Why Malaysia's Map Makes No Sense

The Mystery of Malaysia's Map So, let's dive straight into this explainer. And the most strange and fascinating of today's map Solving one of the geographical mysteries Carefully examine the map of the world But have you ever thought why Malaysia is like this, divided into two separate parts? Why is it divided into parts? On one hand, this small section, And on the other side of the sea, the remaining part of the island of Borneo, While about three-quarters of the area there And this is no small distance at all. There is a vast sea of 600 kilometers between these two parts. If compared, this is larger than Los Angeles, USA. It's a greater distance than a trip to San Francisco. A country with such a vast ocean in between—truly extraordinary, isn't it? Here we have the isolated Malay Peninsula on the left and To the right, the disconnected territory of Borneo is visible. But to understand the real reason behind this strange division We will have to turn the wheel of time exactly 600 years backward. At that time, one of Malacca's Alone, powerful Empire of this sea The road, I mean, the straight one He ruled both sides. And finally, the Treaty of London in 1824 arrived, which instantly brought this entire region under... Divided clearly into two parts and placed separately between the British and Dutch rulers. The tug-of-war among these forces continued for another century. British influence continued to grow, and they seized control of their mines. Local deals were made, and right there, the Dutch strengthened their hold over the south. And the result of all this was that in 1891, between the Boni Islands A permanent boundary line, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), has been drawn. Then came the Second World War, Then a major earthquake struck the field of geopolitical politics. First, Indonesia declared its independence and fought against the Dutch for four years. After that, they reclaimed the entire Dutch portion of Borneo. And just there, Malaya also became independent in 1957. With these events, the lines on the map began to solidify further. Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo, and Brunei And thus begins an extremely complex geo-political puzzle. Please take a moment to carefully examine this figure. This is really interesting. At that time, the population of Singapore, led by Lee Kuan Yew, was approximately 1.6 million. Of whom about 75 percent were of Chinese origin. Lee Kuan Yew wanted at all costs that Singapore become this new one Merge with Malaysia so that stability comes to their region. But the Prime Minister of Malaya, known as Tunku They initially clearly denied this outright. Why? The reason is absolutely clear. To connect Singapore meant that this new The Chinese population in the country reaches 3.6 million. While the Malay population dwindles to just 3.4 million Tuanku was afraid that the Malay people would become a minority even in their own country. At that very moment, Britain was caught in a different religious crisis. They wanted to get out of these colonies. But Singapore's essential military base had to be kept at all costs. But the fear was that if the left-wing election If they win, Singapore could become communist. Even right at the door of Malaya's place. Here comes a mega deal, a grand compromise. Why not Malaysia, Singapore, and Britain? Let the regions of Borneo be united into a large federation. Every problem was being solved simultaneously for everyone. Malaya has gained control over national security. Britain's military base has become safe. And most importantly, The use of the Borneo regions for population Done to balance the accounts. How do you know the balance? The indigenous people of Borneo, such as the Ibans and the Kadazans I was counted among the same category as those people. Within the same master stock, Tuanku has turned the demographic math back in his favor on paper. The Chinese population in the new country has fallen behind in the count. Although the leaders of Borneo were not among those who would readily say yes. They took full advantage of the situation and did some very tough bargaining. They should have had control over immigration. They needed a share of the customs' money, and Extra seats in Parliament. Only then in 1963 They expressed agreement on the formation of Malaysia. By the way, let me tell you, Indonesia, our neighbor, has shown considerable interest in this new deal. Strongly opposed it and fought against it for three years. This painful incident created such a rift between Tunku and Lee Kuan Yew. Created a political rift that was never healed. And as a result, in 1965, both governments adopted this Decided to quietly separate the nation. Just consider, the Parliament passed this division by 126 votes against zero. In history, such a 100 percent division of an entire country Perhaps such agreement and farewell with so much serenity has never been seen before. You can gauge the intensity and suddenness of the division from just this one fact. One might have thought that when the entire country's map was being redrawn, Not a single one of Singapore's 15 MPs was present in the room at that time. They were being ejected, and their own seats The geography of an entire country was drawn all the way across the sea, just for this reason, So that Singapore can be included therein. And just two years later, he permanently left the country for good. Today Malaysia is divided into two parts for this reason Because he had secured a place for Singapore And today, Singapore is not just part of Malaysia. It's mind-blowing, isn't it? So, at the end of this explanation, one can't help but think about today's How many invisible lines are there on modern maps, merely remnants of the past? They are the lingering traces of hasty political compromises. These boundaries are often like the old ghosts of history. Those that have somehow managed to survive until today. It becomes clear upon seeing these that maps are not just pieces of land, Rather, it is a living history of human decisions. Please ponder this carefully.