East Malaysia

East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo to the east, across the South China Sea from West Malaysia which is located on the Malay Peninsula.

Related Topics:
Sabah - Sarawak - Borneo - South China Sea - West Malaysia - Malay Peninsula

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While East Malaysia is less populated and relatively less developed than West Malaysia, its land mass is larger and has notably more natural resources, which are chiefly oil and gas reserves.

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Of note, Sarawak contains the Mulu caves within Mulu national park; among these is the limestone cave with the largest chamber in the world, Sarawak chamber. The Mulu national park was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Related Topics:
Mulu caves - Mulu national park - Sarawak chamber - World Heritage Site

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Sabah's main attractions are Mount Kinabalu, the tallest peak in South East Asia and also a World Heritage Site, and Sipadan Island, which is a world renowned diving hotspot.

Related Topics:
Mount Kinabalu - South East Asia - World Heritage Site - Sipadan Island

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Both Sabah (formerly British North Borneo) and Sarawak were separate British colonies from Malaya, and did not become part of the Federation of Malaya in 1957. However, both voted to become part of the new Federation of Malaysia in 1963, encouraged by the inclusion of Singapore, which unfortunately left the federation in 1967.

Related Topics:
British colonies - Malaya - Federation of Malaya - 1957 - Federation of Malaysia - 1963 - Singapore

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As states of the Federation, Sabah and Sarawak retained a higher degree of local governence and legislative autonomy, compared with the other states in West Malaysia. For example, both states have separate immigration controls, requiring Malaysian citizens from West Malaysia to carry passports when visiting East Malaysia.

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The island of Labuan was part of Sabah until 1984, when it was annexed into a separate Federal Territory, administered by the federal government. It was used to establish a centre for offshore finance, with its own separate tax system and customs.

Related Topics:
Labuan - 1984 - Offshore finance

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The indigenous inhabitants of East Malaysia are fiercely partisan and maintain culturally distinct dialects of the national language, Bahasa Malaysia, in addition to their own ethnic languages. A lack of exposure of the region to West Malaysians has resulted in a wide gulf of understanding and a generally ignorant West Malaysian aptitude in respect to East Malaysia.

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