1983 Edition

Branches

nine state rulers alternate as Paramount Ruler for five-year terms; locus of executive power vested in Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are responsible to bicameral Parliament (Senate, House of Representatives); following communal rioting in May 1969, government imposed state of emergency and suspended constitutional rights of all parliamentary bodies; parliamentary democracy resumed in February

Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force

Budget

1982 revenue and grants, $4 billion; current expenditure $7.7 billion, capital expenditures $6.5 billion; deficit $2 billion; $2.2 billion military, 80% civilian

Civil air

approximately 28 major transport aircraft

East Malaysia

136 km 1.000-meter gauge in Sabah

about 5,426 km total (1,644 km in Sarawak, 3,782 km in Sabah); 819 km hard surfaced (mostly bituminous surface treatment), 2,936 km gravel or crushed stone, 1,671 km earth

4,200 km (1,569 km in Sabah, 2,518 km in Sarawak)

3 major, 12 minor (2 major, 3 minor in Sabah; 1 major, 9 minor in Sarawak)

Elections

minimum of every five years; last elections April 1982 Political parties and leaders:

Exports

$11.3 billion (f.o.b., 1982); natural rubber, palm oil, tin, timber, petroleum, light manufactures

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 698,000 metric tons (1979)

Government leader

Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad, Prime Minister

Imports

$12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1982)

Legal system

based on English common law; constitution came into force 1963; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of Supreme Head of the Federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Major trade partners

exports — 23% Japan, 17% Singapore, 17% US, 14% EEC; imports—23% Japan, 15% US, 11% EEC (1979)

Malaysia

constitutional monarchy nominally headed by Paramount Ruler (King); a bicameral Parliament consisting of a 58member Senate and a 154-member House of Representatives

$25.1 billion (1981), $1,750 per capita; annual growth 5.6% (1983)

Member of

ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producting Countries, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1984, $1.892 million; about 23.4% of central government budget

Monetary conversion rate

2.345 ringgits= US$1 (October 1983)

National holiday

31 August

Official name

Malaysia

Organized labor

562,000 (May 1980), about 1 1% of total labor force; unemployment about 6.1% of total labor force (1979), but higher in urban areas Government

Peninsular Mala ysia

2,405,000 kW capacity (1982); 9.771 billion kWh produced (1982), 807 kWh per capita

Peninsular Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

executive branches of 1 1 states vary in detail but are similar in design; a Chief Minister, appointed by hereditary ruler or Governor, heads an executive council (cabinet), which is responsible to an elected, unicameral legislature Sarawak and Sabah: executive branch headed by Governor appointed by central government, largely ceremonial role; executive power exercised by Chief Minister who heads parliamentary cabinet responsible to unicameral legislature; judiciary part of Malaysian judicial system

National Front, a confederation of 11 political parties dominated by United Malay National Organization (UMNO), Mahathir bin Mohamad; opposition parties are Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Islamic Party (PAS)

(1982 election) lower house of parliament; National Front, 132 seats; Democratic Action Party, 9 seats; Islamic Party, 5 seats; independents, 8 seats

approximately 3,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side of Thai/Malaysia border; approximately 300 full-time inside Peninsular Malaysia

natural rubber, oil palm, rice; 10-15% of rice requirements imported

rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber

1,665km 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km double track; government owned

19,753 km total; 15,900 km hard surfaced (mostly bituminous surface treatment), 3,000 km crushed stone/gravel, 883 km improved or unimproved earth

3,209 km

3 major, 14 minor

61 total, 61 usable; 17 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

good intercity service provided mainly by microwave relay; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 609,288 telephones (5. 13 per 100 popl.); 26 AM, 1 FM, and 20 TV stations; IOCON submarine cables extend to India; connected to SEACOM submarine cable terminal at Singapore by microwave relay; 2 international ground satellite stations; 1 domestic ground satellite station

males 15-49, 3,201,000; 2,052,000 fit for military service; 141,000 reach military age (21) annually

Peninsular Malaysian states

hereditary rulers in all but Penang and Malacca where Governors appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of state governments limited by federal constitution

Pipelines

crude oil, 650 km; natural gas, 340 km

Political subdivisions

13states(including Sabah and Sarawak)

Sabah

self-governing state within Malaysia in which it holds 16 seats in House of Representatives; foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government

Kota Kinabalu

Berjaya Party, Datuk Harris Salleh; United Sabah National Organization (USNO), Tun Datuk Mustapha; Sabah Chinese Consolidated Party (SCCP); opposition Parti Bersatu Rakyat Bumiputra Sabah (Perkasa), Datuk Pengiran Othman Rauf

(March 1981 election) State Assembly— Berjaya Party, 43 seats; USNO, 3 seats; SCCP, 1 seat; 1 seat vacant

insignificant

mainly subsistence; main crops — rubber, timber, coconut, rice; food deficit —

logging, petroleum production

205,000 kW capacity (1982); 602 million kWh produced (1982), 530 kWh per capita

35 total, 35 usable; 6 with permanentsurface runways; 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m k 47 total, 47 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,2202,439 m

adequate intercity radio-relay network extends to Sarawak via Brunei; 43,000 telephones (3.94 per 100 popl.); 14 AM, 1 FM, 7 TV stations; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; 1 ground satellite station

males 15-49, 304,000; 183,000 fit for military service; 14,000 reach military age (21) annually

Saraicak

agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging

Sarawak

455,000(1980); 80% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 13% trade, transportation, and services; 6% manufacturing and construction; 1% other

self-governing state within Malaysia in which it holds 24 seats in House of Representatives; foreign affairs, defense, and internal security, and other powers are delegated to federal government

Kuching

coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumipatra Bersatu (PPBB), Datuk Abdul Taib; the United People's Party (SUPP), Wong Soon Kai; and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk James Wong; opposition is Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Leo Maggie

(1979 election) State AssemblyNational Front controls 45 of 48 seats

125 armed insurgents in Sarawak

main crops — rubber, timber, pepper; food deficit — rice

153,000 kW capacity (1982); 383 million kWh produced (1982), 269 kWh per capita

adequate intercity radio-relay network extends to Sabah via Brunei; 64,512 telephones (4. 65 per 100 popl.);5 AM stations, no FM, and 6 TV stations Defense Forces

males 15-49, 378,000; 228,000 fit for military service; 15,000 reach military age (21) annually Jixternal defense dependent on loose Five Power Defense Agreement (FPDA), which replaced Anglo-Malayan Defense Agreement of 1957 as amended in 1963

Suffrage

universal over age 20