Malaysia Malaysia , a country in south-east Asia, having two parts, West and East, separated by the South China Sea. East Malaysia comprises Sarawak and Sabah in the north and north-west of the island of Borneo. Inland, the Malayan highlands are forested and provide tropical hardwoods. East Malaysia and off-shore waters are rich in mineral oil. Manufacturing industry produces automobiles, electronics, cigarettes, tyres, sawn logs, and cement.
Crude oil is an important export.
Agriculture, with rice the principal subsistence crop, remains the mainstay of the economy, despite high industrial growth in recent years. Other mineral resources include bauxite, iron ore, and copper. Established in 1963, the Federation of Malaysia originally included Singapore but it was forced to secede in 1965 because of fears that its largely Chinese population would challenge Malay political dominance. Brunei refused to join the Federation. In 1969, inequalities between the politically dominant Malays and economically dominant Chinese resulted in riots in Kuala Lumpur, and parliamentary government was suspended until 1971.