Jump to content

Portal:Malaysia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Portal:Malaysia/Intro

Map of Malaysia

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. A federal constitutional monarchy, it consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia, as well as a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the country's largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government. Putrajaya is the administrative centre, which represents the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and federal agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 34 million, the country is the world's 43rd-most populous country. Malaysia is tropical and is one of 17 megadiverse countries; it is home to numerous endemic species. Tanjung Piai in the Malaysian state of Johor is the southernmost point of continental Eurasia.

The country has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. During World War Two, British Malaya, along with other nearby British and American colonies, was occupied by the Empire of Japan. Following three years of occupation, Peninsular Malaysia was briefly unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 until 1948 when it was restructured as the Federation of Malaya. The country achieved independence on 31 August 1957. On 16 September 1963, independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate, independent country.

The country is multiethnic and multicultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples. The official language is Malaysian Malay, a standard form of the Malay language. English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the official religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is an elected monarch, chosen from among the nine state sultans every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.

The country's economy has traditionally been driven by its natural resources but is expanding into commerce, tourism, and medical tourism. The country has a newly industrialised market economy, which is relatively open and state-oriented. The country is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). (Full article...)

Kadazandusun priests and priestesses attires during the opening ceremony of Kaamatan 2014 at Hongkod Koisaan, the unity hall of KDCA

Kadazandusun (also written as Kadazan-Dusun or Mamasok) are the largest ethnic group in Sabah, Malaysia, an amalgamation of the closely related indigenous Kadazan and Dusun peoples. "Kadazandusun" is an umbrella term that encompasses both the Kadazan and Dusun peoples. They are also known as Mamasok Sabah, meaning "indigenous people of Sabah". Kadazandusun tradition holds that they are the descendants of Nunuk Ragang. Kadazandusun is recognised as an indigenous nation of Borneo with documented heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2004. Kadazandusuns are part of the bumiputera in Malaysia having been endowed with rights concerning land, rivers, education and maintaining their own customary laws. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected biography - show another

Saiful Bahri (19 September 1924 – 26 December 1976) was an Indonesian saxophonist, violinist, bandleader, composer, and songwriter, active in Indonesia and Malaysia during the 1950s and 1960s. He was also famous for conducting a number of orchestras during the period. Bahri composed and wrote Melaka Maju Jaya, the Malaccan state anthem, and wrote the lyrics to Duli Yang Maha Mulia, the Selangor state anthem. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

Selected picture - show another

A food court in George Town, Penang Island, Malaysia with a plethora of Malaysian cuisine
A food court in George Town, Penang Island, Malaysia with a plethora of Malaysian cuisine
A food court in George Town, Penang Island, Malaysia with a plethora of Malaysian cuisine
Read more...


General images - purge for more

The following are images from various Malaysia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Wiki Loves Malaysia

  • For more images from Malaysia, see the following categories at Wikimedia Commons:

Categories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

WikiProjects

Miri
Miri
  • ... that Miri (pictured) was the first town in Malaysia that was not a state capital to be granted city status?
  • ... that part of capital city Kuala Terengganu's name, according to one theory, is derived from terang ganu, Malay for "bright rainbow"?
  • ... that George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia?


In this month

Things you can do

Here are some things you can help with Malaysia articles:

Selected panorama - show another

Jementah
Jementah
Credit: Chongkian (3 January 2016)
Jementah is a mukim in Johor. It was the site of Jementah Civil War in 1879. The mukim is the largest pomelo producer in the state and famous for its durian produce.


Topics

News


Religions in Malaysia


Southeast Asia


Other countries

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Discover Wikipedia using portals