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| Malaysia (Federation of Malaysia) |
A state in Southeast Asia, occupies the southern part of the Malacca Peninsula and the territories of Sarawak and Sabah in the north of Kalimantan. Territory - 333 thousand sq. km. Population - 13.5 million (1980); Ma Lai and other indigenous people - about 55%, Chinese - 34%, Indians and Pakistanis - 9%. The capital is Kuala Lumpur (over 800 thousand inhabitants.). The official language is Malay. State religion - Islam, there are also Buddhists, Hindus, Christians. Colony of Portugal from the beginning of the 16th century, Holland from 1641, England from 1824. Popular resistance to British colonialism took on an organized character with the creation in 1930 of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). During the Second World War, Malaya was occupied by Japan. The CPM has led the resistance movement. After the defeat of Japan, the CPM, together with other progressive forces, fought for a complete national. independence of the country. In 1947, the United People's Front was created under the leadership of the Communist Party. Persecution by the British colonialists and local reaction forced the CPM to go underground and start an armed anti-colonial struggle. On August 31, 1957, as a result of an agreement between England and the local bourgeois parties, the state independence of Malaya was proclaimed. The new state - the Federation of Malay - became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 16.IX 1963 Malaya united with Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah to form the Federation of Malaysia, which in the same year was admitted to the UN. In 1965, Singapore withdrew from the Federation. In foreign policy, the Malaysian government has proclaimed the principles of non-alignment, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Under the 1971 agreement between Malaysia and Singapore, on the one hand, and England, Australia and New Zealand, on the other, a combined contingent of troops from the last three countries is deployed on Malaysian territory. At the same time, the Malaysian government initiated a plan to neutralize Southeast Asia with guarantees from the USSR , the USA and the PRC, which was approved in 1971 by other member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Malaysia has diplomatic and trade relations with the USSR and other socialist countries. Since 1972, Soviet-Malaysian agreements have been in effect on economic and technical, as well as on cultural and scientific cooperation. The visit to the USSR of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Hussein On-na (September 1979) was of great importance for the further development of relations between the USSR and Malaysia . The head of state is the monarch, the supreme head, elected for 5 years from among the sultans of 9 states (there are 13 states in the federation, of which 9 are headed by hereditary sultans). Since 1979, he has been the Sultan of the Pahang State - Ahmad Shah ibni al-Markhum Sultan Abu Bakar. The supreme head appoints the prime minister and ministers responsible to parliament. Prime Minister since January 1976 - Datuk Hussein Oni. The highest legislative body is the parliament, which consists of a popularly elected House of Representatives and a Senate (58 senators), of which 26 are elected and 32 are appointed. The majority in the House of Representatives - 131 seats out of 154 - belongs to the National Front. It includes 10 political parties, including 3 parties that form the Union Party of Malaysia (the United Malay National Organization, the Chinese Association of Malaysia and the Indian Congress of Malaysia), as well as the People's Movement Party, the People's Progressive Party, the United People's Party of Sarawak, Sarawak National Party, United Sabakh National Organization, Indigenous Unity Party and Berjaya. Among other parties, the most significant are the Panmalay Islamic Party, the Democratic Action Party (a member of the Socialist International), the Social Justice Party, and the People's Socialist Party. The Communist Party of Malaya (KPM) - founded in 1930, since 1948 has been working in illegal conditions. A series of errors of the left withers, combined with the strong influence of the Peking Maoists, led to a weakening of the party's ties with the masses. According to press reports, in 1974 the party split into three factions due to disagreements over the ways and methods of further struggle. Congress of Trade Unions of Malaysia - founded in 1949, unites over 100 trade unions. The Youth Council of Malaysia includes youth and student organizations. Malaysia is a predominantly agricultural country with rich natural resources. Provides up to 40% of the world's production of rubber and tin, which account for up to half of the gross national income. 60% of the production of rubber and 40% of tin are controlled by British companies. Large investments also belong to the US monopolies. In 1978, the production of tin concentrate amounted to 62.5 thousand tons, cement - over 2 million tons, electricity - about 8 billion kWh, bauxite production - over 600 thousand tons, oil - over 10 million tons. iron ore - over 300 thousand tons. About 60% of the population is employed in agriculture. The land is mainly owned by the feudal nobility, the bourgeoisie, and foreign capital. The size of the peasant allotment is within 1-4 hectares. Production in 1977: rubber - 1.5 million tons, oil palm products - 1.5 million g; collection of rice (refined) - 1.1 million g (about 80% of the country's annual demand). Length of rail roads - more than 1.8 thousand km, highways - 27 thousand km, merchant marine tonnage - about 450 thousand br.-reg. t (1977). The monetary unit is the Malaysian dollar (ringit). 100 ripgits = 29.58 rubles. (February 1980). In exports, the main share in value is taken by rubber, tin, oil and timber, in imports - ready-made industrial. products (more than 50%) and food. Main trading partners: Japan, USA, Singapore, England. In mid-1979, there were about 110,000 unemployed in the country.
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