HISTORY OF MALAYSIA
Strategically situated at a trading junction; the result of alternating seasonal northeast and southwest monsoons, Malaysia was the ideal central location for early East-West trade.
The country’s strategic sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences, including Hindu and Buddhist cultures, which fundamentally influenced its early history with beliefs that are in evidence today in the Malay language, literature and various customs.
The influence of these cultures reached their peak in the Sumatran-based Srivijaya civilization whose influence extended through Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo from the seventh to the 14th centuries.