$Unique_ID{COW02307} $Pretitle{245} $Title{Malaysia Statistical Profile of Malaysia} $Subtitle{} $Author{Central Intelligence Agency} $Affiliation{United States Government} $Subject{malaysia km sarawak sabah peninsular government malaysian national rate datuk} $Date{1990} $Log{National Anthem*65100010.aud Map of Malaysia*0230701.scf Flag of Malaysia*0230702.scf } Country: Malaysia Book: CIA World Factbook Author: Central Intelligence Agency Affiliation: United States Government Date: 1990 [Hear National Anthem] [See Map of Malaysia] [See Flag of Malaysia] Statistical Profile of Malaysia Geography Total area: 329,750 km2; land area: 328,550 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782, Thailand 506 km Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Peninsular Malaysia, 2,607 km East Malaysia) Maritime claims: Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Extended economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; state of Sabah claimed by the Philippines; Brunei may wish to purchase the Malaysian salient that divides Brunei into two parts Climate: tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons Terrain: coastal plains rising to hills and mountains Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite Land use: 3% arable land; 10% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 63% forest and woodland; 24% other; includes 1% irrigated Environment: subject to flooding; air and water pollution Note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea People Population: 16,726,766 (July 1989), growth rate 2.0% (1989) Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1989) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1989) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1989) Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths/1,000 live births (1989) Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1989) Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1989) Nationality: noun--Malaysian(s); adjective--Malaysian Ethnic divisions: 59% Malay and other indigenous, 32% Chinese, 9% Indian Religion: Peninsular Malaysia--Malays nearly all Muslim, Chinese predominantly Buddhists, Indians predominantly Hindu; Sabah--38% Muslim, 17% Christian, 45% other; Sarawak--35% tribal religion, 24% Buddhist and Confucianist, 20% Muslim, 16% Christian, 5% other Language: Peninsular Malaysia--Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah--English, Malay, numerous tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects predominate among Chinese; Sarawak--English, Malay, Mandarin, numerous tribal languages Literacy: 65.0% overall, age 20 and up; Peninsular Malaysia--80%; Sabah--60%; Sarawak--60% Labor force: 6,090,000; 34.3% agriculture, 17.8% trade, hotels, and restaurants, 15% government, 14.6% manufacturing, 6.6% construction, 4.8% transport and communications, 4.1% utilities, 1.9% finance, 0.9% mining (1986) Organized labor: 620,000, 10% of total labor force Government Long-form name: none Type: Federation of Malaysia formed 9 July 1963; constitutional monarchy nominally headed by the paramount ruler (king) and a bicameral Parliament composed of a 58-member Senate and a 177-member House of Representatives; Peninsular Malaysian states--hereditary rulers in all but Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by Malaysian 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 within Malaysia, holds 24 seats in House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to federal government Capital: Kuala Lumpur 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* Independence: 31 August 1957 (from UK) Constitution: 31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963 when Federation of Malaya became Federation of Malaysia Legal system: based on English common law; Constitution came into force 1963; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 31 August (1957) Branches: nine state rulers alternate as paramount ruler for five-year terms; locus of executive power vested in prime minister and Cabinet, who are responsible to bicameral Parliament (Senate, House of Representatives); Peninsular Malaysia--executive branches of 11 states vary in detail but are similar in design, with a chief minister, appointed by hereditary ruler (governor), who heads an executive council (cabinet) that is responsible to an elected, unicameral legislature; Sarawak and Sabah--executive branch headed by governor appointed by central government, largely ceremonial role; executive power exercised by chief minister who heads parliamentary cabinet responsible to unicameral legislature; judiciary part of Malaysian judicial system Leader: Chief of State Head of Government Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad, Prime Minister (since July 1981) Suffrage: universal over age 21 Elections: minimum of every five years; last elections August 1986 Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia--National Front, a confederation of 14 political parties dominated by United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO), Mahathir bin Mohamad; Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Ling Liong Sik; Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk Lim Keng Yaik; Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk Samy Vellu; Sabah--Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohamad Noor Haji Mansodr; Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan; United Sabah National Organizaton (USNO), Tun Datuk Mustapha; Sarawak--coalition Sarawak National Front composed of the Party Pesaka Bumipatra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB), Datuk Abdul Taib; Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar Stephen Yong Kuat Tze; Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk 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), Haji Yusof Rawa Voting strength: Peninsular Malaysia--(1986 parliamentary election, lower house of parliament) National Front, 148 seats; DAP, 24 seats; PAS, 1 seat; independents, 4 seats; in National Front--UMNO received 83 seats and 35% vote, MCA 17 seats and 14% vote Communists: Peninsular Malaysia--about 1,000 armed insurgents on Thailand side of international boundary; about 200 full-time inside Malaysia; Sarawak--fewer than 100, North Kalimantan Communist Party; Sabah--insignificant Member of: ADB, ANRPC, ASEAN, Association of Tin Producing Countries, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Albert S. TALALLA; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2700; there are Malaysian Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US--Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur); telephone [6] (03) 248-9011 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 Economy Overview: In 1988 booming exports helped Malaysia continue to recover from the severe 1985-86 recession. Real output grew by 7.4%, helped by 15% growth in manufacturing output and further increases in foreign direct investment, particularly from Japanese and Taiwanese firms facing higher costs at home. Inflation remained low as unemployment stood at 8% of the labor force and as the government followed prudent fiscal/monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and a majority of the rural population subsist at the poverty level. Although the government forecasts 7% real growth in 1989, Malaysia's high export dependence (merchandise exports are 64% of GNP) leaves it vulnerable to a recession in the OECD countries or a fall in world commodity prices. GDP: $34.3 billion, per capita $2,092; real growth rate 7.4% (1988 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1988 est.) Unemployment rate: 8.1% (1988) Budget: revenues $8 billion; expenditures $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (1988) Exports: $20 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--natural rubber, palm oil, tin, timber, petroleum, light manufactures; partners--Singapore, Japan, USSR, EC, Australia, US Imports: $14.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--food, crude oil, consumer goods, intermediate goods, capital equipment, chemicals; partners--Japan, Singapore, FRG, UK, Thailand, China, Australia, US External debt: $17.4 billion (medium and long-term) (1988 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 8.3% (1987) Electricity: 5,551,000 kW capacity; 15,835 million kWh produced, 970 kWh per capita (1988) 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 Agriculture: Peninsular Malaysia--natural rubber, palm oil, rice; Sabah--mainly subsistence, main crops are rubber, timber, coconut, rice; Sarawak--main crops are rubber, timber, pepper; there is a deficit of rice in all areas Aid: NA Currency: ringgit (plural--ringgits); 1 ringgit (M $) = 100 sen Exchange rates: ringgits (M $) per US $1--2.7196 (January 1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814 (1986), 2.4830 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Railroads: Peninsular Malaysia--1,665 km 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km double track, government owned; Sabah--136 km 1.000-meter gauge Highways: Peninsular Malaysia--23,600 km (19,352 km hard surfaced, mostly bituminous-surface treatment, and 4,248 km unpaved); Sabah--3,782 km; Sarawak--1,644 km Inland waterways: Peninsular Malaysia--3,209 km; Sabah--1,569 km; Sarawak--2,518 km Ports: Tanjong, Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang, Sandakan, Tawau Merchant marine: 155 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,447,494 GRT/2,065,040 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 69 cargo, 21 container, 3 vehicle carrier, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 1 specialized tanker, 1 passenger-cargo, 19 bulk, 1 passenger Civil air: 36 (est.) major transport aircraft Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km Airports: 126 total, 121 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: good intercity service provided to peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave relay, adequate intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service good; good coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 telephones (1984); stations--28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; 2 international satellite ground stations; 2 domestic satellite ground stations Defense Forces Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,391,276; 2,680,255 fit for military service; 176,679 reach military age (21) annually Military budget: $908 million, 3.36% of central government budget (1988)