Historical Background of Malaysia

Asia is a continent of fascination, uniqueness, and diversity. Aside from the fact that Asians enjoy
being multilingual, they also practice the values of various religions. One such incredibly diverse country
with different ethnicities and practices a mix of religions is Malaysia. The cultural diversity of the country
has helped Malaysia to flourish – contributing to the Malaysia’s growth as a country and creating a
beautiful living atlas.
Malaysia, a country in the Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator, was formerly known as
British Malaya and later as the Federation of Malaya. It is known as a “divided country” because it is
composed of two (2) noncontiguous regions separated by the South China Sea: the Peninsular Malaysia,
also called West Malaysia, which is on the Malay Peninsula borders Thailand in the North and Singapore
in the South; and the Malaysian Borneo or also called as East Malaysia which is located on the northern
part of the island of Borneo. East Malaysia borders Indonesia and surrounds the Sultanate of Brunei. The
Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, lies in the western part of the peninsula, about 25 miles from the coast
while the administrative center, Putrajaya, is located about 16 miles south of the capital.
How did Malaysia become a multicultural and multi-confessional country?
Just like any other Asian countries, Malaysia has also a long and rich history and immense
culture. The strategically sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences that significantly affected
the country’s history. In addition, multitudes of Asian ethnicities have settled in Malaysia for centuries
bringing a myriad of religions and forming their own blends distinct from their original cultures.
Hindu and Buddhist cultures from India and China dominated the early Malaysian history, whose
influence extended through Sumatra, Java, the Malayan Peninsula and much of the Borneo from the 7th
to the 13th centuries. Indian culture was widely spread throughout the peninsula in the 3rd century BCE.
According to the Indian literature, the Suvarnadvipa, which means “Golden Peninsula”, is referring to the
Malay Peninsula. Moreover, trade relations with China and India were established dates to at least the 1st
century BC. During this time, the Malays adopted the Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. These
religions had a great impact to the Malays’ language and culture, especially the adoption of the Sanskrit
writing system. Sanskrit is the sacred language of Hinduism. Furthermore, for over six centuries, most
regions of the Malay Peninsula were under the Buddhist Srivijaya empire. The Maharajahs, meaning
great rulers, led the maritime empire which became the main power in the archipelago. The empire was
based around trade with the Datus or community leaders swearing allegiance to the central lord for
mutual profit.
As early as the 13th century, the Muslims had passed through the Malayan Peninsula with the
Indian and Arab traders. Islam then was firmly established itself in the 14th century. Islam constituted the
most decisive turning point of the Malay civilization process and gave birth to several sultanates – two of
the most prominent were Sultanate of Malacca and the Sultanate of Brunei.
The Sultanate of Malacca was a powerful maritime and commercial empire that shaped the
political, social and cultural systems of the Malay Archipelago. Parameswara, King of Singapore,
founded the Malacca. Aside from being an international trading port, Malacca has also become the center
of Islamic learning and dissemination and later heralded as the Golden Age of Malay sultanates in the
peninsula. The Classical Malay, the lingua franca of the Maritime Southeast Asia, and the Jawi Script, a
writing system for the Malay language, were the results of the Islamisation and growth in trade with the
Muslims.
The Sultanate of Brunei was also a Malay sultanate centered in Brunei on the northern coast of
Borneo Island in Southeast Asia. The Bruneian empire is hardly mentioned in contemporary sources of its
time as well as no local sources exist to provide evidence of its nature. Nevertheless, it was said that the
Portuguese merchants used to trade regularly with Brunei and it became the major center of Islam after
the fall of Malacca.
Moreover, Islam easily replaced Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the Hindu god-king
was replaced by the concept of the Sultan or ruler. In addition, the replacement of Hinduism and
Buddhism with Islam took place slowly and peacefully. With the adoption of Islam, this only shows the
accommodative nature of the Malays and their culture as well as the principles of Islam.
However, clashes over power and resources occurred with the coming of the Western
colonialism. Near the beginning of the 16th century, European powers became interested in Malacca’s
trade and the opportunity to spread Catholicism in Asia. Malacca’s wealth and prosperity attracted the
Europeans hence started a conquest in the Asian seas. In 1511, Portugal captured Malacca after a bloody
six-week battle. The Portuguese set up a trading post in Malacca providing a key supply station and
trading center for spices. They were the first Europeans who colonized the Malay Peninsula and
Southeast Asia, capturing Malacca which lasted for 130 years. In 1641, the Dutch ousted the Portuguese
and took control of the port and the spice trade which lasted for 150 years. They brought Protestantism to
the Malay Peninsula. Further, the Portuguese and the Dutch left important historical artifacts, notably the
fortress “A Famosa” and a small Portuguese community.
While from the 18th century, the British began to dominate the country at a highly increasing
speed. They gained control of what is now Malaysia when they threw out the Dutch in 1795. Over some
time, conquests and deals were made between the British and the Sultans such as the Anglo-Dutch Treaty
of 1824 which defined the boundaries between British Malaya and the Dutch East-Indies which later
became Indonesia.
The British colonized Malaya for almost 200 years and brought profound changes, transforming
the various states socially and economically. One is that the British altered the political system wherein
Malaya has turned into a colony under indirect British rule. The Sultans were reduced to figureheads with
powers only over Islamic religion and Malay customs while British residents and advisors became
powerful. Even so, public health facilities were improved and government Malay schools and Christian
mission were also established. The Chinese and Indian immigrants eventually became a part of the Malay
population through their employment as plantation workers.
The Japanese invasion during the World War 2 ended the British rule in Malaya. However, from
1942 to 1945, the Japanese were defeated by the Allies, a group promoting alliance to defeat Nazi
Germany, Empire of Japan, Fascist Italy and their collaborators, and surrendered to Malaya, who
unleashed a wave of nationalism. Malayan Union was then established in 1946 by the British
administration and then reorganized in 1948 as the Federation of the Malaya. This resulted in creating an
even wider dominance of the British empire over the Malaysian regions. The Malayan Communist Party
however took up arms against the British administration and violent incidents took place that led to the
declaration of the Malayan Emergency which lasted for 12 years. This resulted in a wedge between the
native Malaysian and the Chinese population. After a course of negotiations and incidents, Malaysia
became independent on August 31, 1957.
The newly formed country faced many political problems. The radical critics including
communists, socialists, Islamic militants, and progressive individuals were politically marginalized.
Despite these difficulties, the country maintained its quasi-democratic parliamentary political system,
including regular elections and moderate political diversity. To summarize, Malaysian society has
changed and ethnic relations have improved tremendously. Nevertheless, Malaysia has emerged to be one
of the most powerful countries in the Southeast Asia.
Malaysia is dubbed as the Asia’s Melting Pot of races and religions. Colonialism and economic
interaction from the ancient times are undeniably the factors that molded the diverse cultures of Malaysia
today. The country inherited a plural society with different religions, which resulted to Malaysia’s
colorful celebrations, ranging from religious holidays to secular parades throughout the year.
Malaysians may belong to different ethnic groups and enjoy a variety of cultural beliefs and
traditions, but they believe in the concept of “Unity in Diversity”, and this is what makes Malaysia a
unique country.