Background

LET JUSTICE PREVAIL
MALAYSIA

SETTING THE SCENE

Malaysia, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, is a country of contrasts - modern
yet with traditional ways. With mountains and islands, lush tropical forests and sandy
shores, it attracts both business people and tourists. Its multi-ethnicity is an eloquent
testimony of its chequered history. It is one of the wealthiest and most developed
countries in South East Asia, outranked in Gross National Product only by Singapore
and oil-rich Brunei. It was and still is considered by many as a prize to be desired.
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the areas of present-day Malaysia
comes from Sarawak. The Malay Peninsula was settled from the eighth to the second
millennium BC by the Orang Asli (indigenous people) and inhabited from the third
millennium BC by immigrants from South China. Up to the fourteenth century, various
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms dominated large parts of the region. From this
flourishing trade centre, Islam began its advance through the ruling houses of
Malaysia in the fifteenth century. The Dutch followed in 1641 and the British in the late
eighteenth century.

In 1895 the British Government established the Federated Malay States, which was
a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula. This lasted until 1946,
when together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States, they
formed the Malayan Union. In World War II, Japan occupied Malaysia from 1941 to
1945. During the occupation conditions were brutal and an estimated 100,000 people
were killed. At the end of World War II, following the Japanese surrender to the allied
forces, one of the reparations included returning Malaysia to the British.
In 1948, the Union became the Federation of Malaya and finally Malaysia in 1963 with
the inclusion of Sabah (then North Borneo), Sarawak and Singapore, although
Singapore left the federation on 9 August 1965. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of
Malaysia although Putrajaya became the administrative centre from 1999 due to the
overcrowding and congestion in Kuala Lumpur.

NATURAL GEOGRAPHY

Malaysia lies north of the equator and consists of two parts – West or Peninsular
Malaysia and East Malaysia, comprised of Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan in north
Borneo. Brunei lies on the coast of Borneo, between Sabah and Sarawak.
The South China Sea separates Peninsular Malaysia from East Malaysia by 370 miles
(600km). The total land mass is 127,284 sq miles (329,750sq km). Thailand lies to the
north of Peninsular Malaysia, separated by the narrow Isthmus of Kra, while the island
of Singapore lies at its southern tip. The Strait of Malacca separates Peninsular
Malaysia from Sumatra (Indonesia) in the southeast.

Climate. Both parts of Malaysia lie in the equatorial rainfall zone. The climate is
tropical with high humidity all year round. Temperatures vary between 22°C (70°F)
and 32°C (90°F). Rain falls almost daily during the monsoon season (October – April)
and the annual rainfall ranges from - 80 to 100 ins (200 to 250 cm).

Features. The two distinct parts of Malaysia share a largely similar landscape
featuring coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Dense rainforests cover the
mountains. Mangrove swamps are found along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia
and most of the coast of Sabah and Sarawak. The highest mountain peak in
Peninsular Malaysia is Mount Tahan 7,188ft (2,191 m) in the Banjaran Titiwangsa
range, which separates the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, giving them
distinct identities. The west coast is more urbanised and industrial and includes the
capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the administrative centre, Putrajaya.

Tea is grown on the terraced hillsides of the Cameron Highlands. The east coast is
famous for its sandy beaches, numerous islands and tourist resorts. Fishing is the
main occupation. Malays and Malay folk culture predominate here. Mount Kinabalu,
13,454 ft (4,101 m) in the Crocker Range is the highest peak in Southeast Asia and
monopolises the Sabah skyline from every angle. The Batang Rajang River is the
longest in Malaysia.

Flora and Fauna. The Kinabalu National Park is protected as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and is a botanist’s paradise with gigantic trees, ferns, orchids and
pitcher plants. The famous parasitic Rafflesia blooms here. It is the world’s largest
plant, its blossom measuring up to a metre in width, about 7 kilograms in weight and
exuding a horrible stench!

Taman Negara is Malaysia’s oldest and largest national park covering 4,343sq km
and preserving virgin rainforest. It is home to 14,500 species of plants and trees,
including the world’s largest orchid. Large animals such as the tapir, deer, wild boar,
leaf monkey, long-tailed macaques, gibbons, rhinos, birds and butterflies are found
here.

In Sarawak the Gunung Mulu National Park is noted for its awesome cave system,
including the Deer Cave and the gigantic Sarawak Chambers, reputed to be the
largest in the world. The Rajah Brooke butterfly, the world’s largest butterfly, is found
in the park where the Rhinoceros Hornbill with its orange casque is one of the largest
birds. The endangered Hawksbill turtle swims in the coastal waters.

Malaysia’s tropical rainforest is one of the world’s oldest and most endangered
ecosystems. It covers about 21 million hectares and has about 2,500 different types of
trees and over 5,000 species of other plants. Around 1.5 hectares are under oil palm
cultivation. Large scale clearing for plantation and logging (now restricted) have
disturbed animal habitats. Malaysian fruits, native to the country, are seen in
abundance everywhere on wayside stalls and markets. The Durian, ‘King of Fruits,’
has a thorny skin and an overpowering, foul smell although the fruit tastes delicious!
Other fruits are mangosteen, rambutan, langsat, duku ciku as well as star fruit,papaya, dragon fruit and pineapple.

ECONOMY

Malaysia is a relatively open state-oriented and newly industrialised market economy.
The land is rich in minerals. Rubber dominated the market until 1980, when palm oil
became the important export with Malaysia being the second largest supplier.
Manufacturing is the largest contributor to Malaysia’s economy, including a profitable
car industry and the world’s largest production of computer disk drives. Tourism also
makes a major contribution and is growing, with more room for expansion. Petroleum,
rubber, timber, pineapples, cocoa, tea and tobacco are major exports.
Efforts are made to minimise unemployment and to eradicate poverty, especially in
the densely populated areas. Foreign workers are employed in the construction and
agricultural sectors. In 2007 the economy was the 3rd largest in South East Asia but,
as in the rest of the world, the global recession has hit their export market hard.

GOVERNMENT

The overall constitutional ruler of Malaysia is known as Yang di-Pertuan Agong or
king, the role being largely ceremonial. The Constitution specifies that the executive
power of the federal government is vested in the king and is exercised by him on the
advice of the federal Council of Ministers. He is elected every 5 years at a Conference
of Rulers, which is comprised of hereditary rulers or sultans of the nine states. This
system allows for the nine state heads to have the opportunity to be king. A governor
heads the other states of Melaka, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. The king appoints the
Prime Minister and Cabinet and heads the Cabinet. They are then collectively
responsible to Parliament.

The main political parties are National Front (not to be confused with British National
Front party), a coalition of United Malays, National Organisation and twelve other
parties. Most are ethnically based. In total there are 30 registered political parties. Not
all are represented in either the Federal or State Parliament.

RELIGION

Malaysia is a land of diverse faiths. The oldest indigenous religion is animism (a belief
that all things in nature have souls). Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam reached Malaysia
from India and China, with Islam being the official religion. Some Chinese follow
Taoism and Confucianism. The Portuguese brought Christianity to Melaka in the early
16th Century. The Dutch took control of Melaka in the middle of the 17th Century. The
original cathedral built by the Portuguese became a Dutch Reformed Church in 1753
and an Anglican church in 1858.

Many more missionaries arrived in the early 19th Century. Today Sabah and Sarawak
have a considerable Christian community. 8% of Malaysians are Christian,
comprising Roman Catholics (the largest group), Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans,
Presbyterians, Mar Thoma, Syrian Orthodox and Pentecostal. The Council of
Churches in Malaysia (CCM) is an ecumenical body comprised of the main
denominations. In the spirit of dialogue and goodwill it interacts in critical relationships
between church and state. The Women’s Work Committee comes under the auspices
of CCM. This is the committee that organises the World Day of Prayer. Malaysian
Care (Malaysian Christian Association for Relief), set up in 1978, is a local non-profit
making Christian agency providing social concern services for the poor and those in
need, including prisoners, drug addicts and HIV and AIDS patients.

THE PEOPLE

Of the 28 million inhabitants, 54% are Malays. Practising Islam and speaking Bahasa
Malaysia, they are known for their rich arts heritage. The descendants of 19th century
Chinese immigrants form the next largest group of 25% of the population. Speaking
three different dialects, they are diligent with a keen business sense. The Malaysian
Indians form the third main ethnic group with 10% of the population. Most are
descended from immigrants from South India who wanted to break out of the caste
system and build a better life. Mainly Hindu, they brought many of their traditions with
them. Orang Asli - the indigenous groups found in Peninsular Malaysia are divided
into the Negrito in the North, the Senoi in the Central area and Proto-Malay in the
south. Each has its own language and way of life and influences each other’s culture.
In Sarawak, the Dayaks are also made up of three ethnic groups. They live in
longhouses – community homes housing 20-100 families. The Iban form 30% of the
state’s population. Formerly a fearsome warrior race known for headhunting and
piracy, they are now mainly Christian. The Bidayuh are a peace-loving group, famous
for their hospitality and ‘tuak’ or rice wine. Living in the mountains, they are farmers
and hunters. As headhunters in the past, their prized skulls were stored in a ‘baruk’ or
roundhouse rising 1.5 metres above the ground. Originally animists, they also are
now mostly Christian. The Orang Ulu are the upriver tribes noted for their artistry in
woodcarving and beadwork and their ornately decorated roundhouses.

In Sabah, the largest of three ethnic groups is the Kadazan Dusun, forming 30% of the
population. The Kadazan are mainly rice farmers in the valley deltas, whereas the
Dusun inhabit the mountainous interior. The Bajau are sometimes referred to as sea
gypsies, being nomadic seafarers. Those Bajau moving inland became farmers and
cattle breeders and are known for their equestrian skills. The Murut are the third
group and traditionally inhabit the northern inland regions of Borneo. The last to
renounce headhunting, they farm rice and tapioca, supplementing their diet with
fishing and hunting with blowpipes.

The culture of Malaysia features festivals, feasts and celebrations throughout the
year on both a national and state level and at special times, e.g. harvests and
weddings. It is a country rich in art and architecture, painting and sculpture, as well as
traditional crafts such as batik, woodcarving and weaving. Popular pastimes include
top spinning, kite flying, bird singing competitions and Wayang Kulit, or shadow
puppet play. Puppets made from buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo sticks
“perform” behind a white cloth that is backlit by an oil lamp.

Health issues are a matter of great importance to the government. There is a
universal healthcare system, which is being expanded and developed, co-existing with
private healthcare. The lack of medical centres in rural areas is now a major problem.
Average life expectancy is 72 years for men and 77 for women. The infant mortality
rate is 6.7 per 1000.

Education is monitored by the government through the Ministry of Education.
Voluntary kindergarten education is followed by six years of compulsory primary
school, then five years of non-compulsory secondary school. The average attendance
at primary level is 90% and 60% at secondary level. The literacy rate is 93%.

WOMEN

Women have made important contributions to the social and economic development
of the country. Achieving a higher level of education, they have increased their
participation in the labour force as doctors, dentists, lawyers, architects,
businesswomen and politicians. Various skills training programmes coupled with
financial assistance schemes run by both Government and NGO’s have helped to
reduce poverty among women, single mothers and female-headed households and
enabled them to find work in the manufacturing and services sectors. AIM (Amanah
Ikhtiar Malaysia) is a microcredit loan scheme set up to aid the poor in both towns and
villages.

Despite this progress, women of all races and classes still face difficulties,
discrimination and violence at all levels of society. Only 40% of working age women
of 15-64 years are employed. Their participation in decision-making roles is low. The
Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development was set up to look into
women’s affairs to try to resolve some of these issues. Even today a girl child is seen
as less valuable than a boy and women suffer violence without protest.
Malaysia is now the largest destination country in Asia for migrant workers, and
trafficking of persons has become a sophisticated and organised operation. Different
organisations have developed to work against human trafficking, against violence
towards women and to teach about the value of women. One of the main groups is
Tenaganita, an organisation that works to protect the rights of all women and migrant
workers, running a shelter for those who are victims.

The plight of single mothers, HIV and AIDS, drug addiction and stateless children are
some of the problems in Sabah, as is the abuse and violation of rights of domestic
workers who are mostly women.

In Sarawak, the role and status of women have undergone great changes and many
now have access to education, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, urban or
rural. A study on the development, achievements and contribution of women in
Sarawak during its 45 years of independence will form a starting point to further the
status and involvement of women nationally.

In conclusion, although Malaysia’s multi-ethnicity has added to the rich heritage of its
land and people, it has also given rise to many problems and challenges. Justice for
all is the hope and prayer of the people. “Let Justice Prevail”.