Malaysia

Facts on Malaysia -Seat of government: Putrajaya -Head of state: Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) -Head of government: Prime Minister -Form of government: Parliamentary -Official religion: Islam -Capital:Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Early History of Malaysia -Early in its history, Malaysia was heavily influenced by India. -Indian traders introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to the region. -People in the region adopted the use of Sanskrit, a form of writing. -Later, Islam spread throughout the Malayan islands. -The Malay language, which eventually became the official language of Malaysia, was introduced during this time.

Malaysia Colonial History -During the Age of Exploration, the Portuguese initially established colonies in the region. -The Dutch later replaced the Portuguese as the main power in the region. -The British, through the British East India Company, later came to dominate the region by establishing colonies in Penang and Singapore. -The British later gained control of North Borneo, which at that time belonged to the Sultan of Sulu.

Malaysia Colonial History -The British established their colonial rule and called the region the “Straits Settlement” -The other Malay states (Unfederated Malay States) who were not conquered by the British agreed to have British “advisers” who effectively became rulers of the states. -During this period, Chinese immigrants arrived from southern China and their population in the colony increased.

Malaysia Japanese Occupation -The Japanese overran Malaysia and Singapore in World War II. -The Japanese treated the Chinese harshly, and up to 40,000 Chinese were killed during this time. -After the war, the Communists in Malaysia, who were mostly Chinese, fought against the British, in a period called the Malayan Emergency. -The Federation of Malaya gained its independence in 1957.

Malaysia Discussion question: How is the early and colonial history of Malaysia similar or different to that of the Philippines and Indonesia? In what ways did the Malays influence the early history of the Philippines?