Languages Poverty Religion Water supply and sanitation Women International rankings Culture Architecture Cinema Cuisine Folklore Mythology Literature Malay lordship Media Music Names Public holidays Sport Symbols Animal Anthem Emblem Flag Flower Pledge Outline Index Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_Malaysia&oldid=856627029 '' Categories : Borneo Geography of Malaysia Maritime Southeast Asia Hidden categories : Webarchive template archiveis links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2012 Articles with dead external links from August 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links CS1 Malay - language sources ( ms ) CS1 errors : external links EngvarB from April 2013 Use dmy dates from April 2013 Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Asturianu বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Español فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Lietuvių Bahasa Melayu Baso Minangkabau Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Română Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe اردو Tiếng Việt 中文 21 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 August 2018, at 15 : 22 ( UTC ). 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Question: sabah and sarawak are part of which island
Answer: East Malaysia