1993 Edition

Area

total area: 329,750 km2 land area: 328,550 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

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

Coastline

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

Environment

subject to flooding; air and water pollution

International disputes

involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; State of Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides Brunei into two parts; two islands in dispute with Singapore; two islands in dispute with Indonesia

Irrigated land

3,420 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,669 km, Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

Land use

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 63% other: 24%

Location

Southeast Asia, bordering the South China Sea, between Vietnam and Indonesia

Map references

Asia, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources

tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

Note

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

Terrain

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Birth rate

28.93 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

5.77 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%

Infant mortality rate

26.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

7.258 million (1991 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.82 years male: 65.96 years female: 71.81 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 78% male: 86% female: 70%

Nationality

noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Peninsular Malaysia

Muslim (Malays) Buddhist (Chinese), Hindu (Indians)

Malay (official) English, Chinese dialects, Tamil

Population

18,845,340 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

2.32% (1993 est.)

Sabah

Muslim 38% Christian 17%, other 45%

Sarawak

tribal religion 35% Buddhist and Confucianist 24%, Muslim 20%, Christian 16%, other 5%

State of Sabah

English Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Chinese (Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate)

State of Sarawak

English Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages,

Total fertility rate

3.54 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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*, Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK)

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

Chief of State

Paramount Ruler AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan Yusof Izzudin (since 26 April 1989); Deputy Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1989)

Constitution

31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963

Digraph

MY

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 328-2700 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York

Executive branch

paramount ruler, deputy paramount ruler, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

FAX

[60] (3) 242-2207

Flag

fourteen 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

Head of Government

Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Bin Baba (since 7 May 1986)

House of Representatives

last held 21 October 1990 (next to be held by August 1995); results - National Front 52%, other 48%; seats - (180 total) National Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4, other 22; note - within the National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament (Parlimen) consists of an upper house or Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)

Member of

APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Malaysia former: Malayan Union

National holiday

National Day, 31 August (1957)

Peninsular Malaysia

National Front, a confederation of 13 political parties dominated by United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin Mohamad; Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk LIM Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk S. Samy VELLU

Sabah

Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohammed NOOR Mansor; Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin KITINGAN; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), leader NA

Sarawak

coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud; Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar James WONG Soon Kai; Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk Amar James WONG; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo MOGGIE; major opposition parties are Democratic Action Party (DAP), LIM Kit Siang and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil NOOR

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type

constitutional monarchy note: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian Pulau Pinang Government; powers of state governments are limited by federal Constitution; Sabah - self-governing state, holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak - self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John S. WOLF embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur telephone: [60] (3) 248-9011

Agriculture

accounts for 20% of GDP

Budget

revenues $15.6 billion; expenditures $18.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.5 billion (1992 est.)

Currency

1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.7 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million

Electricity

8,000,000 kW capacity; 30,000 million kWh produced, 1,610 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

ringgits (M$) per US$1 - 2.6238 (January 1993), 2.5475 (1992), 2.7501 (1991), 1.7048 (1990), 2.7088 (1989), 2.6188 (1988)

Exports

$39.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: electronic equipment, palm oil, petroleum and petroleum products, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles partners: Singapore 23%, US 18.6%, Japan 13.2%, UK 4%, Germany 4%

External debt

$25.7 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World

Imports

$39.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: food, consumer goods, petroleum products, chemicals, capital equipment partners: Japan 26%, US 15.8%, Singapore 15.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Germany 4.2%

Industrial production

growth rate 13% (1992); accounts for NA% of GDP

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.7% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $54.5 billion (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$2,960 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

8% (1992 est.)

Overview

The Malaysian economy, a mixture of private enterprise and a soundly managed public sector, has posted a remarkable record of 8%-9% average growth in 1987-92. This growth has resulted in a substantial reduction in poverty and a marked rise in real wages. Despite sluggish growth in the major world economies in 1992, demand for Malaysian goods remained strong and foreign investors continued to commit large sums in the economy. The government is aware of the inflationary potential of this rapid development and is closely monitoring fiscal and monetary policies.

Peninsular Malaysia

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

natural rubber, palm oil, rice

Sabah

logging, petroleum production

mainly subsistence, but also rubber, timber, coconut, rice

Sarawak

agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging

rubber, timber, pepper; deficit of rice in all areas; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987

Unemployment rate

4.1% (1992 est.)

Airports

total: 111 usable: 102 with permanent-surface runways: 32 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 18

Merchant marine

184 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,869,817 GRT/2,786,765 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 short-sea passenger, 71 cargo, 28 container, 2 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 livestock carrier, 38 oil tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 27 bulk

Peninsular Malaysia

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

23,600 km; 19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly bituminous surface treatment, and 4,248 km unpaved

3,209 km

Pipelines

crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379 km

Ports

Tanjong Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Tawau

Sabah

136 km 1.000-meter gauge

3,782 km

1,569 km

Sarawak

none

1,644 km

2,518 km

Telecommunications

good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (1984); broadcast stations - 28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 domestic

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, about 5% of GDP (1992)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 4,837,256; fit for military service 2,941,577; reach military age (21) annually 181,435 (1993 est.)