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 formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. 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. 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 expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.
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
Map references
Southeast Asia
Area
total
329,750 sq km
land
328,550 sq km
water
1,200 sq km
Area - comparative
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
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, 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
Geography - note
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
Population
24,821,286 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
32.2% (male 4,118,086/female 3,884,403)
15-64 years
62.9% (male 7,838,166/female 7,785,833)
65 years and over
4.8% (male 526,967/female 667,831) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
24.4 years
male
23.8 years
female
25 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.759% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
22.65 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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 (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.007 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.789 male(s)/female
total population
1.012 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
16.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male
19.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female
13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
72.76 years
male
70.05 years
female
75.65 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.01 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
52,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
2,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations (2007)
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 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)
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 and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers 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); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives
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 administrative center not 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, and Terengganu; and one federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) with three components, city of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya
Independence
31 August 1957 (from UK)
National holiday
Independence Day/Malaysia Day, 31 August (1957)
Constitution
31 August 1957; amended 16 September 1963
Legal system
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; Islamic law is applied to Muslims in matters of family law and religion; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
Paramount Ruler Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin (since 13 December 2006)
head of government
Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (since 7 January 2004)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament with consent of the paramount ruler
elections
paramount ruler elected by and from the hereditary rulers of nine of the states for five-year terms; election last held on 3 November 2006 (next to be held in 2011); 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
election results
Sultan MIZAN Zainal Abidin elected paramount ruler
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament or Parlimen consists of the Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 elected by the 13 state legislatures; to serve three-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (219 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held on 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - BN 91%, DAP 5%, PAS 3%, other 1%; seats by party - BN 199, DAP 12, PAS 6, PKR 1, independent 1
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 appointed by the paramount ruler 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 PGRM [KOH Tsu Koon - acting]; Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [LIEW Vui Keong]; Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting]; Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU]; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP]; Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan]; Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu or PBB [Patinggi Haji Abdul TAIB Mahmud]; Parti Rakyat Sarawak or PRS [James MASING]; Sabah Progressive Party (Parti Progresif Sabah) or SAPP [YONG Teck Lee]; Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak) or SUPP [George CHAN Hong Nam]; United Malays National Organization or UMNO [ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi]; 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.Keyveas]; Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or SPDP [William MAWANI]); opposition parties: Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA (consists of PAS and PKR); 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 Ismael]; Sarawak National Party or SNAP [Edwin DUNDANG]
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 14-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US
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. As a result, Malaysia was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003, notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Iraq War led to caution in the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004 and 5% per year in 2005-06. As an oil and gas exporter, Malaysia has profited from higher world energy prices, although the rising cost of domestic gasoline and diesel fuel forced Kuala Lumpur to reduce government subsidies, contributing to higher inflation. Malaysia "unpegged" the ringgit from the US dollar in 2005 and the currency appreciated 6% against the dollar in 2006. Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a small external debt greatly reduce the risk that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains dependent on continued growth in the US, China, and Japan - top export destinations and key sources of foreign investment. The government presented its five-year national development agenda in April 2006 through the Ninth Malaysia Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for the allocation of the national budget from 2006-10. The plan targets the development of higher value-added manufacturing and an expansion of the services sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$313.8 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$132.3 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$12,900 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
8.3%
industry
48.1%
services
43.6% (2006 est.)
Labor force
10.73 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
13%
industry
36%
services
51% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.5% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
5.1% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.4%
highest 10%
39.2% (2003 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
46.1 (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.8% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
19.9% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$31.63 billion
expenditures
$37 billion; including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (2006 est.)
Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging
Industrial production growth rate
5.8% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production
78.24 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
89.5%
hydro
10.5%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
72.71 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
50 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
770,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption
515,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
230,200 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
3.1 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
62.43 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
32.97 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
29.46 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
2.124 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
$17.86 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$158.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals
Exports - partners
US 18.8%, Singapore 15.4%, Japan 8.9%, China 7.2%, Thailand 5.3%, Hong Kong 4.9% (2006)
Imports
$127.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals
Imports - partners
Japan 13.3%, US 12.6%, China 12.2%, Singapore 11.7%, Thailand 5.5%, Taiwan 5.5%, South Korea 5.4%, Germany 4.4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$82.3 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$57.77 billion (30 June 2006 est.)
Currency (code)
ringgit (MYR)
Currency code
MYR
Exchange rates
ringgits per US dollar - 3.6683 (2006), 3.8 (2005), 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
4.366 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
19.545 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
modern system; international service excellent
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
international
country code - 60; submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2001)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)
Radios
10.9 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations
88 (mainland Malaysia 51, Sabah 16, and Sarawak 21) (2006)
Televisions
10.8 million (1999)
Internet country code
.my
Internet hosts
158,650 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
7 (2000)
Internet users
11.016 million (2005)
Airports
117 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
37
over 3,047 m
5
2,438 to 3,047 m
9
1,524 to 2,437 m
8
914 to 1,523 m
8
under 914 m
7 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
80
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
7
under 914 m
72 (2006)
Heliports
2 (2006)
Pipelines
condensate 282 km; gas 5,372 km; oil 1,715 km; oil/gas/water 19 km; refined products 114 km (2006)
Railways
total
1,890 km
standard gauge
57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge
1,833 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways
total
98,721 km
paved
80,280 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways)
unpaved
18,441 km (2004)
Waterways
7,200 km
note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km (2005)
Merchant marine
total
312 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,542,727 GRT/7,544,154 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 19, cargo 99, chemical tanker 38, container 48, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 8, petroleum tanker 61, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 6
foreign-owned
66 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 14, Japan 4, South Korea 1, Singapore 44)
registered in other countries
68 (Bahamas 12, Belize 1, Cayman Islands 1, Mongolia 1, Panama 13, Philippines 1, Singapore 35, US 4) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Bintulu, Johor, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
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) (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
5,584,231
females age 18-49
5,510,345 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
4,574,854
females age 18-49
4,613,321 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
244,418
females age 18-49
231,896 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.03% (2005 est.)
Disputes - international
Malaysia has asserted sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; while the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions over the Spratly Islands, it is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Malaysia was not party to the March 2005 joint accord among the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam on conducting marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; disputes continue over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, and maritime boundaries in the Johor and Singapore Straits; in November 2007, the ICJ will hold public hearings in response to the Memorials and Countermemorials filed by the parties in 2003 and 2005 over sovereignty of Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary and sovereignty of Unarang rock in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute; separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompts measures to close and monitor border with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; Brunei and Malaysia are still considering international adjudication over their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds, where hydrocarbon exploration was terminated in 2003; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 19,153 (Indonesia), 14,208 (Burma) (2006)
Trafficking in persons
current situation
Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a source and transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor; foreign victims, mostly women and girls from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation; economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants or laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude; some Malaysian women, primarily of Chinese ethnicity, are trafficked abroad for sexual exploitation
tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List - Malaysia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking, particularly its failure to provide protection for victims of trafficking
Illicit drugs
drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market
