The creation of Malaysia was the amalgamation of the Federation of Malaya ( now West Malaysia ) , Singapore and the crown colony/British protectorates of North Borneo and Sarawak ( collectively known as British Borneo , now East Malaysia ) in September 1963 .

Most of the fighting took place Process_start in Tonkin in northern Vietnam , although the conflict engulfed the entire country and also extended Expansion into the neighboring French Indochina protectorates of Laos and Cambodia .