Portal:Malaysia


Portal:Malaysia/Intro

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 on the Indochinese Peninsula and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Thailand, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia; East Malaysia shares land borders with Brunei and Indonesia, and maritime borders with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the country's national capital, largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government, while Putrajaya is the federal administrative capital, representing the seat of both the executive branch and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 34 million, it is the world's 42nd-most populous country.

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 II, 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 separated from the federation and became an independent country.

Malaysia is tropical and is one of 17 megadiverse countries; it is home to numerous endemic species. 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 among the nine state rulers every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.

The country's economy was once heavily reliant on agriculture and primary commodities but is now driven by the services and manufacturing sectors. Malaysia ranks highly in peacefulness and passport strength and has a newly industrialised economy that 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), as well as a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). (Full article...)

Selected article -

The Paddy Museum (Malay: Muzium Padi) is a museum in Alor Setar, Kota Setar, Kedah, Malaysia. (Full article...)

Selected biography -

Abdul Ghafar bin Baba (Jawi: عبدالغفار بن باب; 18 February 1925 – 23 April 2006) was a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1986 to 1993. (Full article...)

Selected picture -

Kedah State Art Gallery (Malay: Balai Seni Negeri Kedah) is an art gallery in Alor Setar, Kedah. The building was originally constructed in 1912 as a high court building. It was then used by various local government agencies. In 1983, the building was finally converted into an art gallery to mark the silver jubilee of Sultan Abdul Halim.


General images -

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

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Malaysia
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Buildings and structures in Malaysia
Culture of Malaysia
Economy of Malaysia
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Geography of Malaysia
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History of Malaysia
Organisations based in Malaysia
Malaysian people
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Society of Malaysia
Malaysia portal
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WikiProjects

WikiProject Malaysia

Malaysia Topics Notice Board • Malaysian Wikipedians • Wikipedians in Malaysia • WikiProject Malaysia Facebook PageMalay Language Wikipedia

Did you know -

  • ... that Article 10 of the Constitution of Malaysia guarantees citizens certain rights on condition that these rights are not restricted by the government?


In this month

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  • Join WikiProject Malaysia and start collaborating
  • See also: WikiProject Malaysia General Tasks

Selected panorama -

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

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Religions in Malaysia


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