Happy 50th Birthday, Malaysia

Fifty years ago today, the Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia gained its independence from Britain. Writes the BBC’s Jonathan Kent: “There was paranoia in the 70s, recession and political repression in the 80s, a crash and unrest in the 90s, yet here Malaysia is today and it is doing all right. Now it is a nation of skyscrapers and microchip plants, fast highways and sprawling cities where the government talks of Malaysia’s role in biotech, or conference hosting or Islamic finance.” It has also been a prime travel destination for the Lonely Planet-toting backpacker crowd and, at least at one point several years ago, the home of the delightfully named Loony Planet café.

Related on World Hum:
* Malaysia vs. the Bikini

Photo by peter.macdonald via Flickr, (Creative Commons).

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