1994 Edition

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*

Agriculture

accounts for 17% of GDP

Airports

total: 113 usable: 104 with permanent-surface runways: 33 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 18

Area

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

Birth rate

28.45 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

revenues: $19.6 billion expenditures: $18 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.4 billion (1994 est.)

Capital

Kuala Lumpur

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)

Constitution

31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963

Currency

1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen

Death rate

5.67 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $2.2 billion, 3% of GDP (1994 est.)

Digraph

MY

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Abdul MAJID bin Mohamed chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 328-2700

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 8,000,000 kW production: 30 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,610 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: air and water pollution; deforestation natural hazards: subject to flooding international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Ethnic divisions

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

Exchange rates

ringgits (M$) per US$1 - 2.7123 (January 1994), 2.5741 (1993), 2.5474 (1992), 2.7501 (1991), 1.7048 (1990), 2.7088 (1989)

Executive branch

chief of state: Paramount Ruler JA'AFAR ibni Abdul Rahman (since 26 April 1994); Deputy Paramount Ruler SALAHUDDIN ibni Hisammuddin Alam Shah (since 26 April 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since 16 July 1981); Deputy Prime Minister ANWAR bin Ibrahim (since 1 December 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the Paramount Ruler from members of parliament

Exports

$46.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, palm oil, wood and wood products, rubber, textiles partners: Singapore 23%, US 15%, Japan 13%, UK 4%, Germany 4%, Thailand 4% (1991)

External debt

$18.4 billion (1993 est.)

FAX

(202) 483-7661 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

[60] (3) 242-2207

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 29,026 km (Peninsular Malaysia 23,600 km, Sabah 3,782 km, Sarawak 1,644 km) paved: NA (Peninsular Malaysia 19,352 km mostly bituminous treated) unpaved: NA (Peninsular Malaysia 4,248 km)

House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)

elections 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

Illicit drugs

transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to the US, Western Europe, and the Third World despite severe penalties for drug trafficking

Imports

$40.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, food, petroleum products partners: Japan 26%, Singapore 21%, US 16%, Taiwan 6%, Germany 4%, UK 3%, Australia 3% (1991)

Independence

31 August 1957 (from UK)

Industrial production

growth rate 13% (1992); accounts for 43% of GDP

Infant mortality rate

25.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (1993)

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 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

7.258 million (1991 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%

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.15 years male: 66.26 years female: 72.18 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Location

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 4,942,387; fit for military service 3,001,972; reach military age (21) annually 182,850 (1994 est.)

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

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, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Merchant marine

183 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,935,210 GRT/2,913,808 DWT, bulk 29, cargo 69, chemical tanker 6, container 26, liquefied gas 6, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 39, passenger-cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 2, vehicle carrier 2

Names

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

National holiday

National Day, 31 August (1957)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $141 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$7,500 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

8% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

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 1987-93. 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 1992-93, 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

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

Malay (official), English, Chinese dialects, Tamil

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, LIM Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), S. Samy VELLU

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

natural rubber, palm oil, rice

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

3,209 km

Pipelines

crude oil 1,307 km; natural gas 379 km

Population

19,283,157 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.28% (1994 est.)

Ports

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

Sabah

Muslim 38%, Christian 17%, other 45%

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

National Front, Tan Sri SAKARAN, Sabah Chief Minister; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), leader NA

logging, petroleum production

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

136 km 1.000-meter gauge

1,569 km

Sarawak

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

English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages *** No data for this item ***

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

agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging

rubber, timber, pepper; deficit of rice in all areas

none

2,518 km

Senate (Dewan Negara)

consists of a 58-member body, 32 appointed by the paramount ruler and 16 elected by the state legislatures

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

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

Terrain

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Total fertility rate

3.51 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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, holds 27 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government

Unemployment rate

3% (1993)

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; APO AP 96535-5000 telephone: [60] (3) 248-9011