MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA •• The Culture lonelyplanet.cominstability due to an internal Communist
uprising and an external confrontation with
neighbouring Indonesia. In 1963 the north
Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, along
with Singapore, joined Malaya to create
Malaysia. In 1969 violent interracial riots
broke out, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, and
hundreds of people were killed. The govern-
ment moved to dissipate the tensions, which
existed mainly between the Malays and the
Chinese. Present-day Malaysian society is
relatively peaceful and cooperative.
Led from 1981 by outspoken Prime
Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s
economy grew at a rate of over 8% per year
until mid-1997, when a currency crisis in
neighbouring Thailand plunged the whole
of Southeast Asia into recession. After 22
momentous years, Dr Mahathir Mohamad
retired on 31 October 2003. He handed
power to his anointed successor, Abdullah
bin Ahmad Badawi, who went on to con-
vincingly win a general election in March- Since this win, the new prime minister
has increasingly been criticised by Mahathir
for scrapping many of the former prime
minister’s projects.
THE CULTURE
The National Psyche
From the ashes of the interracial riots of 1969
the country has forged a more tolerant mul-
ticultural society, exemplified by the coexist-
ence in many cities and towns of mosques,
Christian churches and Chinese temples.
Though ethnic loyalties remain strong and
there are undeniable tensions, the concept of a
much-discussed single ‘Malaysian’ identity is
gaining credence and for the most part every-
one coexists harmoniously. The friendliness
and hospitality of Malaysians is what most
visitors see and experience.
Moving from the cities to the more rural
parts of the country, the laid-back ethos be-
comes stronger and Islamic culture comesmore to the fore, particularly on the penin-
sula’s east coast. In Malaysian Borneo you’ll
be fascinated by the communal lifestyle of
the tribes who still live in jungle longhouses
(enormous wooden structures on stilts that
house tribal communities under one roof; see
also p518 ). In longhouses, hospitality is a key
part of the social framework.Lifestyle
The kampung (village) is at the heart of the
Malay world and operates according to a sys-
tem of adat (customary law) that emphasises
collective rather than individual responsi-
bility. Devout worship of Islam and older
spiritual beliefs go hand in hand with this.
However, despite the mutually supportive na-
ture of the kampung environment, and grow-
ing Westernisation across Malaysia, some very
conservative interpretations of Islam continue
in certain areas, particularly along the penin-
sula’s east coast.
The rapid modernisation of Malaysian
life has led to some incongruous scenes. In
Sarawak, some ramshackle longhouses and
huts sport satellite dishes and have recent-
vintage cars parked on the rutted driveways
out front. And almost everywhere you go
people incessantly finger mobile phones as if
they’re simply unable to switch them off.Population
Malaysians come from a number of differ-
ent ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, Indians,
the indigenous Orang Asli (literally, ‘Original
People’) of the peninsula, and the various tribes
of Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.
The mixing of these groups has created the
colourful cultures and delicious cuisine that
makes Malaysia such a fabulous destination.
It’s reasonable to generalise that the Malays
control the government while the Chinese
dominate the economy. Approximately
85% of the country’s population of nearly
25 million people lives in Peninsular
Malaysia and the other 15% in Sabah
and Sarawak on Borneo.DID YOU KNOW?
Malaysia is obsessed with world records and
publishes its own Malaysia Book of World
Records once a year. Successes include the
most days spent inside a box with 6069
scorpions and creating the highest stack
of cans in 15 minutes.MUST SEE
Anything starring P Ramlee who was the
king of Malaysian cinema in the 1950s and
acted in some 70 films. He remains a national
icon; a road is named after him in KL.432