Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0231/02314.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 30KB | 493 lines

$Unique_ID{COW02314}
$Pretitle{245}
$Title{Malaysia
Chapter 2A.   The Society and Its Environment}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Donald M. Seekins}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{kilometers
malaysia
sabah
sarawak
major
coast
peninsular
rivers
sea
east}
$Date{1984}
$Log{Envirions of Malaysia*0231402.scf
}
Country:     Malaysia
Book:        Malaysia, A Country Study
Author:      Donald M. Seekins
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1984

Chapter 2A.   The Society and Its Environment

     Malaysian society is a complex mosaic of regions, social classes,
rural-urban divisions, and ethnic communities. The most central alignment is
ethnicity, which serves to define the plural society of Malaysia-plural in the
sense that ethnic boundaries coincide with most social spheres and
institutions. Within Malaysia ethnicity is closely related to religion,
politics, culture, residence, and socioeconomic position. In the two and
one-half decades since independence in 1957, there has been progress toward
the creation of a common national (Malaysian) identity and some lessening of
interethnic disparities. Nonetheless, the pervasive influence of ethnicity
continues to affect all spheres of social life, from food taboos to priorities
for government expenditures. Contemporary ethnic differences did not simply
arise from primordial passions but were reinforced in part through official
policies of the colonial era. With independence and the rise of social
aspirations, competition in the economy and polity has often centered on
questions of ethnic representation and equity. Yet, even with the high degree
of ethnic consciousness and occasional episodes of ethnic violence, there is
also a large measure of tolerance, and close personal ties span ethnic
boundaries. Ethnocentrism and stereotypes abound, but virulent racism is
largely absent.

     According to 1980 census figures, Peninsular Malaysia's ethnic balance is
roughly 56 percent Malay, 33 percent Chinese, 10 percent Indian, and a
remaining category of 1 percent that includes Eurasians, Thais, and other
small nationality groups. In Sabah and Sarawak-which together with the states
of Peninsular Malaysia comprise Malaysia-there is an even greater level of
ethnic diversity. The 1980 population of Sabah was divided primarily into
Pribumis (83 percent) and Chinese (16 percent); Indians and others made up the
remainder. The Pribumi category is a broad classification of indigenous
peoples that includes Kadazan, Murut, Bajau, Malays, and Indonesians. In
Sarawak the major ethnic divisions are Iban (30 percent), Chinese (29
percent), Malays (20 percent), Bidayuh (8 percent), Melanau (6 percent),
various indigenous peoples (5 percent), and others (1 percent).

     Persons are counted in the census as Malay on the basis of
self-identification. Individuals simply report the ethnic community to which
they belong. To be identified as Malay according to the Constitution, however,
one must profess Islam, habitually speak Malay (Bahasa Malaysia), follow Malay
customs, and fulfill certain conditions of birth. Qualifications for
Malaysian citizenship status are also specified in the Constitution.

     Social life is also influenced by a broad array of other features and
institutions, including family structure, economic roles, traditional and
modern schooling, religious belief and organization, language use, the mass
media, and the availability of medical services. In all spheres of social
life, some aspects reflect continuity with the past; however, there is also a
strong presence of modernization and change. The most powerful influence on
Malaysian social life has been the rapid pace of economic development over the
past 25 years. The effects of this development are not only evident in higher
levels of consumption but are also visible in the physical transformation of
Kuala Lumpur and other large cities and in the pervasive influences of modern
curative medicine, telecommunications, and education throughout the country.
These changes are most evident in Peninsular Malaysia, but there have also
been significant changes in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysia is also
in the midst of a demographic transition from high birth and death rates to
lower levels of both vital indicators. Population growth remains high during
this transitional period, for mortality has declined more rapidly than
fertility. If fertility continues to decline in the coming years as it has in
the past, population growth should begin to level off in the coming decades.
Past and present changes in demographic processes and structures affect ethnic
composition, urban-rural balance, and family structure, as well as demands for
education, employment, housing, and other dimensions of economic and social
life.

     Social change in Malaysia is often glacial in character but often not
clearly visible to contemporary observers. However, in recent years economic
development has led to truly revolutionary change. Although modernization is
transforming many attributes of Malaysian society, the evolving patterns may
not necessarily follow Western models. The examples of Japan and other Asian
societies, the influence of Islam and other religious traditions, and the
unique characteristics of Malaysia's past and present may well lead in new
directions.

Environment

[See Envirions of Malaysia: Courtesy Embassy of Indonesia, Washington DC.]

     The total land area of the country is approximately 330,000 square
kilometers-about the same size as Vietnam or the Philippines. On the mainland
of Southeast Asia is Peninsular Malaysia, which represents 40 percent of the
total land area of the country. The balance of the land area is found in Sabah
and Sarawak, the two states on the northwestern side of the island of Borneo.
Peninsular Malaysia is separated from the states of Sabah and Sarawak by a
650-kilometer span of the South China Sea. Located just north of the equator,
Malaysia enjoys a hot and humid tropical climate marked by seasonal variations
in rainfall. The topography varies from coastal swamps to mountainous
interiors, and numerous rivers and narrow plains lie in between. The soils of
the country are not particularly fertile but are well adapted to tree crops,
including rubber and oil palm. The interior is covered with thick foliage and
jungle. Malaysia is well endowed with natural resources, including tin, oil,
and natural gas. Sparsely settled, the country's population, as counted in the
1980 census, was about 13.1 million, of whom 10.9 million-or 83 percent-lived
in Peninsular Malaysia.

Topography

     Peninsular Malaysia extends 804 kilometers from its northern border with
Thailand to its southern connection-a causeway across the shallow Johore
Strait-to the island-state of Singapore (see fig. 4). The peninsula is
separated from the Indonesian island of Sumatra by the Strait of Malacca.
Although the Kra Isthmus in southern Thailand just above Peninsular Malaysia's
northern border is only 64 kilometers wide, the width of Peninsular Malaysia
approaches 330 kilometers at its broadest point. Peninsular Malaysia covers a
land area of 131,590 square kilometers. There are many small islands off both
the east and the west coasts of the peninsula, most of which are largely rural
and contain a number of small fishing villages. The one exception is the
island of Penang off the northwest coast of the peninsula, which is the
location of a major port city.

     The central core of the peninsula is dominated by a series of mountain
ranges and associated highlands. Over half of the land area is 150 meters or
more above sea level. The Main Range is the largest, widest, and most
prominent of the major mountain ranges down the spine of the peninsula. It is
primarily composed of granite and spans over 480 kilometers from the Thai
border to Negeri Sembilan. It has an average width of 48 to 64 kilometers. The
highest peak in the Main Range, at 2,188 meters, is Korbu Mountain, but the
elevation for the entire