Ma·lay·sia (m -l  zh, -sh) A country of southeast Asia consisting of the southern Malay Peninsula and the northern part of the island of Borneo. Malays probably moved into the penisula c. 2000 b.c., eventually reaching northern Borneo and displacing the indigenous Dayaks. Europeans arrived in the 16th century. By the 20th century Great Britain had established protectorates throughout the lower peninsula, which later formed the Union (1946) and then the Federation (1948) of Malaya. Gaining independence in 1957, it joined with Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to become the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Singapore gained independence separately in 1965. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city. Population: 24,800,000. Ma·lay sian adj. & n. |   |
Malaysia [məˈleɪzɪə]
n
(Placename) a federation in SE Asia (within the Commonwealth), consisting of Peninsular Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), occupying the N part of the island of Borneo: formed in 1963 as a federation of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and Singapore (the latter seceded in 1965); densely forested and mostly mountainous. Official language: Malay; English and various Chinese and Indian minority languages are also spoken. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: ringgit. Capital: Putrajaya (the transfer of government from Kuala Lumpur is scheduled for completion by 2005). Pop.: 22 602 000 (2001 est.). Area: 333 403 sq. km (128 727 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Malaysia - a constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957godown - (in India and Malaysia) a warehouse al-Ma'unah - a radical insurgent Islamist group consisting of disaffected middle-class professionals in Malaysia who want to overthrow the government by violent means and set up an Islamic state Islamic Community, Islamic Group, Jemaah Islamiyah, JI, Malaysia Militant Group, Malaysian Mujahidin Group - a clandestine group of southeast Asian terrorists organized in 1993 and trained by al-Qaeda; supports militant Muslims in Indonesia and the Philippines and has cells in Singapore and Malaysia and Indonesia ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations - an association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia and who joined with the United States to fight against global terrorism Indochina, Indochinese peninsula - a peninsula of southeastern Asia that includes Myanmar and Cambodia and Laos and Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya - Malaysia's sparkling new capital East Malaysia - the part of Malaysia that is on the island of Borneo West Malaysia - the region of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula Malay, Malayan - a member of a people inhabiting the northern Malay Peninsula and Malaysia and parts of the western Malay Archipelago Malaysian - a native or inhabitant of Malaysia |
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