Malaysia

During the late 18c Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in an area that is known as Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan during 1942 to 1945.  In 1948 , the British ruled territories on the Malay peninsular formed the federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957.  Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former colonies of Singapore and the east Malaysian states of Sabbah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the federation.  The first sevceral years of Malaysia’s history were marred by communist insurgency, Indonesia’s confrontation with Malaysia, Philippines claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965 .

How Western Business Schools Should Play Asia

Indonesia

The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17c; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945.  Indonesia declared its independence after Japan’s surrender, but it required 4 years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949.  

Indonesia’s first free parliamentary elections took place in 1999 after decades of authoritarian rule.  Indonesia is now the worlds third largest democracy, the world’s largest archipelago state, and home to the world’s largest Muslim population. Business here like anywhere can be fraught with difficulty you just need to understand how to navigate the complexities of this vibrant and dynamic country.  

This is a great place to do business, once you have mastered the complexities. Take it from someone who recently negotiated a $37M telco contract into Indonesia for a large Israeli company.

Taiwan

In 1985, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan.  Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II.

Following the communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1949 constitution drawn up for all China.  Over the next 5 decades the ruling authorities gradually democratised and incorporated the local population into the government structure.  In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalists to the Democratic Progressive Party.  Throughout this period the island prospered and became one of Asia’s economic “Tigers”.

The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of Taiwan’s eventual status - as well as domestic, political and economic reform.