Malaysia

A

Literature

Malaysia’s most important literary work is the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). Written in the 1500s, this work presents a somewhat romanticized account of the Malacca sultanate. European colonizers on Peninsular Malaysia (the Portuguese in 1511, the Dutch in 1641, and finally the English in the 18th century) greatly affected the local literary style. In print, the vernacular, or spoken language, replaced the classical literary style of Malay, and in 1876 the first Malaysian newspaper used the vernacular.

B

Art and Architecture

Malaysian decorative art forms include colorful batik cloth, silverware, pewter items, and woodcarvings. Like other elements of Malaysian culture, its architecture reflects influences from India, China, and Islam. These influences are most pronounced in religious structures. The British introduced colonial architecture and, in buildings such as the old post office and railway station in Kuala Lumpur, the Moorish style. From 1998 to 2003 Malaysia boasted the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers. Each tower rises 452 m (1,483 ft). The architect, Argentine American Cesar Pelli, found inspiration for the design of the buildings in traditional Malaysian Islamic architecture.

C

Music, Dance, and Drama

Hindu, Islamic, and Indonesian forms influenced music in Malaysia. For example, wayang kulit (shadow-puppet theater), was introduced from Java in the 13th century, and today is most commonly found in the state of Kelantan. Malaysian musical instruments include distinctive drums (gendang), of which there are at least 14 types; gongs and other percussion instruments made from native materials such as bamboo (kertuk and pertuang) and coconut shells (raurau); and a variety of wind instruments, including flutes. Ensembles (nobat) and orchestras (gamelan) play these instruments at special occasions. Chinese musical forms, including Chinese opera, were more recently introduced into Malaysia.

D

Libraries and Museums

Three of Malaysia’s major museums—the National Museum of Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur; the Sabah Museum, in Kota Kinabalu; and the Sarawak Museum, in Kuching—exhibit collections of regional ethnographic and archaeological materials. The National Library of Malaysia and the National Archives are in Kuala Lumpur. Each state has its own museum exhibiting local items.

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V

Economy

The economy of Malaysia once relied principally on the production of raw materials for export, most importantly petroleum, natural rubber, tin, palm oil, and timber. After Malaysia gained independence in 1957, however, the development of the manufacturing sector took priority. From the mid-1970s to mid-1990s Malaysia had one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, mainly due to rapid industrialization. In the late 1980s industry replaced agriculture as the largest contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP). The services sector, especially tourism, also drove growth.

In 1991 the Malaysian government launched the ambitious “Vision 2020” program, which envisions Malaysia attaining the status of a developed nation by 2020. Toward this goal, the government has invested heavily in modernizing the infrastructure of the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area. The modernization is designed to propel Malaysia into the digital age and position it as a hub for high-technology businesses in Southeast Asia. However, the country’s reliance on exports of manufactured goods, such as computer microchips and other electrical components, has made its economy susceptible to regional and global economic downturns. Malaysia was one of many Asian countries that suffered economic decline during a regional economic crisis in 1997 and 1998. This crisis led to the delay of some infrastructure projects and possibly of the Vision 2020 goal.

The nation’s economy expanded an average of 6.3 percent annually in the period 2007. In 2003 Malaysia’s annual budget included revenues of about $21 billion and expenditures of about $25 billion. The country’s GDP was $186.7 billion in 2007. Industry, including mining and construction, accounted for 48 percent of the GDP; services, 42 percent; and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 10 percent.

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