Demographics of Malaysia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The demographics of Malaysia are represented by the multiple ethnic groups that exist in this country. Malaysia's population, as of July 2010, is estimated to be 28,334,000, which makes it the 41st most populated country in the world.[1] Of these, 5.72 million Malaysians live in East Malaysia and 22.5 million live in Peninsular Malaysia.[2] The Malaysian population continues to grow at a rate of 2.4% per annum.According to latest 2010 census, among the three largest Malaysian groups Malays and Bumiputera Fertility rates are at 2.8 children per woman, Chinese 1.8 children per woman, and Indians 2.0 children per woman. Malay fertility rates are 40% higher than Malay Indians and 56% higher than Malay Chinese. In 2010, the Malays were 60.3%, Chinese 22.9%, and the Indians 7.1% of the total population. The Chinese population has shrunk to half of its peak share from 1957 when it was 45% of Malaysia, although in absolute numbers they have multiplied more than threefold.[3] The population distribution is uneven, with some 20 million of 28 million citizens concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia, which has an area of 131,598 square kilometres (50,810.27 sq mi).
Contents
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Demographics of Malaysia
Indicator Economy GDP (PPP) per capita Unemployment rate CO2 emissions Electricity consumption Economic Freedom Politics Human Development Index Political freedom Corruption (A higher score means less (perceived) corruption.) Press freedom Society Literacy Rate Number of Internet users E-readiness Ease of Doing Business Health Life Expectancy Birth rate Fertility rate Infant mortality Death rate HIV/AIDS rate Quality-of-life Notes * including several non-sovereign entities indicates rank is in reverse order (e.g. 1st is lowest) per capita score out of 10 per 1000 people per woman per 1000 live births 65th 82th 78th 124th 181st 81st 36th 74.2 20.74 2.64 16.39 4.5 0.40% 6.608 39th 26rd 38th 18th 92.5% 15,635,925 users 5.87 Unknown 61rd Unknown 60rd 122th 0.761 4 4.3 56.00 58th Unknown 51th 31nd 68th $15,568 3.0%* 7.07t 93.80GWh 2.98 Rank Measure

1 Demographic trends and key rates

o o o

1.1 Population distribution by states and territories 1.2 Population age distribution trends for 20012010 1.3 Key demographic rates

2 Vital statistics

2.1 UN estimates [20]

3 Ethnicity

3.1 Bumiputras

3.1.1 Malays

3.1.2 Other Bumiputras

3.2 Non-Bumiputeras

4 Languages 5 Citizenship 6 Religion

3.2.1 Chinese 3.2.2 Indian 3.2.3 Others

6.1 Islam

7 Education

o o o o

7.1 Primary education 7.2 Secondary education 7.3 Tertiary education 7.4 International schools

8 Healthcare 9 Major cities 10 Notes 11 External links

[edit]Demographic

trends and key rates

Demographics of Malaysia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Censuses were taken in Malaysia in 1970, 1980, 1991, and 2000, with the one in 2000 taking place between 5 and 20 July.[4] The total population is approximately 28 million.[5] The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated in Peninsula Malaysia.[6] 70% of the population is urban.[7] Due to the rise in labour-intensive industries,[8] Malaysia is estimated to have over 3 million migrant workers, which is about 10% of the Malaysian population.[9] The exact numbers are unknown: there are a million legal foreign workers and perhaps another million unauthorised foreigners. The state of Sabah alone had nearly 25% of its 2.7 million population listed as illegal foreign workers in the last census. Sabah based NGOs estimate that out of the 3 million population, 2 million are illegal immigrants.[10] Additionally, according to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Malaysia hosts a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 155,700. Of this population, approximately 70,500 refugees and asylum seekers are from the Philippines, 69,700 from Burma, and 21,800 from Indonesia.[11] The USCRI named Malaysia as one of the ten worst places for refugees on account of the country's discriminatory practices toward them. Malaysian officials are reported to have turned deportees directly over to human smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employs RELA, a volunteer militia, to enforce its immigration law.[11]

[edit]Population
Populatio n (2000)

distribution by states and territories

Population[2
]

State

(2010, est.) 3,305,900 1,966,900 1,670,500 771,500 1,011,700 1,534,800 1,596,900 2,460,800 240,100 3,214,200 2,506,500 5,037,600 1,050,000

Area (km2 ) 18987 9425 15024 1652 6644 35965 1031 21005 795 73619 124450 7960 12955

Pop. density[2
]

Urban pop. %[2

]

(2010, est.) 174 209 111 467 152 43 1549 117 302 44 20 633 81

(2010, est.) 66.2 40.8 36.1 69.2 56.6 42.9 80.9 60.5 35.7 49.3 49.9 88.3 51.2

Bumiputer a (%)

Chines e (%)

India n (%)

Johor Kedah Kelantan Malacca Negeri Sembilan Pahang Penang Perak Perlis Sabah Sarawak Selangor Terenggan

2,740,625 1,649,756 1,313,014 635,791 859,924 1,288,376 1,313,449 2,051,236 204,450 2,603,485 2,071,506 4,188,876 898,825

57.1 76.6 95.0 63.8 57.9 76.8 48.5 55.87 85.5 80.5 72.9 58.9 96.8

35.4 14.9 3.8 29.1 25.6 17.7 40.9 31.35 10.3 13.2 26.7 27.8 2.8

6.9 7.1 0.3 6.5 16.0 5.0 10.6[12] 20[13] 1.3 0.5 0.2 13.3[14] 0.2

State

Populatio n (2000)

Population[2
]

(2010, est.)

Area (km2 )

Pop. density[2
]

Urban pop. %[2

]

(2010, est.)

(2010, est.)

Bumiputer a (%)

Chines e (%)

India n (%)

u FT Kuala Lumpur FT Labuan FT Putrajaya 1,379,310 76,067 45,000 1,722,500 95,500 65,000 243 92 148 7088 1038 439 100.0 78.1 100.0 38.6 79.6 94.8 46.5 15.8 1.8 13.4 1.3 2.7

Source: National Census 2000,[15] Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Putrajaya data is for 2004, and the official 2010 estimate is added into Selangor's population. Population estimates are rounded to the nearest hundred.

[edit]Population
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

age distribution trends for 20012010

15 - 64 Years (%) 63.4 64.1 64.8 65.5 66.1 66.5 66.9 67.3 67.7 68.1 > 64 Years (%) 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Population (in millions) 24.12 24.72 25.32 25.91 26.48 26.83 27.18 27.54 27.90 28.25 32.7 31.9 31.2 30.4 29.7 29.2 28.7 28.2 27.7 27.2

< 15 Years (%)

Data from July 2010.[16]

[edit]Key

demographic rates

Population growth rate^: 1.542% (2012 data) Age Structure^:

014 years: 29.6% (male 4,118,086/female 3,884,403) 1564 years: 65.4% (male 7,838,166/female 7,785,833) 65 years and over: 5% (male 526,967/female 667,831) (2011 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region

Human sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 1564 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2012 est.)

Infant mortality rate:^ 14.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 data) Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.04 years (at 1:1 male-to-female ratio) male: ^ 71.28 years (2012 data) female: ^ 76.99 years (2012 data)

Total fertility rate:

2.64 children born/woman (2012 est.) 2.70 children born/woman (2010 est.), 2.98 children born/woman (2008 est.), 3.01 children born/woman (2007 est.), 3.04 children born/woman (2006 est.), 3.07 children born/woman (2005 est.) In 1987, Malays had a TFR of 4.51, Chinese had TFR of 2.25 and Indians had TFR of 2.77. The corresponding figures in Singapore was 2.16, 1.48 and 1.95.[17]

Data for (^) obtained from Department of Statistics releases. See notes.[18][19] All key rates sampled per 1000 of population. Ranking Census statistics Malaysia 2010.

Rank

State

Population 2010

Selangor

5,411,324

Johor

3,233,434

Sabah

3,120,040

Sarawak

2,420,009

Perak

2,258,428

Kedah

1,890,098

Kuala Lumpur

1,627,172

Penang

1,520,143

Kelantan

1,459,994

10

Pahang

1,443,365

11

Terengganu

1,015,776

12

Negeri Sembilan

997,071

13

Melaka

788,706

14

Perlis

227,025

15

Labuan

85,272

16

Putrajaya

67,964

[edit]Vital [edit]UN

statistics

estimates [20]

Period

Live births per year

Deaths per year

Natural change per year

CBR1

CDR1

NC1 TFR1

IMR1

1950-1955

280 000

92 000

188 000

42.7

14.0 25.3

6.23

96.4

1955-1960

318 000

89 000

229 000

41.9

11.7 28.9

6.23

79.5

1960-1965

361 000

86 000

275 000

40.8

9.7 29.9

6.23

64.3

1965-1970

351 000

82 000

268 000

34.2

8.0 28.1

5.21

51.0

1970-1975

365 000

82 000

283 000

31.4

7.1 25.9

4.56

40.4

1975-1980

385 000

83 000

302 000

29.4

6.3 21.7

3.93

31.9

1980-1985

436 000

86 000

350 000

29.5

5.8 26.4

3.73

25.3

1985-1990

488 000

91 000

397 000

28.7

5.3 26.9

3.59

19.9

1990-1995

535 000

97 000

438 000

27.5

5.0 22.8

3.42

15.7

1995-2000

559 000

104 000

454 000

25.3

4.7 19.8

3.18

12.4

2000-2005

572 000

114 000

458 000

23.1

4.6 18.2

2.96

9.8

2005-2010

571 000

127 000

443 000

20.9

4.7 14.3

2.72

7.7

CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births

[edit]Ethnicity

Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups. People of Austronesian origin make a slim majority of the population, and are known as the Bumiputras. Large Chinese and Indian minorities also exist. Malays, as bumiputra, see Malaysia as their land, and since race riots in 1969 bumiputra have been especially privileged in Malaysia. However, since then racial stability has prevailed, if not full harmony. Mixed marriages are on the rise.[21] The twenty largest ethnolinguistic groups in Malaysia are as follows:[22]

Distribution of the Bumiputera and Chinese population in Malaysia

Group Malay, Peninsular[23] Han Chinese, Hokkien Tamil Han Chinese, Hakka

Total 9,041,091 1,848,211 1,743,922 1,679,027

Han Chinese, Cantonese 1,355,541 Banjar Malay Han Chinese, Teochew 1,237,615 974,573

Group Han Chinese, Mandarin Minangkabau Indonesian Iban Filipino

Total 958,467 874,536 772,558 666,034 442,933

Han Chinese, Hainanese 380,781 Han Chinese, Min Bei Malay, East Malaysia 373,337 271,979

Han Chinese, Min Dong 249,413 Straits Chinese Nepalese Tausug Dusun, Central 236,918 217,587 201,797 191,146

[edit]Bumiputras
Main article: Bumiputra Bumiputras are divided into Malays, who make up the majority of the Malaysian population at 50.4%; and other bumiputra, who make up 11% of the Malaysian population.[7] Bumiputra status is also accorded to certain non-Malay indigenous peoples, including ethnic Thais, Khmers, Chams and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Laws over who gets Bumiputra status vary between states.[24] Some Eurasians can obtain bumiputra privileges, providing they can prove they are of Portuguese descent.[25]

[edit]Malays
Main articles: Malays (ethnic group) and Malaysian Malay The Malays are an ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and parts of Sumatra and Borneo. They form the largest community in Malaysia and play a dominant role politically. They make up about half of the total population. By constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs (adat) and culture. Therefore, technically, a Muslim of any race who practices Malay customs and culture can be considered a Malay and allocated privilleged status in the form of the Bumiputra rights stipulated in the constitution. Their language, Malay (Bahasa Malaysia), is the national language of the country.[26] Citizens of Minangkabau, Bugis or Javanese origins, who can be classified "Malay" under constitutional definitions may also speak their respective ancestral tongues. However, English is also widely spoken in major towns and cities across the country. Malays from different states in Malaysia carry distinct dialects that can

sometimes be unintelligible to most of their fellow countrymen. By definition of the Malaysian constitution, all Malays are Muslims. In the past, Malays wrote in Pallava or using the Sanskrit-based alphabet of Kawi. Arabic traders later introduced Jawi, an Arabic-based script, which became popular after the 15th century. Until then reading and writing were mostly the preserve of scholars and nobility, while most Malay commoners were illiterate. Jawi was taught along with Islam, allowing the script to spread through all social classes. Nevertheless, Kawi remained in use by the upper-class well into the 15th century. The Romanised script was introduced during the colonial period and, over time, it came to replace both Sanskrit and Jawi. This was largely due to the influence of the European education system, wherein children were taught the Latin alphabet. Malay culture shows strong influences from Buddhism and animism. However, since the Islamisation movement of the 1980s and 90s, these aspects are often neglected or banned altogether. Because any Malay-speaking Muslim is entitled to bumiputra privileges, many non-Malay Muslims have adopted the Malay language, customs and attire in the last few decades. This is particularly the case with Indian Muslims from the peninsula and the Kadayan of Borneo. The Malay ethnic group is distinct from the concept of a Malay race, which encompasses a wider group of people, including most of Indonesia and the Philippines.

[edit]Other Bumiputras
Main article: Orang Asli Malaysia has many other non-Malay indigenous people, who are given Bumiputra status. The indigenous tribes are the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia, and the indigenous groups of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are collectively known as the "Orang Asal". They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in East Malaysia of Sabah and Sarawak. In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who are either Iban or Bidayuh. The Iban of form the largest of all indigenous groups, numbering over 600,000 (30% of Sarawak's population) and some of who still live in traditionallonghouses which can hold up to 200 people.[27] Longhouses are mostly places along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries, although many Iban have moved to the cities. The Bidayuhs, numbering around 170,000, are concentrated in the southwestern part of Sarawak. They, together with other indigenous groups in Sarawak make up over half of the states population.[7] The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan, most of whom are Christians[28] and rice farmers.[29] They live as substinence farmers. Sabah's has a large amount of indigenous people, 18% of the population are Kadazan-Dusuns, and 17% are Bajaus).[7]

There also exist aboriginal groups in much smaller numbers on the peninsula, where they are collectively known as Orang Asli (literally meaning "original person").[30] The 140,000 Orang Asli comprise a number of different ethnic communities. Many tribes, both on the peninsula and in Borneo, were traditionally nomadic or semi-nomadic huntergatherers, including the Punan, Penan and Senoi. However, their ancestral land and hunting grounds are commonly reclaimed by the state, shifting them to inferior land and sometimes pushing them out of their traditional way of life.[31] The most numerous of the Orang Asli are called Negritos and are related to native Papuans in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and possibly even to aborigines in Australia. Other bumiputra minorities include Malaysian Siamese, Khmers, Chams, and Burmese.

[edit]Non-Bumiputeras
Minorities who lack Bumiputra status have established themselves in Malaysia. Those who are not considered to be bumiputras make up a considerable portion of the Malaysian population. While some Chinese and Indian families, known as Peranakan ("straits-born"), have resided in Malaysia since as far back as 15th century Melaka, the majority of Malaysia's Chinese and Indian populations are descended from migrants who arrived during the colonial period.

[edit]Chinese
Main article: Malaysian Chinese The second largest ethnic group is Chinese who make up 24.6% of the population.[32] They have been dominant in trade and business since the early 20th century. Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur are Chinese-majority cities, while Penang is the only Non-Bumiputera-majority state in Malaysia. The Chinese have been settling in Malaysia for many centuries, as seen in the emergence of the Peranakan culture, but the exodus peaked during the nineteenth century through trading and tin-mining. When they first arrived, the Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Later, some of them owned businesses that become large conglomerates in today's Malaysia. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland. The first Chinese to settle in the Straits Settlements, primarily in and around Malacca, gradually adopted elements of Malaysian culture and intermarried with the Malaysian community and with this, a new ethnic group called babas (male) and nyonyas (female) emerged. Babas and nyonyas as a group are known as Peranakan. They produced a syncretic set of practices, beliefs, and arts, combining Malay and Chinese traditions in such a way as to create a new culture. The Chinese community in Malaysia speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew. A large majority of Chinese in Malaysia, especially those from the larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling

Jaya, Ipoh, Klang and Penang speak decent English as well. There has also been an increasing number of the present generation Chinese who consider English as their first language.

[edit]Indian
Main article: Malaysian Indian The Indian community in Malaysia is the smallest of the three main ethnic groups, comprising 7.1% of the population.[7] Tamils make up the largest subgroup,[33] and together with Malayalees-speaking andTelugu people make up over 85% of the people of Indian origin in the country. The rest of the percentage consist of mostly Hindi-speaking Punjabis. Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th century.[34] They first came to Malaya for barter trade, especially in the former Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang. Other came as teachers or other skilled workers. A large number were part of the migrations from India forced by the British during colonial times to work in the plantation industry.[35][36] There is a substantial presence of people of Pakistani origin (estimated to be 200,000, about 1.0%), mainly Punjabis as well as smaller groups of Pashtuns, Sindhis, Urdu-speaking people, Kashmiris and a small number of Afghans and Nepalis. They arrived in Malaysia as British soldiers of the Punjab Rifles Regiment and as businessmen and traders. They were initially listed as others but they have intermarried with local Muslims and most of them list themselves as Malays. People of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepali origin are often included in the "Indian" category for statistical purposes. Some of the well known tycoons and banker are from this ethnic group. Urdu is widely spoken by these groups and some Malays. The Punjabis (mostly Sikhs) are substantial in number with around 100,000 of them in Malaysia. Punjabis were originally brought in as police, guards and soldiers. Many middle- to uppermiddle-class Indians in Malaysia speak English as a first language. A Tamil Muslim community of 200,000 also thrives as an independent subcultural group. When India came under British rule, Indian labourers were sent to Malaya to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations and later in the rubber and oil palm estates. Some of them also came to work on the construction of buildings, roads and bridges. These labourers were mostly Hindu Tamils from Southern India and they were supervised by kanganis (overseers) and mandurs (foreman) who were from the upper caste Tamils. Sri Lankan Tamils came to Malaya as white-collar workers, holding jobs like clerks and hospital assistants. As for the Punjabis from Punjab (North India), most of them joined the army in Malaya while some handled the bullock-cart services in the country. The Indians who came to Malaysia brought with them the Hindu and Sikh culture its unique temples and Gurdwaras, delicious cuisine and colourful garments. Hindu tradition remains strong until today in the Indian community of Malaysia. There's also the Chitty community in Malacca similar to the Babas and Nyonyas, it is the result of the assimilation between the Indian immigrants and local culture. Though they remain Hindu, the Chitties speak Bahasa Malaysia and women dress in sarong kebayas instead of sarees.

However, other Indian Hindus retain their vernacular languages and dialects. The community celebrates two main festivals Deepavali and Thaipusam and many other smaller religious events each year. On the other hand, the Sikhs celebrate Vasakhi, Lodi and Gurpurab. Indians in Malaysia mainly speak Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and some Punjabi.

[edit]Others
A small minority of Malaysians do not fit into the broader ethnic groups. A small population exists of people of European and Middle Eastern descent. Europeans and Middle Easterners, who first arrived during the colonial period, assimilated through intermarriage into the Christian and Muslim communities. Most Eurasian Malaysians trace their ancestry to British, Dutch and/or Portuguese colonists, and there is a strong Kristang community in Melaka. The Nepali population numbers little over 600 and lives in Rawang, Selangor. Originally brought by the British as bodyguards and security personnel, they come from the Rana, Chettri, Rai and Gurung clans. Other minorities include Filipinos and Burmese. A small number of ethnic Vietnamese from Cambodia and Vietnam settled in Malaysia as Vietnam War refugees. There is no general consensus on the ethnic profiling of children of mixed parentage. Some choose to be identified according to paternal ethnicity while others simply think that they fall in the "Others" category. The majority choose to identify as Malay as long as either parent is Malay, mainly due to the legal definition of Bumiputera. Children of Chinese-Indian parentage are known as Chindians. Though this is not an official category in national census data, it is an increasing number especially in urban areas.

[edit]Languages
Main article: Languages of Malaysia Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages,[37] 41 of which are found in Peninsula Malaysia.[38] The official language of Malaysia is known as Bahasa Malaysia, a standardized form of the Malay language.[26] English was, for a protracted period, the de facto, administrative language of Malaysia, though its status was later rescinded. Despite that, English remains an active second language in many areas of Malaysian society and is compulsory, serving as the medium of instruction for Maths and Sciences in all public schools per the PPSMI policy (which is pending reversal in 2012).[39][40] Many businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English, and it is sometimes used in official correspondence. Examinations are based on British English, although there has been much American influence through television. Malaysian English, also known as Malaysian Standard English (MySE), is a form of English derived from British English, although there is little official use of the term, except with relation to education. Malaysian English also sees wide use in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of

English with heavy Malay, Chinese dialect and Tamil influences. Most Malaysians are conversant in English, although some are only fluent in the Manglish form. The Malaysian government officially discourages the use of Manglish.[41] Chinese Malaysians mostly speak Chinese dialects from the southern provinces of China. The more common dialects in Peninsular Malaysia are Hakka, Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, andHokchiu.[42] In Sarawak, most ethnic Chinese speak either Foochow or Hakka while Hakka predominates in Sabah except in the city of Sandakan where Cantonese is more often spoken despite the Hakka-origins of the Chinese residing there. Hokkien is mostly spoken in Penang and Kedah whereas Cantonese is mostly spoken in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. However, in Malaysia as a whole, the majority of ethnic Chinese speak Mandarin as their first language, while English is the first language for the rest. Some of the lessspoken dialects such as Hainanese are facing extinction. As with Malaysian youths of other races, most Chinese youth are multilingual and can speak up to four languages with at least moderate fluency their native Chinese dialect, Mandarin, English and Malay. Tamil is the most common language spoken among Indians in Malaysia,[43] especially in Peninsular Malaysia where they still maintain close cultural ties with their homeland. However, many Indians in East Malaysia, especially the younger generation, do not speak much Tamil and speak either Malay or English as their first language.[citation needed] This is because there are far fewer Indians in East Malaysia than in the Peninsula. Thus, the Indians in East Malaysia prioritize on Malay and English because those languages are more useful in daily life in that region. Citizens of Minangkabau, Bugis or Javanese origins, who can be classified "Malay" under constitutional definitions may also speak their respective ancestral tongues. The native tribes of East Malaysia have their own languages which are related to, but easily distinguishable from, Malay. The Iban is the main tribal language in Sarawak while Dusunic languages are spoken by the natives in Sabah.[44] A variant of the Malay language[specify] that is spoken in Brunei is also commonly spoken in both states. Some Malaysians have caucasian ancestry and speak creole languages, such as the Portuguese based Malaccan Creoles,[45] and the Spanish based Zamboangueo Chavacano.[46] Thai is also spoken in some areas.[7]

[edit]Citizenship
Main articles: Malaysian citizenship and Malaysian nationality law Citizenship is usually granted by lex soli.[47] Citizenship in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for immigration purposes. Every citizen is

issued a biometric smart chip identity card, known as MyKad, at the age of 12, and must carry the card at all times.[48]

[edit]Religion
Main article: Religion in Malaysia

Kampung Laut Mosque in Tumpat is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, dating to early 18th century

Islam is the largest and official religion of Malaysia, although Malaysia is a multi-religious society and the Malaysian constitution guarantees religious freedom. Despite the recognition of Islam as the state religion, the first 4 prime ministers have stressed that Malaysia could function as a secular state. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000 figures, approximately 60.4 percent of the population practised Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 2.6 percent practise Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions. The remainder was accounted for by other faiths, includinganimism, folk religion, and Sikhism while 0.9% either reported having no religion or did not provide any information.[4][49] The majority of Malaysian Indians follow Hinduism (84.5%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (7.7%), Muslims (3.8%), over 150,000 Sikhs, and 1,000 Jains. Most Malaysian Chinese follow a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor-worship but, when pressed to specify their religion, will identify themselves as Buddhists. Statistics from the 2000 Census indicate that 75.9% of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (10.6%) and Christianity (9.6%), along with small Hui-Muslim populations in areas like Penang.[49] Christianity is the predominant religion of the non-Malay Bumiputra community (50.1%) with an additional 36.3% identifying as Muslims and 7.3% follow folk religion.[49]

[edit]Islam
Main article: Islam in Malaysia Islam is thought to have been brought to Malaysia around the 12th century by Arab traders. [50] Since then the religion has become the predominant religion of the country and is recognised as the state's official religion. All ethnic Malays are considered Muslim by Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.[51]

Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of Syariah courts in matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges are expected to follow the Shafi`i legal school of Islam, which is the main madh'hab of Malaysia.[52] The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such as marriage, inheritance, divorce, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others. No other criminal or civil offences are under the jurisdiction of the Shariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to the Civil Courts. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts (including the Federal Court) do not hear matters related to Islamic practices,[53] as ratified by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the late 1980s. Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of acts considered islamically immoral.[54]

[edit]Education
Main article: Education in Malaysia

University of Nottingham campus atSemenyih, Selangor

Literacy rates (percentage of people over 15 who can read and write) are high in Malaysia, with an overall Literacy rate of 88.7%.[55] Literacy rates are higher among males (92%) than females (85.4%) Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.[56] The education system features a non-compulsory kindergarten education followed by six years of compulsory primary education,[5] and five years of optional secondary education.[citation needed] Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten.

[edit]Primary

education

Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. Primary schools are divided into two categories, national primary schools ands vernacular school.[57] Vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of instruction, whereas national primary schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan) uses Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for subjects except English, Science and Mathematics.

Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) is one of the earliest boarding schools established in British Malaya.

Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR).[58] A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) taken during Primary Year 3 was abolished in 2001.

[edit]Secondary

education

Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main language of instruction. The only exceptions are Mathematics and Science and languages other than Malay, however this was only implemented in 2003, prior to which all non-language subjects were taught in Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR). However, PMR is to be abolished by 2016. Secondary students no longer sit for PMR in Form Three but to directly sit for SPM in Form Five. In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students sit the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the former British Ordinary or 'O' Levels. The government has decided to abandon the use of English in teaching maths and science and revert to Bahasa Malaysia, starting in 2012.[59] Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types: National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), NationalType Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) (also referred to as Mission Schools), Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College(Maktab Rendah Sains MARA). There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM). However, unlike government schools, independent schools are autonomous. It takes six years to complete secondary education in Chinese independent schools. Students will sit a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit the PMR and SPM additionally.

[edit]Tertiary

education

See also: List of universities in Malaysia

An aerial view of Multimedia University'sCyberjaya campus. Multimedia University is Malaysia's first private university.

Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels.[60] Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10 per cent of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students.[61] There are a number of public universities established in Malaysia. Private universities are also gaining a reputation for international quality education and students from all over the world attend these universities. In addition, four reputable international universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an offshore campus of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi University College which partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.[62]

[edit]International

schools

In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country.

[edit]Healthcare
Main article: Healthcare in Malaysia The Malaysian government places importance on the expansion and development of health care, putting 5% of the government social sector development budget into public health care[63]an increase of more than 47% over the previous figure. This has meant an overall increase of more than RM 2 billion. With a rising and aging population, the Government wishes to improve in many areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals, expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth. A major problem with the health care sector is the lack of medical centres for rural areas, which the government is trying to counter through the development of and expansion of a system called "tele-primary care".[64] Another issue is the overperscription of drugs, though this has decreased in recent years.[65] Since 2009 the Malaysian Health Ministry has increased its efforts to overhaul the system and attract more foreign investment.[63] The country generally has an efficient and widespread system of health care. It implements a universal healthcare system, which co-exists with the private healthcare system.[64] Infant mortality rate in 2009 was 6 deaths per 1000 births, and life expectancy at birth in 2009 was 75 years.[66] The Malaysian health care system requires doctors to perform a compulsory three years service with public hospitals to ensure that the manpower in these hospitals is maintained.[64] Recently foreign doctors have also been encouraged to take up employment in Malaysia. There is still, however, a significant shortage in the medical workforce, especially of highly trained specialists; thus, certain medical care and treatment are available only in large cities. Recent efforts to bring many facilities to other towns have been hampered by lack of expertise to run the available equipment. The majority of private hospitals are in urban areas and, unlike many of the public hospitals, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities. Private hospitals have not generally been seen as an ideal investmentit has often taken up to ten years before companies have seen any profits. However, the situation has now changed and companies are now exploring this area again, corresponding with the increased number of foreigners entering Malaysia for medical care and the recent government focus on developing the health tourism industry.[67] The Government has also been trying to promote Malaysia as a health care destination, regionally and internationally.[63]

[edit]Major

cities

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. Although many executive and judicial branches of the federal government have moved to Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia, making it the country's legislative capital. It is also the economic and business centre of the country, and is a primate city. Kuala Lumpur is also rated as a global city, and is the only global city in Malaysia. Along with Subang Jaya, Klang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Kajang-Sungai Chua, Ampang Jaya and Selayang it forms the country's largest and most important urban area, the Klang Valley. Johor Bahru is the second largest city and second largest urban area in the country. It is close to Singapore, and receives more than 60% of the country's annual 16 million foreign tourists. The city is also an important industrial, tourism and commercial hub for southern Malaysia. George Town, situated in the state of Penang, is the third largest city and fifth largest urban area in Malaysia. It used to be Malaysia's largest city until the 1970s when Kuala Lumpur became the capital. Today, the city remains a major hub in Malaysia, serving the northern region. Other major cities in Malaysia include Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Largest cities or towns of Malaysia

Malaysian Census 2010[68][69] Rank City name State Pop.

Kuala Lumpur

History
Main article: History of Malaysia Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years. thought to be Negritos.
[29] [28]

The first inhabitants are

Traders and settlers from India and China arrived as early as the 1st century

AD, establishing trading ports and coastal towns in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Their presence resulted in strong Indian and Chinese influence on the local cultures, and the people of the Malay Peninsula adopted the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Sanskrit inscriptions appear as early as the 4th or 5th century.
[30]

The Kingdom of Langkasuka arose around the 2nd century in the northern area of the Malay
[27]

Peninsula, lasting until about the 15th century.

Between the 7th and 13th centuries, much of the

[31]

southern Malay Peninsula was part of the maritime Srivijaya empire. After the fall of Srivijaya, the Majapahit empire had influence over most of Peninsular Malaysia and the Malay Archipelago. began to spread among Malays in the 14th century.
[32] [3]

Islam

In the early 15th century, Parameswara, a prince of

the former Srivijayan empire, founded the Malacca Sultanate, commonly considered the first independent state in the peninsula. Malacca was an important commercial centre during this time, attracting trade
[3]

from around the region. Parameswara became a Muslim, accelerating the spread of Islam.

A Famosa fortress in Malacca was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

In 1511 Malacca was conquered by Portugal,

[3]

after which it was taken by the Dutch in 1641. In 1786

[33]

the British Empire established a presence in Malaya, when the Sultan of Kedah leased Penang to the British East India Company. The British obtained the town of Singapore in 1819, and in 1824 took

control of Malacca following theAnglo-Dutch Treaty. By 1826 the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the island of Labuan, which they established as the crown colony of the Straits Settlements. By the 20th century, the states of Pahang,Selangor, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan, known together as the Federated Malay States, had British Residentsappointed to advise the Malay rulers, to whom the rulers were bound to defer by treaty.
[34]

The remaining five states in the peninsula, known as

the Unfederated Malay States, while not directly under British rule, also accepted British advisers around the turn of the 20th century. Development on the Peninsula and Borneo were generally separate until the

19th century. Under British rule the immigration of Chinese and Indians to serve as labourers was encouraged.
[35]

Sabah was governed as the crown colony of British North Borneo after it was leased from
[36]

theSultanate of Sulu in 1878.

[37]

In 1842, Sarawak was ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to James Brooke,

whose successors ruled as the White Rajahs over an independent kingdom until 1946, when it became a Crown colony.

In the Second World War the Japanese army invaded and occupied Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore for over three years. During this time, ethnic tensions were raised and nationalism grew.
[38]

Popular support for independence increased after Malaya was reconquered by Allied Post-war British plans to unite the administration of Malaya under a single crown colony called

Forces.

[39]

the Malayan Union met with strong opposition from the Malays, who opposed the weakening of the Malay rulers and the granting of citizenship to the ethnic Chinese. The Malayan Union, established in 1946 and consisting of all the British possessions in the Malay Peninsula with the exception of Singapore, was quickly dissolved and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the autonomy of the rulers of the Malay states under British protection.
[40]

During this time, mostly Chinese rebels under the leadership

of the Malayan Communist Party launched guerrilla operations designed to force the British out of Malaya. The Malayan Emergency lasted from 1948 to 1960, and involved a long anti-insurgency campaign byCommonwealth troops in Malaya.
[41]

After this a plan was put in place to federate Malaya

with the British crown colonies of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore. The proposed date of federation was 31 August 1963, however, the date was delayed until 16 September 1963 due to opposition from Indonesia's Sukarno and theSarawak United Peoples' Party.
[42]

Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, where Independence Day is celebrated on 31 August each year.

Federation brought heightened tensions including a conflict with Indonesia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965,
[43][44]

and racial strife. This strife culminated in the13 May race riots in 1969.
[46]

[45]

After the riots, the

controversial New Economic Policy was launched by Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, trying to increase the share of the economy held by the bumiputra. Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a

period of rapid economic growth and urbanisation beginning in the 1980s. The economy shifted from

being agriculturally-based to one based on manufacturing and industry. Numerous mega-projects were completed, such as the Petronas Towers, the North-South Expressway, the Multimedia Super Corridor, and the new federal administrative capital of Putrajaya.
[24]

However, in the late 1990s the Asian financial

[47]

crisis almost caused the collapse of the currency and the stock and property markets.

Governance
Main article: Politics of Malaysia

The Malaysian Houses of Parliamentis the building where the Malaysian Parliament assembles.

Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy. The system of government is closely modelled on that of theWestminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British colonial rule.
[48]

The head of state is

the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commonly referred to as the king. The King is elected to a five-year term by and from among the nine hereditary rulers of the Malay states; the other four states, which have titular Governors, do not participate in the selection. By informal agreement the position is systematically rotated among the nine,
[48] [49]

and has been held by Abdul Halim of Kedah since December 2011.

The King's role

has been largely ceremonial since changes to the constitution in 1994, picking ministers and members of the upper house.
[50]

Legislative power is divided between federal and state legislatures. The bicameral federal parliament consists of the lower house, the House of Representatives and theupper house, the Senate.
[51]

The 222-member House of Representatives is elected for a maximum term of five years

from single-member constituencies. All 70 senators sit for three-year terms; 26 are elected by the 13 state assemblies, and the remaining 44 are appointed by the King upon the Prime Minister's recommendation.
[3]

The parliament follows a multi-party system and the government is elected through
[3]

a first-past-the-post system. Since independence Malaysia has been governed by a multi-party coalition known as the Barisan Nasional.

Each state has a unicameral State Legislative Assembly whose members are elected from singlemember constituencies. State governments are led by Chief Ministers,
[3]

who are state assembly

members from the majority party in the assembly. In each of the states with a hereditary ruler, the Chief

Minister is required to be a Malay, appointed by the ruler upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
[52]

Parliamentary elections are held at least once every five years, the most recent of which took
[3]

place in March 2008.

[53]

Registered voters of age 21 and above may vote for the members of the House of

Representatives and, in most of the states, for the state legislative chamber. Voting is not mandatory. election.
[50]

Except for elections in Sarawak, all state elections are held concurrently with the federal

Najib Razak, Prime Minister since 2009.

Executive power is vested in the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The prime minister must be a member of the house of representatives, who in the opinion of the King, commands a majority in parliament. The cabinet is chosen from members of both houses of Parliament. both the head of cabinet and the head of government. is the sixth prime minister.
[54] [50] [3]

The Prime Minister is

The incumbent, Najib Razak, appointed in 2009,

Malaysia's legal system is based on English Common Law.

[55]

[3]

Although the judiciary is theoretically

independent, its independence has been called into question and the appointment of judges lacks accountability and transparency. The highest court in the judicial system is the Federal Court, followed
[56]

by the Court of Appeal and two high courts, one for Peninsular Malaysia and one for East Malaysia. Malaysia also has a special court to hear cases brought by or against Royalty.
[58]

Separate from the civil

[57]

courts are the Syariah Courts, which apply Shariah law to cases which involve Malaysian Muslims run parallel to the secular court system.
[59]

and

The Internal Security Act allows detention without trial, and

the death penalty is in use for crimes such as drug trafficking.

Race is a significant force in politics, and many political parties are ethnically based. the New Economic Policy
[46]

[3]

Actions such as

and the National Development Policywhich superseded it, were implemented

to advance the standing of the bumiputra, consisting of Malays and the indigenous tribes who are considered the original inhabitants of Malaysia, over non-bumiputra such as Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians.
[60]

These policies provide preferential treatment to bumiputra in employment,

education, scholarships, business, and access to cheaper housing and assisted savings. However, it has generated greater interethnic resentment.
[61]

There is ongoing debate over whether the laws and society

[62]

of Malaysia should reflect secular or Islamic principles.

Islamic laws passed by the Pan-Malaysian

[63]

Islamic Party in state legislative assemblies have been blocked by the federal government.

Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Malaysia and Malaysian Armed Forces

The RMAF MiG-29N/UB & AermacchiMB-339

A founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations,
[66] [65] [67]

[64]

and the Organisation of

[68]

the country participates in many international organisations such as the Developing 8 Countries,
[70]

the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,

[69]

and A former

the Non-Aligned Movement(NAM).

[71]

It has chaired ASEAN, the OIC, and the NAM in the past.

[3]

British colony, it is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. first East Asia Summit in 2005.

Kuala Lumpur was the site of the

Malaysia's foreign policy is officially based on the principle of neutrality and maintaining peaceful relations with all countries, regardless of their political system. security and stability of Southeast Asia,
[72] [71] [72]

The government attaches a high priority to the

and seeks to further develop relations with other countries in

[71]

the region. Historically the government has tried to portray Malaysia as a progressive Islamic nation while strengthening relations with other Islamic states. A strong tenet of Malaysia's policy is
[50]

national sovereignty and the right of a country to control its domestic affairs.

The policy towards territorial disputes by the government is one of pragmatism, with the government solving disputes in a number of ways, such as bringing the case to the International Court of Justice.
[73]

The Spratly Islands are disputed by many states in the area, although tensions have eased

since the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Brunei and Malaysia in 2008 announced an end to claims of each other's land, and to resolve issues related to their maritime borders. The Philippines has a dormant claim to Sabah. Singapore's land reclamation has caused tensions, and maritime border disputes exist with Indonesia.
[74]

Royal Malaysian Navy's first Scorpne class submarine

Malaysia has never recognised Israel and has no diplomatic ties with it. supporter of the State of Palestine, Court over the Gaza flotilla raid.
[77] [76]

[75]

It has remained a strong

[78]

and has called for Israel to be taken to the International Criminal and have
[3]

Malaysian peacekeeping forces are present in Lebanon

contributed to many other UN peacekeeping missions.

The Malaysian Armed Forces have three branches, the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Malaysian Army, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. There is no conscription, and the required age for voluntary military service is 18. The military uses 1.9 per cent of the country's GDP, and employs 1.23 per cent of Malaysia's manpower.
[79]

The Five Power Defence Arrangements is a regional security initiative which has been in place for almost 40 years. It involves joint military exercises held among Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. years.
[81] [80]

Joint exercises and war games have been held with Indonesia for
[82]

Malaysia and the Philippines have agreed to host joint security force exercises in order to secure There are fears that unrest in the could spill over into Malaysia.
[83] [84]

their maritime border and tackle issues such as illegal immigration. Muslim areas of the southern Philippines and southern Thailand

Subdivisions
Main articles: States and federal territories of Malaysia and Districts of Malaysia

Perlis Kedah Penang Kelantan Terengganu Perak Selangor Negeri Sembilan Malacca Johor Pahang Sarawak Sabah Labuan Kuala Lumpur Putrajaya West Malaysia East Malaysia Federal Territory

South China Sea

Strait of

Malacca Gulf of Thailand Sulu Sea Celebes Sea Brunei Indonesia Indonesia Singapore Thailand

Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. These are divided between two regions, with 11 states and two federal territories on Peninsular Malaysia and the other two states and one federal territory in East Malaysia. Governance of the states is divided between the federal and the state governments, and the Federal government has direct administration of the federal territories.
[85]

The 13 states are based on historical Malay Kingdoms, and 9 of the 11 Peninsular states, known as the Malay states, retain their royal families. The King is elected by and from the nine rulers to serve a fiveyear term.
[3]

Each state has a unicameral legislature known as the State Legislative Assembly. The states
[86]

of East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) have separate immigration policies and controls, and a unique residency status. For citizens of one of these states or Peninsular Malaysia, the other areas of
[87]

Malaysia are considered foreign countries under immigration laws.

[88]

Each state is further divided

intodistricts, which are then divided into mukim. In Sabah and Sarawak districts are grouped into divisions.

The federal parliament is permitted to legislate on issues of land, the Islamic religion and local government, in order to provide for a uniform law among all states. It may also intervene at the request of the state assembly concerned. Except for some land related laws, the in question must also be passed by the state assembly. Non-Islamic issues that fall under the purview of the state may also be legislated at the federal level for the purpose of conforming with Malaysian treaty obligations.
[89]

Geography
Main article: Geography of Malaysia

A view from Low's peak, the highest peak of Mount Kinabalu

Malaysia is the 67th largest country by total land area, with a land area of 329,847 square kilometres (127,355 sq mi). It has land borders with Thailand in West Malaysia, and Indonesia and Brunei in East Malaysia.
[2]

It is linked to Singapore by a narrow causeway, and also has maritime

[90]

boundaries with Vietnam

and the Philippines.

[91]

The land borders are defined in large part by

[2]

geological features such as the Perlis River, the Golok River and the Pagalayan Canal, whilst some of the maritime boundaries are the subject of ongoing contention. Malaysia,
[92] [93]

Brunei forms what is almost an enclave in

with the state of Sarawak dividing it into two parts. Malaysia is the only country with territory Tanjung Piai, located in the southern state
[94]

on both the Asian mainland and the Malay archipelago. of Johor, is the southernmost tip of continental Asia.
[95]

The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and

Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the most important thoroughfares in global commerce, carrying 40 per cent of the world's trade.

The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both Peninsular and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains.
[2] [93]

Peninsular Malaysia, containing 40 per cent of Malaysia's land area,

[97]

extends 740
[96]

kilometres (460 mi) from north to south, and its maximum width is 322 kilometres (200 mi). between its east and west coasts by the Titiwangsa Mountains, running down the centre of the peninsula.
[93] [93] [98]

It is divided

part of a series of mountain ranges and mainly

[98]

These mountains are heavily forested,

composed of granite and other igneous rocks. Much of it has been eroded, creating a karst landscape. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems. The

coastal plains surrounding the peninsula reach a maximum width of 50 kilometres (31 mi), and the peninsula's coastline is nearly 1,931 kilometres (1,200 mi) long, although harbours are only available on the western side.
[96]

National Park, Pahang

East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, has a coastline of 2,607 kilometres (1,620 mi). between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. northwards from Sarawak,
[93] [99] [93]

[2]

It is divided

The Crocker Range extends

dividing the state of Sabah. It is the location of the 4,095.2 metres the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is protected as
[100]

(13,436 ft) high Mount Kinabalu,

the Kinabalu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[93]

The highest mountain ranges form the

border between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves, the largest cave system in the world.

Around these two halves of Malaysia are numerous islands, the largest of which is Banggi.
[96]

[101]

The local

climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons. oceans.
[93]

The temperature is moderated by the presence of the surrounding

[96]

Humidity is usually high, and the average annual rainfall is 250 centimetres (98 in).

The

climates of the Peninsula and the East differ, as the climate on the peninsula is directly affected by wind from the mainland, as opposed to the more maritime weather of the East. Local climates can be divided into three regions, highland, lowland, and coastal. Climate change is likely to affect sea levels and rainfall, increasing flood risks and leading to droughts.
[93]

Biodiversity
Main article: Wildlife of Malaysia

Proboscis monkey in Borneo

Malaysia is a megadiverse country with a high number of species and high levels of endemism. estimated to contain 20 per cent of the world's animal species.
[93] [103]

[102]

It is

High levels of endemism are found on

the diverse forests of Borneo's mountains, as species are isolated from each other by lowland forest. There are about 210 mammal species in the country.
[103] [93] [104]

Over 620 species of birds have been

recorded in Peninsular Malaysia,

with many endemic to the mountains there. A high number of 250 reptile species have been recorded in
[104] [105]

endemic bird species are also found in Malaysian Borneo. the country, with about 150 species of snakes species of frogs,
[107] [104] [106] [104]

and 80 species of lizards.

There are about 150

and thousands of insect species.

Malaysia's exclusive economic zone is 1.5 times

[103]

larger than its land area, hotspot.

and some of its waters are in the Coral Triangle, a biodiversity Bordering East
[108]

The waters around Sipadan island are the most biodiverse in the world.

Malaysia, the Sulu Sea is a biodiversity hotspot, with around 600 coral species and 1200 fish species. About two thirds of Malaysia is covered in forest, old.
[104] [96] [96]

with some forests believed to be 130 million years Lowland forest occurs below 760 metres
[109]

The forests are dominated by dipterocarps.

[93]

[109]

(2,493 ft),

and formerly East Malaysia was covered in such rainforest,

which is supported by its hot

[104] [96]

wet climate.

There are around 14,500 species of flowering plants and trees.

Besides rainforests, and a large amount of

[93]

there are over 1,425 square kilometres (550 sq mi) of mangroves in Malaysia,

peat forest. At higher altitudes, oaks, chestnuts, and rhododendrons replace dipterocarps.
[110]

There are an

estimated 8,500 species of vascular plants in Peninsular Malaysia, with another 15,000 in the East. The forests of East Malaysia are estimated to be the habitat of around 2,000 tree species, and

are one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, with 240 different species of trees every hectare. world,
[93]

These forests host many members of the Rafflesia genus, the largest flowers in the
[104]

[109]

with a maximum diameter of 1 metre (3 ft).

Some species of Rafflesia can grow up to 1 metre (3 ft) in diameter, making them the largest flowers in the world.

Logging, along with cultivation practices has devastated tree cover, causing severe environmental degradation in the country. Over 80 per cent of Sarawak's rainforest has been cleared.
[104] [93]

Floods in East

Malaysia have been worsened by the loss of trees, and over 60 per cent of the Peninsular's forest have been cleared. With current rates of deforestation, the forests are predicted to be extinct by

2020.

[93]

Deforestation is a major problem for fauna, as the forest is cut to make room for
[111]

plantations.

Most remaining forest is found inside national parks.

[108]

[104]

Habitat destruction has proved a

threat for marine life.

Illegal fishing is another major threat,

[112] [105]

[108]

with fishing methods such as dynamite

[104]

fishing and poisoning depleting marine ecosystems. 98 per cent since the 1950s.
[111]

Leatherback turtle numbers have dropped with

[108]

Hunting has also been an issue for some animals,

[113]

overconsumption and the use of animal parts for profit endangering many animals, from marine life tigers. Marine life is also detrimentally affected by uncontrolled tourism.

to

The Malaysian government aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection, but has been accused of favouring big business over the environment.
[104]

Some state governments are now

[109]

trying to counter the environmental impact and pollution created by deforestation;

[104]

and the federal

government is trying to cut logging by 10 per cent each year. 28 national parks have been established; 23 in East Malaysia and five in the Peninsular. Sipadan island.
[113]

Tourism has been limited in biodiverse areas such as

[114]

Animal trafficking is a large issue, and the Malaysian government is holding talks with

the governments of Brunei and Indonesia to standardise anti-trafficking laws.

Economy
Main article: Economy of Malaysia Malaysia is a relatively open state-oriented and newly industrialised market economy.
[115][116]

The state

plays a significant but declining role in guiding economic activity through macroeconomic plans. Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5 per cent annually from 1957 to 2005.
[3]

In 2010 the GDP (PPP) was $414,400 billion, the 3rd largest economy in ASEAN
[117]

and 29th largest in the world.

An oil palm plantation, from which palm oil is extracted.

In the 1970s, the predominantly mining and agricultural-based economy began a transition towards a more multi-sector economy. Since the 1980s the industrial sector has led Malaysia's growth. levels of investment played a significant role in this.
[3] [118]

High

The economy recovered from the 1997 Asian

Financial Crisissooner than neighbouring countries, and has since recovered to the levels of the pre-crisis

era with a GDP per capita of $14,800.

[121]

[119][120]

Inequalities exist between different ethnic groups. The

Chinese make up about one-third of the population but accounts for 70 per cent of the country's market capitalisation.

International trade, facilitated by the adjacent Strait of Malacca shipping route, and manufacturing are key sectors of the country's economy.
[125] [122][123][124]

Malaysia is an exporter of natural and agricultural resources,

[3]

the most valuable exported resource being petroleum. of tin,

[126]

At one time, it was the largest producer

[127]

rubberand palm oil in the world. Manufacturing has a large influence in the country's although Malaysias economic structure has been moving away from it.
[128]

economy,

Malaysia

remains one of the world's largest producers of palm oil.

In an effort to diversify the economy and make it less dependent on exported goods, the government has pushed to increase tourism to Malaysia. As a result, tourism has become Malaysias third largest source of income from foreign exchange, although it is threatened by the negative effects of the growing industrial economy, with large amounts of air and water pollution along with deforestation affecting tourism.
[129]

The country has developed into a centre of Islamic banking, and is the country with the
[130]

highest numbers of female workers in that industry.

Knowledge-based services are also expanding.

[127]

Science policies in Malaysia are regulated by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. The country is one of the world's largest exporters of semiconductor devices, electrical goods, and information and communication technology products. 2002,
[131][132] [3]

Malaysia began developing its own space programme in

and in 2006 Russia agreed to transport one Malaysian to the International Space Station as

part of a multi-billion dollar purchase of 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
[133]

In an effort to create a self-reliant defensive ability and support national development,

Malaysia privatised some of its military facilities in the 1970s. This has created a defence industry, which in 1999 was brought under the Malaysia Defence Industry Council. The government continues to promote this sector and its competitiveness, actively marketing the defence industry.
[134]

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Malaysia As of the 2010 census, the population of Malaysia was 28,334,135,
[2] [7]

making it the 43rd most populated

country. The population of Malaysia consists of many ethnic groups. Malays make up 50.4 per cent of the population, while other bumiputra make up another 11 per cent. According to constitutional definition,

Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs and culture. They play a dominant role politically.Bumiputra status is also accorded to certain non-Malay indigenous peoples, including ethnic Thais, Khmers, Chams and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Non-Malay bumiputra make up more than half of Sarawak's population and over two thirds of Sabah's population.
[2]

There also

exist aboriginal groups in much smaller numbers on the peninsula, where they are collectively known as the Orang Asli.
[135]

Laws over who gets bumiputra status vary between states.

[136]

Population density (person per Km2)

Other minorities who lack bumiputra status make up a large amount of the population. 23.7 per cent of the population are of Chinese descent, while those of Indian descent comprise 7.1 per cent of the population.
[2]

The Chinese have historically been dominant in the business and commerce community,
[138]

and form a plurality of the population of Penang. Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th century.
[137]

The majority of the Indian community are Tamils.

Malaysian citizenship is not automatically granted to those born in Malaysia, but is granted to a child born of two Malaysian parents outside Malaysia. Dual citizenship is not permitted.
[139]

Citizenship in the states

of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for immigration purposes. Every citizen is issued a biometric smart chip identity card known as MyKad at the age of 12, and must carry the card at all times.
[140]

The education system features a non-compulsory kindergarten education followed by six years of compulsory primary education, and five years of optional secondary education.
[142] [141]

Schools in the primary

education system are divided into two categories: national primary schools, which teach in Malay, and vernacular schools, which teach in Chinese or Tamil.
[143]

Secondary education is conducted for five years.

In the final year of secondary education, students sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education examination. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme in 1999, students who completed
[144]

the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges can enroll in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10 per cent of places are open to non-bumiputra students.

The infant mortality rate in 2009 was 6 deaths per 1000 births, and life expectancy at birth in 2009 was 75 years.
[145]

With the aim of developing Malaysia into a medical tourism destination, 5 per cent of the
[146]

government social sector development budget is spent on health care. on Peninsular Malaysia
[147] [2] [2]

The population in concentrated

[3]

where 20 million of approximately 28 million Malaysians live. and the largest city in Malaysia,
[149]

70 per cent of as well as its

the population is urban.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital

[148]

main commercial and financial centre.

Putrajaya, a purpose-built city constructed from 1999, is the

seat of government,

[150]

as many executive and judicial branches of the federal government were moved
[151]

there to ease growing congestion within Kuala Lumpur. Due to the rise in labour intensive industries,
[152] [153]

the country is estimated to have over 3 million migrant Sabah-based NGOs estimate that out of the 3 million
[154]

workers; about 10 per cent of the population.

that make up the population of Sabah, 2 million are illegal immigrants.

Malaysia hosts a population of

refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 171,500. Of this population, approximately 79,000 are from Burma, 72,400 from the Philippines, and 17,700 from Indonesia. Malaysian officials are reported to have turned deportees directly over to human smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employsRELA, a volunteer militia with a history of controversies, to enforce its immigration law.
[155]

Largest cities or towns of Malaysia

Malaysian Census 2010[156][157] Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 City name Kuala Lumpur Johor Bahru Kajang Ipoh Klang Subang Jaya Kuching Petaling Jaya Seremban State Federal Territory Johor Selangor Perak Selangor Selangor Sarawak Selangor Negeri Sembilan Pop. 1 674 621 1 386 569 795 522 767 794 744 062 708 296 617 887 613 977 555 935 Rank 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Mala Kota

Kota Kuan

Kuala Lumpur

Sung Batu

Tawa Sand Alor

10 Johor Bahru

Georgetown

Penang

520 202

20

Kuala

Religion
Main article: Religion in Malaysia

Kampung Laut Mosque in Kota Bharu is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia, dating to early 18th century.

The Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of religion while making Islam the state religion.
[158]

According to the Population and Housing Census 2010 figures, ethnicity and religious beliefs

correlate highly. Approximately 61.3% of the population practice Islam, 19.8% practice Buddhism, 9.2% Christianity, 6.3% Hinduismand 1.3% practice Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions.
[159]

0.7% declared no religion and the remaining 1.4% practised other religions or did not provide
[159]

any information.

All ethnic Malays are considered Muslim by law of the Constitution.

[158]

Statistics from the 2010 Census

indicate that 83.6% of the Chinese population identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (3.4%) and Christianity (11.1%), along with small Hui-Muslim populations in areas like Penang. The majority of the Indian population follow Hinduism (86.2%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (6.0%) or Muslims (4.1%). Christianity is the predominant religion of the nonMalay bumiputra community (46.5%) with an additional 40.4% identifying as Muslims.
[159]

Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of Syariah courts in matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges are expected to follow the Shafi`i legal school of Islam, which is the main madh'hab of Malaysia.
[160]

The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited to Muslims in matters such

as marriage, inheritance, divorce,apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others. No other criminal or civil offences are under the jurisdiction of the Shariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to the Civil Courts. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts do not hear matters related to Islamic practices.
[161]

Language
Main article: Languages of Malaysia The official language of Malaysia is Bahasa Malaysia, language.
[162] [163] [2]

a standardised form of the Malay

Historically English was the de facto administrative language, with Malay becoming English remains an active second language, and serves as the
[164][165]

predominant after the 1969 race riots.

medium of instruction for maths and sciences in all public schools.

Malaysian English, also known

as Malaysian Standard English, is a form of English derived from British English. Malaysian English is

widely used in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of English with heavy Malay,Chinese, and Tamil influences. The government discourages the misuse of Malay and has instituted fines for public signs that mix Malay and English.
[166][167]

Many other languages are used in Malaysia, which contains speakers of 137 living languages.
[168]

Peninsular Malaysia contains speakers of 41 of these languages.

[169]

The native tribes of

East Malaysia have their own languages which are related to, but easily distinguishable from, Malay. Iban is the main tribal language in Sarawak while Dusunic languages are spoken by the natives in Sabah.
[170]

Chinese Malaysians predominately speak Chinese dialects from the southern provinces

of China. The more common dialects in the country are Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese, and Fuzhou. Tamil is used predominantly by Tamils, who form a majority of Malaysian Indians. Other south Asian languages are also widely spoken in Malaysia, as well as Thai
[172] [2]

A small number of Malaysians have Caucasianancestry and speak creole

[171]

languages, such as the Portuguese based Malaccan Creoles, language.

and the Spanish based Chavacano

Culture
Main article: Culture of Malaysia

A cook making murtabak, a type of pancake mixed with eggs, small pieces of meat and onions, in Kuala Lumpur.

Char Kuey Teow made by frying flat noodles with fish cakes, cockles and bean sprouts is a popular dish in Malaysia.

Malaysia has a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society. The original culture of the area stemmed from indigenous tribes that inhabited it, along with the Malayswho later moved there. Substantial influence exists from Chinese and Indian culture, dating back to when foreign trade began. Other cultural influences include the Persian,Arabic, and British cultures. Due to the structure of the government, coupled with the social contract theory, there has been minimal cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities.
[173]

In 1971, the government created a "National Cultural Policy", defining Malaysian culture. It stated that Malaysian culture must be based on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, that it may incorporate suitable elements from other cultures, and that Islam must play a part in it. promoted the Malay language above others.
[175] [174]

It also

This government intervention into culture has caused

resentment among non-Malays who feel their cultural freedom was lessened. Both Chinese and Indian associations have submitted memorandums to the government, accusing it of formulating an undemocratic culture policy.
[174]

Some cultural disputes exist between Malaysia and neighbouring countries, notably Indonesia. The two countries have a similar cultural heritage, sharing many traditions and items. However, disputes have arisen over things ranging from culinary dishes to Malaysia's national anthem. Strong feelings exist in Indonesia about protecting their national heritage.
[176]

The Malaysian government and the Indonesian

[177]

government have met to defuse some of the tensions resulting from the overlaps in culture. are not as strong in Malaysia, where most recognise that many cultural values are shared.

Feelings

[176]

Fine arts
See also: Music of Malaysia and Malaysian literature Traditional Malaysian art was mainly centred around the areas of carving, weaving, and silversmithing.
[178]

Traditional art ranges from handwoven baskets from rural areas to the silverwork of the
[93]

Malay courts. Common artworks included ornamental kris, beetle nut sets, and woven batik and songket fabrics. Indigenous East Malaysians are known for their wooden masks. Each

ethnic group have distinct performing arts, with little overlap between them. However, Malay art does show some North Indian influence due to the historical influence of India.
[179]

Malaysian batik is usually patterned with floral motifs with light colouring.

Traditional Malay music and performing arts appear to have originated in the Kelantan-Pattani region with influences from India, China, Thailand and Indonesia. The music is based around percussion instruments,
[179]

the most important of which is the gendang (drum). There are at least 14 types of
[180]

traditional drums. materials.

[180] [179]

Drums and other traditional percussion instruments and are often made from natural
[180]

Music is traditionally used for storytelling, celebrating life-cycle events, and occasions such It was once used as a form of long-distance communication.
[181]

as a harvest.

In East Malaysia, gong-

based musical ensembles such as agung and kulintang are commonly used in ceremonies such as funerals and weddings. These ensembles are also common in neighbouring regions such as in the
[181]

southern Philippines, Kalimantan in Indonesia, and Brunei.

Malaysia has a strong oral tradition that has existed since before the arrival of writing, and continues today. Each of the Malay Sultanates created their own literary tradition, influenced by pre-existing oral stories and by the stories that came with Islam.
[182]

The first Malay literature was in the Arabic script. The

[93]

earliest known Malay writing is on the Terengganu stone, made in 1303.

Chinese and Indian literature

became common as the numbers of speakers increased in Malaysia, and locally produced works based in languages from those areas began to be produced in the 19th century. common literary language.
[93] [182]

English has also become a

In 1971, the government took the step of defining the literature of different

languages. Literature written in Malay was called "the national literature of Malaysia", literature in other bumiputralanguages was called "regional literature", while literature in other languages was called "sectional literature".
[175]

Malay poetry is highly developed, and uses many forms. The Hikayat form is
[182]

popular, and thepantun has spread from Malay to other languages.

Cuisine
Main article: Malaysian cuisine

(clockwise from bottom left): beef soup, nasi impit (compressed rice cubes), beef rendang and sayur lodeh

Malaysia's cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.

[183]

Many cultures from within the

[93]

country and from surrounding regions have greatly influenced the cuisine. Much of the influence comes from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures, being part of the ancientspice route. Brunei, dishes,
[104] [104] [184] [93]

largely due to the country

The cuisine is very similar to that of Singapore and The different states have varied
[138]

and also bears resemblance to Filipino cuisine.

and often the food in Malaysia is different from the original dishes.

Sometimes food not found in its original culture is assimilated into another; for example, Chinese restaurants in Malaysia often serve Malay dishes. using styles taken from another culture,
[104] [185]

Food from one culture is sometimes also cooked

[184]

This means that although much of Malaysian food can be Rice is popular in many dishes. Chili is
[183]

traced back to a certain culture, they have their own identity.

commonly found in local cuisine, although this does not necessarily make them spicy.

Holidays and festivals

Main article: Public holidays in Malaysia

Southeast Asia's largest temple Kek Lok Si in Penang illuminated in preparation for the Lunar New Year.

Malaysians observe a number of holidays and festivities throughout the year. Some are federally gazetted public holidays and some are observed by individual states. Other festivals are observed by particular ethnic or religion groups, and the main holiday of each major group has been declared a public holiday. The most observed national holiday is Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) on 31 August,

commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957. September commemorates federation in 1963.
[186] [93]

[93]

Malaysia Day on 16

Other notable national holidays are Labour Day (1

May) and the King's birthday (first week of June).

Muslim holidays are prominent as Islam is the state religion; Hari Raya Puasa (also called Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Malay for Eid al-Fitr), Hari Raya Haji (also called Hari Raya Aidiladha, the translation of Eid ulAdha), Maulidur Rasul (birthday of the Prophet), and others being observed.
[158] [93]

Malaysian

Chinese celebrate festivals such asChinese New Year and others relating to traditional Chinese beliefs. Hindus in Malaysia celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights, while Thaipusam is a religious rite which
[187]

sees pilgrims from all over the country converge at the Batu Caves.

Malaysia's Christian community

celebrates most of the holidays observed by Christians elsewhere, most notably Christmas and Easter. East Malaysians also celebrate a harvest festival known as Gawai.
[188]

Despite most festivals being

identified with a particular ethnic or religious group, celebrations are universal. In a custom known as "open house" Malaysians participate in the celebrations of others, often visiting the houses of those who identify with the festival.
[189]

Sports
Main article: Sport in Malaysia

Malaysia Formula One track, the Sepang International Circuit.

Popular sports in Malaysia include soccer, badminton, field hockey, bowls, tennis, squash, martial arts, horse riding, sailing, and skate boarding.
[189]

Badminton matches attract thousands of spectators,

[190]

and since 1948 Malaysia has been one of three countries to hold the Thomas Cup. Lawn Bowls Federation was registered in 1997.
[192] [191]

The Malaysian

Squash was brought to the country by members of the

[193]

British army, with the first competition being held in 1939. The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia was created on 25 June 1972. Malaysia has proposed a Southeast Asian football league.
[194] [195]

The

men's national field hockey team ranked 15th in the world as of August 2010.

The 3rd Hockey World The country also has

Cup was hosted at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the 10th cup.

its own Formula One trackthe Sepang International Circuit. It runs for 310.408 kilometres (192.88 mi), and held its first Grand Prix in 1999.
[196]

The Federation of Malaya Olympic Council was formed in 1953, and received recognition by the IOC in 1954. It first participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. The council was renamed the Olympic Council of Malaysia in 1964, and has participated in all but one Olympic games since its inception. The largest number of athletes ever sent to the Olympics was 57 to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
[197]

Malaysian athletes have won a total of four Olympic medals, all of which are in The country has competed at the Commonwealth Games since 1950 as Malaya, and 1966
[199][200]

badminton.

[198]

as Malaysia, and the games were hosted in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Two styles of martial arts are

being practiced in Malaysia; Silat and Malaysian kickboxing, called Tomoi.

Media
Main article: Media of Malaysia Malaysia's main newspapers are owned by the government and political parties in the ruling coalition,
[201]

although some major opposition parties also have their own.

[203]

[202]

A divide exists between the

media in the two halves of the country. Peninsular-based media gives low priority to news from the East, and often treats the eastern states as colonies of the Peninsula.
[204]

The media has been blamed for

[203]

increasing tension between Indonesia and Malaysia, and giving Malaysians a bad image of Indonesians. The country has Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil dailies.

There is very little freedom of the press, leading to very little government accountability. government has previously tried to crack down on opposition papers before elections.
[206]

[205]

The

[202]

In 2007, a

government agency issued a directive to all private television and radio stations to refrain from broadcasting speeches made by opposition leaders, opposition Democratic Action Party.
[207] [203]

a move condemned by politicians from the

Sabah, where all tabloids but one are independent of government Laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act have
[208]

control, has the freest press in Malaysia.

also been cited as curtailing freedom of expression.

Infrastructure
See also: Transport in Malaysia and Energy policy of Malaysia

The North-South Expressway

The infrastructure of Malaysia is one of the most developed in Asia.

[210][211]

[209]

Its telecommunications network is

second only to Singapore's in Southeast Asia, with 4.7 million fixed-line subscribers and more than 30 million cellular subscribers. The country has seven international ports, the major one being

the Port Klang. There are 200 industrial parks along with specialised parks such as Technology Park Malaysia and Kulim Hi-Tech Park.
[189]

Fresh water is available to over 95 per cent of the population.

During the colonial period, development was mainly concentrated in economically powerful cities and in areas forming security concerns. Although rural areas have been the focus of great development, they still lag behind areas such as the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
[212]

The telecommunication network,

although strong in urban areas, is less available to the rural population.

[210]

Malaysia's road network covers 98,721 kilometres (61,342 mi) and includes 1,821 kilometres (1,132 mi) of expressways.
[2]

The longest highway of the country, the North-South Expressway, extends over 800
[213]

kilometres (497 mi) between the Thai border and Singapore. The road systems in East Malaysia are less developed and of lower quality in comparison to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia has 118

airports, of which 38 are paved. The country's official airline is Malaysia Airlines, providing international and domestic air service alongside two other carriers. The railway system is state-run, and covers a total of 1,849 kilometres (1,149 mi).
[2]

Relatively inexpensive elevated Light Rail Transit systems are used in

[214]

some cities, such as Kuala Lumpur.

The Asean Rail Express is a railway service that connects Kuala

[209]

Lumpur to Bangkok, and is intended to eventually stretch from Singapore to China.

Traditionally, energy production in Malaysia has been based on oil and natural gas. 13 GW of electrical generation capacity.
[216]

[215]

The country has

However, the country only has 33 years of natural gas

[215]

reserves, and 19 years of oil reserves, while the demand for energy is increasing. In response, the government is expanding into renewable energy sources. hydroelectric, the remaining 84 per cent being thermal. owned Petronas,
[217]

Sixteen per cent of electricity generation is

[216]

The oil and gas industry is dominated by state

and the energy sector as a whole is regulated by the Energy Commission of

[218]

Malaysia, a statutory commission that governs the energy in the peninsula and Sabah, under the terms of the Electricity Commission Act of 2001.

See also
Malaysia portal

Book: Malaysia

Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Outline of Malaysia

Index of Malaysia-related articles Environment of Malaysia International rankings of Malaysia

References

Population
29,179,952 (July 2011 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: 26.8 years male: 26.7 years female: 27 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

1.542% (2011 est.)

Birth rate
20.74 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate
4.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 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 (2011 est.)

Urbanization
urban population: 72% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population

KUALA LUMPUR (capital) 1.493 million; Klang 1.071 million; Johor Bahru 958,000 (2009)

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 (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.04 years male: 71.28 years female: 76.99 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.64 children born/woman (2011 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.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

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)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2008)

Education expenditures
4.1% of GDP (2008)

Maternal mortality rate

31 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)

Health expenditures
8% of GDP (2009)

Physicians density
0.941 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density

1.82 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

16.3% (2006)
Issuance of Licences for Import/Export of Items Listed in the Custom Prohibition of Import/Export Orders Under the Customs Act 1967
Background

The import and the export of goods listed under the Custom Prohibition Act 1967 are controlled: To safeguard local manufacturers' interest, health and plant life and the national security of the country. To take into consideration Malaysia 's foreign policies. To ensure that there should be adequate supply of essential goods.

The following goods under the Act require an export licence by MITI: 1. Milk and milk products 2. Oils and fats of palm oil excluding margarine, imitation ghee shortening and palm kernel oil 3. Cement clinker 4. Portland cement 5. Slags, dross, scalings and similar waste of iron and steel, zinc 6. Scrap and other waste of iron and steel, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, tin, magnesium 7. Tin slag and hardhead of tin 8. Zinc dust, powders and flakes 9. Naptha 10. Cinematograph film exposed but not developed of 16mm or 35mm 11. Roofing tiles 12. Textiles to EEC , USA , Canada , Sweden , Norway , Finland and Austria 13. Military clothings and equipment 14. Bricks 15. Unwrought tin, unalloyed ( Tin ingot ) 16. Sugar 17. Billets of iron or non-alloy steel 18. Bars and rods, of iron or non-alloy steel 19. Stainless Steel Vessels, pumps of medium or large capacity and drivers (gas turbines and electric motors) designed for used in the transportation of crude oil and natural gas and equipment designed for use in crude oil export terminals (to Libya ) The following goods under the Act require an import licence from MITI: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. All goods from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbia and Montenegro ) Sugar Safety helmets except as worn by motorcylists or motorcycle pillion riders Automatic cassette or cartridge loaders or parts thereof All single colour copying machines, all multi colour copying machines and colour toner cartridge (any colour toner other than black) for photo-copying machines Motor vehicles for the transport of persons, goods or materials Motor cycles, auto-cycles and cycles fitted with an auxiliary motor High speed duplicator including master electronic control, master playback with or without loop pin and slave recorder Film or tapes for magnetic recording commonly known as pancakes excluding in cassettes or cartridge Substances covered by the Montreal Protocol Liquid milk in any form including flavoured milk recombined or reconstituted Liquid sterilised flavoured milk including flavoured milk recombined or reconstituted Cereal flour Activated clay and activated bleaching earth

15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

Billets of iron or steel Alloy steel and high carbon steel Stranded wire, cables, cordage, ropes, plaited bands and the like of aluminium wire Insulated electric wire, cable, bars and strip and the like whether or not fitted with connectors Polymers of ethylene in primary forms Polymers of propylene in primary forms Heavy Machineries Plastic Waste

Application procedures for licence to import/export goods under the Customs Act 1967 Completion of form J.K. 69 for import applicants and completion of form Customs No. 2 (Principal Custom Area) or form Customs No. 8 (Licensed Manufacturing Warehouse and Free Trade Zone) for export. Forms can be purchased from Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad or any of its branches.

Submission of applications Completed applications together with relevant supporting documents must be submitted to either MITI Headquarters or any of its branches depending on the type of goods applied for. Applicants are advised to check with MITI Headquarters or nearest MITI office branches.

Corporate Info
Background The Ministry of Commerce and Industry was established in April 1956 and situated in Government Office, Jalan Raja. The Ministry was then renamed the Ministry of Trade and Industry in February 1972. On 27 October 1990, the Ministry was separated into two Ministries which are: i) Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); and ii) Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDN).

Vision To make Malaysia the preferred investment destination and among the most globally competitive trading nations by 2020.

Mission

To promote and strategise Malaysia's global competitiveness in international trade by producing high value added goods and services. To spur the development of industrial activities towards enhancing Malaysia's economic growth for achieving a developed nation status by 2020.

Objective To plan, legislate and implement international trade and industrial policies that will ensure Malaysias rapid development towards achieving National Economic Policy and Vision 2020.

Functions To plan, formulate and implement policies on industrial development, international trade and investment. To encourage foreign and domestic investment. To promote Malaysias exports of manufacturing products and services by strengthening bilateral, multilateral and regional trade relations and cooperation. To enhance national productivity and competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

Malaysias international trade experienced tremendous growth throughout the last 3 decades and it plays a large role in Malaysian economy. Malaysia has managed to maintain a positive trade balance, exporting more goods than it imports even during the recession in 1997 and 1998. In 2011, Malaysia post a trade balance of RM120.32 billion. It was the second highest ever recorded. The highest was recorded prior to global recession in 2008 at RM143.21 billion. The table below shows statistical figures on total export, import and trade balance since 1980.

Year
1980 1985 1990 1995 1997 1998 1999

Total Exports
28.01 37.58 77.46 179.49 193.13 218.70 281.26

Total Imports
22.78 28.69 70.37 179.39 182.97 207.36 247.90

Trade Balance
5.24 8.88 7.09 0.10 10.15 11.34 33.36

(RM Billion) (RM Billion) (RM Billion)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

373.27 334.28 357.43 397.88 481.25 536.23 588.97 604.30 663.01 552.51 638.82 694.55

311.46 280.23 303.09 316.54 399.63 432.87 478.15 502.04 519.80 434.67 528.83 574.23

61.81 54.05 54.34 81.35 81.62 103.36 111.09 102.26 143.21 117.85 109.99 120.32

Top Malaysian Imports & Exports

Corn & Soybeans Among Fastest-Growing US Exports to Malaysia

Jul 7, 2008 Daniel Workman

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA -HTTP://WWW.ABSTRACTIC.SE (MORGUEFILE 99893)

55% of Malaysian exports to U.S. are computers, computer accessories & telecommunications equipment while 43% of Malaysian imports from America are semiconductors.

United States of America consumes about 19% of Malaysian exports. Other major clients for Malaysian exports include Singapore (15.4%), Japan (8.9%), China (7.2%), Thailand (5.3%) and Hong Kong (4.9%). Leading Malaysian exports are electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber and textiles. Japanese products account for 13.3% of imports into Malaysia, followed closely by America at 12.6%, China at 12.2% and Singapore at 11.7%. Thailand (5.5%), Taiwan (5.5%), South Korea (5.4%) and Germany (4.4%) furnish considerable import amounts to the southeastern Asian nation.

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Principal imports from Malaysia include electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, chemicals, plus iron and steel products. In 2007, Malaysia exported an estimated US$181.2 billion worth of goods onto the international trade marketplace. Malaysian imports totalled roughly $145.7 billion, resulting in Malaysias $35.5billion overall trade surplus last year. Malaysian Trade with U.S. A closer look at Malaysias trade statistics with the United States reveals that Malaysia enjoyed a US$21.1 billion trade surplus with its American trade partner in 2007. The most recent surplus statistic is 45.3% higher than the Malaysia-US surplus in 2003 but represents a 12% decrease from the $24 billion surplus in 2006.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

America's Top Imports & Exports 2008 Brazil Trade Statistics 2009 Top American Exports in 2007

Exports from Malaysia to U.S. With a population of 25.3 million, Malaysia exported US$32.8 billion worth of merchandise to the United States in 2007, a 10.2% decrease from 2006 and up 28.9% in 4 years. The following product categories represent about 79% of Malaysian exports to America. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Computers US$8.3 billion up 5.9% from 2006 (25.2% of Malaysia-to-U.S. exports) Computer accessories $5.6 billion down 16.3% (17.1%) Telecommunications equipment $4.4 billion down 34.4% (13.5%) Semiconductors $2.9 billion down 10% (8.8%) Other household products (e.g. clocks) $1.2 billion down 26.7% (3.8%) Furniture and household items (e.g. baskets) $774.3 million down 2.1% (2.4%) Other hospital, medical and scientific equipment $754.1 million up 8.9% (2.3%) Food oils and oilseeds $676.9 million up 63.9% (2.1%) Stereo equipment including DVDs players $605.5 million down 29.7% (1.8%) Cotton apparel and household goods $509.8 billion up 0.3% (1.6%).

In aggregate, Malaysias top 10 export product categories experienced decreased sales to the U.S. in 2007, down 12.5% from 2006. This contrasts with an 8.5% gain for the top 10 Malaysian exports to the U.S. from 2005 to 2006.

Fastest-Growing Malaysian Exports to U.S. Below are selected Malaysian exports to America in 2007 with the highest percentage sales increases from 2006. 1. Fuel oil US$268 million (up 103.5% from 2006) 2. 3. 4. 5. Food oils and oilseeds $676.9 million (up 63.9%) Other automotive parts and accessories $285.2 million (up 63.6%) Industrial organic chemicals $310.2 million (up 50.6%) Business machinery other than computers $211.4 million (up 50.1%).

Fastest-Declining Malaysian Exports to U.S. Selected Malaysian exports to America in 2007 with the highest percentage sales decreases from 2006 are listed below. 1. Crude oil US$23.4 million (down 86.7% from 2006) 2. Video equipment including television receivers $460.9 million (down 52.8%) 3. Semi-finished iron and steel mill products $153.1 million (down 48.3%) 4. Telecommunications equipment $4.4 billion (down 34.4%) 5. Stereo equipment including DVDs players $605.5 million (down 29.7%). Malaysian Imports from U.S. Malaysian imports from the U.S. fell by 6.9% to $11.7 billion in 2007, up 7% since 2003. Of American exports to Malaysia in 2007, the following product categories had the highest values and in total represented about 70% of all U.S. shipments into Malaysia. 1. Semiconductors US$5 billion down 13.6% from 2006 (43.1% of Malaysian imports from America) 2. Computer accessories $546.7 million down 6.2% (4.7%) 3. Other industrial machines $529.6 million up 21.2% (4.5%) 4. Telecommunications equipment $479.9 million down 23.4% (4.1%) 5. Electric apparatus $460.2 million down 22.2% (3.9%) 6. Steelmaking materials $361.4 million up 78.1% (3.1%) 7. Measuring, testing and control instruments $284.6 million down 32.2% (2.4%) 8. Civilian aircraft engines $211.8 million up 69.2% (1.8%) 9. Civilian aircraft parts $165.3 million down 3.4% (1.4%) 10. Plastic materials $154.7 million up 20.7% (1.3%).

Last year, Malaysias top 10 import product categories from the U.S. shrank by 10% from 2006. From 2005 to 2006, the top 10 Malaysian imports from the U.S. had gained about 16%. Fastest-Growing Malaysian Imports from U.S. Below are selected American exports to Malaysia in 2007 with the highest percentage sales increases from 2006. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Iron and steel mill products US$49.8 million (up 505% from 2006) Business machinery other than computers $52.5 million (up 198%) Corn $59.9 million (up 174%) Soybeans $118.7 million (up 125%) Dairy products and eggs $95.6 million (up 98%).

Fastest-Declining Malaysian Imports from U.S. Selected American exports to Malaysia in 2007 with the highest percentage sales decreases from 2006 are listed below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Civilian aircraft US$129.8 million (down 75.9% in 2006) Metalworking machine tools $78.8 million (down 39.8%) Measuring, testing and control instruments $284.6 million (down 32.2%) Drilling and oilfield equipment $65.3 million (down 26%) Telecommunications equipment $479.9 million (down 23.4%).

See also Malaysia's Top Imports & Exports 2008. Sources This analysis is based on latest statistics from the US Census Bureau - Foreign Trade Statistics and CIA World Factbook as of the date of article publication.

Read more at Suite101: Top Malaysian Imports & Exports: Corn & Soybeans Among Fastest-Growing US
Exports to Malaysia | Suite101.com http://suite101.com/article/top-malaysian-imports-exportsa59632#ixzz25g2IoHcZ

Malaysia is a South-East Asian country separated into two regions by the South China Sea. The two parts are Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Kuala Lumpur is its capital city. As of 2009, Malaysias total population stands at over 28 million. Its neighboring countries include Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia are the major national carriers of the country. Malaysia can be reached by air from destinations, such as Australia, China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Malaysia Economy: Profile
Malaysian economy witnessed an economic boom in the 1970s, following which it expanded to become a multi-sector economy from being a raw materials producer. The countrys rich natural resources ensure sound developments in agriculture, forestry and mining. With Malaysia's natural resources helping the economy, travel deals are easier to come by. Economic growth is also attributed to its border with theStrait of Malacca which is an important international shipping crossroad, which promotes the countrys international trade. Malaysias well developed manufacturing sector produces a diverse range of goods. The first three quarters of 2009, however, witnessed steep decline in the countrys economic growth. Volume of exports reduced drastically due to reduced consumer goods demand globally. The situation, however, improved somewhat in the Q4FY09. The Tenth Malaysia Plan is all set to be introduced in June 2010.

Malaysian Economy: Statistics

GDP (purchasing power parity):

GDP - real growth rate:

GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - per capita (PPP):

$207.4 billion (2009 est.)

o o
$14,700 (2009 est.) $15,400 (2008 est.)

o o o o o o

$15,000 (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5% (2009 est.) 3.3% (2008 est.) Population below poverty line: 5.1% (2002 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.4% (2009 est.) 5.4% (2008 est.)

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Malaysia is a newly industrialised country that experienced an economic boom and underwent rapid development during the late 20th century. Prior to this rapid of rapid industrialisation, Malaysia was
the worlds largest producer of tin, rubber and palm oil.
When the tin market collapsed during the early 1980s, the Malaysian government was forced to diversify and modernise the economy. Since then, the government has played an active role in industrialisation and economic development. The Malaysian government was responsible for encouraging the relocation of labour intensive industries to neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. At the same time, the government also promoted higher value industries such as electronics, information technology, and multimedia. Today, Malaysia has moved into the third stage of economic development, with growing emphasis on services. The Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) was created to develop the country into a major trading nation by focusing on services and human capital. IMP3 is expected to cover the period from 2006 to 2020.

Malaysias Industry Sectors

Services in Malaysia have been growing in importance for the economy in the past few years. In 2010, Services was responsible for 49.3 percent of the GDP. The concerted development of the service industry is part of the national development strategy to venture into new growth areas and broaden the economic base for exports. It is also expected to provide the basis for sustained growth in the economy in order to achieve the vision of becoming a developed nation by 2020. According to the 10th Malaysia Plan (RMK 10), the goal for the service industry is to achieve 61 percent of GDP share by 2015 with an annual growth of 7.2 percent. Under the IMP3, non-government services are targeted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.5 percent. Construction services are also expected to increase annually by 5.7 percent. The Malaysia government is also expected to invest nearly RM687.7 billion or US$228.384 billion dollars over the next fifteen years into services alone. Presently, Malaysia has a thriving finance industry, particularly in Islamic banking. To date, it is the largest Islamic banking service provider in Asia Pacific. Malaysia is also competing with Bahrain to be the world leader in Islamic banking. In April 2009, the Malaysian government introduced new licences for investment banking, Islamic banking, takaful(Islamic insurance) and insurance business. The threshold for foreign equity ownership was also raised from 49 percent to 70 percent, thus allowing foreign banks to open new branches and micro-credit facilities in the country.

Industry is an equally important element of Malaysias economy. In 2010, Industry was responsible for 41.6 percent of Malaysias GDP. Malaysia had the 37th highest industrialproduction growth rate in the world at 7.5 percent. In Peninsular Malaysia, some of the key industries include Rubber, oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, and timber processing. The Eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are keenly focused on logging, petroleum producing and refining and agriculture processing. Malaysia also has a vibrant oil and gas industry. In 2010, Malaysia was the 28th largest oil producer and the 17th largest natural gas producer in the world. Currently, Malaysia has 2.9 billion barrels worth of proven oil reserves and 2.35 trillion cu m of proven natural gas reserves. This makes them the 32nd and 17th ranked country in the world respectively. Oil and natural gas reserves in Malaysia are managed by Petronas a Fortune 500 company wholly owned by the Malaysian government. In order to boost development of its oil fields, Petronas maintains sharing contracts with companies such as Exxon-Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell for oil exploration. Malaysia has also partnered with Thailand to share the Malaysia-Thailand Development Area, which has 4.5 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves. Malaysias agriculture industry was responsible for 9.1 percent of its GDP in 2010. Rubber and palm oil are Malaysias key agricultural products. Malaysia is the second largest producer of palm oil in the world, producing more than 17.7 million tonnes of palm oil in 2008. The majority of Malaysias palm oil produce are exported to China, the EU, Pakistan, US and India. Malaysia is also responsible for one third of the world's rubber exports. Rubber production has gradually decreased over the years as producers are gradually switching over to palm oil. In 2009, production plummeted by nearly six percent. However, Malaysia still retains a good reputation for it's high quality and well-priced rubber products. Rubber products made in Malaysia have been exported to countries such as the US and Japan to become components for automobiles, belts, and hoses.

Malaysia is a newly industrialised country that experienced an economic boom and underwent

rapid development during the late 20th century. Prior to this rapid of rapid industrialisation, Malaysia was
the worlds largest producer of tin, rubber and palm oil.
When the tin market collapsed during the early 1980s, the Malaysian government was forced to diversify and modernise the economy. Since then, the government has played an active role in industrialisation and economic development. The Malaysian government was responsible for encouraging the relocation of labour intensive industries to neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. At the same time, the government also promoted higher value industries such as electronics, information technology, and multimedia. Today, Malaysia has moved into the third stage of economic development, with growing emphasis on services. The Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) was created to develop the country into a major trading nation by focusing on services and human capital. IMP3 is expected to cover the period from 2006 to 2020.

Malaysias Industry Sectors

Services in Malaysia have been growing in importance for the economy in the past few years. In 2010, Services was responsible for 49.3 percent of the GDP. The concerted development of the service industry is part of the national development strategy to venture into new growth areas and broaden the economic base for exports. It is also expected to provide the basis for sustained growth in the economy in order to achieve the vision of becoming a developed nation by 2020. According to the 10th Malaysia Plan (RMK 10), the goal for the service industry is to achieve 61 percent of GDP share by 2015 with an annual growth of 7.2 percent. Under the IMP3, non-government services are targeted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.5 percent. Construction services are also expected to increase annually by 5.7 percent. The Malaysia government is also expected to invest nearly RM687.7 billion or US$228.384 billion dollars over the next fifteen years into services alone. Presently, Malaysia has a thriving finance industry, particularly in Islamic banking. To date, it is the largest Islamic banking service provider in Asia Pacific. Malaysia is also competing with Bahrain to be the world leader in Islamic banking. In April 2009, the Malaysian government introduced new licences for investment banking, Islamic banking, takaful(Islamic insurance) and insurance business. The threshold for foreign equity ownership was also raised from 49 percent to 70 percent, thus allowing foreign banks to open new branches and micro-credit facilities in the country.

Industry is an equally important element of Malaysias economy. In 2010, Industry was responsible for 41.6 percent of Malaysias GDP. Malaysia had the 37th highest industrialproduction growth rate in the world at 7.5 percent. In Peninsular Malaysia, some of the key industries include Rubber, oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, and timber processing. The Eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are keenly focused on logging, petroleum producing and refining and agriculture processing. Malaysia also has a vibrant oil and gas industry. In 2010, Malaysia was the 28th largest oil producer and the 17th largest natural gas producer in the world. Currently, Malaysia has 2.9 billion barrels worth of proven oil reserves and 2.35 trillion cu m of proven natural gas reserves. This makes them the 32nd and 17th ranked country in the world respectively. Oil and natural gas reserves in Malaysia are managed by Petronas a Fortune 500 company wholly owned by the Malaysian government. In order to boost development of its oil fields, Petronas maintains sharing contracts with companies such as Exxon-Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell for oil exploration. Malaysia has also partnered with Thailand to share the Malaysia-Thailand Development Area, which has 4.5 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves. Malaysias agriculture industry was responsible for 9.1 percent of its GDP in 2010. Rubber and palm oil are Malaysias key agricultural products. Malaysia is the second largest producer of palm oil in the world, producing more than 17.7 million tonnes of palm oil in 2008. The majority of Malaysias palm oil produce are exported to China, the EU, Pakistan, US and India. Malaysia is also responsible for one third of the world's rubber exports. Rubber production has gradually decreased over the years as producers are gradually switching over to palm oil. In 2009, production plummeted by nearly six percent. However, Malaysia still retains a good reputation for it's high quality and well-priced rubber products. Rubber products made in Malaysia have been exported to countries such as the US and Japan to become components for automobiles, belts, and hoses.

Malaysia economic growth It was estimated that there will be a Malaysia economic growth by a minimum of 6 percent in 2008. This was said by government minister, who was sure of fact that this economic growth of Malaysia will be able to tame inflation rate and can trace conditions of US recession. Swelling in prices of food and oil was a threat to economic growth of Malaysia but this threat was calmed down by Malaysia finance minister. In an interview, Nor Mohamed Yakcop told Reuters that if condition is not as was expected, then also Malaysia economic growth will reach closer to 6 percent and if things get better, then growth can be about 6.5 percent in financial year 2008. It has been estimated that in last three years, Malaysia economic growth has been fastest despite of fact there has been fall in key tech exports and hike in domestic consumption. Malaysia is world's second-largest producer of crude palm oil and is net crude oil exporter. This has played a major part in helping economic growth in Malaysia. Growing economy of Malaysia increases demand for U.S. exports as it is vital for economic growth at Malaysia. Electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals are major export items of Malaysia. 2007 economic reports show that major export partners were US (15.6 percent), Singapore (14.6 percent), Japan (9.1 percent), China 8.8 (percent), Thailand (5 percent), and Hong Kong (4.6 percent). For Malaysia economic growth, exports of goods play an integral part. Malaysia has been seeking investment from America, which is arranged by a program of incentives. Tax incentives for foreign investors and several free trade zones are offered by Malaysian government. Several American business establishments also privatized government-held companies of Malaysia. Economy of Malaysia is moderately open and aggregate exports and imports of goods and services are equivalent to approximately 130 percent of GNP. Though manufacturing industry contributes more than 25 percent to Malaysia economic growth, yet agriculture remains major part of economy of Malaysia. As was estimated in year 2008, contribution to agricultural sector to Malaysia GDP was 9.7 percent, 44.6 percent from industrial sector and 45.7 percent came from

service sector. Malaysia economic growth has been largely because of investment in real estate sector, non tradable sectors and capital intensive infrastructure. In financial year, 2008, $15,700 has been estimated as Malaysia GDP per capita