nents were British colonies, with Malaysia obtain-
ing its independence in 1957. Sabah, Sarawak,
and Singapore obtained their independence six
years later and joined with Malaysia to create the
Federation of Malaysia. At this time, the Sultanate
of Brunei (also on Borneo) declined the invitation
to join the federation. Singapore was expelled
from the federation in 1965.
The present state of Malaysia covers 125,584
square miles, comparable to the area of the state
of New Mexico. In 2008, it had a population of
approximately 25.3 million. The country’s people
are ethnically diverse, with Malays constituting
50.8 percent, Chinese 23.8 percent, and Indians
7.1 percent. About 10 percent of the people, pri-
marily residing in Sarawak, are indigenous people
who have inhabited the land since prehistoric
times. Religiously, the country is about 69 per-
cent Muslim, with almost all Malays professing
Sunni Islam. Most of Malaysia’s Muslims, includ-
ing immigrants from Indonesia, follow the shaFii
legal school, which was introduced in the 15th
century. Islam is also the religion of many of the
Indo-Pakistani community, and about one-third
of the indigenous people of Sarawak. sUFism has
broad popularity in the country, and there is also
a sizeable community of Shii Muslims. Buddhism
is professed by about 20 percent of the people,Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—one of the largest in Southeast Asia
(J. Gordon Melton)
Malaysia 451 J