East Malaysia

East Malaysia, also called Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia that sits on the large island of Borneo. It includes the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. This area is separated from the other part of Malaysia, called West Malaysia or the Malay Peninsula, by the South China Sea.

East Malaysia is bigger than West Malaysia but has fewer big cities and people. It is rich in natural resources like oil and gas. Some of its important cities are Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, and Miri. The region also has many forests that are home to many different kinds of plants and animals, including parts of the Borneo lowland rain forests and Borneo montane rain forests.

States and territories

East Malaysia, also called the Borneo States, includes two states and one federal territory in Malaysia.

• The State of Sabah
• The State of Sarawak
• The Federal Territory of Labuan

History

See also: History of Sabah, History of Sarawak, History of Labuan, and British Borneo

Some parts of what is now East Malaysia were once ruled by the Sultanate of Brunei. Other areas were home to independent tribes. Over time, different areas came under the control of other rulers. In 1888, Sabah and Sarawak became protected by Britain. During World War II, Japanese forces took over, but were later pushed out. After that, Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963.

Federation

Sabah and Sarawak were once separate British colonies and did not join the Federation of Malaya in 1957. Later, they became part of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, known today as Malaysia Day. At that time, the new Federation included the States of Malaya, the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak, and the State of Singapore. Singapore left Malaysia in 1965.

Sabah and Sarawak kept more local control than the states in West Malaysia. For example, they have their own immigration rules, so people from West Malaysia need special documents to visit. The islands of Labuan became a Federal Territory in 1984 and were used to support international finance starting in 1990.

Administration

Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963 as equal partners. They kept special rights under the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, which lets them control who enters from other parts of Malaysia. This is different from places in western Malaysia, where people can travel freely between states.

In 2021, changes were made to the country’s rules to make Sabah and Sarawak equal partners again with western Malaysia. These changes became official in early 2022. The courts in East Malaysia are part of Malaysia’s national court system, with a special High Court just for Sabah and Sarawak.

Politics

Political parties in Sarawak and Sabah began later than in West Malaysia. The first party in Sarawak started in 1959, and in Sabah in 1961. Both areas had little experience with organized politics, leading to many parties forming and disappearing quickly. Parties often formed based on community groups.

Since 2008, East Malaysia has become more important in national politics. After the 2013 election, more ministers came from East Malaysia. In 2022, Fadillah Yusof became the first deputy prime minister from East Malaysia. In 2021, changes were made to the constitution to treat Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Malaya again.

Physical geography

East Malaysia has mostly low areas covered in thick forests, with some higher, mountainous areas further inland.

The land area of East Malaysia is about 198,447 km². This is around 60% of all the land in Malaysia and about 26.4% of the island of Borneo. It is also about 50% bigger than the part of Malaysia found on the other side of the country. East Malaysia is home to Malaysia's five tallest mountains, with Mount Kinabalu being the highest at 4,095 meters. This mountain is also the tallest in Borneo and the 10th tallest in Southeast Asia. The area also has the two longest rivers in Malaysia, the Rajang River and the Kinabatangan River.

Two big islands, Banggi Island in Sabah and Bruit Island in Sarawak, belong completely to Malaysia. The biggest island is Borneo, shared with Indonesia and Brunei. Another big island is Sebatik Island in Sabah, which is shared with Indonesia.

In Sarawak, there are huge caves inside Gunung Mulu National Park, including the Sarawak Chamber, the largest known cave space in the world. This park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in November 2000.

Sabah is known for Kinabalu Park, another World Heritage Site that includes Mount Kinabalu, and Sipadan Island, a popular spot for diving and studying many kinds of plants and animals.

Geology

Several important oil and gas areas have been found in the waters near Sabah and Sarawak. These discoveries include the Samarang oil field near Sabah, found in 1972, and the Baronia oil field near Sarawak, found in 1967. There are also big natural gas areas called the Central Luconia fields near Sarawak, found in 1968. These fields are located under the sea and contain layers of different types of rock, such as sandstones and clays, buried deep below the water.

Population

East Malaysia is home to many different groups of people. In 2010, the population was about 5.77 million, with most living in towns and cities. The largest city is Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, with over 600,000 people. Other important cities include Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Sandakan, Tawau, Sibu, Bintulu, and Victoria.

The earliest people in East Malaysia were groups like the Dayak people and Kadazan-Dusun. Over time, many people from places like Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, and Sulu moved there. Today, the population includes many different ethnic groups and religions.

Education

East Malaysia has two main public universities: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). There are also branch campuses of other universities, like Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in both states, and a special campus of Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Labuan. Students from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan need to take exams at Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan to enter these universities.

There are also private universities with campuses in East Malaysia, including UCSI University, Sarawak Campus, University College of Technology Sarawak, and others. Sarawak and Sabah each have four colleges to train teachers.

Transport

The Pan Borneo Highway links the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. The road needs repairs because it is old and has sharp turns and uneven surfaces. Plans are in place to improve it over the next few years.

Big airports in East Malaysia include Kuching International Airport, Labuan Airport, and Kota Kinabalu International Airport. There are many flights between East Malaysia and other parts of the country by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia. Smaller airports are also found in places like Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Sandakan, and Tawau.

In rural areas, people often travel by plane or river boat. In Sarawak, many long rivers, like the Rajang River, help carry people and goods. Ferries from Labuan Island connect to Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei.

Economy

Shipyards in Sabah and Sarawak build steel vessels for offshore supply, tugs, barges, and river ferries. These shipyards are more competitive and innovative in design, process, and material compared to shipyards in Peninsular Malaysia, which focus on building steel and aluminium vessels for the government and oil and gas companies. The big projects in Peninsular Malaysia often depend on government funding.

Security

Main article: Cross border attacks in Sabah

Sabah has faced attacks from pirates and militants since the 1960s. In 2013, special security areas and commands were created to protect the region. A curfew from dusk to dawn has been in place on parts of the east coast since 2014.