Malaysia

Recently, there was an airplane that disappeared near Malaysia...Just kidding.

Before this assignment, I did not know anything about Malaysia. I did not even know what continent it was located on (although I did suspect Asia because the name says Asia). I especially found the government and politics, and culture of Malaysia to be interesting. 

Location

When researching Malaysia, I quickly realized that I should first find out where the country is located in the world. Malaysia is located in Asia, and is separated into two similarly-sized regions by the South China Sea. Thailand and Indonesia border Malaysia, which also has maritime boundaries with the Philippines and Vietnam. The capitol of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, and it is also the largest city in the country. 

History

In the first century AD settlers from China and India moved to Malaysia, and in the second and third centuries set up trading posts. Hinduism and Buddhism became popular religions in Malaysia, and there was a strong Chinese and Indian influence on the culture. The British arrived in Malaysia in 1787 and had a hand in the ruling of the country until they claimed their independence on September 16, 1963.

Government and Politics

The British rule of Malaysia explains the similarities between the two governments. I read about the government of Malaysia before I read about the history, and just from their system of government I could tell that there had been some sort of British rule in Malaysia at some point in time. Malaysia has a federal constitutional elective monarchy that closely resembles the Westminster parliamentary system (a result of British presence in Malaysia). The head of state is known as the king, and is elected to five year terms. Although there are 13 states in Malaysia, only the nine states with hereditary rulers vote for the king in the elections. Not only are these the only states to vote for the king, but the king is also selected from one of the rulers of these states. Although there is voting for the leader of the country, it is not like the United State's voting system. The people do not take part in voting and the nine rulers of the "important" states pretty much just rotate every five years. 

Culture

Malaysia is part of the United Nations along with other international organizations, such as the Asia-pacific Economic Cooperation, the Developing 8 Countries, and the Non-Aligned movement. The official language of Malaysia is Malaysian, and although the National Religion is Islam, the country experiences religious freedom. 61.3% of Malaysians practice Islam, 19.8% practice Buddhism, 9.3% Christianity, 6.3 Hinduism, and 1.3% practice other Chinese religions. An official Malaysian culture was established by the government in 1971, which said that "Malaysian culture must be based on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, that it may incorporate suitable elements from other cultures, and that Islam must play a part in it.". This law has made many non-Maylays feel as though their cultural freedom is inhibited.  

Fun Facts
Now for the most important piece of information about Malaysia...They drive on the left side of the road!