Amajor story in Malaysia during 2015 centred onPrime Minister Najib Razak. It was alleged thatnearly $700 million had been transferred from the

government-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad(1MDB) to Najib’s personal bank accounts. Najibacknowledged receiving funds but claimed they weredonations from unnamed sources in the Middle East andwere not from 1MDB. Several investigations were underway, including in the U.S. and in Switzerland. The searchfor Malaysian Airlines flight 370, missing in the IndianOcean since March 2014, continued in 2015. Debris thatwashed up on the French island of Réunion in late Julywas believed to have come from the airplane.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2012): 17.2 (world avg. 19.5).Death rate per 1,000 population (2012): 4.6 (world avg. 8.1).Life expectancy at birth (2013): male 72.6 years; female 77.2 years.

Age breakdown (2010):

Ethnic composition (2011):

Religious affiliation (2010):

Malaysia

Official name: Malaysia.Form of government: federal constitu-tional monarchy with two legislativehouses (Senate [701]; House ofRepresentatives [222]).

Head of state: Paramount Ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) Tuanku Abdul HalimMuadzam Shah ibni al-Marhum SultanBadlishah.

Head of government: Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Capital: Kuala Lumpur2.Administrative centre: Putrajaya3.Official language: Malay.Official religion: Islam.Monetary unit: ringgit (RM);valuation (Sept. 1, 2015) 1 U.S.$ = RM 4.17; 1 £ = RM 6.38.

DemographyPopulation (2015): 30,500,000.Density (2015): persons per sq mi239.2, persons per sq km 92.3.

Sex distribution (2011): male51.48%; female 48.52%.

Population projection: (2020)32,696,000; (2030) 36,665,000.

Major cities (2010): Kuala Lumpur1,475,337; Klang 1,071,0004; SubangJaya 954,3005, 6; Johor Bahru916,409; Ipoh 704,572.

Urban-rural (2014):

Area and population area population

Regions 2013States Capitals sq mi sq km estimate

East MalaysiaSabah Kota Kinabalu 28,534 73,902 3,469,600Sarawak Kuching 48,050 124,450 2,619,300

West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia)

Johor Johor Bahru 7,342 19,016 3,496,600Kedah Alor Setar 3,639 9,425 2,012,500Kelantan Kota Baharu 5,832 15,105 1,675,100Melaka Melaka 638 1,652 849,400Negeri Sembilan Seremban 2,570 6,657 1,079,800Pahang Kuantan 13,886 35,965 1,571,700Perak Ipoh 8,117 21,022 2,446,600Perlis Kangar 307 795 240,200Pulau Pinang George Town 398 1,031 1,647,700Selangor Shah Alam 3,062 7,930 5,785,200Terengganu Kuala Terengganu 5,002 12,956 1,125,000Federal TerritoriesKuala Lumpur — 94 243 1,724,500Labuan7 — 36 92 91,300Putrajaya — 19 49 86,000

TOTAL 127,526 330,290 29,920,500

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National economyBudget (2013). Revenue: RM 213,370,000,000 (tax revenue 73.1%, ofwhich corporate taxes 27.3%, taxes on petroleum13.9%, income tax 10.8%; nontax revenue 26.9%).Expenditures: RM 211,270,000,000 (wages andsalaries 28.9%; transfers 23.5%; subsidies 20.5%).

Population economically active (2014): total 14,010,000;participation rates: ages 15–64, male 80.4%; female53.6%; unemployed 2.9%, of which youth (ages15–24) 10.2%.

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2013): oil palm fruit 95,728,589, rice2,626,881, natural rubber 826,421, coconuts 646,932,pineapples 315,977, bananas 290,479, sugarcane213,978, tomatoes 130,220, cassava 81,747, tea 18,377,ginger 9,378, nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms 407, cloves 223; livestock(number of live animals) 1,816,660 pigs, 751,782 cattle, 118,043 waterbuffalo, 51,000,000 ducks; roundwood 20,487,379 cu m, of which fuel-wood 13%; fisheries production (2012) 1,761,061 (from aquaculture16%); aquatic plants production (2012) 331,490 (from aquaculture100%). Mining and quarrying (2013): iron ore (2014–15) 7,249,000;kaolin clay 293,480; tin (metal content) 3,697; gold 3,822 kg.Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$’000,000; 2012): electronics andelectronic parts 13,482; refined petroleum products 13,164; food andfood products 8,180; chemicals and chemical products 6,865. Energyproduction (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2013–14) 135,147,000,-000 ([2013] 119,285,000,000), by source (2012): fossil fuels 92.2%;renewable energy 7.8%, of which hydroelectric 7.1%; coal (metrictons; 2013) 2,890,000 ([2011] 23,200,000); crude petroleum (barrels;2013–14) 211,000,000 ([2011] 180,000,000); petroleum products (metrictons; 2011) 21,221,000 (23,419,000); natural gas (cu m; 2013–14)70,938,000,000 ([2012] 31,250,000,000).

Gross national income (GNI; 2014): U.S.$321,700,000,000 (U.S.$10,660per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$23,850 per capita).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2013): U.S.$70,364,628,000.Average household size (2008): 4.4.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 11.0%, in permanent crops 17.6%, in pasture 0.9%, forest area62.0%.

Foreign trade10

Imports (2012): RM 607,364,000,000 (machinery andapparatus 44.0%, mineral fuels 14.2%, manufac-tured goods 12.4%, chemical products 9.0%). Major import sources (2013):

Exports (2012): RM 702,187,000,000 (electronics,electrical machinery, and appliances 36.5%, LNG7.9%, palm oil 7.6%, petroleum products 7.5%,crude petroleum 4.6%). Major export destinations (2013):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2013): route length(2014) 1,149 mi, 1,849 km; passenger-km1,099,000,000; metric ton-km cargo1,762,000,000. Roads (2010): total length

89,728 mi, 144,403 km (paved 80%).Vehicles (201311): passenger cars10,467,014; trucks and buses1,105,540.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total population age 15and over literate 94.6%; males literate 96.2%;females literate 93.2%.

Health: physicians (2010) 32,979 (1 per 859 persons);hospital beds (2012) 55,438 (1 per 526 persons);infant mortality rate (2011) 6.6; undernourishedpopulation (2006–08) less than 5% of total popula-tion based on the consumption of a minimum dailyrequirement of 1,820 calories.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2014):109,000 (army 73.4%, navy 12.8%, air force13.8%). Military expenditure as percentageof GDP (2014): 1.5%; per capita expendi-ture U.S.$167.

1Includes 44 appointees of the Paramount Ruler; the remaining 26 are indirectly elected. 2Location of thefirst royal palace and both houses of parliament. 3Location of the second royal palace, the prime minister’soffice, and the supreme court. 42009. 5Conurbation contiguous with Kuala Lumpur. 62006. 7Geographicallywithin East Malaysia. 8Import duties. 9Unemployed. 10Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 11January 1. 12Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Department of Statistics www.statistics.gov.my• Central Bank of Malaysia www.bnm.gov.my

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2014 44,92912 1,48812

Landline 2014 4,410 146

Internet users 2009 15,824 576Broadband 2014 3,06112 10112

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2013

in value % of total labour % of labourRM ’000,000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 91,819 9.3 1,682,100 12.3Mining and quarrying 99,007 10.0 87,100 0.6Manufacturing 235,988 23.9 2,214,800 16.3Construction 41,280 4.2 1,244,100 9.1Public utilities 23,467 2.4 143,900 1.1Transp. and commun. 64,704 6.6 812,900 6.0Trade, hotels 166,544 16.9 3,236,300 23.7Finance, real estate 123,730 12.5 1,257,800 9.2Pub. admin., defense 84,916 8.6 764,200 5.6Services 44,515 4.5 1,766,800 13.0Other 10,7638 1.18 424,6009 3.19

TOTAL 986,733 100.0 13,634,600 100.0

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