Overview

Background

The Malay states were originally Hindu, but were absorbed into the Islamic world starting in the late 1400s. In 1789, the Malay states became British protectorates. The British brought in large numbers of Chinese as laborers, creating an ethnic minority that quickly dominated the economy.

In World War II, Japan overran Malaya and remained in occupation until 1945. In the early 1950s, a major communist insurgency occurred, persisting until 1958. A home-rule government was...