Malaysia News

Like any country that had flourished in recent times, Malaysia news continues to become important to the world around it with business thriving in this ever-growing landscape.

The country now called Malaysia was a collection of British colonies and protectorates during the late 18th and early 19th century, after Britain business interests identified the lucrative tin mining in the hills around Kuala Lumpur. From 1942 to 1945 these colonies were occupied by Japan, and in 1948 they formed the Federation of Malaya, which won independence in 1957. In 1963 Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo joined the federation, which was renamed Malaysia. Singapore seceded in 1965.

While under British rule, Malaysia’s economy was largely dependent on export of its raw natural resources. However, today the country has succeeded in diversifying into the areas of manufacturing, services and tourism. The current government has continued to support strongly pro-business policies, and Malaysia now has one of the strongest economic records in Asia. Tourism is the third largest sector of the economy, though a negative impact from deforestation and pollution is growing.

Although Malaysia is a spectacular geographic and cultural paradise, it is not without its problems. Territorial disputes have erupted with surrounding countries, most notably over the Spratly Islands, but these have been resolved in a pragmatic manner. On occasion, the International Court of Justice has assisted. Singapore’s land reclamation and border disputes with Indonesia have also caused friction. The separatist violence in southern Thailand necessitates close border monitoring to stem potential terrorist activity; and piracy is an ongoing problem in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Malaysia has also had some problems with human trafficking.