Malaysia

total: 3,358,800 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2020 est.)

state-owned TV broadcaster operates 2 TV networks with relays throughout the country, and the leading private commercial media group operates 4 TV stations with numerous relays throughout the country; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio broadcaster operates multiple national networks, as well as regional and local stations; many private commercial radio broadcasters and some subscription satellite radio services are available; about 55 radio stations overall (2019)

.my

total: 32.98 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 97% (2021 est.)

general assessment: as part of a diverse range of initiatives designed to move the country from developing to developed status by 2025, Malaysia has enabled and encouraged open competition in its telecommunications market; the result is very high penetration levels in both the mobile (147%) and mobile broadband (127%) segments, and near-universal coverage of 4G LTE networks; steady growth is occurring as more fiber optic cable networks are being deployed around the country; consumers are the main beneficiaries of the highly competitive market; they enjoy widespread access to high-speed mobile services as well as attractive offers on bundles to keep data use up but prices low; the downside is that most of Malaysia s MNOs and MVNOs have struggled to increase revenue in line with growth in subscriber numbers as well as demand for broadband data; while the operators have been very successful in moving a significant proportion (now over 30%) of customers from prepaid over to higher-value postpaid accounts, ARPU continues to fall year after year as a result of competitive pricing pressures; the mobile market, in particular, has become overcrowded and the government is keen to see further rationalization and consolidation with the operators; while customers will no doubt continue to enjoy high quality services at competitive rates, the new entity will be hopeful of squeezing better margins through improved economies of scale; in 2022, the government abandoned its single wholesale 5G network model and committed to deploying a dual 5G network; currently, 80 percent of Malaysia s population is covered by 5G (2023) domestic: fixed-line roughly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 141 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 60; landing points for BBG, FEA, SAFE, SeaMeWe-3 4 5, AAE-1, JASUKA, BDM, Dumai-Melaka Cable System, BRCS, ACE, AAG, East-West Submarine Cable System, SEAX-1, SKR1M, APCN-2, APG, BtoBe, BaSICS, and Labuan-Brunei Submarine and MCT submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean); launch of Kacific-1 satellite in 2019 (2019)

total subscriptions: 8.453 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions: 47.952 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2022 est.)

oil palm fruit, rice, chicken, eggs, coconuts, tropical fruits, vegetables, rubber, bananas, pineapples (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on food: 24.5% of household expenditures (2022 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 1.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

revenues: $66.883 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $72.986 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Fitch rating: BBB+ (2020) Moody's rating: A3 (2004) Standard & Poors rating: A- (2003) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

$12.271 billion (2022 est.) $14.493 billion (2021 est.) $14.138 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

upper middle-income Southeast Asian economy; implementing key anticorruption policies; major electronics, oil, and chemicals exporter; trade sector employs over 40% of jobs; key economic equity initiative; high labor productivity

ringgits (MYR) per US dollar - 4.561 (2023 est.) 4.401 (2022 est.) 4.143 (2021 est.) 4.203 (2020 est.) 4.142 (2019 est.)

$312.857 billion (2022 est.) $263.836 billion (2021 est.) $208.217 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

integrated circuits, refined petroleum, natural gas, palm oil, crude petroleum (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Singapore 14%, China 13%, US 12%, Japan 6%, Hong Kong 6% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$399.649 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 60.4% (2023 est.) government consumption: 12% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 19.2% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 3.3% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 68.4% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -63.4% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 7.7% (2023 est.) industry: 37.7% (2023 est.) services: 53.5% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

40.7 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

lowest 10%: 2.3% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 30.9% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$283.601 billion (2022 est.) $236.855 billion (2021 est.) $186.613 billion (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

integrated circuits, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, coal, vehicle parts/accessories (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 28%, Singapore 12%, US 6%, Taiwan 6%, Japan 5% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.43% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, petroleum and natural gas, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, electronics and semiconductors, timber processing; Sabah - logging, petroleum and natural gas production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum and natural gas production, logging

2.49% (2023 est.) 3.38% (2022 est.) 2.48% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

17.308 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

6.2% (2021 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

60.27% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$1.152 trillion (2023 est.) $1.111 trillion (2022 est.) $1.023 trillion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

3.68% (2023 est.) 8.65% (2022 est.) 3.3% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$33,600 (2023 est.) $32,700 (2022 est.) $30,500 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

0.44% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.42% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$113.438 billion (2023 est.) $114.659 billion (2022 est.) $116.916 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

11.65% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

3.86% (2023 est.) 3.93% (2022 est.) 4.64% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 12.5% (2023 est.) male: 11.4% (2023 est.) female: 14.2% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

262.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 82.481 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 96.127 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 83.85 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

production: 3.731 million metric tons (2022 est.) consumption: 35.05 million metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 168,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 31.834 million metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 226 million metric tons (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity: 36.301 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 181.004 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 1.062 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 38.028 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 12.262 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 81.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 16.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

116.494 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

production: 75.456 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 42.499 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) exports: 38.603 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) imports: 4.529 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 1.189 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 582,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 717,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 3.6 billion barrels (2021 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 21.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 248.29 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 51.51 megatons (2020 est.)

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

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires; endangered species; coastal reclamation damaging mangroves and turtle nesting sites

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

total global geoparks and regional networks: 2 global geoparks and regional networks: Kinabalu; Langkawi (2023)

agricultural land: 23.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 19.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.) forest: 62% (2018 est.) other: 14.8% (2018 est.)

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.57% of GDP (2018 est.)

580 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal: 1.34 billion cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 1.64 billion cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 2.51 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

urban population: 78.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 12,982,685 tons (2014 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,271,970 tons (2016 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 17.5% (2016 est.)

total : 329,847 sq km land: 328,657 sq km water: 1,190 sq km

slightly larger than New Mexico

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

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,095 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 419 m

2 30 N, 112 30 E

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

4,420 sq km (2020)

total: 2,742 km border countries (3): Brunei 266 km; Indonesia 1,881 km; Thailand 595 km

agricultural land: 23.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 19.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.9% (2018 est.) forest: 62% (2018 est.) other: 14.8% (2018 est.)

Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Southeast Asia

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

flooding; landslides; forest fires

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

a highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

13 states (negeri-negeri, singular - negeri); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu; and 1 federal territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) with 3 components, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya

name: Kuala Lumpur; note - nearby Putrajaya is referred to as a federal government administrative center but not the capital; Parliament meets in Kuala Lumpur geographic coordinates: 3 10 N, 101 42 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the Malay word for "river junction or estuary" is kuala and lumpur means "mud"; together the words render the meaning of "muddy confluence"

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malaysia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 out 12 years preceding application

history: previous 1948; latest drafted 21 February 1957, effective 27 August 1957 amendments: proposed as a bill by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in the bill s second and third readings; a number of constitutional sections are excluded from amendment or repeal; amended many times, last in 2019

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Malaysia local long form: none local short form: Malaysia former: British Malaya, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya etymology: the name means "Land of the Malays"

chief of mission: Ambassador Edgard D. KAGAN (since 20 March 2024) embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur mailing address: 4210 Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC 20521-4210 telephone: [60] (3) 2168-5000 FAX: [60] (3) 2142-2207 email address and website: KLACS@state.gov https://my.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed NAZRI Bin Abdul Aziz (since 19 April 2023) chancery: 3516 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 572-9700 FAX: [1] (202) 572-9882 email address and website: mwwashington@kln.gov.my https://www.kln.gov.my/web/usa_washington/home consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

chief of state: King Sultan IBRAHIM ibni al-Marhum Sultan Iskandar (since 31 January 2024) head of government: Prime Minister ANWAR Ibrahim (since 25 November 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament with the consent of the king elections/appointments: king elected by and from the hereditary rulers of 9 states for a 5-year term; election is on a rotational basis among rulers of the 9 states; election last held on 24 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2028 with installation in January 2029); prime minister designated from among members of the House of Representatives; following legislative elections, the leader who commands support of the majority of members in the House becomes prime minister note: the position of the king is primarily ceremonial, but he is the final arbiter on the appointment of the prime minister

14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the flag is often referred to as Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory); the 14 stripes stand for the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government; the 14 points on the star represent the unity between these entities; the crescent is a traditional symbol of Islam; blue symbolizes the unity of the Malay people and yellow is the royal color of Malay rulers note: the design is based on the flag of the US

federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy note: all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans) except Melaka (Malacca) and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by the federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls)

31 August 1957 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, C, CICA (observer), CP, D-8, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s): Federal Court (consists of the chief justice, president of the Court of Appeal, chief justice of the High Court of Malaya, chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, 8 judges, and 1 "additional" judge); note - Malaysia has a dual judicial hierarchy of civil and religious (sharia) courts judge selection and term of office: Federal Court justices appointed by the monarch on advice of the prime minister; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 66 with the possibility of a single 6-month extension subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Sessions Court; Magistrates' Court

mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (sharia), and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation

description: bicameral Parliament of Malaysia or Parlimen Malaysia consists of: Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 members appointed by the king and 26 indirectly elected by 13 state legislatures; members serve 3-year terms) House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - appointed House of Representatives - last held on 19 Nov 2022 (next to be held in 2027) election results: Senate - appointed; composition - men 51, women 10, percentage women 16.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - PH 37.5%, PN 30.4%, BN 22.4%, GPS 4%, WARISAN 1.8%, GRS 1.3%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - PH 90, PN 50, BN 42, GPS 18, WARISAN 7, PEJUANG 4, PBM 3, PSB 1, MUDA 1, independent 4, vacant 2; composition - 192 men, 30 women; percentage women 13.5%; total Parliament percentage women 9.2%

name: "Negaraku" (My Country) lyrics/music: collective, led by Tunku ABDUL RAHMAN/Pierre Jean DE BERANGER note: adopted 1957; full version only performed in the presence of the king; the tune, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie," was originally the anthem of Perak, one of Malaysia's 13 states

total World Heritage Sites: 5 (3 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Gunung Mulu National Park (n); Kinabalu Park (n); Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Melaka (c); Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley (c); The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park s Caves Complex (c)

Independence Day (or Merdeka Day), 31 August (1957) (independence of Malaya); Malaysia Day, 16 September (1963) (formation of Malaysia)

tiger, hibiscus; national colors: gold, black

National Front (Barisan Nasional) or BN: Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan Cina Malaysia) or MCA Malaysian Indian Congress (Kongres India Malaysia) or MIC United Malays National Organization (Pertubuhan Kebansaan Melayu Bersatu) or UMNO United Sabah People's Party (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) or PBRS Alliance of Hope (Pakatan Harapan) or PH: Democratic Action Party (Parti Tindakan Demokratik) or DAP National Trust Party (Parti Amanah Negara) or AMANAH People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) or PKR United Progressive Kinabalu Organization (Pertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu) or UPKO National Alliance (Perikatan Nasional) or PN: Malaysian People's Movement Party (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia) or GERAKAN or PGRM Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) or PPBM or BERSATU Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) or PAS Sabah People's Alliance (Gabungan Rakya Sabah) or GRS: Homeland Solidarity Party (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku) or STAR Love Sabah Party (Parti Cinta Sabah) or PCS Sabah People's Ideas Party (Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah) or GAGASAN or PGRS Sarawak Parties Alliance (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) or GPS: Progressive Democratic Party (Parti Demokratik Progresif) or PDP Sarawak People's Party (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) or PRS Sarawak United People's Party (Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak) or SUPP United Bumiputera Heritage Party (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersata) or PBB Others: Malaysian Nation Party (Parti Bangsa Malaysia) or PBM Heritage Party (Parti Warisan) or WARISAN Homeland Fighter's Party (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air) or PEJUANG Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia) or MUDA United Sarawak Party (PSB)

18 years of age; universal

Malaysia s location has long made it an important cultural, economic, historical, social, and trade link between the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland. Through the Strait of Malacca, which separates the Malay Peninsula from the archipelago, flowed maritime trade and with it influences from China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Prior to the 14th century, several powerful maritime empires existed in what is modern-day Malaysia, including the Srivijayan, which controlled much of the southern part of the peninsula between the 7th and 13th centuries, and the Majapahit Empire, which took control over most of the peninsula and the Malay Archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries. The adoption of Islam between the 13th and 17th centuries also saw the rise of a number of powerful maritime states and sultanates on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo, such as the port city of Malacca (Melaka), which at its height in the 15th century had a navy and hosted thousands of Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants. The Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century were the first European colonial powers to establish themselves on the Malay Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. However, it was the British who ultimately secured hegemony across the territory and during the late 18th and 19th centuries established colonies and protectorates in the area that is now Malaysia. Japan occupied these holdings from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula (except Singapore) formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. A communist insurgency, confrontations with Indonesia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's expulsion in 1965 marred the first several years of the country's independence. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Former Prime Minister MAHATHIR and a newly formed coalition of opposition parties defeated Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) in 2018, ending over 60 years of uninterrupted UMNO rule. From 2018-2022, Malaysia underwent considerable political upheaval, with a succession of coalition governments holding power. Following legislative elections in 2022, ANWAR Ibrahim was appointed prime minister after more than 20 years in opposition. His political coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), joined its longtime UNMO rival to form a government, but the two groups have remained deeply divided on many issues.

the Malaysian military is responsible for defense of the country's national interests, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; it also has some domestic responsibilities, such as responding to natural disasters; while the Army has traditionally been the dominant service, air and maritime security have received increased emphasis in recent years, particularly anti-piracy operations in the Strait of Malacca and countering Chinese incursions into Malaysia s Economic Exclusion Zone, as well as addressing other identified shortfalls in air and maritime capabilities; as such, Malaysia has undertaken efforts to procure more modern fighters and ships, improve air and maritime surveillance, expand the Navy s support infrastructure (particularly bases/ports) and domestic ship-building capacities, restructure naval command and control, and increase air and naval cooperation with regional and international partners such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and the US Malaysia is a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily (2024)

Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM) (2024) note 1: the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP or Polis Diraja Malaysia, PDRM) are under the Ministry of Home Affairs; the PRMD includes the General Operations Force, a paramilitary force with a variety of roles, including patrolling borders, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency; the Ministry of Home Affairs also includes the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA; aka Malaysian Coast Guard) note 2: Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force in 2016 for combating terrorism threats; the force is comprised of personnel from the ATM, the PRMD, and the MMEA

approximately 110,000 active-duty troops (80,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 15,000 Air Force) (2023)

830 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)

the military fields a diverse array of mostly older but growing mix of modern weapons and equipment; its inventory originates from a wide variety of suppliers across Europe, Asia, and the US; Malaysia has a domestic defense industry that has some co-production agreements with countries such as France, Germany, and Turkey in such areas armored vehicles and naval vessels (2024)

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.) 1% of GDP (2019 est.)

17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service for men and women (younger with parental consent and proof of age); maximum age of 27 to enlist; mandatory retirement age 60; no conscription (2023) note: in 2020, the military announced a goal of having 10% of the active force comprised of women

0-14 years: 22.2% (male 3,947,914/female 3,730,319) 15-64 years: 69.4% (male 12,308,938/female 11,666,947) 65 years and over: 8.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,409,360/female 1,501,332)

total: 0.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

14.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

14.1% (2019)

52.2% (2014)

4.1% of GDP (2020)

59.3% (2023 est.)

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Malaysia s multi-ethnic population consists of the bumiputera Malays and other indigenous peoples (62%), ethnic Chinese (21%), ethnic Indians (6%), and foreigners (10%). The majority of Malaysia s ethnic Chinese and Indians trace their roots to the British colonialists recruitment of hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Indians as mine and plantation workers between the early-19 th century and the 1930s. Most Malays have maintained their rural lifestyle, while the entrepreneurial Chinese have achieved greater wealth and economic dominance. In order to eradicate Malay poverty, the Malaysian Government in 1971 adopted policies that gave preference to the bumiputera in public university admissions, government jobs and contracts, and property ownership. Affirmative action continues to benefit well-off urban bumiputera but has done little to alleviate poverty for their more numerous rural counterparts. The policies have pushed ethnic Chinese and Indians to study at private or foreign universities (many do not return) and have created and sustained one of the world s largest civil services, which is 85-90% Malay. The country s age structure has changed significantly since the 1960s, as fertility and mortality rates have declined. Malaysia s total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped from 5 children per woman in 1970, to 3 in 1998, to 2.1 in 2015 as a result of increased educational attainment and labor participation among women, later marriages, increased use of contraception, and changes in family size preference related to urbanization. The TFR is higher among Malays, rural residents (who are mainly Malay), the poor, and the less-educated. Despite the reduced fertility rate, Malaysia s population will continue to grow, albeit at a decreasing rate, for the next few decades because of its large number of reproductive-age women. The youth population has been shrinking, and the working-age population (15-64 year olds) has been growing steadily. Malaysia s labor market has successfully absorbed the increasing number of job seekers, leading to sustained economic growth. However, the favorable age structure is changing, and around 2020, Malaysia will start to become a rapidly aging society. As the population ages, Malaysia will need to better educate and train its labor force, raise productivity, and continue to increase the number of women workers in order to further develop its economy. More than 1.8 million Malaysians lived abroad as of 2015, including anywhere from 350,000 to 785,000 workers, more than half of whom have an advanced level of education. The vast majority of emigrants are ethnic Chinese, seeking better educational and job opportunities abroad because of institutionalized ethnic discrimination favoring the Malays. The primary destination country is nearby Singapore, followed by Bangladesh and Australia. Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians also commute across the causeway to Singapore daily for work. Brain drain is an impediment to Malaysia s goal of becoming a high-income country. The situation is compounded by a migrant inflow that is composed almost entirely of low-skilled laborers who work mainly in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. Officially, Malaysia had about 1.8 million legal foreign workers as of mid-year 2017 largely from Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Bangladesh but as many as 3 to 4 million are estimated to be in the country illegally. Immigrants outnumber ethnic Indians and could supplant the ethnic Chinese as Malaysia s second largest population group around 2035.

total dependency ratio: 43.3 youth dependency ratio: 32.9 elderly dependency ratio: 10.4 potential support ratio: 9.6 (2021 est.)

improved: urban: 99.4% of population rural: 90.7% of population total: 97.5% of population unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population rural: 9.3% of population total: 2.5% of population (2020 est.)

3.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Bumiputera 63.8% (Malay 52.8% and indigenous peoples, including Orang Asli, Dayak, Anak Negeri, 11%), Chinese 20.6%, Indian 6%, other 0.6%, non-citizens 9% (2023 est.)

0.84 (2024 est.)

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

total: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6 deaths/1,000 live births

Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai major-language sample(s): Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Bahasa Malaysia) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: Malaysia has 134 languages (112 indigenous and 22 non-indigenous); in East Malaysia, there are several indigenous languages, and the most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan

total population: 76.6 years (2024 est.) male: 75 years female: 78.4 years

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95% male: 96.2% female: 93.6% (2019)

8.622 million KUALA LUMPUR (capital), 1.086 million Johor Bahru, 857,000 Ipoh (2023)

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

total: 31.8 years (2024 est.) male: 31.7 years female: 31.9 years

noun: Malaysian(s) adjective: Malaysian

1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

15.6% (2016)

1.54 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

total: 34,564,810 male: 17,666,212 female: 16,898,598 (2024 est.)

a highly uneven distribution with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula

0.99% (2024 est.)

Muslim (official) 63.5%, Buddhist 18.7%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.1%, other (Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions) 0.9%, none/unspecified 1.8% (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 99% of population rural: NA total: NA unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population rural: NA total: (2020 est.) NA

total: 13 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2020)

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 22.5% (2020 est.) male: 43.8% (2020 est.) female: 1.1% (2020 est.)

1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

urban population: 78.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA); MYSA was established in 2019 through the merging of the National Space Agency (ANGKASA; established 2002) and Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA; established 1998); Astronautic Technology Sd Bhd (ATSB; established 1995) (2024)

has a growing space program focused on the areas of remote sensing (RS), communication, and navigational services to support domestic economic sectors; also seeks to promote a domestic space industry; acquires, manufactures, and operates satellites; conducts research in RS capabilities and space sciences such as astronomy, atmospherics, space environment, and weather; has an astronaut training exchange program with Russia and has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of the European Space Agency and some of its individual member states, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US (2024) note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Jemaah Islamiyah (JI); Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

not a source country for illicit drugs bound for the United States but is a significant transit country for drugs destined for Australia; drugs trafficked to Malaysia include crystal methamphetamine and lesser quantities of MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis, heroin, and ketamine; significant number of the population abuse drugs especially methamphetamine

refugees (country of origin): 157,731 (Burma) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2023) stateless persons: 113,930 (2022); note - Malaysia's stateless population consists of Rohingya refugees from Burma, ethnic Indians, and the children of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants; Burma stripped the Rohingya of their nationality in 1982; Filipino and Indonesian children who have not been registered for birth certificates by their parents or who received birth certificates stamped "foreigner" are not eligible to attend government schools; these children are vulnerable to statelessness should they not be able to apply to their parents' country of origin for passports

102 (2024)

9M

24 (2024)

total: 1,750 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 14, container ship 35, general cargo 169, oil tanker 148, other 1,384

number of registered air carriers: 13 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 270 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 60,481,772 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,404,410,000 (2018) mt-km

354 km condensate, 6,439 km gas, 155 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,937 km oil, 43 km oil/gas/water, 114 km refined products, 26 km water (2013)

total ports: 35 (2024) large: 3 medium: 4 small: 10 very small: 18 ports with oil terminals: 24 key ports: Johor, Kota Kinabalu, Port Dickson, Port Klang, Pulau Pinang, Tanjung Pelepas, Tapis Marine Terminal A

total: 1,851 km (2014) standard gauge: 59 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,792 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified)

total: 144,403 km (excludes local roads) paved: 116,169 km (includes 1,821 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,234 km (2010)

7,200 km (2011) (Peninsular Malaysia 3,200 km; Sabah 1,500 km; Sarawak 2,500 km)