Malaysia

**Malaysia** is a federal constitutional monarchy located in South East Asia. It borders Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei, while also sharing close maritime borders with the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.

## History

### Independence and Twenty-First Century

The Malayan Union, established in 1946, and consisting of all the British possessions in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore, was quickly dissolved and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection. During this time, mostly Chinese rebels under the leadership of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency lasted from 1948 to 1960, and involved a long anti-insurgency campaign by Commonwealth troops in Malaya. After this a plan was put in place to federate Malaya with the crown colonies of North Borneo (which joined as Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore. The proposed date of federation was 31 August 1963; however, the date was delayed until 16 September 1963.

Federation brought heightened tensions including a conflict with Indonesia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife. This strife culminated in the 13 May race riots in 1969. After the riots, the controversial New Economic Policy was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, trying to increase the share of the economy held by the bumiputera. Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization beginning in the 1980s. The economy shifted from being agriculturally based to one based on manufacturing and industry. Numerous mega-projects were completed, such as the Petronas Towers, the North-South Expressway, the Multimedia Super Corridor, and the new federal administrative capital of Putrajaya. However, in the late 1990s the Asian financial crisis almost caused the collapse of the currency and the stock and property markets.

## Government and Politics

Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy, and the only federation in Southeast Asia. The system of government is closely modelled on that of the Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British colonial rule. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as the King. The King is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states. Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral federal parliament consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives and the upper house, the Senate. The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years from single-member constituencies. All 70 senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and the remaining 44 are appointed by the King upon the Prime Minister's recommendation.

### Subdivisions

Malaysia is divided into two main regions, West Malaysia at the end of the Malaya Peninsula and East Malaysia in Borneo. These regions are subdivided into 13 states. These states are:

* Johor
* Kedah
* Kelantan
* Malacca
* Negeri Sembilan
* Pahang
* Perak
* Perlis
* Penang
* Sabah
* Selangor
* Sarawak
* Terengganu

Malaysia also consists three federal territories of:

* Kuala Lumpur
* Labuan
* Putrajaya

### Foreign Relations

A founding member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the country participates in many international organizations such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). A former British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In 2019, **Malaysia** joined the G-30 economic forum. The Four Power Defence Agreement (originally Five Power with New Zealand) is a regional security initiative which **Malaysia**, along with the UK, Australia and Singapore are members of.

The policy towards territorial disputes by the government is one of pragmatism, with the government solving disputes in a number of ways, such as bringing the case to the International Court of Justice. The Spratly Islands are disputed by many states in the area, and the entirety of the South China Sea is claimed by China. Nevertheless, unlike its neighbours of Vietnam and the Philippines, **Malaysia** has avoided any conflicts with China.

## Economy

**Malaysia** has a high tech manufacturing based economy. Many of Malaysian business people are fluent in English and Mandarin, giving them a competitive advantage in international business and finance. **Malaysia** also has a strong tourism industry attracting tourists from throughout Europe, Asia and North America. **Malaysia**'s location along the strategic Strait of Malacca helped make the country a trade hub for Asia.

During the early 2020s, the Kunming-Singapore HSR Line linked **Malaysia** to China and the rest of Eurasia via the Pan-Asian High Speed Rail System, giving a further boost to Malaysian exports and tourism. By 2030, **Malaysia** was a developed, first world economy and part of a thriving Eurasian trade network.