Culture

Christianity

in Malaysia

The early history of Malaysia is obscure. It was split into small independent kingdoms until the 15^th century when Malacca became a great kingdom and trading center, founded by a refugee prince. He converted to Islam, and Malacca became a center for the further spread of the Muslim faith. According to historical data, dating back to the early Christians appears the seventh century by the Persian and Turkish merchants brought Christianity.

In 1511 Portugal invaded Malacca brought Roman Catholicism. The seventeenth century, the Dutch landed in Malacca, the Portuguese driven out, and these cannot continue to promote Catholic, and while the introduction of the Dutch Reformed Christianity. Because of its desirable location and despite constant fighting with surrounding kingdoms, the Dutch took it over in 1641.

In 1710, the Dutch let Catholics worship recovery waiting in Malacca, Malaysia established the whole Catholic Church: St. Peter's Church, this church holds true today, it is the oldest church. Melaka Christ Church, established in 1753 by the Dutch, is also among the first Christian church in Malaysia. The British, for trade and political reasons, moved into the area and took control of Penang (1786), Singapore (1819) and Malacca (1824). To work the tin mines, the British imported Chinese and Indian laborers, who then became involved in territorial disputes with the native Malays.

The British, therefore, worked indirectly through the hereditary Malay rulers (sultans) so as to maintain peace and order and protect their trading interests. On 1838, by which the Church in the first 38 years after the British took over Malacca, managed by the Anglican Church. According to Christian recorded in the book of Malaysia, the first of the Malaysian Malay Bible is published in 1662, and the first of the Chinese Bible printed in 1823.

At this time, East Malaysia was largely dominated by the powerful Muslim state of Brunei. Through gifts, land grants and trade, the area became a British protectorate in 1888. Following occupation by the Japanese during World War II, there was a movement for independence from Britain. This was achieved for Peninsular Malaysia in 1957. In 1963, the current Malaysia was formed with the addition of Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia). (Singapore was also part of Malaysia for two years, before leaving for economic and political reasons.)

Sitiawan Settlement Museum.

Most Christian denominations and the Chinese and Indian immigrants have contact, but also exposed the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. In Sabah, 1882 Pakse church missionary group began their missionary work among the Hakka people, many Hakka body of Christ. Developed by Chinese Presbyterian Church Johor up Presbyterian is also Johor, Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and other places to establish a church foreigners. Boxer causing chaos Chinese Methodist immigrants, and migrate to Sitiawan and Sibu in Sarawak. Emigrated to the peninsula Tamil people, including Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist. In 1932, immigrants from India Syrian Orthodox Church came to Malaya. In 1932, the Sango indigenous evangelism begins.

Today, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states, with a monarch being chosen by rotation from among the hereditary sultans. The federal parliament is democratically elected. Politics have been dominated by ethnic disputes between the Malays and the Chinese who came to the country under the British. The politically powerful Malays have been extending their influence over the non-Malay population in educational, economic and religious life. The growing power of fundamentalist Muslim politicians has further polarized the country, with consequent interethnic and interreligious tensions.

Global market forces also pose a challenge to the government. Malaysia is a leading exporter of electronics and is consistently showing economic growth. It is striving to reach “developed nation” status by 2020. The rapid economic growth that Japan experienced in the post-war years was astonishing. Toward the latter half of the 1980s, however, the economy overheated with greatly inflated real estate and stock prices. The so-called economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, leading to a recession from which the country is still struggling to recover. In spite of this, Japan remains a vital economic player globally and continues to be among the world’s leading producers in some industries, such as electronics and automobiles.