Portal:Malaysia

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Portal:Malaysia/Intro

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy 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 33 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.

After independence, the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 6.5% per year for almost 50 years. 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, and it ranks very high in the Human Development Index. 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...)

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Terengganu (Malay pronunciation: [tərəŋɡanu]; Terengganu Malay: Tranung, Jawi: ترڠݢانو‎), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Dāru l-Īmān ("Abode of Faith"). The coastal city of Kuala Terengganu, which stands at the mouth of the broad Terengganu River, is both the state and royal capital as well as the most populous city in Terengganu. Other major cities and towns includes Jerteh, Kuala Dungun, Chukai, Kuala Berang, Marang, and Permaisuri. At 13,035 square kilometres in size and a population of over 1.2 million people in 2023, Terengganu is Malaysia's 7th largest state by area and 10th largest in population. Terengganu, along with Kelantan, Perlis, and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, is one of the most homogeneous states/territories in the country of which 95% of the population are ethnic Malay-Muslims with its own distinct language/dialect, culture, history, and tradition.

Located on the East Coast region of Peninsular Malaysia, Terengganu borders with the state of Kelantan to the north and Pahang to the west and south, while to the east of Terengganu is the South China Sea. Terengganu is geographically divided into sparsely populated and mountainous inland (known as Terengganu Highlands of which the highest point is Mount Lawit at 1,519 metres) that spans from the border with Kelantan to Kemaman district and largely flat coastal plains of which most of the state's 1.1 million people are concentrated. The state is known for having the longest coastline in East Malaysia and achieved the Malaysian Book of Records for having the cleanest beach in the country. Many of the most popular islands in Malaysia are located in the state of Terengganu such as Perhentian, Kapas, and Redang islands, as well as Bidong Island, which was once a refuge to tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s. (Full article...)

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Sultan Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail (Jawi: المتوكل على ﷲ سلطان إسكندر الحاج ابن المرحوم سلطان إسماعيل الخالدي; 8 April 1932 – 22 January 2010) was Sultan of Johor, succeeding his father Sultan Ismail upon the latter's death in 1981. He previously reigned as the eighth Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional monarch of Malaysia, from 1984 to 1989. Sultan Iskandar's reign lasted for almost 29 years until his own death in 2010.

His children are married into the different royal houses of Malaysia. His eldest daughter Tunku Kamariah married the Tengku Laksamana of Selangor, Tengku Sulaiman Shah. His successor and eldest son Sultan Ibrahim married Raja Zarith Sofiah of the Perak Royal Family. His daughter Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah married the heir apparent of Pahang, now Sultan Abdullah. His younger son Tunku Abdul Majid married a member of the Kedah Royal Family, Tunku Teh Mazni. (Full article...)

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Putrajaya Lake (Malay: Tasik Putrajaya) is a 650-hectare man-made lake in Putrajaya. It has an average depth of 6.6 meter with a total catchment area of 50.9 km². It was designed as the natural cooling system for the federal territory as well as for recreational and sport activities. It was one of the venue for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

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

Image 1Kuala Lumpur, a blend of old and new (from History of Malaysia)
Image 2Nasi kerabu (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 3Sultanate of Aceh's influence in Perak, Kedah, Pahang, and Terengganu on the Malay Peninsula, c. 1570s (from History of Malaysia)
Image 4A Map of Malaysia's states. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 5Batik cake (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 6Co-curricular activities in Tshung Tsin Secondary School, a Chinese independent high school in Sabah. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 7Peninsular Malaysia Precipitation Map in December 2004 showing heavy precipitation on the east coast, causing floods there. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 8Hainanese chicken rice balls in Muar, Johor, Malaysia (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 9Bubur pulut hitam, without coconut milk. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 10Chinatown Penang, A Chinatown located in Georgetown, Penang. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 11The Buddha-Gupta stone, dating to the 4th–5th century AD, was dedicated by an Indian Merchant, Buddha Gupta. Found in Seberang Perai and kept in the National Museum, Calcutta, India. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 12Gasing spinning top at the cultural center Gelanggang Seni (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 13Built in the 6th century AD, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is the most well-known ancient Hindu temple found in Bujang Valley. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 14Peninsular Malaysia (left) is 40% of Malaysia's territory, and East Malaysia (right) is 60% of Malaysia's territory. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur. (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 15Chinatown, Kuching, a Chinatown in Kuching. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 16A typical serving of banana leaf rice. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 17Sea grapes, known as latok by the Bajau people. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 18A view of a river from the anchorage off Sarawak, Borneo, c. 1800s. Painting from the National Maritime Museum of London. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 19Pekan Cina dan Pekan Melayu a Chinatown and Malaytown in Kedah. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 20Members of the Cobbold Commission were formed to conduct a study in the British Borneo territories of Sarawak and Sabah to see whether the two were interested in the idea to form the Federation of Malaysia with Malaya and Singapore. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 21Raw (l) and cooked (r) sambal tempoyak. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 22Char kway teow in Penang (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 23Jonker Walk, a Chinatown in Malacca. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 24Some of the traditional clothes from East Malaysia (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 25Clockwise from bottom left: beef soup, ketupat (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 26Na Tuk Kong (拿督公) shrine in West Malaysia. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 27The topography of Malaysian Borneo. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 28The 1MDB corruption scandal tainted the tenure of Prime Minister, Najib Razak. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 29The Zheng He monument, today, marks his stopover at the city. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 30Map of the geographic origin of the present-day ethnic Chinese Malaysians since their early migrations from China to Nanyang region more than a hundred years ago. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 31Japanese troops moving through Kuala Lumpur during their advance through Malaya (from History of Malaysia)
Image 32Sate (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 33The Hai San Secret Society's "Captain China" with his followers in Selangor, June 1874 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 34Evolution of Malaysia (from History of Malaysia)
Image 35Petroleum Museum in Sarawak. (from Mining in Malaysia)
Image 36Photo of Sultan Ahmad Muʽazzam and his courtiers. Many years after the precolonial period. c. 1900. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 37Yusheng (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 38Laksa Sarawak (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 3916th century Portuguese sketch of Malacca. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 40The topography of Peninsular Malaysia. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 41A beach on Redang Island in the South China Sea. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 42Sambal belacan, made with mixed toasted belachan, ground chilli, kaffir leaves, sugar and water (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 43Japanese troops landed on Malaya in 1941. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 44A craftsman making batik. Malaysian batik is usually patterned with floral motifs with light colouring. (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 45Durians in rack sold in Kuala Lumpur (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 46A bowl of curry mee, with fried beancurd skins and fish cake on the side (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 47A wau workshop (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 48Murtabak being made at a stall, a type of pancake filled with eggs, small chunks of meat and onions. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 49The proclamation on the formation of the independent Federation of Malaysia by Lee Kuan Yew (top) for Singapore; Donald Stephens (centre) for North Borneo and Stephen Kalong Ningkan (bottom) for Sarawak. However, Singapore left the Federation less than two years after the merger due to racial issues. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 50Some of the examples of ethnic Chinese influenced Malaysian cuisine, clockwise from top-right: grass jelly (凉粉) with Bandung, yong tau foo, Nyonya steamed layer cake (娘惹千层糕) and laksa noodle. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 512007 Bersih Rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur (from History of Malaysia)
Image 52Inside the former house of a Peranakan (Baba-Nyonya or 峇峇娘惹) in Malacca which has now been converted into a museum, a Nyonya can be seen sitting inside wearing the traditional kebaya. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 53New villages were established during the 1950s to segregate Chinese with connections to communist insurgents. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 54Teh C Peng Special (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 55A bowl of Asam laksa (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 56The usually crowded Lim Chong Eu Expressway and its surroundings in Penang deserted throughout the Malaysian movement control order, as seen on 22 March 2020, to combat COVID-19 pandemic. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 57A Chinese junk in the Kinabatangan District of northern Borneo, photographed by Martin Johnson c. 1935 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 581860–1900 photograph of Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill) in Malacca, one of Malaysia's oldest Chinese cemeteries (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 59Joget Melayu, a Malay dance (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 60The Klang Bell, dated 200 BC–200 AD (from History of Malaysia)
Image 61The Dutch fleet battling with the Portuguese armada as part of the Dutch–Portuguese War in 1606 to gain control of Malacca (from History of Malaysia)
Image 62Joint Chinese-Malay anticommunist demonstration in Semenyih, Selangor during the 1950s (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 63Aside from mandarin orange, various other snacks are presented for visitors throughout the Chinese New Year. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 64Claypot chicken rice (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 65Air bandung. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 66Statue of Francis Light in the Fort Cornwallis of Penang, marking the start of British rule in the Malay Archipelago (from History of Malaysia)
Image 67Ayer Keroh Lake. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 68Malaysian Chinese Catholics during Palm Sunday at St Ignatius Church in Selangor. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 69Nasi dagang (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 70Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 71Tugu Negara, the Malaysian national monument, is dedicated to those who fell during World War II and the Malayan Emergency. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 72Petaling Street, a Chinatown in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, at night (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 73Happy Valley in George Town, Penang (looking west from Jalan Pasar) (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 74Roti Telur and Teh Tarik (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 75Pan Mee (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 76Philippine President Duterte in a meeting with Mahathir in the Malacanang Palace in 2019 (from History of Malaysia)
Image 77Köppen–Geiger climate classification map of Malaysia. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 78Lion dance in Malaysia's capital during the Chinese main festivity. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 79Former mine which has been converted into a lake garden in Perak. (from Mining in Malaysia)
Image 80Bak Kut Teh (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 81Tau sar pneah, also known as Tambun pneah, from Penang (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 82Mahathir Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 83Map of the Sinophone world, where Chinese languages are spoken as a first language among ethnic Chinese in countries where their population is significant:
  Chinese-speaking majority (Coastal and central areas of China, Taiwan and Singapore)
  Large Chinese-speaking minority (Highland China, Malaysia and Brunei)
  Small Chinese-speaking minority (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam)
(from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 84Copper mine in Sabah. (from Mining in Malaysia)
Image 85A Malaysian nasi lemak traditionally wrapped in banana leaves (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 86Chinese women working in a British mobile canteen during the Malayan Campaign, c. January 1942 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 87Ikan bakar in Muar, Johor. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 88The Nyonya making various traditional kuih. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 89An ethnic Chinese woman in Malaysia grinds and cuts up dried herbs to make traditional Chinese medicine. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 90British flag hoisted for the first time on the island of Labuan on 24 December 1846 (from History of Malaysia)
Image 91Children in a rickshaw pulled by a Chinese coolie in Kuching around 1919 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 92Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysians celebrate Independence Day on 31 August each year (from History of Malaysia)
Image 93Kolo mee (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 94Tongmenghui fundraising meeting in Ipoh for the Second Guangzhou Uprising, c. 1911 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 95Malacca Art Gallery (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 96Proportion of ethnic Chinese and Malay with indigenous voters in the 2018 Malaysian parliamentary constituency:
  Bright red indicates a higher proportion of ethnic Chinese
  Bright green indicates a higher proportion of ethnic Malay or indigenous people
  Mixed colour means that the ratio of the two is equivalent
  The brownish colour are the area with the higher proportion of other non-indigenous races (such as Indians)
(from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 97Amplang. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 98Bantang River Recreational Forest in Segamat District, Johor. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 99Malay children dressed for Hari raya (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 100Comparison of Malay language, Jawi writing, and Khat calligraphy with other languages. (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 101Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, a Chinatown in Sabah. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 102The earliest record of a local law influenced by Islamic teaching and written in Jawi. The stone monument is found in Terengganu. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 103Geographical distributions of ethnic Chinese Malaysians by majority in each cities or towns:
  Hokkien
  Cantonese
  Hakka
  Fuzhou
  Hainanese
  Teochew
  Kwongsai
  Hockchia
  Undetermined majority
(from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 104Historic Indosphere cultural influence zone of Greater India for transmission of religion, music, arts, and cuisine (from History of Malaysia)
Image 105Penang chee cheong fun (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 106Sarawak layered cake. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 107South-East Asia's Largest Temple- Kek Lok Si in Penang being illuminated in preparation for the Lunar New Year. (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 108Tanks of fresh seafood at a seafood restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 109Roti tisu served as a savoury meal, pictured here with a glass of teh tarik. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 110Roti canai (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 111SMJK Confucian in Kuala Lumpur, an example of converted Chinese independent school to government-funded "SMJK" (literally Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan). (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 112Johor-Dutch battle in the 1780s (from History of Malaysia)
Image 113Wonton Mee (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 114Mount Kinabalu, the highest point of Malaysia, is located in Sabah. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 115Replica of the palace of the Malacca Sultanate, built from information in the Malay Annals. (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 116Iced Ipoh white coffee in Menglembu, Ipoh, Malaysia (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 117Kangkung belacan (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 118Chinese tycoon Ng Boo Bee with British officials in Perak in 1904 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 119Authentic mee bandung from Muar (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 1201935 map of the Ming dynasty under the Yongle Emperor in 1415 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 121Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur was the tallest building in Southeast Asia. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 122Penang rojak (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 123Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) guerrillas during their disbandment ceremony in Kuala Lumpur after the end of World War II (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 124George Town, Penang during the 1950s (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 125Mee Siput Muar (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 126Soto ayam, (chicken soto). Note the transparent yellow broth, the emping and fried shallot (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 127Swordfish hinava served with sandwich bread (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 128The discovery of a skull estimated to be around 40,000 years old in the Niah Caves, in Sarawak, has been identified as the earliest evidence for human settlement in Malaysian Borneo (photo December 1958). (from History of Malaysia)
Image 129The extent of the Malaccan Empire in the 15th century became the main point for the spreading of Islam in the Malay Archipelago. (from History of Malaysia)
Image 130Ais kacang (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 131A bowl of Penang Hokkien mee (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 132British and Malayan police talking to a Chinese civilian about communist activity in the area in 1949 (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 133Bronze Avalokiteshvara statue found in Perak, 8th–9th century (from History of Malaysia)
Image 134Idli served with typical accompaniments. (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 135Chinatown Gateway, a Chinatown in Kuala Terengganu, Terrengganu. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 136A view of Petronas Twin Towers and the surrounding central business district in Kuala Lumpur (from History of Malaysia)
Image 137The 1056m Johor-Singapore Causeway connects Malaysia and Singapore across the Straits of Johor. In the background is Johor Bahru. (from Geography of Malaysia)
Image 138Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (from Mining in Malaysia)
Image 139An 1880 painting of southern Chinese merchant from Fujian (left) and Chinese official in Penang Island. (from Malaysian Chinese)
Image 140A selection of Nyonya kuih (from Malaysian cuisine)
Image 141Malacca Literature Museum (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 142Heads from old headhunting practices in a Kadazan house in Sabah (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 143Siti Nurhaliza wearing a tudung (from Culture of Malaysia)
Image 144Maggi goreng in George Town, Penang (from Malaysian cuisine)

Wiki Loves Malaysia

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

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WikiProject Malaysia

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

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Did you know - show different entries

... that the Melaka Zoo (pictured) is the second-largest zoo in Malaysia?

... that the wildlife of Malaysia is some of the most diverse in the world, existing in forests believed to be 130 million years old?

... that plant collector Charles Curtis, who first introduced the Nepenthes northiana (pictured) variety of pitcher plant to England, went on to become the first superintendent of the Penang Botanic Gardens?

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