malaysia

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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 except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's departure 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 the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies.

Geography
Strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
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
Area: total: 329,847 sq km land: 328,657 sq km water: 1,190 sq km

Size comparison: 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
Current Environment Issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires
International Environment 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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People
Population: 29,179,952 (July 2012 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.6% (male 4,374,495/female 4,132,009) 15-64 years: 65.4% (male 9,539,972/female 9,253,574) 65 years and over: 5% (male 672,581/female 755,976) (2011 est.)
Median age: total: 27.1 years male: 26.9 years female: 27.3 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.542% (2012 est.)
Birth rate: 20.74 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death rate: 4.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2012 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 14.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.04 years male: 71.28 years female: 76.99 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 100,000 (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 5,800 (2009 est.)
Nationality: noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian
Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)
Religions: Muslim (or Islam - official) 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)
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Government
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 (commonly referred to as the King) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) 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)
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 an administrative center not the 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, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya
Independence: 31 August 1957 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)
Constitution: 31 August 1957; amended many times
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King - Tuanku ABDUL HALIM Mu'adzam Shah (selected on 13 December 2011; installed on 11 April 2012); the position of the king is primarily ceremonial head of government: Prime Minister NAJIB Razak (since 3 April 2009); Deputy Prime Minister MUHYIDDIN bin Mohamed Yassin (since 9 April 2009) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the king (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: kings are elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; selection is based on the principle of rotation among rulers of states; elections were last held on 14 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime ministers are designated from among the members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands the support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister (since independence this has been the leader of the UMNO party) election results: Tuanku Abdul HALIM Mu'adzam Shah elected king; Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak was sworn in as Prime Minister after winning a party election for the presidency of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the party that leads the coalition with a majority of seats in parliament
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king, 26 elected by 13 state legislatures to serve three-year terms with a two term limit) and House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held on 8 March 2008 (next to be held by June 2013) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - BN coalition 50.3%, opposition parties 46.8%, others 2.9%; seats - BN coalition 140, opposition parties 82; (seats by party as of March 2011 - BN coalition 137, opposition parties 76, independents 9)
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 are appointed by the king 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 GERAKAN [KOH Tsu Koon]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [CHUA Soi Lek]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC [Govindasamy PALANIVEL]; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [Peter CHIN Fah Kui]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [NAJIB bin Abdul Razak]; United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organization (Pertubuhan Pasko Momogun Kadazan Dusun Bersatu) or UPKO [Bernard DOMPOK]; People's Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia) or PPP [M.Kayveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWAN]) People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat) or PR (opposition coalition) consists of the following parties: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP [KARPAL Singh]; Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam se Malaysia) or PAS [Abdul HADI Awang]; People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR [WAN AZIZAH Wan Ismail]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG] independent party: Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Bar Council; BERSIH (electoral reform coalition); PEMBELA (Muslim NGO coalition); PERKASA (defense of Malay rights) other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groups
International organization participation: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, 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, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador OTHMAN Bin Hashim 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 Paul W. JONES embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur mailing address: US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152 telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000 FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207
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Economy
Malaysia, a middle-income country, has transformed itself since the 1970s from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Under current Prime Minister NAJIB, Malaysia is attempting to achieve high-income status by 2020 and to move farther up the value-added production chain by attracting investments in Islamic finance, high technology industries, biotechnology, and services. The NAJIB administration also is continuing efforts to boost domestic demand and reduce the economy's dependence on exports. Nevertheless, exports - particularly of electronics, oil and gas, palm oil and rubber - remain a significant driver of the economy. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel, combined with strained government finances, has forced Kuala Lumpur to begin to reduce government subsidies. The government is also trying to lessen its dependence on state oil producer Petronas. The oil and gas sector supplies more than 40% of government revenue. The central bank maintains healthy foreign exchange reserves, and a well-developed regulatory regime has limited Malaysia''s exposure to riskier financial instruments and the global financial crisis. Nevertheless, Malaysia could be vulnerable to a fall in commodity prices or a general slowdown in global economic activity because exports are a major component of GDP. In order to attract increased investment, NAJIB has raised possible revisions to the special economic and social preferences accorded to ethnic Malays under the New Economic Policy of 1970, but he has encountered significant opposition, especially from Malay nationalists and other vested interests.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (purchasing power parity): $453 billion (2011 est.) $430.9 billion (2010 est.) $402 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): GDP (official exchange rate): $278.7 billion (2011 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.1% (2011 est.) 7.2% (2010 est.) -1.6% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,800 (2011 est.) $15,300 (2010 est.) $14,400 (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12% industry: 40% services: 48% (2011 est.)
Labor force: 11.91 million (2011 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13% industry: 36% services: 51% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (2011 est.) 3.4% (2010 est.)
Population below poverty line: 3.8% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 34.7% (2009 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 46.2 (2009) 49.2 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2011 est.) 1.7% (2010 est.) note: approximately 30% of goods are price-controlled
Investment (gross fixed): Investment (gross fixed): 20.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
Budget: revenues: $59.8 billion expenditures: $73.8 billion (2011 est.)
Public debt: 53.2% of GDP (2011 est.) 53.1% of GDP (2010 est.) note:
Agriculture - products: Peninsular Malaysia - palm oil, rubber, cocoa, rice; Sabah - palm oil, subsistence crops; rubber, timber; Sarawak - palm oil, rubber, timber; pepper
Industries: Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
Industrial production growth rate: 1.4% (2011 est.)
Electricity - production: 118.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 93.8 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - exports: 91.7 million kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production: 716,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Oil - consumption: 556,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Oil - exports: 644,900 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - imports: 355,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 5.8 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
Natural gas - production: 66.5 billion cu m (2010 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 35.7 billion cu m (2010 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 30.79 billion cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 1.269 billion cu m (2009 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.4 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
Current account balance: $30.99 billion (2011 est.) $27.29 billion (2010 est.)
Exports: $225.6 billion (2011 est.) $199 billion (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities: electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals
Exports - partners: China 17.9%, Singapore 12.8%, Japan 10.6%, US 8.6%, Thailand 4.4%, Hong Kong 4.1% (2010 est.)
Imports: $177.1 billion (2011 est.) $157.3 billion (2010 est.)
Imports - commodities: electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals
Imports - partners: Singapore 20.5%, China 13.7%, Japan 10%, US 7.9%, Thailand 6%, Indonesia 5.6% (2010 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $133.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $106.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Debt - external: $87.81 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $81.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $112.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $101.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $109.3 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $96.76 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $414 billion (31 December 2011) $410.5 billion (31 December 2010) $256 billion (31 December 2009)
Exchange rates: ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 3.006 (2011 est.) 3.22 (2010 est.) 3.52 (2009) 3.33 (2008) 3.46 (2007)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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Communications
Telephones in use: 4.573 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 33
Cellular Phones in use: 34.456 million (2009)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system featuring good intercity service on Peninsular Malaysia provided mainly by microwave radio relay and an adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service excellent domestic: domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 150 per 100 persons international: country code - 60; landing point for several major international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
Television broadcast stations:
Internet country code: .my
Internet hosts: 363,007 (2010)
Internet users: 15.355 million (2009)
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Transportation
Airports: 117 (2012) country comparison to the world: 49
Airports (paved runways): total: 39 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 8 (2012)
Airports (unpaved runways): total: 78 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 71 (2012)
Heliports: 3 (2012)
Pipelines: condensate 3 km; gas 1,757 km; liquid petroleum gas 155 km; oil 30 km; refined products 114 km (2010)
Railways: total: 1,849 km standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways: total: 98,721 km paved: 80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways) unpaved: 18,441 km (2004)
Waterways: 7,200 km (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km) (2011)
Merchant marine: total: 315 by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 83, carrier 2, chemical tanker 47, container 41, liquefied gas 34, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 86, roll on/roll off 2, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 26 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 8, Japan 2, Russia 2, Singapore 13) registered in other countries: 82 (Bahamas 13, India 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 6, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 11, Panama 12, Papua New Guinea 1, Philippines 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Singapore 27, Thailand 3, US 2, unknown 2) (2010)
Ports and terminals: Bintulu, Johor Bahru, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang (Port Klang), Tanjung Pelepas
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Military
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) (2010)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 7,501,518 females age 16-49: 7,315,999 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 6,247,306 females age 16-49: 6,175,274 (2010 est.)
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