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Thursday 6 March 2014
Malaysia flag
14 equal horizontal stripes of
red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star;
the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14
stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states
and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity
between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue
symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay
rulers. 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white
(bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a
yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as
Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in
the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14
points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is
a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people
and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers.
Welcome To Malaysia
To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia, a bubbling, bustling
melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many
others ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony.
Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomically
paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colourful festivals.
It's no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising. As a people,
Malaysians are very laid back, warm and friendly.
Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. There
are two parts to the country, 11 states in the peninsula of Malaysia and two
states on the northern part of Borneo. Cool hideaways are found in the
highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.
One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts.
Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and
five-star hotels sit several metres away from ancient reefs. For the perfect
holiday full of surprises, eclectic cultures and natural wonders, the time is
now, the place is Malaysia.
13 Mei 1969
The May 13 Incident is a term for
the sectarian violence in Kuala Lumpur (then part of the state of Selangor)
which began on 13 May 1969. The riots led to a declaration of a state of
'national emergency', resulting in the suspension of Parliament by the
Malaysian government, while the National Operations Council (NOC or Majlis
Gerakan Negara, MAGERAN) was established to temporarily govern the country
between 1969 and 1971.
Officially, 196 people were
killed in the riots between 13 May and 31 July 1969, although journalists and
other observers have stated much higher figures. Some reports at the time
suggested that over 2,000 were killed by rioters, police, and Malaysian Army
Rangers, mainly in Kuala Lumpur. The Barisan Nasional coalition government,
which has ruled unabated since independence, has pinned the blame for the
incident solely on the opposition Democratic Action Party, which is larged
perceived as Chinese-based. Many, however, allege that the riots were simply a
ploy by the Malay elites within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
to topple the moderate Tunku Abdul Rahman, as well as to further their agenda
of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) which has dominated Malaysian government
policy ever since.
The Independent Federation of Malaya [Part 2]
Reaction to colonial rule began
in the early 20th century. In 1915, Indian sepoys rebelled and came close to
taking control of Singapore. In 1931, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was
established. It had links with developing communism in China and drew most of
its support from the Chinese community. By 1937–38, anti-colonial nationalism
began among the Malay community, with the formation of the Union of Young
Malays.
The Japanese occupied the country
from 1941–45. Resistance, mainly from the Chinese, was led by MCP guerrillas.
British rule was reintroduced after the war, but met active resistance from the
MCP. Malay nationalists also campaigned for independence. The United Malays’
National Organisation (UMNO, the principal Malay party) was formed in 1946.
The Federation of Malaya,
comprising 11 peninsular states, was established in 1948. A communist-led
insurrection in that year was suppressed by the UK (although guerrilla warfare
continued in the north of the peninsula and Borneo and the last insurgents only
surrendered in 1989).
A delayed general election took
place in 1955. This was won by the Alliance Party, formed out of UMNO, the
Malayan Chinese Association and the Malayan Indian Congress.
The Independent Federation of Malaya [Part 1]
The history of British involvement
in Malaya goes back to 1786, when the East India Company established a trading
post on Penang Island. Sir Stamford Raffles founded a British settlement on the
island of Singapore in 1819 and by 1830 the British Straits Settlements also
included Malacca. From the 1870s the sultans of the small Malay states began
accepting British ‘advisers’, who were effectively rulers. In 1896 a federation
of Negri Sembilan, Perak, Selangor and Pahang was established with its capital
at Kuala Lumpur. Heavy immigration from China and India was encouraged to
supply labour for British rubber plantations and tin mines.
Invading from the north, the
Japanese rapidly overran Malaya and took Singapore in 1942. After the war, in
1948, a Federation of Malaya was created under British protection, but British
and Commonwealth troops had to put down a Communist insurrection, which lasted
into the early 1950s. It was by now agreed that Malayan independence was the
answer to the Communist claim that they were fighting to free the Malayan
people from the British yoke. An election in 1955 was won hands-down by the
United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) by running Malay candidates in
Malay-dominated areas, Chinese candidates in Chinese areas and Indian
candidates in Indian ones. The UMNO’s leader Tunku Abdul Rahman became prime
minister when the independent Federation of Malaya came into being in 1957.
At a ceremony in the new Merdeka
Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Abdul Rahman proclaimed Malaya as ‘a sovereign,
democratic and independent State founded on the principles of liberty and
justice, and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people and the
maintenance of a just peace among all nations.’ He went on to say that Malaya
had been ‘blessed with a good administration forged and tempered to perfection
by by successive British administrators’ and called for Britain’s legacy not to
be forgotten or spoiled in the future. A message from the Queen welcomed Malaya
to the Commonwealth and numerous Commonwealth premiers sent goodwill wishes. The
Union Jack was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted in its place, while
elsewhere in the country there were fireworks, bonfires, dances and concerts.
The federation was renamed
Malaysia in 1963, when besides Singapore and all the Malay states it also included
two areas in North Borneo – Sarawak and Sabah. Singapore opted out and went its
own way in 1965.
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