   #copyright

Malaysia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   مليسيا
   Malaysia

   Flag of Malaysia Emblem of Malaysia
   Flag             Emblem
   Motto: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu
   (English: "Unity Is Strength")
   Anthem: " Negaraku"
   Location of Malaysia
   Capital Kuala Lumpur^1
   3°08′N 101°42′E
   Largest city Kuala Lumpur
   Official languages Malay
   Government Federal constitutional monarchy
    - Paramount Ruler Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail
    - Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
   Independence
    - from the UK ( Malaya only) August 31, 1957
    - Federation (with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore) September 16, 1963
   Area
    - Total 329,847 km² ( 67th)
   127,355 sq mi
    - Water (%) 0.3
   Population
    - 2006 estimate 26,849,336 ( 45th)
    - 2000 census 23,953,136
    - Density 81/km² ( 115th)
   211/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2006 estimate
    - Total $290.7 billion ( 33rd)
    - Per capita $12,100 ( 54th)
   HDI  (2006) 0.802 (high) ( 61st)
   Currency Ringgit (RM) ( MYR)
   Time zone MST ( UTC+8)
    - Summer ( DST) not observed ( UTC+8)
   Internet TLD .my
   Calling code +60
   ^1  Putrajaya is the primary seat of government.

   Malaysia is a federation of thirteen states in southeast Asia. The
   country consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China
   Sea:
     * Peninsular Malaysia (or West Malaysia) on the Malay Peninsula
       shares a land border on the north with Thailand and is connected by
       the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
       to the south with Singapore. It consists of nine sultanates (
       Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis,
       Selangor and Terengganu), two states headed by governors ( Malacca
       and Penang), and two federal territories ( Putrajaya and Kuala
       Lumpur).
     * Malaysian Borneo (or East Malaysia) occupies the northern part of
       the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and surrounding the
       Sultanate of Brunei. It consists of the states of Sabah and Sarawak
       and the federal territory of Labuan.

   The name "Malaysia" was adopted in 1963 when the Federation of Malaya
   (Malay: Persekutuan Tanah Melayu), Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak formed
   a 14-state federation. Singapore withdrew from Malaysia in 1965 to
   become an independent country.

   Although politically dominated by the Malays, modern Malaysian society
   is heterogeneous, with substantial Chinese and Indian minorities.
   Malaysian politics have been noted for their allegedly communal nature;
   the three major component parties of the Barisan Nasional each restrict
   membership to those of one ethnic group. The only major violence the
   country has seen since independence was the May 13 racial riots in the
   wake of an election campaign based on racial issues. Nonetheless,
   Malaysia is considered to be a model of racial harmony.

History

   The Malay Peninsula has long benefited from its central position in the
   maritime trade routes between China and the Middle East. Ptolemy showed
   it on his early map with a label that translates as "Golden
   Chersonese", the Straits of Malacca as "Sinus Sabaricus".

   The earliest recorded Malay kingdoms grew from coastal city-ports
   established in the 10th century AD. These include Langkasuka and Lembah
   Bujang in Kedah, as well as Beruas and Gangga Negara in Perak and Pan
   Pan in Kelantan. It is thought that originally these were Hindu or
   Buddhist nations. The first evidence of Islam in the Malay peninsula
   dates from the 14th century in Terengganu, but according to the Kedah
   Annals, the 9th Maharaja Derbar Raja (1136-1179 AD) of Sultanate of
   Kedah converted to Islam and changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar Shah.
   Since then there have been 27 Sultans who ruled Kedah.

   There were numerous Malay kingdoms in the 2nd and 3rd century A.D., as
   many as 30 according to Chinese sources. Kedah – known as Kedaram or
   Kataha, in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit – was in the direct route of
   invasions of Indian traders and kings. Rajendra Chola, who is now
   thought to have laid Kota Gelanggi to waste, put Kedah to heel in 1025
   but his successor, Vir Rajendra Chola, had to put down a Kedah
   rebellion to overthrow the invaders.

   The Buddhist kingdom of Ligor took control of Kedah shortly after, and
   its King Chandrabhanu used it as a base to attack Sri Lanka in the
   11the century, an event noted in a stone inscription in Nagapattinum in
   Tamil Nadu and in the Sri Lankan epic, Mahavamsa. During the first
   millennium, the people of the Malay peninsula adopted Hinduism and
   Buddhism and the use of the Sanskrit language until they eventually
   converted to Islam, but not before Hinduism, Buddhism and Sanskrit
   became embedded into the Malay worldview. Traces of the influences in
   political ideas, social structure, rituals, language, arts and cultural
   practices still can be seen to this day.

   There are reports of other areas older than Kedah – the ancient kingdom
   of Ganganegara, around Bruas in Perak, for instance – that pushes
   Malaysian history even further into antiquity. If that is not enough, a
   Tamil poem, Pattinapillai, of the second century A.D., describes goods
   from Kadaram heaped in the broad streets of the Chola capital; a
   seventh century Sanskrit drama, Kaumudhimahotsva, refers to Kedah as
   Kataha-nagari. The Agnipurana also mentions a territory known
   Anda-Kataha with one of its boundaries delineated by a peak, which
   scholars believe is Gunong Jerai. Stories from the Katasaritasagaram
   describe the life of elegance of life in Kataha.

   In the early 15th century, the Sultanate of Malacca (Malay: Kesultanan
   Melaka) was established under a dynasty founded by Parameswara, a
   prince from Palembang, who fled from the island Temasek (now
   Singapore). Parameswara decided to establish his kingdom in Malacca
   after witnessing an astonishing incident where a white mouse deer
   kicked one of his hunting dogs. He took it as a sign of good luck and
   name his kingdom "Melaka" after the tree where he was resting under. At
   its height, the sultanate controlled the areas which are now Peninsula
   Malaysia, southern Thailand ( Patani), and the eastern coast of
   Sumatra. It existed for more than a century, and within that time
   period Islam spread to most of the Malay Archipelago. Malacca was the
   foremost trading port at the time in Southeast Asia.

   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 till 1641, when the Dutch (allied to the Sultanate of
   Johor) gained control of Malacca.

   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
   Malaya 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 three possessions in Malaya: Penang,
   Malacca and Singapore. The Straits Settlements were administered under
   the East India Company in Calcutta until 1867, when they were
   transferred to the Colonial Office in London.
   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.
   Enlarge
   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.
   Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city of Malaysia
   Enlarge
   Kuala Lumpur, the capital and largest city of Malaysia

   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 gangsters, 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" by name but in reality they were the puppet
   masters behind the Malay rulers.

   The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as the Unfederated
   Malay States, while not directly under rule from London, also accepted
   British advisors 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.

   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 occupation of Malaya (1942-1945) during World
   War II, popular support for independence grew. 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. 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 Communist Party of
   Malaya 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. Against this backdrop, independence for the
   Federation within the Commonwealth was granted on 31 August 1957 (see
   also Hari Merdeka).

   In 1963 the Federation was renamed Malaysia with the admission of the
   then-British crown colonies of Singapore, Sabah (British North Borneo)
   and Sarawak. The Sultanate of Brunei, though initially expressing
   interest in joining the Federation, withdrew from the planned merger
   due to opposition from certain segments of the population as well as
   arguments over the payment of oil royalties and the status of the
   Sultan in the planned merger.

   The early years of independence were marred by conflict with Indonesia
   (Konfrontasi) over the formation of Malaysia, Singapore's eventual exit
   in 1965, and racial strife in the form of racial riots in 1969. 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 Sultanate of Sulu in 1704. The claim is still ongoing.

   After the May 13 racial riots of 1969, the controversial New Economic
   Policy - intended to increase the share of the economic pie owned by
   the bumiputras ("indigenous people", which includes the majority
   Malays, but not always the indigenous population) as opposed to other
   ethnic groups - was launched by Prime Minister Tun 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 favour
   Bumiputras.

   Between the 1980s and the early 1990s, Malaysia experienced significant
   economic growth under the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.
   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), KL
   International Airport (KLIA), the Sepang F1 Circuit, the Multimedia
   Super Corridor (MSC), the Bakun hydroelectric dam and Putrajaya, a new
   federal administrative capital.

   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. In 2003, Dr Mahathir, Malaysia's
   longest serving prime minister, retired in favour of his deputy,
   Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, commonly known as Pak Lah.

Politics

   The Parliament building
   Enlarge
   The Parliament building

   Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. It is nominally
   headed by the Paramount Ruler or Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly
   referred to as the King of Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is
   selected for 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. This makes Malaysia an elective
   monarchy.

   The system of government in Malaysia is closely modeled on that of
   Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British colonial rule. In
   practice however, more power is vested in the executive branch of
   government than in the legislative, and the judiciary has been weakened
   by sustained attacks by the government during the Mahathir era. Since
   independence in 1957, Malaysia has been governed by a multi-racial
   coalition known as the Barisan Nasional (formerly the Alliance).

   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"). The 219-member House of Representatives are elected
   from single-member constituencies that are drawn based on population
   for a maximum term of 5 years. Legislative power is divided between
   federal and state legislatures. All 70 Senators sit for 3-year terms;
   26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, 2 representing the federal
   territory of Kuala Lumpur, 1 each from federal territories of Labuan
   and Putrajaya, and 40 are appointed by the king. Parliamentary
   elections are held at least once every five years, with the last
   general election being in March 2004. 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.

   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. The cabinet is
   chosen from among members of both houses of Parliament and is
   responsible to that body.

   The state governments are led by chief ministers (Menteri Besar in
   Malay states or Ketua Menteri in states without hereditary rulers),
   selected by the state assemblies (Dewan Undangan Negeri) advising their
   respective sultans or governors.

Geography

   Map of Peninsular and East Malaysia
   Enlarge
   Map of Peninsular and East Malaysia

   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 metres (13,435.7  ft) on the island of Borneo. The local
   climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April
   to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons.

   Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state of Johor, is the
   southernmost tip of continental Asia.

   The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia,
   is arguably the most important shipping lane in the world.

   Putrajaya is the newly created administrative capital for the federal
   government of Malaysia, aimed in part to ease growing congestion within
   Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur remains the seat of
   parliament, as well as the commercial and financial capital of the
   country. Other major cities include Georgetown, Ipoh, Johor Bahru,
   Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Alor Star and Malacca Town.

Economy

   Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin
   towers in the world
   Enlarge
   Kuala Lumpur's landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin
   towers in the world
   The Ministry of Finance building in Putrajaya
   Enlarge
   The Ministry of Finance building in Putrajaya

   The Malay Peninsula and indeed Southeast Asia has been a centre of
   trade for centuries. Various items such as porcelain and spice were
   actively traded even before Malacca and Singapore rose to prominence.

   In the 17th century, large deposits of tin 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, Malaya became the world's largest major producer
   of tin, rubber, and palm oil. These three commodities, along with other
   raw materials, firmly set Malaysia's economic tempo well into the
   mid-20th century.

   Instead of relying on the local Malays as a source of labour, the
   British brought in Chinese and Indians to work on the mines and
   plantations. 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 1970s, Malaysia began to imitate the footsteps of the original four
   Asian Tigers 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. Malaysia consistently achieved more than 7% GDP
   growth along with low inflation in the 1980s and the 1990s.

   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. 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).

   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 consortiums 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 nearly
   merely 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.

   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/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 neighbours. In many ways, however, the country
   has yet to recover to the levels of the pre-crisis era.

   While the pace of development today is not as rapid, it is seen to be
   more sustainable. Although the controls and economic housekeeping may
   not have been the principal reason 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 now a fraction of their
   pre-crisis heights.

   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. 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.

   In September 2005, Sir Howard J. Davies, director of the London School
   of Economics, at a meeting 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. On March 23
   2006, Malaysia removed the ban on short selling.

Healthcare

   Malaysian society places importance on the expansion and development of
   healthcare, putting 5% of the government social sector development
   budget into public healthcare — 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 they have increased their
   efforts to overhaul the systems and attract more foreign investment.

   The Malaysian healthcare system requires doctors to perform a
   compulsory 3 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.

   There are currently 114 government hospitals and healthcare centres
   with a total of 28,163 beds. There are also seven special medical
   institutions (including psychiatric institutions) with a total of 6,292
   beds. As for private hospitals, there are 225 of them (including
   maternity and nursing homes) in Malaysia, and they provide 9,498 beds.
   The majority are in urban areas and, 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 10 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.

Education

   Malay College Kuala Kangsar is one of the earliest boarding schools to
   be established in British Malaya.
   Enlarge
   Malay College Kuala Kangsar is one of the earliest boarding schools to
   be established in British Malaya.
   University of Nottingham of Malaysia.
   Enlarge
   University of Nottingham of Malaysia.

   Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry
   of Education.

   Most Malaysian children start schooling at the age of 3-6, in
   kindergarten. Most kindergartens run privately, as well as some
   government-operated kindergartens.

   Children begin primary schooling at age of 7 for six years. There are
   two major types of government-operated or government-assisted primary
   schools: national schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan) which uses Malay as
   medium of instruction, and national-type schools (Sekolah Jenis
   Kebangsaan) which uses either Chinese or Tamil as medium of
   instruction. Before progressing to secondary level, students in Year 6
   sit for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), or Primary School
   Assessment Examination. An exam called Penilaian Tahap Satu (PTS),
   First Level Assessment, was used to measure the ability of bright
   students, and to allow them to move from Year 3 to 5, skipping Year 4.
   The exam was removed in 2001.

   Secondary education in government secondary schools lasts five years.
   Government secondary schools uses Malay as medium of instruction apart
   from language, Mathematics and Science subjects. At the end of the
   third year or Form Three, students sit for the Penilaian Menengah
   Rendah (PMR), Lower Secondary Assessment. The combination of subjects
   available to Form 4 students vary from one school to another. In the
   last year (Form 5), students sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM),
   Malaysian Certificate of Education, which is equivalent to the British
   Ordinary or 'O' Levels, now referred to as GCSE.

   Mathematics and Science subjects in government primary and secondary
   schools such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry are taught in English. The
   reasoning was that students would no longer be hindered by the language
   barrier during their tertiary education in fields such as medicine and
   engineering.

   There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where
   most subjects are instructed 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 董总), 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
   Middle (3 years) and Senior Middle (3 years). Students sit for a
   standardised test by Dong Zong known as the Unified Examination
   Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior
   Middle 3 (equivalent to AO 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.

   Students wishing to enter public universities must complete 1 1/2 more
   years of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit for the Sijil Tinggi
   Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM), Malaysia Higher Certificate of Education;
   equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels.

   As for tertiary education, there are public universities such as
   University of Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. In addition, 5
   international reputable universities have set up their branch campuses
   in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘off-shore’
   of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as
   at the ‘headquarters’. Both local and international students can
   acquire these identical foreign qualifications at a much lower
   education cost in Malaysia. The foreign university branch campuses in
   Malaysia are: Monash University (Sunway Campus), Curtin University of
   Technology (Sarawak Campus), Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak
   Campus, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and FTMS-De Monfort
   University Campus of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

   Students can also opt to go to private colleges after secondary
   studies. Most colleges have educational links with overseas
   universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and
   Australia. Malaysian students abroad study mostly in the UK, United
   States, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Canada and New Zealand.

   In addition to the 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 - Australian International School, Malaysia (Australian
   curriculum), The Alice Smith School (British curriculum), The Garden
   International School (British curriculum), The International School of
   Kuala Lumpur (International Baccalaureate and American curriculum), The
   Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (Japanese curriculum),The International
   School of Penang (International Baccalaureate and British curruculum)
   Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur (French curriculum) amongst others.

Demographics

   Malaysia's population is comprised of many ethnic groups, with the
   politically dominant Malays making up the majority, about 60% of the
   population. By constitutional definition, all Malays are Muslim. About
   a quarter of the population are Malaysians of Chinese descent, who have
   historically played an important role in trade and business. Malaysians
   of Indian descent comprise about 7% of the population. About 90% of the
   Indian community is Tamil but various other groups are also present,
   including Malayalis, Punjabis and Gujaratis.

   Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than half of the state of
   Sarawak's population, constitute about 66% of Sabah's population, and
   also exist in much smaller numbers on the Peninsula, where they are
   collectively called Orang Asli. The non-Malay indigenous population is
   divided into dozens of ethnic groups, but they share some general
   cultural similarities. Other Malaysians also include those of, inter
   alia, European, Middle Eastern, Cambodian, and Vietnamese descent.
   Europeans and Eurasians include British who colonized and settled in
   Malaysia and some Portuguese, and most of the Middle Easterners are
   Arabs. A small number of Kampucheans and Vietnamese settled in Malaysia
   as Vietnam War refugees. Population distribution is uneven, with some
   20 million residents concentrated on the Malay Peninsula.

   May 13, 1969 saw an incident of civil unrest which was then thought to
   be largely due to the socio-economic imbalance of the country along
   racial lines, though in retrospect it may have been more motivated by
   political firebrands in both governing and opposition parties, as the
   violence involved only the areas in and around the capital, with much
   of the country remaining at peace. This incident led to the adoption of
   the New Economic Policy as a two-pronged approach to address racial and
   economic inequality and to eradicate poverty in the country.

   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, mostly Indonesian; there are a million legal foreign
   workers and perhaps another million unauthorized foreigners. The state
   of Sabah alone has nearly 25% of its 3 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.
   Unauthorized foreigners are subject to RM10,000 fines and two-year
   prison terms, while Malaysian employers face up to a year in jail and a
   fine of up to RM50,000 for each illegal worker hired, with those hiring
   more than five also liable to caning. Caning is a standard punishment
   for more than 40 crimes in Malaysia, ranging from sexual abuse to drug
   use. Administered with a thick rattan stick, it splits the skin and
   leaves scars.

   Some 380,000 unauthorized foreigners left during an "amnesty" that
   began in 2004 and was extended several times. During amnesties,
   unauthorized foreigners can leave without paying fines for staying
   illegally in the country. On March 1, 2005, some 300,000 policemen as
   well as the 560,000-strong Peoples Volunteer Corp began searching for
   the remaining unauthorized foreigners under Operation Tegas; the
   volunteers receive RM100 for each foreigner arrested.

Religion

   Masjid Jamek is one of the most recognizable mosques in Malaysia.
   Enlarge
   Masjid Jamek is one of the most recognizable mosques in Malaysia.
   Masjid Ubudiah is a well-known historical mosque in Kuala Kangsar.
   Enlarge
   Masjid Ubudiah is a well-known historical mosque in Kuala Kangsar.

   Malaysia is a multi-religious society, and Islam is the country's
   official religion. The four main religions are Islam (60.4% of the
   population), Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1%, mostly in East
   Malaysia), and Hinduism (6.3%), according to government census figures
   in 2000. Until the 20th century, most practiced traditional beliefs,
   which arguably still linger on to a greater degree than Malaysian
   officialdom is prepared to acknowledge. The aforementioned figures may
   be skewed as they do not take into account the fact that all Malay
   persons are officially regarded and treated as Muslim, regardless of
   private belief.

   Although the Malaysian constitution theoretically guarantees religious
   freedom, in practice the situation is not so simple (See Status of
   religious freedom in Malaysia). Non-Muslims often experience
   restrictions in activities such as construction of religious buildings
   . Meanwhile Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of sharia
   courts. As a legal matter, it is not yet clear whether Muslims may
   freely leave Islam. In some situations, the Malaysian courts have
   denied one's right to freedom of religion even when one has renounced
   Islam (such as the Joshua Jamaluddin versus the Minister of Home
   Affairs case in the 1980's). Generally one who wishes to leave Islam
   makes a legal declaration, but this is still not recognised by the
   Malaysian civil courts. One is said to have to obtain a declaration of
   apostasy with a Sharia Court, but the court will not generally grant
   one.

   Malaysians tend to personally respect one another's religious beliefs,
   with inter-religious problems arising mainly from the political sphere.
     * Islam in Malaysia
     * Buddhism in Malaysia
     * Christianity in Malaysia
     * Hinduism in Malaysia
     * Status of religious freedom in Malaysia

Culture

   Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society,
   consisting of 65% Malays and other indigenous tribes, 25% Chinese, 7%
   Indians. The Malays, which form the largest community, are all Muslims
   since one has to be Muslim to be legally Malay under Malaysian law. The
   Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping
   identified as bumiputra. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa
   Melayu). Bahasa Malaysia which is largely similar to Bahasa Melayu in
   most practical terms is the national language of the country.

   In the past, Malay was written widely in Jawi, a script based on
   Arabic. Over time, romanized script overtook Jawi as the dominant
   script. This was largely due to the influence of the colonial education
   system which taught children in romanised writing rather than in Arabic
   script.

   The largest indigenous tribe in terms of numbers is the Iban of
   Sarawak, who number over 600,000. Some Iban still live in traditional
   jungle villages in longhouses along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and
   their tributaries, although many have moved to the cities. The Bidayuh
   (170,000) are concentrated in the south-western part of Sarawak. The
   largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan. They are largely
   Christian subsistence farmers. The Orang Asli (140,000), or aboriginal
   peoples, comprise a number of different ethnic communities living in
   Peninsular Malaysia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers and
   agriculturists, many have been sedentarised and partially absorbed into
   modern Malaysia. However, they remain the poorest group in the country.

   The Chinese population in Malaysia is mostly Buddhist (of Mahayana
   sect), Taoist or Christian. Chinese in Malaysia speak a variety of
   Chinese dialects including Mandarin Chinese, Hokkien/ Fujian,
   Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew. Many Chinese in Malaysia also speak
   English as a first language. Chinese have historically been dominant in
   the Malaysian business community.

   The Indians in Malaysia are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India,
   speaking Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, living mainly in the
   larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. Many middle to
   upper-middle class Indians in Malaysia also speak English as a first
   language. There is also a sizeable Sikh community in Malaysia with over
   83,000 of them live here.

   Eurasians, Cambodians, Vietnamese, 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 Malay 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).

   Malaysian traditional music is heavily influenced by Chinese and
   Islamic forms. 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.
   Other artistic forms include wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre),
   silat (a stylised martial art) and crafts such as batik, weaving, and
   silver and brasswork.

Citizenship

   Most Malaysians are granted citizenship by jus soli. All Malaysians are
   Federal citizens with no formal citizenships within the individual
   states. Every citizen is issued with a biometric identity card, known
   as MyKad, at the age of 12, and must carry the card with them. A
   citizen is required to present his/her identity card to the police, or
   in the case of an emergency, to any military personnel, to be
   identified. If the card cannot be produced immediately, the person
   technically has 24 hours under the law to produce it at the nearest
   police station.

Holidays

   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 which
   are not public holidays are observed by the particular ethnic or
   religion group.

   The most celebrated holiday is the " Hari Merdeka" (Independence Day)
   on August 31 commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya
   in 1957. Hari Merdeka, as well as Labour Day ( May 1), the King's
   Birthday (first Saturday of June) and some other festivals are federal
   gazetted public holidays.

   Muslims in Malaysia (including all Malays and other non-Malay Muslims)
   celebrate Muslim holidays. The most celebrated festival, Hari Raya
   Puasa (also called Hari Raya Aidilfitri) is the Malay translation of
   Eid ul-Fitr. It is generally a festival honoured by the Muslims
   worldwide marking the end of Ramadhan, 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 Maulidul 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
   Day.

   The majority of Indians in Malaysia are Hindus and they celebrate
   Deepavali ( Diwali), 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 Vaisaki, the Sikh New
   Year.

   Other festivals such as Christmas, Hari Gawai of the Ibans ( Dayaks),
   Pesta Kaamatan of the Kadazan-Dusuns are also celebrated in Malaysia.

   Despite most of the festivals are identified with a particular ethnic
   or religion, all Malaysians celebrate the festivities together
   regardless of their religions and ethnic background. For years
   1996-1998, when Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year coincided, a
   slogan Kongsi Raya, 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 language) was coined. For years 2005-2006, the Hari
   Raya Puasa and Deepavali coincide, and a slogan Deepa Raya is similarly
   coined.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
