Malaysia tana da asali a cikin masarautun Malay wanda, daga karni na 18, ya zama batun masarautar Burtaniya, tare da kariyar British Straits Settlements. An sake gina Malaysia a matsayin Tarayyar Malaya a 1948, kuma ta sami 'yanci a ranar 31 ga Agusta 1957. Malaya ta haɗu da Arewacin Borneo, Sarawak, da Singapore a ranar 16 ga Satumba 1963 don zama Malaysia. A cikin 1965, an fitar da Singapore daga tarayyar. Kasar tana da kabilu da al'adu da yawa, wanda ke taka rawa sosai a siyasarta. Kimanin rabin jama'a na kabilanci ne, tare da manyan tsirarun jama'ar Malaysian China, Malaysian Indians, da 'yan asalin ƙasar. Yayin da aka amince da addinin Islama a matsayin addinin da aka kafa na ƙasar, kundin tsarin mulki ya ba da 'yanci na addini ga waɗanda ba Musulmai ba.
Shekara ta 1963