2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri) and 3 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular - wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Putrajaya*, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*

note

the city of Kuala Lumpur is within the federal territory of Wilayah Persekutuan; the terms therefore are not interchangeable;

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.7% (male 4,001,507; female 3,777,896) 15-64 years: 61.9% (male 7,163,252; female 7,131,745) 65 years and over: 4.4% (male 447,230; female 571,310) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

114 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 7

total

35

under 914 m

7 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

79 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m

72 (2002)

Area

land

328,550 sq km

total

329,750 sq km

water

1,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Background

Malaysia was formed in 1963 through a federation of the former British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, including the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the federation in 1965. Geography Malaysia

Birth rate

23.7 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$27.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (2001 est.)

revenues

$20.3 billion

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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Malaysia

former

Federation of Malaysia

Currency

ringgit (MYR)

Currency code

MYR

Death rate

5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$47.5 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Marie T. HUHTALA

embassy

376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur

mailing address

P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur; American Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152

telephone

[60] (3) 2168-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles and New York

Disputes - international

involved in complex dispute over Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and possibly Brunei; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; disputes over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation on Johor, maritime boundaries, and Singapore-occupied Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih persist - parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands off the coast of Sabah, also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines, to Malaysia; a small section of the Malaysia-Thailand boundary in the Kolok River remains in dispute

Distribution of family income - Gini index

49.2 (1997)

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 - and, as a result Malaysia was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the Information Technology (IT) sector in 2001. GDP in 2001 grew only 0.5% due to an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal stimulus package mitigated the worst of the recession and the economy rebounded in 2002. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and relatively small external debt make it unlikely that Malaysia will experience a crisis similar to the one in 1997, but the economy remains vulnerable to a more protracted slowdown in Japan and the US, top export destinations and key sources of foreign investment.

Electricity - consumption

63.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

75 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

68.34 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

89.5%

hydro

10.5%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Ethnic groups

Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% (2000)

Exchange rates

ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001), 3.8 (2000), 3.8 (1999), 3.92 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler

chief of state

Paramount Ruler Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis (since 12 December 2001)

election results

Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail elected paramount ruler

elections

paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held 12 December 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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

head of government

Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister NA (since 31 October 2003)

Exports

$95.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals (2000)

Exports - partners

US 21%, Singapore 17.4%, Japan 10.9%, China 6.5%, Hong Kong 5%, Thailand 4% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 572-9882

[60] (3) 2142-2207

telephone

[1] (202) 572-9700

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Malaysia

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $198.4 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

12%

industry

40%

services

48% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.1% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

2 30 N, 112 30 E

Geography - note

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea People Malaysia

Government type

constitutional monarchy

note

Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31 August 1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore) formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left the federation on 9 August 1965); nominally headed by the paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; Peninsular Malaysian states - hereditary rulers in all but Melaka, George Town (Penang), Sabah, and Sarawak, where governors are appointed by the Malaysian Government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of the federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., the right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah - holds 20 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government; Sarawak - holds 28 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government

Heliports

1 (2002) Military Malaysia

Highways

paved

49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways)

total

65,877 km

unpaved

15,942 km (1999)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

42,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

38.4% (1997 est.)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Illicit drugs

transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$76.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals (2000)

Imports - partners

Japan 16.9%, Singapore 15.9%, US 15.5%, China 7.3%, South Korea 5%, Taiwan 4.7% (2002)

Independence

31 August 1957 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2002 est.)

Industries

Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging

Infant mortality rate

female

15.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

21.97 deaths/1,000 live births

total

19 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.my

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

7 (2000)

Internet users

5.7 million (2002) Transportation Malaysia

Irrigated land

3,650 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Federal Court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister)

Labor force

9.9 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

local trade and tourism 28%, manufacturing 27%, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 16%, services 10%, government 10%, construction 9% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

total

2,669 km

Land use

arable land

5.54%

other

76.85% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

17.61%

Languages

Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; note - in addition, in East Malaysia several indigenous languages are spoken, the largest are Iban and Kadazan

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 or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (69 seats; 43 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by the state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (193 seats; members elected by popular vote weighted toward the rural Malay population to serve five-year terms)

election results

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - BN 56%, other 44%; seats by party - BN 148, PAS 27, DAP 10, Keadilan 5, PBS 3

elections

House of Representatives - last held 29 November 1999 (next must be held by November 2004)

Life expectancy at birth

female

74.51 years (2003 est.)

male

69.01 years

total population

71.67 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

85.4% (2003 est.) Government Malaysia

male

92.4%

total population

88.9%

Location

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

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

24.3 years (2002)

male

23 years

total

23.6 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Australia 1, China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 15, Indonesia 3, Japan 4, Monaco 1, Philippines 2, Singapore 78, South Korea 2, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 62, cargo 103, chemical tanker 37, container 69, liquefied gas 23, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 55, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 8

total

366 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,111,476 GRT/7,242,323 DWT

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.03% (FY00) Transnational Issues Malaysia

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

6,067,155 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

3,672,517 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

21 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

218,216 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)

Nationality

adjective

Malaysian

noun

Malaysian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

31.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

22.41 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

53.66 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.23 trillion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

flooding, landslides, forest fires

Natural resources

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

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 (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

472,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

729,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

3.729 billion bbl (37257)

Pipelines

condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products 114 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

ruling coalition parties

Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [LIM Kheng Yaik]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [LING Ong Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Leo MOGGIE]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [WONG Soon Kah]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [leader NA]; opposition parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KERK Kim Hock]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; National Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional) or Keadilan [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismael]; National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN (the ruling coalition dominated by the UMNO and includes MCA, MIC, PGRM, PBDS, SUPP, PBB, PBS, LDP, SAPP, UPKO) [ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

23,092,940 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

8% (1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.86% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching, Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, Pasir Gudang, George Town (Penang), Port Dickson, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Sibu, Tanjung Berhala, Tanjung Kidurong, Tawau

Radio broadcast stations

AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)

Radios

10.9 million (1999)

Railways

narrow gauge

2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2002)

standard gauge

57 km 1.435-m gauge

total

2,418 km

Religions

Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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

general assessment

modern system; international service excellent

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

4.6 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 15 high-power repeaters) (2001)

Televisions

10.8 million (1999)

Terrain

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Total fertility rate

3.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.8% (2002 est.)

Waterways

7,296 km

note

Peninsular Malaysia 3,209 km, Sabah 1,569 km, Sarawak 2,518 km