History of Malaysia

The fourth phase of foreign influence was marked by a wave of immigration of Chinese and Indian workers to meet the needs created by the colonial economy in the Malay Peninsula and Borneo.

The first foragers visited the West Mouth of the Niah Caves, located 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of Miri, 40,000 years ago when Borneo was connected to the mainland of Southeast Asia.

Three inscriptions found in Palembang (South Sumatra) and on Bangka Island, written in the form of Malay and in alphabets derived from the Pallava script, are proof that the archipelago had adopted Indian models while maintaining their indigenous language and social system.

[65] In 1025, the Chola dynasty captured Palembang, the king, all his family members and his courtiers had their wealth taken away; by the end of the 12th century Srivijaya had been reduced to a kingdom, with their last ruler, Queen Sekerummong being conquered and overthrown in 1288.

[76] The newly installed sovereign afterwards descended from the hill of Seguntang into the great plain of the Musi River, where he married Wan Sendari, the daughter of the local chief, Demang Lebar Daun.

[53] At its height, the sultanate controlled modern-day Johor, several territories by the Klang and Linggi rivers, Singapore, Bintan, Riau, Lingga, Karimun, Bengkalis, Kampar and Siak in Sumatra.

[103] Perak endured 40 years of civil war in the early 18th century, where rival princes were bolstered by local chiefs, the Bugis and Minang, all fighting for a share of tin revenues.

His reign in exile is considered to have officially ended after the installation of a distant Johorean relative, Raja Bujang (Abdul Jalil Shah III) to the Pahang throne in 1615 with the support of the Portuguese.

[134] In the 14th century, a Chinese annal (Yuan Dade Nanhai zhi) reported that Boni invaded or administered Sabah, some parts of Sarawak and ruled the formerly independent kingdoms of Butuan, Sulu and Mayd, as well as Malilu and Wenduling in present-day Manila and Mindanao, at northern and southern Philippines, respectively.

In 1786, British trader Francis Light managed to obtain a lease of Penang Island from Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II of Kedah on behalf of East India Company.

Johor, as Britain's closest ally in Malay affairs, had the privilege of a written constitution, which gave the Sultan the right to appoint his own Cabinet, but he was generally careful to consult the British first.

While the Chinese mostly built and paid for their own schools and colleges, importing teachers from China, the British aimed to control the education of young Malay elites and establish colonial ideas of race and class hierarchies.

[citation needed] In 1944, the British drew up plans for a Malayan Union, which would turn the Federated and Unfederated Malay States, plus Penang and Malacca, into a single Crown colony, which would move towards independence.

In July, following a string of assassinations of plantation managers, the colonial government struck back, declaring a state of emergency, banning the MCP and arresting hundreds of its militants.

Many MCP militants lost heart and went home, and by the time Templer left Malaya in 1954, the Emergency was over, although Chin Peng led a diehard group that lurked in the inaccessible country along the Thai border for many years.

This produced a crisis in the MCA in 1959, in which Lim Chong Eu's more assertive leadership defied UMNO over the education issue, only to be forced to back down when Tunku Abdul Rahman threatened to break up the coalition.

This strategic economic maneuver, executed by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), enabled Malaysia to reclaim control of Guthrie Corporation, a British-owned plantation company, by rapidly acquiring its shares on the London Stock Exchange.

Diplomatic reconciliation occurred in 1983 when Thatcher hosted Mahathir at 10 Downing Street, leading to agreements on student subsidies, technical assistance programs, and the resolution of the landing rights issue.

[211][212] To promote economic development and reduce dependence on Western models, Mahathir introduced the Look East Policy in 1982, encouraging Malaysians to adopt the work ethics and practices of Japan and South Korea.

[222] Al-Arqam, a religious sect, was banned in 1994, and its leader, Ashaari Mohammad, was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) due to the movement's deviation from Islamic principles and its perceived potential as a political threat.

Building on Malaysia's bilateral relations with China established in 1974, the Malaysian government encouraged Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, to influence the MCP to lay down their arms.

[227][228] The talks culminated in the Haadyai Peace Accord, signed on 2 December 1989, which required the MCP to cease militant activities, disband armed units, and pledge loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

[252] However, his administration faced criticism over managing rising petrol and electricity costs linked to subsidy restructuring, as these changes were seen as potentially undermining Malaysia's traditional advantage as an exporter.

[264] The global financial crisis that began in late 2007 led to reduced demand for Malaysian exports such as electronics, palm oil, and rubber, causing the country's GDP growth to slow significantly and contract in early 2009 before beginning a gradual recovery.

[268] In the 2008 general election, Barisan Nasional lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since 1969, a result of the political tsunami brought about by the 2008 Malaysian Opposition Wave, which signaled a significant decline in public support.

[269] Mounting criticism over unmet anti-corruption promises and perceived ineffective leadership led Abdullah to announce his resignation in October 2008, with his departure finalised in April 2009 when Najib Razak took office as his successor.

[282] Four months later, on 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Eastern Ukraine while flying over territory controlled by Russian-backed militants, resulting in the deaths of all 298 passengers and crew on board.

[289] Amid growing dissent, Najib removed his then-deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, suspended several newspapers, and enacted the National Security Council Act 2016, granting unprecedented powers to the prime minister.

[309][310][311] On 28 September 2018, Mahathir addressed the United Nations General Assembly, stating that his government would promise to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

[316] On 1 March 2020, a week after the country was thrown into a political crisis, Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as the eighth Prime Minister by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, following the abrupt resignation of Mahathir Mohamad.

The Gombak River in Kuala Lumpur in 1900
Niah Skull
The 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).
The Malay Peninsula, shown in the Ptolemy's map as the Golden Khersonese
The Klang Bell , dated 200 BC–200 AD [ 34 ] [ 35 ] [ 36 ]
Historic Indosphere cultural influence zone of Greater India for transmission of religion, music, arts, and cuisine [ 52 ]
The 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.
Built in the 6th century AD, Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is the most well-known ancient Hindu temple found in Bujang Valley.
Bronze Avalokiteshvara statue found in Perak, 8th–9th century
The earliest record of a local law influenced by Islamic teaching and written in Jawi . The stone monument is found in Terengganu .
The Zheng He monument, today, marks his stopover at the city. [ 82 ]
The extent of the Malaccan Empire in the 15th century became the main point for the spreading of Islam in the Malay Archipelago .
16th century Portuguese sketch of Malacca.
Dutch fleet vs Portuguese armada
The Dutch fleet battling with the Portuguese armada as part of the Dutch–Portuguese War in 1606 to gain control of Malacca
Johor-Dutch battle in the 1780s
Sultanate of Aceh 's influence in Perak, Kedah , Pahang , and Terengganu on the Malay Peninsula , c. 1570s
Photo of Sultan Ahmad Muʽazzam and his courtiers. Many years after the precolonial period. c. 1900. [ 126 ]
A view of a river from the anchorage off Sarawak, Borneo, c. 1800s . Painting from the National Maritime Museum of London.
Statue of Francis Light in the Fort of Cornwallis
Statue of Francis Light in the Fort Cornwallis of Penang, marking the start of British rule in the Malay Archipelago
British flag hoisted for the first time on the island of Labuan on 24 December 1846
Evolution of Malaysia
Tugu Negara , the Malaysian national monument, is dedicated to those who fell during World War II and the Malayan Emergency.
Japanese troops landed on Malaya in 1941.
Japanese troops moving through Kuala Lumpur during their advance through Malaya
Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysians celebrate Independence Day on 31 August each year
Members 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.
Forming of the Federation of Malaysia
The 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 .
Street scene; a large fountain visible in the right foreground, a row of palm trees stretching away to the left, and in the centre of the image, across the street, a large white and beige stone building, with a tall domed central tower and two smaller domed towers to the right and left.
Kuala Lumpur , a blend of old and new
A photo showing former Prime Minister Mahatir bin Mohamad standing with head down and surrounded by government officials at the celebration of the 50th independence day.
Mahathir Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power.
A view of Petronas Twin Towers and the surrounding central business district in Kuala Lumpur
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur was the tallest building in Southeast Asia.
2007 Bersih rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur
The 1MDB corruption scandal tainted the tenure of Prime Minister, Najib Razak.
Bersih 2.0 rally protesters marching the streets of Kuala Lumpur peacefully before the police confronted them.
Philippine President Duterte in a meeting with Mahathir in the Malacanang Palace in 2019
The usually crowded Lim Chong Eu Expressway and its surroundings in Penang were deserted on 22 March 2020 during the Malaysian Movement Control Order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic .
Anwar Ibrahim with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum in Primorsky Krai , Russia, 4 September 2024