Guide to Malaysia Introduction 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 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
Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)
Maritime claims: territorial 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
Natural resources: tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 3,650 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
People Population: 23,953,136 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 1.8% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 23.07 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 5.06 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 3.07 children born/woman (2005 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
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.)
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
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: constitutional monarchy note
Capital: Kuala Lumpur note
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
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
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
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, APEC, APT, 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
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 Economy - overview: Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971 through the late 1990's 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. Growth topped 7% in 2004. Healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation, and a small external debt are all strengths that make it unlikely that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $229.3 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 10.49 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 14.5%, industry 36%, services 49.5% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: 8% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 49.2 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 21.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 45.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
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
Industrial production growth rate: 10.2% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 75.33 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 68.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 70 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 785,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 460,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 230,200 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 3.2 billion bbl (2004 est.)
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 (2004)
Current account balance: $11.81 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $123.5 billion f.o.b. (2004 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%, Japan 10.1%, China 6.7%, Hong Kong 6%, Thailand 4.8% (2004)
Imports: $99.3 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals
Imports - partners: Japan 16.1%, US 14.6%, Singapore 11.2%, China 9.9%, Thailand 5.6%, Taiwan 5.5%, South Korea 5%, Germany 4.5%, Indonesia 4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $55.27 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $53.36 billion (2004 est.)
Currency (code): ringgit (MYR)
Currency code: MYR
Exchange rates: ringgits per US dollar - 3.8 (2004), 3.8 (2003), 3.8 (2002), 3.8 (2001), 3.8 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 4,571,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 11,124,100 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 35, FM 391, shortwave 15 (2001)
Radios: 10.9 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 15 high-power repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: 10.8 million (1999)
Internet country code: .my
Internet hosts: 107,971 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2000)
Internet users: 8,692,100 (2003)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 7,200 km note
Pipelines: condensate 279 km; gas 5,047 km; oil 1,841 km; refined products 114 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Bintulu, Johor, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lumut, Miri, George Town (Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 117 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2005)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.69 billion (FY00 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.03% (FY00)
Transnational Issues 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, maritime boundaries, and Pedra Branca Island/Pulau Batu Putih - but parties agree to ICJ arbitration on island dispute within three years; ICJ awarded Ligitan and Sipadan islands, also claimed by Indonesia and Philippines, to Malaysia but left maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in dispute, culminating in hostile confrontations in March 2005 over concessions to the Ambalat oil block; 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 now dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo; in 2003, Brunei and Malaysia ceased gas and oil exploration in their disputed offshore and deepwater seabeds and negotiations have stalemated prompting consideration of international adjudication; Malaysia's land boundary with Brunei around Limbang is in dispute; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Illicit drugs: transit point for some illicit drugs; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
| Weather Statistics | Kuantan |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | Max | 29 C | 31 C | 32 C | 33 C | 33 C | 33 C | 32 C | 32 C | 32 C | 32 C | 31 C | 29 C | | Mean | 25 C | 26 C | 27 C | 27 C | 28 C | 28 C | 27 C | 27 C | 27 C | 27 C | 26 C | 25 C | | Min | 22 C | 22 C | 22 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 23 C | 22 C | | Prcp | 365mm | 206mm | 197mm | 180mm | 181mm | 149mm | 142mm | 170mm | 198mm | 279mm | 374mm | 633mm |
| Source: Global Historical Climatology Network |
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