Malaysia

§1. Malaysia Introduction

Background:
  Malaysia was created in 1963 through the merging of Malaya (independent in
  1957) and the former British Singapore, both of which formed West Malaysia,
  and Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo, which composed East Malaysia. The
  first three years of independence were marred by hostilities with
  Indonesia. Singapore separated from the union in 1965.

§2. Malaysia Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the island of
  Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
  2 30 N, 112 30 E

Map references:
  Southeast Asia

Area:
  total: 329,750 kmē
  land: 328,550 kmē
  water: 1,200 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,669 km border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km,
    Thailand 506 km

Coastline:
  4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

Maritime claims:
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified
    boundary in the South China Sea
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
  territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to
  February) monsoons

Terrain:
  coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

Natural resources:
  tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Land use:
  arable land: 3%
  permanent crops: 12%
  permanent pastures: 0%
  forests and woodland: 68%
  other: 17% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  2,941 kmē (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  flooding, landslides

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from
  raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
    Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
    83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
  strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

§3. Malaysia People

Population:
  22,229,040 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 34.5% (male 3,943,324; female 3,724,634)
  15-64 years: 61.35% (male 6,828,670; female 6,808,623)
  65 years and over: 4.15% (male 404,042; female 519,747) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.96% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  24.75 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note: does not reflect net flow
    of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the
    region

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  20.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.11 years male: 68.48 years
  female: 73.92 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.24 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.42% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  49,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  1,900 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Malaysian(s)
  adjective: Malaysian

Ethnic groups:
  Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 27%, Indian 8%, others 7% (2000)

Religions:
  Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism; note - in
  addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Languages:
  Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin,
  Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai;
  note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are
  spoken, the largest of which are Iban and Kadazan

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 83.5%
  male: 89.1%
  female: 78.1% (1995 est.)

§4. Malaysia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Malaysia
  former: Federation of Malaysia

Government type:
  constitutional monarchy note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia)
    formed 31 August 1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak,
    and Singapore) formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on 9
    August 1965); nominally headed by the paramount ruler and a bicameral
    Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower
    house; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka,
    Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors are appointed by the
    Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by the
    federal constitution; under terms of the federation, Sabah and Sarawak
    retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain
    their own immigration controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats in House of
    Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and
    other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak - holds 28 seats in
    House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal
    security, and other powers delegated to federal government

Capital:
  Kuala Lumpur

Administrative divisions:
  13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 2 federal territories*
  (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah persekutuan); Johor,
  Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis,
  Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
  note: the city of Kuala Lumpur is located within the federal territory of
    Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms therefore are not interchangeable; there
    may be a new federal territory named Putrajaya

Independence:
  31 August 1957 (from UK)

National holiday:
  Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)

Constitution:
  31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963

Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the
  Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah
    ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26 April 1999); Deputy
    Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin ibni A-Marhum Sultan Mahmud
    Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
  head of government: Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July
    1981); Deputy Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 8 January
    1999)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of
    Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
  elections: paramount ruler and deputy paramount ruler elected by and from
    the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election
    last held 27 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister
    designated from among the members of the House of Representatives;
    following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins a
    plurality of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
  election results: Sultan TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al-Marhum
    Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah elected paramount ruler; Sultan MIZAN Zainal
    Abidin ibni A-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah elected deputy
    paramount ruler

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of nonelected Senate or Dewan
  Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the
  state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (193
  seats; members elected by popular vote weighted toward the rural Malay
  population to serve five-year terms)
  elections: House of Representatives - last held 29 November 1999 (next must
    be held by 20 December 2004)
  election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NF
    56%, other 44%; seats by party - NF 148, PAS 27, DAP 10, NJP 5, PBS 3

Judicial branch:
  Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the
  prime minister)

Political parties and leaders:
  Alternative Coalition or Barisan Alternatif-BA (includes the following
    parties: Party Islam Se-Malaysia or PAS [FADZIL Mohamad Noor], National
    Justice Party or NJP [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail], Democratic Action Party or
    DAP [LIM Kit Siang], and Malaysian People's Party or PRM [SYED HUSIN]);
    National Front or NF (ruling coalition dominated by the United Malays
    National Organization or UMNO [MAHATHIR bin Mohammad], includes the
    following parties: Malaysian Indian Congress or MIC [S. Samy VELLU],
    Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA [LING Liong Sik], Gerakan Rakyat
    Malaysia or Gerakan [LIM Keng Yaik], Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or
    PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud], Parti Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat
    Bersatu or Akar [PANDIKAR Amin Mulia], Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS
    [Leo MOGGIE], Sarawak United People's Party or SUPP [George CHAN Hong
    Nam], Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat], Sabah Progressive
    Party or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee], People's Progressive Party or PPP [M.
    KAYVEAS], Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP], Sarawak
    National Party or SNAP [Amar James WONG], Parti Demokratik Sabah or PDS
    [leader NA], and United Pasok Momogun Kadazan Organization or UPKO (state
    level only) [Bernard DOMPOK]); Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN
    Kitingan]; Parti Bersekutu [HARRIS Salleh]; State Reform Party of Sarawak
    or STAR [PATAU Rubis]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
  OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU,
  WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador GHAZZALI Sheikh Abdul Khalid chancery: 2401
    Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 328-2700
  FAX: [1] (202) 483-7661
  consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak,
    50400 Kuala Lumpur
  mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur; American Embassy
    Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
  telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
  FAX: [60] (3) 2168-4961

Flag description:
  14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom);
  there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow
  crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are
  traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US

§5. Malaysia Economy

Economy - overview:
  GDP grew at 8.6% in 2000, mainly on the strength of double-digit export
  growth and continued government fiscal stimulus. As an oil exporter,
  Malaysia also benefited from higher petroleum prices. Higher export
  revenues allowed the country to register a current account surplus, but
  foreign exchange reserves have been declining - from a peak of $34.5
  billion in April 2000 to $29.7 billion by December - as foreign investors
  pulled money out of the country. Despite this development, Kuala Lumpur is
  unlikely to abandon its currency peg soon. An economic slowdown in key
  Western markets, especially the United States, and lower world demand for
  electronics products will slow GDP growth to 3%-6% in 2001, according to
  private forecasters. Over the longer term, Malaysia's failure to make
  substantial progress on key reforms of the corporate and financial sectors
  clouds prospects for sustained growth and the return of critical foreign
  investment.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $223.7 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  8.6% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $10,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 14% industry: 44%
  services: 42% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
  6.8% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 20.4% (1997 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.7% (2000)

Labor force:
  9.6 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  local trade and tourism 28%, manufacturing 27%, agriculture, forestry, and
  fisheries 16%, services 10%, government 10%, construction 9% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  2.8% (2000 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $16.4 billion
  expenditures: $17.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $43 billion
    (2000 est.)

Industries:
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing,
  light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging
  and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak -
  agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging

Industrial production growth rate:
  12.1% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
  59.044 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 91.61% hydro: 8.39%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  54.872 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  50 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  11 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence
  crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper; timber

Exports:
  $97.9 billion (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, chemicals, palm
  oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles

Exports - partners:
  US 21%, Singapore 18%, Japan 13%, Hong Kong 5%, Netherlands 4%, Taiwan 4%,
  Thailand 3% (2000 est.)

Imports:
  $82.6 billion (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food, fuel and lubricants

Imports - partners:
  Japan 21%, US 17%, Singapore 14%, Taiwan 6%, South Korea 5%, Thailand 4%,
  China 4% (2000 est.)

Debt - external:
  $41.8 billion (2000 est.)

Currency:
  ringgit (MYR)

Currency code:
  MYR

Exchange rates:
  ringgits per US dollar - 3.8000 (January 2001), 3.8000 (2000), 3.8000
  (1999), 3.9244 (1998), 2.8133 (1997), 2.5159 (1996)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Malaysia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  4.5 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2.698 million (1999)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern system; international service excellent
  domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by
    microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio relay network
    between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic satellite system with 2
    earth stations
  international: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore;
    satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
    Ocean) (2001)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 56, FM 31 (plus 13 repeater stations), shortwave 5 (1999)

Radios:
  10.9 million (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
  27 (plus 15 high-power repeaters) (1999)

Televisions:
  10.8 million (1999)

Internet country code:
  .my

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  7 (2000)

Internet users:
  1.5 million (2000)

§7. Malaysia Transportation

Railways:
  total: 1,801 km
  narrow gauge: 1,801 km 1.000-m gauge (148 km electrified) (2000)

Highways:
  total: 64,672 km
  paved: 48,707 km (including 1,192 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 15,965 km
  note: in addition to these national and main regional roads, Malaysia has
    thousands of kilometers of local roads that are maintained by local
    jurisdictions (1999)

Waterways:
  7,296 km
  note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km

Pipelines:
  crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379 km

Ports and harbors:
  Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut,
  Miri, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Dickson, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu,
  Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung Kidurong, Tawau

Merchant marine:
  total: 362 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,103,657 GRT/7,574,999 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 62, cargo 110, chemical tanker 35, container 60,
    liquefied gas 20, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 58,
    refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1, vehicle
    carrier 6 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  115 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 33 over 3,047 m: 5
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
  914 to 1,523 m: 6
  under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 82 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 8
  under 914 m: 73 (2000 est.)

Heliports:
  1 (2000 est.)

§8. Malaysia Military

Military branches:
  Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal
  Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police, Sarawak Border Scouts

Military manpower - military age:
  21 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 5,800,456 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 3,514,023 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 196,042 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.03% (FY00)

§9. Malaysia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China,
  Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; Philippines have not
  fully revoked claim to Sabah State; Pulau Batu Putih (Pedra Branca Island)
  disputed with Singapore; Sipadan and Ligitan Islands in dispute with
  Indonesia

Illicit drugs:
  transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted
  vigorously and carries severe penalties
