Malaysia

constitutional monarchyIndependence 31 August 1957 (from UK)

Malaysia as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalKuala Lumpur
Position2 30 N, 112 30 E
Area329,750 sq km
2004

Every edition of Malaysia

Populationas each edition published it
23.52 million July 2004 est. · 17.51m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.83% 2004 est. · 2.32% in 1993
Median ageyears
23.8 years 2004 est. · 23.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
71.95 years 2004 est. · 68.82 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.1 children per woman 2004 est. · 3.5 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
18.35 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 30 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$9,000 2003 est. · $2,960 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5.2% 2003 est. · 8% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

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.

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 329,750 sq km

arable land 5.48%permanent crops 17.61%other 76.91% (2001)irrigated 3,650 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
329,750sq km
land: 328,550 sq kmwater: 1,200 sq kmslightly larger than New Mexico
Coastline
4,675km
(Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea
Highest point
4,100m
Gunung Kinabalulowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
2,669km
border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

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

Climate

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

Terrain

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Natural resources

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

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

People

19 fields
Population
23,522,482
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 1.83% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population

Birth
23.37 (2004 est.)Death
5.08 (2004 est.)Net migration
0
Net migration: note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2004 est.)

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)71.95
69.29 · 74.81Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)18.35
21.23 · 15.27
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002)88.7%
92% · 85.4%Median age years (2004 est.)23.8
23.2 · 24.4
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(2000)

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

Age structure

0-14 years:
33.3% (male 4,033,037; female 3,806,451)
15-64 years:
62.1% (male 7,326,068; female 7,289,783)
65 years and over:
4.5% (male 469,499; female 597,644) (2004 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 (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.79 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.1 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Malaysian(s)
adjective:
Malaysian

Religions

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

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

Government

Constitutional monarchy; Paramount Ruler Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis (since 12 December 2001); Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

91%
BN 91%DAP 5%PAS 3%other 1%House of Representatives - last held 21 March 2004 (next must be held by 2009)

House of Representatives, 219 seats, elected 21 March 2004one dot, one seat

BN 199DAP 12PAS 6Keadilan 1independent 1

Percent of vote

BN 91%DAP 5%PAS 3%other 1%

Country name

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Malaysia
former:
Federation of 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 Federation on 9 August 1965);

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 Penang; those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by Malaysian 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 - currently holds 20 seats in House of Representatives and will hold 25 seats after the next election; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives

Capital

Kuala Lumpur 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

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
Paramount Ruler Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis (since 12 December 2001)
head of government:
Prime Minister ABDULLAH bin Ahmad Badawi (since 31 October 2003); Deputy Prime Minister NAJIB Tun 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 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
election results:
Tuanku SYED SIRAJUDDIN ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail 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 appointed by the state legislatures) 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 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, Keadilan 1, independent 1

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

  • ruling-coalition National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN, consisting of the following parties: Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Party or PGRM [LIM Keng Yaik];
  • Liberal Democratic Party (Parti Liberal Demokratik - Sabah) or LDP [CHONG Kah Kiat];
  • Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan China Malaysia) or MCA [ONG Ka Ting];
  • Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongresi India Malaysia) or MIC [S. Samy VELLU];
  • Parti Bersatu Pakyat Sabah or PBRS [Joseph KURUP];
  • Parti Bersatu Sabah or PBS [Joseph PAIRIN Kitingan];
  • Parti Pesaka Bumiputra 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 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: 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 DANDUNG];
  • opposition coalition Alternative Front (Barisan Alternatif) or BA consists of PAS and PKR

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh Abdul Khalid
chancery:
3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 572-9700
FAX:
[1] (202) 572-9882
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Christopher J. LAFLEUR
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
FAX:
[60] (3) 2142-2207

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 14-pointed star;
  • the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam;
  • the design was based on the flag of the US

Economy

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.

45 fields
Real growth rate
5.2%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 9.3% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.6%
(2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 7.3%industry 33.5%services 59.1% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

19.6%
US
15.5%
10.7%
Japan
17.3%
15.7%
Singapore
11.9%
6.5%
China
8.8%
6.5%
Hong Kong
South Korea
5.5%
Taiwan
5%
Germany
4.7%
4.4%
Thailand
4.6%
Exports $98.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $74.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$22.95 billionExpenditures
$27.75 billion (2003 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion

Electricity

Electricity production
75.33 billion (2002)Electricity consumption
68.4 billion (2002)

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.

GDP in 2001 grew only 0.5% due to an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal stimulus package equal to US $1.9 billion mitigated the worst of the recession and the economy rebounded in 2002 with a 4.1% increase. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003, notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from SARS and the Iraq War led to caution in the business community.

Healthy foreign exchange reserves and a 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.

The Malaysian ringgit is pegged to the dollar, and the Japanese central bank continues to intervene and prop up the yen against the dollar.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $207.8 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

22.2% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
1.4%
highest 10%:
39.2% (2003 est.)

Labor force

10.26 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 14.5%, industry 36%, services 49.5% (2000 est.)

Public debt

45.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

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

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

Oil - production

690,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

460,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

230,200 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports

NA (2003)

Oil - proved reserves

3.729 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

53.66 billion cu m (2001 est.)

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 - proved reserves

2.23 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$13.38 billion (2003)

Exports

$98.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$74.4 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals

Debt - external

$48.84 billion (2003 est.)

Currency

ringgit (MYR)

Exchange rates

ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001), 3.8 (2000), 3.8 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
11,124,100
(2003)
Internet users
107,971
(2003)
Fixed lines
4,571,600
(2003) · country code .my

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 and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

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

Internet users

8,692,100 (2003)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

5
over 3,047 m
7
2,438 to 3,047 m
10
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
9
914 to 1,523 m
6
7
under 914 m
72
Paved 38Unpaved 79

Networkskm

Highways
65,877Railways
2,418Waterways
7,200
Highways: paved: 49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways) · unpaved: 15,942 km (1999) · Railways: (207 km electrified) · standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2003) · Waterways: note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500 km, Sarawak 2,500 km (2004)

Railways

total:
2,418 km (207 km electrified)
standard gauge:
57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge:
2,361 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2003)

Highways

total:
65,877 km
paved:
49,935 km (including 1,192 km of expressways)
unpaved:
15,942 km (1999)

Waterways

7,200 km note: Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km, Sabah 1,500 km, Sarawak 2,500 km (2004)

Pipelines

condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products 114 km (2004)

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

Merchant marine

total:
360 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,389,397 GRT/7,539,178 DWT
by type:
bulk 59, cargo 100, chemical tanker 38, container 66, liquefied gas 25, livestock carrier 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 56, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned:
China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 8, Indonesia 2, Japan 2, South Korea 1, Liberia 1, Monaco 1, Norway 1, Philippines 2, Singapore 81, Vietnam 1
registered in other countries:
75 (2004 est.)

Airports

117 (2003 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Military

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

7 fields

Military branches

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

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 6,193,587 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 3,746,960 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.69 billion (FY00 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • involved in complex dispute with China, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands;
  • the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants;
  • disputes over deliveries of fresh water to Singapore, Singapore's land reclamation, bridge construction, maritime boundaries, and 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 1 kilometer segment at the mouth of the Golok River remains in dispute with Thailand;
  • Philippines retains a now dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue the Sultanate's sovereignty claim;
  • in 2003 Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their offshore and deepwater seabeds until negotiations progress to an agreement over allocation of disputed areas;
  • Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute

Illicit drugs

transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties

Central Intelligence Agency. “Malaysia.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/malaysia/2004.

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