Foundation Islamic Union
Malaysia
Official Name: Federation of Malaysia (MY)
Capital : Kuala Lumpur
Important Cities: Ipoh, Pinang, Johor Baharu, Kelang, Kuala Terengganu, Port Kelang, Taiping, Kota Baharu, Seremban, Kuantan, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu,
Area: 330,434 km2.
Population : 34,500,000 (2021)[1]. 43% of the population lives in cities.
Average Human Lifespan: 70
Ethnicity: The most populous ethnic group are the Malays, who make up 49 per cent of the population. The Malays are also spread in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Madagascar. The Malay language they speak is very close to Indonesian. All Malays in Malaysia are Muslims. The second largest ethnic element is the Chinese, who make up 35 per cent. There are few Muslims among the Chinese. Most of them are Buddhists, some of them are Christians. 10 per cent of them are Indians. A few of the Indians are Muslims and the majority are Hindus. The Chinese and Indians are immigrants from China and India, the Javanese are all Muslims.
Language: The official language is Malay. English and Arabic are also recognised languages. The languages of various ethnic elements, especially Tamil and Chinese, are also spoken.
Religion: The official religion is Islam. 55% of the population is Muslim. There are 17 per cent Buddhists, 11.6 per cent Confucianists, 7 per cent Hindus and 6 per cent Christians.
Geographical Situation: Malaysia, one of the Southeast Asian countries, is surrounded by Thailand from the north, the China Sea and Brunei from the south, Lake Selebes from the east, Indonesia, Singapore and Malacca Strait from the south, and the Andaman Sea adjacent to the Indian Ocean from the west. It is very rich in rivers. The most important rivers are Rejang, Ketantan, Sai Perak and Sai Rompin rivers. The territory of Malaysia consists of two large land masses and the islands in the South China Sea between them. The two large land masses are West Malaysia and East Malaysia. West Malaysia is a peninsula and is connected by a thin land link to Siam, now Thailand. East Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo, a large part of which is under Indonesian rule. The state of Brunei is also on this island and between the two states of Malaysia. Malaysia has a tropical climate with plenty of rain. East Malaysia is more rainy than West Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur, the capital city located in the west near the Strait of Malacca, the average annual temperature is 32.3 degrees and the average annual rainfall is 2409 mm. In Kuching, located in the state of Sarawak in the east and on the coast of the South China Sea, this ratio is 31.4 degrees/3782 mm.
Government: Malaysia is a confederation ruled by a king and based on a multi-party democratic system. The federal states that make up the confederation are also ruled by kings. One of the kings of the states in West Malaysia is elected king-general or 'supreme president' for a four-year term. The country is governed by a constitution adopted on 31 August 1957. It has a bicameral parliamentary system. The first chamber consists of 69 members and the second chamber of 180 members. The members of these assemblies are elected in free general elections.
International Organisations of which he is a member: UN, OIC[2], Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation, (IMF), Islamic Development Bank. FAO, ILO, IMF, Interpol, ISO, ITSO, WHO.
Political Parties: United Malay National Organisation (UMNO): Established before Malaysian independence. It is still one of the leading parties in the country. It formed the first government after independence. From time to time it entered into a coalition with the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). At its foundation, it emphasised the importance of religion, but adopted a Western-type secularism. Today, under the influence of some Islamist intellectuals who have joined the party, it looks favourably on the Islamisation of state institutions. Its leader is Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad. Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
History: In historical sources, West Malaysia is referred to as Malaya. Before Islam reached this region, Buddhists and Brahmanists established various states. Islam entered Malaysia after 1400. Prince Prameswara, the founder of the city of Malacca on the shores of the Malacca Strait, married the daughter of the king of Pasai in 1414, converted to Islam and changed his name to Majat Iskandar Shah. After his conversion, Islam began to spread rapidly in the regions under his rule. Muslims from western India also helped him. Majat Alexander died in 1424 and the rulers who came after him also tried to spread Islam. Islam became the official religion during the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah who became the sultan of Malacca in 1446. At the same time, Malacca became the centre of Islam in Southeast Asia. Its commercial and economic importance also increased and Muslim merchants began to visit it more and more. Muzaffar Shah ruled until 1458 and was succeeded by his son Mansur Shah. During the reign of Mansur Shah, who ruled until 1477, the Malacca Sultanate became politically and religiously influential in the neighbourhood. Islam started to spread to other parts of Malaya and Sumatra island, which is under Indonesian rule today. At this time, Portuguese colonisers started to disturb the region. In 1511, they captured the harbour of Malacca. Sultan Mahmud, who was ruling Malacca at that time, could not withstand the attacks of the Portuguese and left Malacca to them and moved to Johor and established a separate sultanate here. Until then, Johor was a province of the Malacca Sultanate. The Johor State organised several campaigns to retake Malacca from the Portuguese. The Ottoman Empire supported these operations with arms and the Aceh Sultanate with troops. However, no result was obtained from these operations. On the one hand, the British carried all the natural riches of the region to their own countries, on the other hand, they impoverished the local Muslim population. This situation led to the emergence of a new awakening movement among the people. From 1930 onwards, this awakening movement turned into an organised activity. After World War II, the struggle for independence became more effective. Meanwhile, the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) was founded. In 1948, a Federation of Malaya was established under British control. On 31 August 1957, the independence of Malaysia was declared. The island of Borneo, where East Malaysia, namely the states of Sarawak and Sabah, is located, was first settled by Islam in the early 15th century. The sultan of Brunei ceded Sabah to the British in 1877. The British withdrew from Sarawak and Sabah after a while after recognising Malaysia's independence, and on 16 September 1963, the Confederation of Malaysia was formed with these two states and Singapore.
Internal Problems: Although it is claimed that the fact that Malaysia harbours many different ethnic and religious elements poses a potential problem, there is no serious problem arising from this for now.
External Problems: The Philippines and Indonesia claimed the states of Sarawak and Sabah, which make up East Malaysia. Indonesia therefore declared war on Malaysia in 1963. This war ended in 1965, but Indonesia has not completely given up its claim to the states.
Islam in the country: Islam has a significant influence on the state administration in Malaysia. This is an achievement of the Islamic movement in the country. The state started to Islamise official institutions after 1980. Four main Islamic movements, which are still in existence, had an impact on the state to reach this stage:
Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS): It was founded in 1951 by those who left UMNO because they wanted the Islamic aspect of the state to be established after independence to be predominantly Islamic. The founders of PAS were of the view that religion could not be confined to a certain area in a political party programme, that it should cover all areas of life, and they opposed the secular state model that UMNO wanted to establish. PAS followed a successful line and formed the local government in Kelantan and Terangganu provinces in the first general elections in 1959. It also formed coalition governments with the National Party in the following periods. All-Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM): Founded in 1971 by students who were members of the Muslim Students' Union of Malaysia. Shortly after its establishment, it formed an alliance with PAS. After 1974, it made significant progress under the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim. ABIM modelled itself on the Jamaat-e-Islamiya founded by Mawdudi and the Muslim Brotherhood. ABIM wants Malaysia to be a country governed by Islamic laws in all areas. The most recent president of ABIM was Dr Muhammad Nur Manuti.
Tabligh Jamaat: An offshoot of the Tabligh Jamaat in Pakistan. Daru'l-Arqam: Founded in 1968 under the leadership of Ash'ari Muhammad. It concentrates on education and cultural activities and advocates the idea that the Islamic awareness of the society comes before the establishment of an Islamic state. It was especially influential among young people. However, his criticism of PAS had a negative impact on his development. Thereupon, he stopped openly criticising other Islamic groups. There are also some small Islamic organisations and groups in Malaysia. Malaysian Muslims, especially the youth, are famous for their devotion to their religion. Seventy per cent of young people fulfil their religious duties. The Islamic movement is also strong among university youth.[3]
Economy: Malaysia's economy is based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The share of income from agriculture in gross domestic product is 19% and 30% of the working population is employed in this field. Rice, rubber, palm seed, pineapple, cocoa, pineapple, pineapple, cocoa and various fruits and vegetables are the main agricultural products. Fishing is also common as it has a long coast. Forest products also make an important contribution to the economy. It has the largest tin reserves. Since the 1970s, oil and natural gas have also been produced and exported.
Currency: Ringgit (Malaysian dollar).
National Income per Capita: 11,604 USD[4]
Foreign Trade: The main products exported are rubber, live animals, palm oil, various foodstuffs, fish and seafood, wood products, petroleum, natural gas and various mineral ores, especially tin. Machinery, transport vehicles and spare parts, chemicals, some foodstuffs, electrical and electronic equipment are the leading imported goods. Japan takes the first place in foreign trade. The second ranking countries are Singapore, USA, South Korea and various European countries.
Industry: Malaysia has a good level of industry. There are many factories producing oil refining plants, automobiles, durable consumer goods, textile products, various foodstuffs, cement and other construction materials, furniture and wood products, paper and stationery, chemicals, fertilisers, rubber, plastic goods, earth and metal goods, mechanical tools, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, palm oil, etc.
Energy: 84.4% of electricity is obtained from thermal power plants and 15.6% from hydroelectric power plants. Annual electricity consumption per capita is 1545 kw/hour.
Transportation: There are 39 airports with scheduled flights, with the capital Kuala Lumpur open to international traffic. Malaysia has 2.230 km. railway and 52.500 km. road. There is one motorised transport vehicle for an average of 7.5 people.
Health: Malaysia has 270 hospitals, 7.250 doctors, 1.450 dentists, 38 thousand nurses. There is one doctor for 2,632 people.
Education: Education is free. There are 7,000 primary schools, 1,300 general secondary schools, 90 vocational secondary schools and 45 higher education institutions. Among young people of higher education age, the rate of those enrolled in higher education institutions is 8 per cent, while the rate of those over 25 years of age with higher education is 2 per cent. The rate of those who can read and write is 79 per cent.
Administrative division: It consists of 13 federal states and 133 provinces, 11 in West Malaysia and 2 in East Malaysia. The capital city also has a separate federal status.
[1] www.ticaret.gov.tr (October-2021 Access)
[2] www.oic-oci.org
[3] www.enfal.de(October-2021 Access)
[4] www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)
