Offering an integrated perspective on Malaysia by focusing on its natural and human resource endowments, it also goes on to explore how they have changed over time. This book makes an important contribution to a greater understanding of present-day Malaysia by providing the background to essential elements in the evolution of the country's modern economy and society.
A collection of papers from those presented at a colloquium on `Research on Malaysia-Recent Advances' at the University of New England, Australia on October 1995, this book is therefore not exhaustive and some issues are dealt with more fully than others. For example, the chapter on fauna is devoted mostly to the orang utan, neglecting other endangered species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros and tiger.
Formerly associate professor in the History Department of the University of Malaya, Amarjit Kaur is now associate professor and head of the Department of Economic History at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia. Formerly lecturer and senior lecturer in the Geology Departments of the University of Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Ian Metcalfe is currently associate professor in the Division of Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, University of New England.
