一个西马人眼中的东马 East Malaysia in the eyes of west Malaysians

说到马来西亚，一般人可能马上想到吉隆坡、马六甲、槟城，这些城市都在西马。隔着南中国海，马来西亚在东边还另有天地。

马来西亚 33万平方公里的国土，西部是马来半岛，简称西马，有11个州，首都吉隆坡就在西马。东部位于加里曼丹岛北部，简称东马。沙拉越和沙巴就在东马。

马来西亚是自 1957年脱离英国殖民地以后独立。东马则是在 1963年才加入，成了马来西亚联邦。东西马被海洋分割，族群、宗教、文化与经济发展程度都存在一定差异。

两边人民是如何看待彼此？东西马有没有分裂的风险？近年的马来西亚政治局势变化又如何提高了东马的政治地位？

这期的早报播客《东谈西论》，听主持人韩咏红和《联合早报》吉隆坡特派员萧郡瑜探讨西马人眼里的东马。

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If asked to name some cities in Malaysia, most might immediately think of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca or Penang. These cities are all located in West Malaysia, which make up only half of Malaysia.

Malaysia is divided into two parts by the South China Sea. The western part or Malay Peninsula is commonly known as West Malaysia and comprises 11 states. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is located in West Malaysia. The eastern part of Malaysia is located on the northern part of Borneo and is known as East Malaysia. Sarawak and Sabah are located in East Malaysia.

Malaysia gained independence from British colonial rule in 1957, and East Malaysia joined the federation in 1963, forming the independent state of Malaysia. The separation by the sea between East and West Malaysia has resulted in differences in ethnicity, religion, culture and economic development.

How do the people on both sides perceive each other? Is there a risk of division between East and West Malaysia? How has Malaysia's current political landscape changed the political status of East Malaysia?

In this episode of Global Heartbeat podcast, host Han Yong Hong and Lianhe Zaobao Kuala Lumpur correspondent Seoow Juin Yee take a closer look at the differences between East and West Malaysia.

Hosted by Lianhe Zaobao’s Associate Editor, Han Yong Hong, Global Heartbeat is a Mandarin weekly news and current affairs podcast that is updated every Tuesday, 7.00 PM SGT. It is available on zaobao.sg, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

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