The History of Malaysia.

There is not much archaeological evidence or written records about ancient Malaysia.
It is known that around 2500 BC a group of people-mostly farmers-migrated to Malaysia from China. These people came to be known as Proto Malays. 
At around 100 BC, sailors from India reached Malaysia in the search of a place called Savarnadvipa-the Land of Gold.
From that point onwards an ever-growing stream of Indian traders arrived in search of gold, aromatic wood, and spices.
Indian migration introduced Hinduism, Buddhism, and other elements of Indian culture in Malaysia. Local kings, who sent emissaries to the Indian subcontinent, were impressed by the efficiency of the Hindu courts, and soon began to refer to themselves as "rajahs." They integrated what they considered the best Indian governmental traditions with the existing structure.
Today, the most conspicuous example of the early Indian influence is in the Malay wedding ceremony, which is very similar that of the subcontinent. Until the 15th century, neighboring kingdoms in Cambodia and Indonesia largely overshadowed the Hindu kingdoms of peninsular Malaysia.
The strongest of these kingdoms was called Srivijaya and it was lauded as the best trading port in the region. It was the first great maritime kingdom in the Malay Archipelago, and other portsquickly emulated its success.
At some time around the 13th century, as other entrepots emerged, Srivijaya's influence declined. The lack of a strong central power, coupled with the ever-present nuisance of pirates, amplified the need for secure, well-equipped port in the region.
This need gave rise to the city of Malacca. Malacca was founded in 1400 by a fleeing Palembang prince named Parameswara. Its rise from a village of royal refugees to a wealthy kingdom was swift. Perfectly located for trade, within 50 years it was the most influential port and trading center in Southeast Asia.
With these traders came Islam, and Malacca's rulers now referred to themselves as "sultans."
Malacca established a kind of regional "navy" that policed the local waters and escorted friendly vessels. With the success and power it enjoyed, Malacca came to control the entire west coast of the Malay Peninsula, the kingdom of Pahang, and much of Sumatra. 
In 1511, a Portuguese fleet led by Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Malacca's harbor and captured the city. The Portuguese constructed a massive fort in Malacca-A Famosa-which the Dutch captured in 1641.
This gave the Dutch an almost exclusive control over the spice trade until 1785, when the British East India Company convinced the Sultan of Kedah to allow them to build a fort on the island of Penang.
While the European powers fought among themselves, the local Malay sultanates continued with their own affairs. After Malacca was captured, Johor and later on Perak became the new Muslim trading centers. 
In the late 1860's, a number of Malay kingdoms began fighting each other for control of the throne of Perak, causing enough of a disturbance in the region to inspire Britain to intervene and essentially force the Malay rulers to sign a peace treaty known as the Pangkor Agreement in 1874.
The treaty gave Britain a much greater role in the region and monopoly on the vast amount of tin being mined in the peninsula. 
Britain ruled over what was then called Malaya until the Japanese invaded and ousted them in 1942. During this time, large numbers of Chinese fled to the jungle and established an armed resistance, which, after war's end, would become the basis for an infamous communist insurgency.
In 1945, when World War II ended, Britain resumed control again, but Malaya's independence movement had matured and organized itself in an alliance under Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Malaya finally achieved independence in 1957 and Tunku became the first prime minister of Malaya.
The British colonies of Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (called North Borneo) joined the Federation to form Malaysia on September 16, 1963.
Singapore withdrew from the Federation on August 9, 1965, and became an independent republic.

About Malaysia

Malaysia is a land of fascinating sights and attractions. Rich in colour and contrasts, her multi-faceted charm provides intriguing images that leave visitors to the country in awe.

The natural warmth of Malaysians is legendary; wherever one goes, the friendliness and hospitality of the people would prove to be a very special experience. Malaysia is paradise. Its sun-drenched eaches, enchanting islands, diverse flora and fauna, forest retreats and magnificent mountains are among the best in this region. Many visitors have discovered Malaysia's other attractions: a shopping haven, a versatile conference venue, an incentive destination, an adventure land and much more.

The History Of Malaysia

Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia at one of the world's major crossroads, Malaysia has always been pivotal to trade routes from Europe, the Orient, India and China. Its warm tropical climate and abundant natural blessings made it a congenial destination for immigrants as early as 5,000 years ago when the ancestors of the Orang Asli, the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, settle here, probably the pioneers of a general movement from China and Tibet. They were followed by the Malays, who brought with them skills in farming and the use of metals. Around the first century BC, strong trading links were established with China and India, and these had a major impact on the culture, language and social customs of the country. Evidence of a Hindu-Buddhist period in the history of Malaysia can today be found in the temple sites of the Bujang Valley and Merbok Estuary in Kedah in the north west of Peninsular Malaysia, near the Thai border. The spread of Islam, introduced by Arab and Indian traders, brought the Hindu-Buddhist era to an end by the 13th century. With the conversion of the Malay-Hindu rulers of the Melaka Sultanate (the Malay kingdom which ruled both side of the Straits of Malaka for over a hundred years),, Islam was established as the religion of the Malays, and had profound effect on Malay society.
The arrival of Europeans in Malaysia brought a dramatic change to the country. In 1511, the Portuguese captured Malaka and the rulers of the Melaka Sultanate fled south to Johor where they tried to establish a new kingdom. They were resisted not only by the Europeans but by the Acehnese, Minangkabau and the Bugis, resulting in the sovereign units of the present-day states of Peninsular Malaysia. The Portuguese were in turn defeated in 1641 by the Dutch, who colonized Melaka until the advent of the British in the Dutch exerted any profound influence on Malay society. The British acquired Melaka from the Dutch in 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen in Sumatra. From their new bases in Malaka, Penang and Singapore, collectively known as the Straits settlements, the British, through their influence and power, began the process of political intergration of the Malay states of Peninsular Malaysia.
After World War II and the Japanese occupation from 1941-45, the British created the Malayan Union 1946.This was abandoned in 1948 and the Federation of Malaya emerged in its place. The Federation gained its independence from Britain on 31 August 1957.In September 1963, Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and initially Singapore united to form Malaysia, a country whose potpourri of society and customs derives from its rich heritage from four of the world's major cultures - Chinese, Indian, Islamic and Western.
(taken from www.about-malaysia.com)