BackgroundDuring the late 18th and 19th centuries, Grt Britain established colonies and protectorates in the ar of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the st Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several yrs of the country's history were marred by a Communist insurcy, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-yr term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.
GeographyStrategic loion along Strait of Malacca and southern South China S.Loion:Southstern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China S, south of VietnamGeographic coordinates:2 30 N, 112 30 r:total: 329,750 sq km
land: 328,550 sq km
water: 1,200 sq kmSize comparison: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land Boundaries:total: 2,669 km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 kmCoastline:4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, st Malaysia 2,607 km)Maritime claims:territorial s: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of ation; specified boundary in the South China SClimate:tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northst (October to February) monsoonsTerrain:coastal plains rising to hills and mountainsElevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocn 0 m
highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 mNatural resources:tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxiteLand use:arable land: 5.46%
permanent crops: 17.54%
other: 77% (2005)Irrigated land:3,650 sq km (2003)Natural hazards:flooding, landslides, forest firesCurrent Environment Issues:air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest firesInternational Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertifiion, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the S, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
PeoplePopulation:25,274,132 (July 2008 est.)Age structure:0-14 yrs: 31.8% (male 4,135,013/female 3,898,761)
15-64 yrs: 63.3% (male 8,026,755/female 7,965,332)
65 yrs and over: 4.9% (male 548,970/female 699,302) (2008 est.)Median age:total: 24.6 yrs
male: 24 yrs
female: 25.3 yrs (2008 est.)Population growth rate:1.742% (2008 est.)Birth rate:22.44 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)Dth rate:5.02 dths/1,000 population (2008 est.)Net migration rate:NA note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2008 est.)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 yrs: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 yrs: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 yrs and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)Infant mortality rate:total: 16.39 dths/1,000 live births
male: 18.92 dths/1,000 live births
female: 13.68 dths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)Life expectancy at birth:total population: 73.03 yrs
male: 70.32 yrs
female: 75.94 yrs (2008 est.)Total fertility rate:2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.4% (2003 est.)HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:52,000 (2003 est.)HIV/AIDS - dths:2,000 (2003 est.)Nationality:noun: Malaysian(s)
adjective: MalaysianEthnic groups:Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indious 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)Religions:Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)Languages:Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai note: in st Malaysia there are several indious languages; most widely spoken are Iban and KadazanLiteracy:definition: age 15 and over can rd and write
total population: 88.7%
male: 92%
female: 85.4% (2000 census)
GovernmentCountry name:conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Malaysia
local long form: none
local short form: Malaysia
former: Federation of MalayaGovernment type:constitutional monarchy
note: nominally hded by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in st Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)Capital:name: Kuala Lumpur
geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahd of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital; Parliament meets in Kuala LumpurAdministrative divisions:13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu; and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and PutrajayaIndependence:31 August 1957 (from UK)National holiday:Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)Constitution:31 August 1957 (amended many times, latest in 2007)Legal system:based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme hd of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionSuffrage:21 yrs of age; universalExecutive branch:chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since 13 December 2006)
hd of government: Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (since 7 January 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
elections: paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-yr terms; election last held on 3 November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the lder of the party that wins a plurality of sts in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister
election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler
note: position of paramount ruler is primarily ceremonial; in practice, selection is based on principle of rotation among rulers of statesLegislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara (70 sts; 44 appointed by paramount ruler, 26 elected by 13 state legislatures; to serve three-yr terms with limit of two terms) and House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 sts; members elected by popular vote to serve five-yr terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2008 (next to be held by June 2013)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN coalition 50.3%, opposition parties 46.8%, others 2.9%; sts - BN coalition 140, opposition parties 82Judicial branch:Civil Courts include Federal Court, Court of Appl, High Court of Malaya on peninsula Malaysia, and High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in states of Borneo (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister); Sharia Courts include Sharia Appl Court, Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and dl with religious and family matters such as custody, divorce, and inheritance, only for Muslims; decisions of Sharia courts cannot be d to civil courtsPolitical parties and lders:National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (ruling coalition) consists of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [KOH Tsu Koon]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Tee Kt]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayvs]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWAN])
People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) or PR (opposition coalition) consists of the following parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Kdilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]
independent party: Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Saban) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]Political pressure groups and lders:Bersih (electoral reform); Sharia High Court
other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groupsInternational organization participation:ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASN, BIS, C, CP, S, FAO, G-15, G-77, IA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTODiplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ilango KARUPPANNAN
chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700
FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882
consulate(s) eral: Los Angeles, New YorkDiplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador James R. KEITH
embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000
FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207
EconomyMalaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Since coming to in 2003, Prime Minister ABDULLAH has tried to move the economy farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in high technology industries, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals. The Government of Malaysia is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand to wn the economy off of its dependence on exports. Nevertheless, exports - particularly of electronics - remain a significant driver of the economy. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel forced Kuala Lumpur to reduce government subsidies. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US dollar in 2005 and the currency appreciated 6% per yr against the dollar in 2006-08. Although this has helped to hold down the price of imports, inflationary pressures began to build in 2007 - in 2008 inflation stood at nrly 6%, yr-over-yr. Hlthy foreign exchange reserves and a small external debt grtly reduce the risk that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the nr term similar to the one in 1997. The government presented its five-yr national development ada in April 2006 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the alloion of the national budget from 2006-10. ABDULLAH has unveiled a series of ambitious development schemes for several regions that have had trouble attracting business investment. Rl GDP growth has averaged about 6% per yr under ABDULLAH, but regions outside of Kuala Lumpur and the manufacturing hub Penang have not fared as well.GDP (purchasing power parity):$397.5 billion (2008 est.)GDP (official exchange rate):$214.7 billion (2008 est.)GDP - rl growth rate:5.5% (2008 est.)GDP - per capita (PPP):$15,700 (2008 est.)GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 44.6%
services: 45.7% (2008 est.)Labor force:11.2 million (2008 est.)Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 13%
industry: 36%
services: 51% (2005 est.)Unemployment rate:3.7% (2008 est.)Population below poverty line:5.1% (2002 est.)Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 39.2% (2003 est.)Distribution of family income - Gini index:46.1 (2002)Inflation rate (consumer prices):5.8% note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled (2008 est.)Investment (gross fixed):20.7% of GDP (2008 est.)Budget:revenues: $44.32 billion
expenditures: $55.01 billion (2008 est.)Public debt:42.7% of GDP (2008 est.)Agriculture - products:
Industries:Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, loggingIndustrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:102.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - consumption:95.98 billion kWh (2006 est.)Electricity - exports:2.524 billion kWh (2006 est.)Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2007 est.)Oil - production:753,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)Oil - consumption:501,100 bbl/day (2006 est.)Oil - exports:546,300 bbl/day (2005)Oil - imports:308,500 bbl/day (2005)Oil - proved reserves:4 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)Natural gas - production:64.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - consumption:32.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - exports:31.6 billion cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - proved reserves:2.35 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)Current account balance:$27.44 billion (2008 est.)Exports:$195.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)Exports - commodities:electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicalsExports - partners:US 15.6%, Singapore 14.6%, Japan 9.1%, China 8.8%, Thailand 5%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2007)Imports:$156.2 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)Imports - commodities:electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicalsImports - partners:Japan 13%, China 12.9%, Singapore 11.5%, US 10.8%, Taiwan 5.7%, Thailand 5.3%, South Kor 4.9%, Germany 4.6%, Indonesia 4.2% (2007)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$104.4 billion (31 December 2008 est.)Debt - external:$54.11 billion (31 December 2008 est.)Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:$92.76 billion (2008 est.)Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:$50.08 billion (2008 est.)Market value of publicly traded shares:$325.7 billion (31 December 2007)Currency ():ringgit (MYR)Exchange rates:ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 3.33 (2008 est.), 3.46 (2007), 3.6683 (2006), 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004)Fiscal yr:calendar yr
CommuniionsTele in use:4.35 million (2007)Cellular in use:23.347 million (2007)Telephone system:eral 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 rth stations; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 persons
international: country - 60; landing point for several major international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to Asia, Middle st, and Europe; satellite rth stations - 2 sat (1 Indian Ocn, 1 Pacific Ocn) (2007)Radio broadcast stations:AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)Television broadcast stations:88 (mainland Malaysia 51, Sabah 16, and Sarawak 21) (2006)Internet country :.myInternet hosts:377,716 (2008)Internet users:15.868 million (2007)
TransportationAirports:116 (2007)Airports (paved runways):total: 36
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 6 (2007)Airports (unpaved runways):total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 72 (2007)Heliports:2 (2007)Pipelines:condensate 282 km; gas 5,273 km; oil 1,750 km; oil/gas/water 19 km; refined products 114 km (2007)Railways:total: 1,890 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2006)Roadways:total: 98,721 km
paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)
unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)Waterways:7,200 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km (2008)Merchant marine:total: 306
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 97, carrier 1, chemical tanker 34, container 46, liquefied gas 33, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 71, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 40 (Germany 1, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, Russia 2, Singapore 16, Sweden 3)
registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 13, Marshall Islands 3, Norway 1, Panama 12, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Singapore 27, Thailand 3, Tuvalu 1, US 2, unknown 4) (2008)Ports and terminals:Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Labuan, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
Military
Military branches:Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2008)Military service age and obligation:18 yrs of age for voluntary military service (2005)Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 6,440,338
females age 16-49: 6,280,826 (2008 est.)Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 5,374,006
females age 16-49: 5,316,865 (2008 est.)
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