Malaysia

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Introduction - Malaysia:
Country	Malaysia


Background	During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area 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 East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the countrys history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapores secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year 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.


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

Geographic coordinates	2 30 N, 112 30 E

Map references	Southeast Asia

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

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

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: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005)

Irrigated land	3,650 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards	flooding, landslides, forest fires

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

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

People - Malaysia:
Population	24,821,286 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 32.2% (male 4,118,086/female 3,884,403) 15-64 years: 62.9% (male 7,838,166/female 7,785,833) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 526,967/female 667,831) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 24.4 years male: 23.8 years female: 25 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	1.759% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	22.65 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.789 male(s)/female total population: 1.012 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 16.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 72.76 years male: 70.05 years female: 75.65 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	3.01 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.4% (2003 est.)

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	52,000 (2003 est.)

Hiv aids deaths	2,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality	noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian

Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations (2007)

Ethnic groups	Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 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 East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages; most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.7% male: 92% female: 85.4% (2000 census)

Government - Malaysia:
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Malaysia local long form: none local short form: Malaysia former: Federation of Malaya

Government type	constitutional monarchy note: nominally headed 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 East 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); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives

Capital	name: Kuala Lumpur geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Putrajaya is referred to as administrative center not capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur

Administrative 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 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; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage	21 years of age; universal

Executive branch	chief of state: Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since 13 December 2006) head 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-year 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 leader of the party that wins a plurality of seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister election results: Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler

Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 elected by the 13 state legislatures; to serve three-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held on 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199, DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1

Judicial branch	Civil Courts include Federal Court, Court of Appeal, 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 Appeal Court, Sharia High Court, and Sharia Subordinate Courts at state-level and deal with religious and family matters such as custody, divorce, and inheritance, only for Muslims; decisions of Sharia courts cannot be appealed to civil courts

Political parties and leaders	National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (ruling coalition) (consists of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [KOH Tsu Koon - acting]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi 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 [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United Peoples 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]; Peoples Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWANI]); opposition parties: Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA (consists of PAS and PKR); Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; Peoples Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]

Political pressure groups and leaders	NA

International organization participation	APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, 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, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador RAJMAH binti Hussain chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700 FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 50440 mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152 telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000 FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207

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 14-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US

Economy - Malaysia:
Economy overview	Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971 through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven by exports - particularly of electronics. As a result, Malaysia was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003, notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Iraq War led to caution in the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004 and 5% per year in 2005-06. 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, contributing to higher inflation. Malaysia unpegged the ringgit from the US dollar in 2005 and the currency appreciated 6% against the dollar in 2006. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a small external debt greatly reduce the risk that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains dependent on continued growth in the US, China, and Japan - top export destinations and key sources of foreign investment. The government presented its five-year national development agenda in April 2006 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the allocation of the national budget from 2006-10. The plan targets the development of higher value-added manufacturing and an expansion of the services sector.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$313.8 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$132.3 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	5.9% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$12,900 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 8.3% industry: 48.1% services: 43.6% (2006 est.)

Labor force	10.73 million (2006 est.)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 13% industry: 36% services: 51% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate	3.5% (2006 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	3.8% (2006 est.)

Investment gross fixed	19.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget	revenues: $31.63 billion expenditures: $37 billion; including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt	46.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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, logging

Industrial production growth rate	5.8% (2006 est.)

Electricity production	78.24 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	72.71 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	50 million kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	770,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil consumption	515,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	611,200 bbl/day (2004)

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	3.1 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas production	62.43 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	32.97 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas exports	29.46 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas proved reserves	2.124 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance	$17.86 billion (2006 est.)

Exports	$158.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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

Exports partners	US 18.8%, Singapore 15.4%, Japan 8.9%, China 7.2%, Thailand 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.9% (2006)

Imports	$127.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports commodities	electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals

Imports partners	Japan 13.3%, US 12.6%, China 12.2%, Singapore 11.7%, Thailand 5.5%, Taiwan 5.5%, South Korea 5.4%, Germany 4.4% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$82.3 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external	$57.77 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Currency code	ringgit (MYR)

Exchange rates	ringgits per US dollar - 3.6683 (2006), 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002)

Communications - Malaysia:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	4.342 million (2006)

Telephones mobile cellular	19,464 (2006)

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: country code - 60; submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2001)

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 code	.my

Internet hosts	158,650 (2006)

Internet users	11.292 million (2006)

Transportation - Malaysia:
Airports	117 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 37 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: 7 (2006)

Airports with unpaved runways	total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 72 (2006)

Heliports	2 (2006)

Pipelines	condensate 282 km; gas 5,372 km; oil 1,715 km; oil/gas/water 19 km; refined products 114 km (2006)

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 (2005)

Merchant marine	total: 312 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,542,727 GRT/7,544,154 DWT by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 99, chemical tanker 38, container 48, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 61, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 6 foreign-owned: 66 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, South Korea 1, Singapore 44) registered in other countries: 68 (Bahamas 12, Belize 1, Cayman Islands 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 13, Philippines 1, Singapore 35, US 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals	Bintulu, Johor Bahru, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas

Military - Malaysia:
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) (2006)

Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 5,584,231 females age 18-49: 5,510,345 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 4,574,854 females age 18-49: 4,613,321 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 244,418 females age 18-49: 231,896 (2005 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons	refugees (country of origin): 19,153 (Indonesia), 14,208 (Burma) (2006)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	2.03% (2005 est.)

Trafficking in persons	current situation: Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; foreign victims, mostly women and girls from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation; economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants or laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude; some Malaysian women, primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked abroad for sexual exploitation tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking, particularly its failure to provide protection for victims of trafficking

Disputes international	Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; while the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapores land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public hearings in response to the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary and sovereignty of Unarang rock in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute; separatist violence in Thailands predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysias Sabah State in northern Borneo; Brunei and Malaysia are still considering international adjudication over their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds, where hydrocarbon exploration was terminated in 2003; Malaysias land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait