MALAYSIA
Malaysia is located in South Asia and has two distinct land regions. Peninsular Malaysia is located south of Thailand and is about the size of Alabama. East Malaysia is located on the islands of Borneo and consists of two states which together are a bit bigger than Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia’s territory is rich in natural resources with only limited arable land.
A brief history of Malaysia
Many civilizations have long flourished on the Malaysian peninsula long before colonial powers became interested in Malaysia in the 16th century. Britain colonized the area for production of rubber and other natural resources and controlled all the Malay states by the early 1900's. The most tumultuous change came with the onslaught of World War II and the Japanese occupation of Malaysia, this set the stage for the eventual independence of the Malay union.
In 1957 Britain granted independence and Malaysia began to look at ways to redefine its colonial relationship through economic alliance than old colonial ones. Tension mounted between the two main ethnic groups in, the Malay’s and the Chinese that resulted in widespread rioting. The Government of Malaysia (GoM) took this unrest seriously and set the stage to ease tensions by increasing economic opportunities by encouraging aggressive investment and development of the economy. This strategy was outlined by the Government of Malaysia in the New Economic Plan (NEP) of 1969. Malaysia has prospered since.
Economic growth has transformed Malaysia moving the economy from an agricultural exporter to a technology,electronic and automobile parts manufacturer. Manufacturing has been the driving force of this boom with high-tech exports leading the way, in 1993 Malaysia exported about 10% of the worlds supply of semiconductors. Long term and sustainable economic development has resulted in widespread improved living conditions and an average per capita GNP of $2,340 - a huge increase over the last several decades.
As the 21st Century approaches the GoM is once again concentrating on growing the high-technology sector by sponsoring ambitious technology pilots, such as the Multi-media Supercorridor, and planning for the transition to paperless government agencies and programs. These projects will be interesting to watch over the next several years as Malaysia continues its transformation into a high-technology superpower.
