Malaysia was first mentioned in Chinese and Sanskrit records of the 7th and 8th centuries. In subsequent centuries the area was under the influence and loose control of various Thai and Indonesian empires, including the great Sumatra-based civilisation of Sri Vijaya.

The city of Malacca, founded by a Sumatran prince at the beginning of the 15th century, became the center of an Islamic empire and was to remain the primary trading post between India and China for more than 300 years.

In 1511, the control of Malacca went to the spice-trading Portuguese. In 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese and ruled for 154 years. They used imported Dutch stone to construct distinctive pink buildings, many of which still stand.

The British established a thriving port in Penang in 1786 and took over Malacca in 1795. The British, discovered tin, and moved inland. Kuala Lumpur, was founded at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers in 1864. The British began building colonial-style structures and made it the capital of the Protected Malay States.

Malay nationalism and desire for self-rule was felt around the 1930s. A call for independence was made but the move was halted by the Second World War. Later, the movement resumed and independence was declared on the 31st of August, 1957.

In 1963, Malaysia was formed, bringing together the states of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. Singapore, however, left the federation in 1965.

Today, Malaysia is a strong participant of the six-member Association of South-East Asian Nations -ASEAN-. This association, comprising Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore, was formed to promote regional growth and cooperation among member nations. Malaysia has since been prosperous and generally peaceful in 1965.