Background Notes: Malaysia
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Feb 15, 19922/15/92
Category: Country Data
Region: Southeast Asia
Country: Malaysia
Subject: Travel, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
February 1992
Official Name: Malaysia
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 329,749 sq. km. (127,316 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New
Mexico. Cities: Capital--Kuala Lumpur (pop. 1 million). Other
cities--Penang, Petaling Jaya, Ipoh, Malacca, Johore Bahru, Kuching,
Kota Kinabalu. Terrain: Coastal plains and interior, jungle-covered
mountains; Peninsular Malaysia is separated from East Malaysia in
Borneo by 644 km. (400 mi.) of the South China Sea. Climate:
Tropical; temperatures average 270C (800F) year round with high
humidity.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective-- Malaysian(s). Population (1990):
18 million. Annual growth rate (1990): 2.5%. Ethnic groups: Malay
and other indigenous 61%, Chinese 30%, Indian 8%, Others 1%.
Religions: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, traditional.
Languages: Malay, Chinese dialects, English, Tamil, other
indigenous. Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--99%
(primary), 65% (secondary). Literacy--80% in Peninsular Malaysia,
60% in Sabah and Sarawak. Health: Infant mortality rate--
20/1,000. Life expectancy--71 yrs. Work force: 7.2 million. GDP
by industrial origin, 1991 est.: Manufacturing--28%.
Agriculture--18%. Government--10%. Mining and petroleum--9%.
Local trade and tourism--11%. Transportation and communications-
-7%. Finance--10%.
Government
Type: Federal parliamentary democracy on the Westminster model
with a constitutional monarch. Independence: August 31, 1957.
Constitution: 1957.
Branches: Executive--Yang di-Pertuan Agong (head of state, with
ceremonial duties), prime minister (head of government), cabinet.
Legislative--bicameral parliament, comprising 69-member Senate
(26 elected by the 13 state assemblies, 43 appointed by the king)
and 180-member House of Representatives (elected from single-
member districts). Judicial--Supreme Court, high courts.
Subdivisions: 13 states and the federal territory (capital). Each
state has an assembly and government headed by a chief minister.
Nine of these states have hereditary rulers, generally titled
"sultan," while the remaining four have appointed governors in
counterpart positions.
Political parties: Barisan Nasional (National Front)--a broad
coalition comprising the United Malays National Organization
(UMNO) and 12 other parties, most of which are ethnically based;
Democratic Action Party (DAP); Parti Se-Islam Malaysia (PAS);
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS); Semangat 46. There are more than 30
registered political parties, including the foregoing, 13 of which
are represented in the federal parliament. Suffrage: Universal
adult.
Central government budget (1988): $11 billion.
Defense (1987 est.): 4% of GNP.
Flag: 14 horizontal red and white stripes with a yellow crescent
and a star on a dark blue field in the upper left corner.
Economy
GNP (1990): $41 billion. Annual real growth rate (1991 est.): 8%.
Per capita nominal growth rate (1990): 11%. Avg. inflation rate
(1990): 3%.
Natural resources: Petroleum, liquefied natural gas (LNG), tin,
minerals.
Agriculture: Products--palm oil, rubber, timber, cocoa, rice,
pepper, pineapples.
Industry: Types--electronics, electrical products, rubber products,
automobile assembly, textiles.
Trade (1990): Exports--$29 billion: electronic components,
petroleum, timber and logs, palm oil, natural rubber, LNG, electrical
products, textiles. Major markets--Singapore 23%, US 17%, Japan
15%, EC 15%. Imports--$27 billion: intermediate goods, machinery,
metal products, food products, consumer durables, transport
equipment. Major suppliers--Japan 24%, US 17%, Singapore 15%, EC
15%.
Fiscal year: Calendar year.
Exchange rate: 2.75 Malaysian ringgit (M$)=US$1.
US aid received (1990): Military program grants--$946,000.
Narcotics suppression--$105,000.
International Affiliations
UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, including the
World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), UNESCO,
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT); Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN); Asian Development Bank (ADB); Five-Power Defense
Arrangement (FPDA); South-South Commission (G-15); Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC); Commonwealth; Nonaligned Movement;
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); INTELSAT.
PEOPLE
Malaysia's population continues to grow at a rate of more than
2% a year; about 37% are under 15 years of age. Population
distribution is uneven, with some 15 million residents concentrated
on the Peninsular Malaysia lowlands, an area slightly smaller than
the state of Michigan.
Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups; the
Malays are a slight majority. The politically dominant Malays are
indigenous and, by constitutional definition, all Muslim.
Nearly one-third of the Malaysians are Chinese. They are
mainly urban and, by virtue of their important role in trade,
business, and finance, possess considerable economic power. The
majority are Buddhists, Taoists, or Christians.
Malaysians of Indian descent comprise just over 8% of the
population. About 85% of the Indian community are Tamils. They
are divided among Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. Malaysian
Indians are well represented in the professions as well as in
agriculture and the service trades.
Non-Malay indigenous groups make up more than 50% of
Sarawak's population and about 66% of Sabah's. They are divided
into dozens of distinct ethnic groups but they share some general
patterns of living and culture. Until the 20th century, most
practiced traditional beliefs, but many have become Christians or
Muslims.
About 85% of Malaysia's population speak Malay, the "national
language." English is used widely in government and business.
HISTORY
In the first century AD, two far-flung but related events
helped stimulate Malaysia's emergence in international trade in the
ancient world. At that time, India had two principal sources of gold
and other metals: the Roman Empire and China. The overland route
from China was cut by marauding Huns, and about the same time, the
Roman Emperor Vespasian cut off shipments of gold to India. As a
result, the Indians sent large and seaworthy ships, with crews
reported to have numbered in the hundreds, to Southeast Asia,
including the Malayan Peninsula, to seek alternative sources. In the
centuries that followed, rich Malaysian tin deposits assumed great
significance in Indian Ocean trade, and the region prospered. As
maritime trade among Middle Eastern, Indian, and Chinese ports
flourished, the peninsula benefited from its location as well as
from development of its diverse resources, including tropical woods
and spices. Malay ships became prominent in that trade, and Malay
ports served as transshipment centers. Indian trade brought Indian
culture, economy, religion, and politics, with historic results for
what eventually became Malaysia.
The early Buddhist Malay kingdom of Srivijaya, based at what
is now Palembang, Sumatra, dominated much of the Malay Peninsula
from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The powerful Hindu kingdom
of Majapahit, based on Java, gained control of the Malay Peninsula in
the 14th century. Conversion of the Malays to Islam, beginning in
the early 14th century, accelerated with the rise of the state of
Malacca under the rule of a Muslim prince in the 15th century.
Malacca was a major regional entrepot, where Chinese, Arab,
Malay, and Indian merchants traded precious goods. Drawn by this
rich trade, a Portuguese fleet conquered Malacca in 1511, marking
the beginning of European expansion in Southeast Asia. The Dutch
ousted the Portuguese from Malacca in 1641 and, in 1795, were
replaced by the British, who had occupied Penang in 1786.
In 1826, the British settlements of Malacca, Penang, and
Singapore were combined to form the Colony of the Straits
Settlements. From these strong points, in the 19th and early 20th
centuries, the British established protectorates over the Malay
sultanates on the peninsula. Four of these states were
consolidated in 1895 as the Federated Malay States.
During British control, a well-ordered system of public
administration was established, public services were extended, and
large-scale rubber and tin production was developed. This control
was interrupted by the Japanese invasion and occupation from 1942
to 1945.
Popular sentiment for independence swelled during and after
the war, and, in 1957, the Federation of Malaya, established from
the British-ruled territories of Peninsular Malaysia in 1948,
negotiated independence from the United Kingdom under the
leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman, who became prime minister. The
British colonies of Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (called North
Borneo) joined the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia on
September 16, 1963. Singapore withdrew, however, on August 9,
1965, and became an independent republic. Neighboring Indonesia
objected to the formation of Malaysia and pursued a program of
economic, political, diplomatic, and military "confrontation"
against the new country. This "confrontation" policy ended only
after the fall of Indonesia's President Sukarno in 1966, after which
cordial Malaysian-Indonesian relations were established.
Following World War II, local communists, nearly all Chinese,
launched a long, bitter insurgency, prompting the imposition of a
state of emergency in 1948 which was lifted in 1960. Small bands
of guerrillas remained in bases along the rugged border with
southern Thailand, occasionally entering northern Malaysia. These
guerrillas finally signed a peace accord with the Malaysian
Government in December 1989. A separate small-scale communist
insurgency that began in the mid-1960s in Sarawak also ended with
the signing of a peace accord in October 1990.
GOVERNMENT
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, nominally headed by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong (paramount ruler), customarily referred to as
the king. Kings are elected for 5-year terms from among the nine
sultans of the peninsular Malaysian states. The king also is the
leader of the Islamic faith in Malaysia.
Executive power is vested in the cabinet led by the prime
minister; the Malaysian constitution stipulates that the prime
minister must be a member of the lower house of parliament who,
in the opinion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, commands a majority in
parliament. The cabinet is chosen from among members of both
houses of parliament and is responsible to that body.
The bicameral parliament consists of the Senate (Dewan
Negara) and the House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat). All
members sit for 6-year terms. Representatives of the House are
elected in single-member districts by universal adult suffrage.
The 180 members of the House of Representatives are elected to
maximum terms of 5 years. Legislative power is divided between
federal and state legislatures.
The Malaysian legal system is based on English common law.
The Supreme Court reviews decisions referred from the high courts;
it has original jurisdiction in constitutional matters and in
disputes between states or between the federal government and a
state. Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia in Borneo each have a
high court.
The federal government has authority over external affairs,
defense, internal security, justice (except civil law cases among
Malays and other indigenous peoples, adjudicated under Islamic and
traditional law), federal citizenship, finance, commerce, industry,
communications, transportation, and other matters. The states of
East Malaysia enjoy guarantees of state rights with regard to
immigration, civil service, and customs matters. Control over oil
and timber, and the distribution of revenues from taxes from these
resources, as well as state autonomy in areas such as education and
information, remain sources of controversy between the federal
government and the states of East Malaysia, particularly Sabah.
Principal Government Officials
Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs--Datuk Seri Dr.
Mahathir bin Mohamad
Foreign Minister--Datuk Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Ambassador to the US--Abdul Majid bin Mohamed
Ambassador to the UN--Razali bin Ismail
Malaysia maintains an embassy in the US at 2401
Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202 -328-
2700); a consulate general in the World Trade Center, 350 South
Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA (tel. 213 -621-2991); and a
consulate general at 140 E 45th Street, New York, NY 10017 (tel.
212-490-2722).
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The principal political force in Malaysia from the struggle for
independence until 1973 was the Alliance, a coalition of
communally based parties--the United Malays National Organization
(UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), and the Malaysian
Indian Congress. Several opposition parties also date from this
period. Communist parties are illegal.
During the transition to independence, the Alliance provided
stable and effective government for the former Federation of
Malaya. In May 1969, however, this stability was threatened by the
outbreak of communal riots in Kuala Lumpur. This violence,
primarily pitting Chinese against Malays, was fueled by underlying
tensions that came to the surface when the Chinese-dominated
opposition registered impressive gains at the polls. As a result of
these riots, parliament was suspended and a National Operations
Council (NOC) was created, composed of nine members, headed by
the deputy prime minister, and given full power to restore order.
Normal parliamentary government was restored in February 1971,
and the passage of legislation against public or parliamentary
debate on certain sensitive communal topics soon followed. In
addition, the Malaysian Government adopted the 20-year New
Economic Policy (NEP), an affirmative action program aimed at
improving the socio-economic status of ethnic Malays. At the same
time, Tunku Abdul Rahman stepped down as Prime Minister and was
replaced by Tun Abdul Razak.
In 1973, the Alliance was replaced with a broader coalition,
the Barisan Nasional, composed of 13 parties. In the August 1974
elections, Barisan garnered more than 70% of the popular vote,
winning 135 of the 154 seats in the House of Representatives, and
capturing control of all the state assemblies.
With the death of Tun Abdul Razak in January 1976, Deputy
Prime Minister Hussein Onn became Prime Minister, continuing the
development programs begun by his predecessor. Hussein Onn
retired in July 1981 and was succeeded by his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad, as leader of the UMNO and as Prime Minister. In
April 1982, Dr. Mahathir called elections, which Barisan won by a
landslide, securing 140 of the 154 seats in the lower house of
parliament. In state assembly elections, Barisan swept 282 of 312
seats, thereby retaining control of all state assemblies. In its next
electoral test, August 1986, Barisan won 148 of the 177
parliamentary districts and again retained control of all 11
peninsular state assemblies.
Malaysia's predominant political party, UMNO, held party
elections in April 1987; Dr. Mahathir successfully defended the
presidency against his challenger, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. In
February 1988, the high court, in dismissing a case brought by 11
members of the group that supported Tengku Razaleigh in the party
elections, held that because of irregularities in the registration of
a number of its branches, UMNO was not a legally registered party
at the time of the party elections. A new party (UMNO Baru) was
formed under Dr. Mahathir, who remained Prime Minister.
In October 1990, Barisan turned back an unprecedented
opposition challenge spearheaded by Tengku Razaleigh's new party,
Semangat 46. Razaleigh had brought together a loose opposition
front composed of ideologically diverse parties, including Parti
Bersatu Sabah (PBS) which had bolted from the Barisan coalition on
the eve of elections. Barisan won 127 out of 180 parliamentary
districts, but lost control of two states: the Islamic opposition
party (PAS) captured control of Kelantan, while PBS retained
control of Sabah.
Since their entry into Malaysia in 1963, the East Malaysian
states of Sabah and Sarawak have been largely controlled by the
ruling coalition. During a brief period in the mid-1960s, Sarawak
was ruled by a renegade chief minister. Also, prior to the recent
PBS defection from Barisan, Sabah was ruled by PBS as an
opposition party from April 1985 until June 1986, when PBS was
admitted to Barisan.
ECONOMY
At independence, Malaysia inherited an economy dominated by
two commodities--rubber and tin. In the 35 years since, Malaysia's
economic record has been one of the most successful in Asia. From
1965 to 1990, the economy experienced a period of broad
diversification and sustained rapid growth averaging between 7%
and 8%. Per capita gross national product (GNP) reached nearly
$2,000 in 1984. By 1990, the figure was $2,300. Palm oil, timber,
cocoa, and pepper were added to Malaysia's export crops. Malaysia
is the world's leading producer of rubber and palm oil, the number
four producer of tin, and the largest exporter of tropical timber.
The petroleum sector expanded rapidly after 1980, making Malaysia
a significant exporter of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). New
foreign and domestic investment in manufacturing, much of it from
the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore, led to increasing
exports of electronic components, electrical consumer goods,
textile products, and other manufactures. Manufacturing grew from
13% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 1970 to an estimated 27%
in 1990.
The worldwide recession in 1981-82 hurt the Malaysian
economy by depressing the prices of Malaysia's traditional
commodity exports; growth slackened, and investment fell. The
government sought to stimulate the economy and speed up the
growth of industry through increased spending on a number of heavy
industry and infrastructure projects. Public entities and
government-owned companies also spent heavily to acquire
majority control of most of the large foreign-owned plantation
companies. Much of the increased public spending was financed by
foreign borrowing, pushing Malaysia's foreign debt from $4 billion
in 1980 to $15 billion in 1984.
Malaysia's long period of high growth came to an abrupt halt in
1985-86. The sharp fall in world commodity prices (oil and palm
oil prices were halved) sent Malaysia's economy into recession.
Real output was stagnant during 1985-86, but the worsening of
Malaysia's terms of trade (the prices of the country's exports
compared to the prices of imports) caused nominal GNP to fall by a
combined 12% in 1985 and 1986. Per capita GNP fell from $2,000 in
1984 to $1,600 in 1986.
Malaysia's recovery from its recession began in late 1986 and
gained strength during 1987. Improved commodity prices and strong
growth in exports of manufactured goods led the recovery. The
government estimated that real GNP grew 10% in 1988, 10% in
1989, and 11% in 1990. Growth was expected to decline to 8% in
1991. The economic expansion since 1987 has been led by foreign
demand for Malaysia's exports, with net exports accounting for
more than three-quarters of growth. Domestic consumer spending
and private investment have also picked up, and unemployment fell
to 6% in 1990 from 9% in 1987.
In 1988, the strong export performance resulted in Malaysia's
first current account surplus since 1979, hitting $1.7 billion.
Increased imports of manufactured items (especially intermediate
goods) and services, however, have since driven the current account
into an estimated deficit of $3 billion for 1991. Despite this
deficit and the rise in the dollar value of loans denominated in yen
and European currencies, Malaysia has reduced its foreign debt from
$20 billion in 1986 to an estimated $15 billion in 1991. Net foreign
exchange reserves stood at $10 billion at the end of 1990, equal to
four and a half months of merchandise imports.
Malaysia's prospects for continuing growth and prosperity are
excellent with growth rates in the 6%-8% range at least through the
early 1990s. Malaysia possesses abundant resources and land, a
well-educated work force, good infrastructure, and a stable
political environment. Strong domestic savings provide adequate
funds for investment, and Malaysia remains attractive to foreign
investors. Rising costs of production in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore,
and South Korea have heightened Malaysia's competitive position in
the region. The economy, however, remains vulnerable to external
shocks. Exports account for roughly 70% of GNP, and a recession in
the industrial economies could have severe repercussions for the
country.
Manufacturing is now the Malaysian economy's largest sector,
accounting for an estimated 27% of GDP in 1990. Major products
include electronic components (Malaysia is the world's largest
exporter of semiconductor devices), electrical goods, air
conditioners, and textiles and apparel.
Agriculture is the economy's second largest sector, accounting
for an estimated 19% GDP in 1990 and 30% of employment.
Agricultural products (including forest products) account for an
estimated 31% of exports. Malaysia is the world's largest producer
of natural rubber, accounting for 25% of world production.
In the 1980s, palm oil began to overshadow rubber as the
"golden" crop. Palm oil is a vegetable oil used for a variety of
purposes, such as cooking oil, soap, and as an ingredient in
margarine. Malaysia produces 60% of the world's palm oil (6.6
million metric tons in 1990), and production will continue to
increase as new acreage is developed and trees mature.
Timber and timber products account for 17% of all exports in
1990. Malaysia is the world's largest exporter of tropical
hardwood. Most of the raw timber exported from Malaysia comes
from Sabah and Sarawak. Peninsular Malaysia exports plywood,
moldings, and other wood products.
Malaysia is now the world's fourth largest producer of cocoa.
It also exports pepper (from Sarawak), coconut products, and fresh
fruits. It is a net exporter of pork and chicken but relies on imports
of beef, dairy, vegetable, wheat, and some fruit products.
The petroleum sector became increasingly important during
the 1980s as periodically high prices and rising production volumes
boosted Malaysia's export revenues. In 1990, oil, LNG, and
petroleum products accounted for 18% of total exports. Oil
production in 1990 averaged 626,400 barrels per day and is
expected to be over 600,000 barrels per day in 1991. Major
customers for Malaysian crude oil are Singapore, Japan, and South
Korea. Some of the oil exported to Singapore is then imported back
into Malaysia as refined products. All of Malaysia's LNG exports are
shipped from Sarawak to Japan, although Malaysia expects to
expand LNG exports to include Taiwan and South Korea. Oil
production is roughly split between fields in the South China Sea
off Borneo and those off Peninsular Malaysia. Gas reserves off of
Peninsular Malaysia are currently being developed to fuel power
stations and to supply industries in Peninsular Malaysia and
Singapore. All exploration is conducted under production-sharing
contracts between the national oil company, PETRONAS, and foreign
oil companies. The only foreign oil companies currently producing
oil and gas are Exxon and Shell.
Malaysia is no longer the world's leading tin producer. The
collapse of the International Tin Council in 1985 depressed prices
and forced many of Malaysia's smaller mines to close. In 1990,
production fell 11% from the previous year to 28,468 metric tons.
The government encourages foreign investment and
participation. The 1986 Promotion of Investment Act and the Free
Trade Zone Act of 1972 provide substantial incentives to foreign
investors. Total US investment alone is about $6 billion, two thirds
of which is in petroleum development and electronic component
production. Japan, Taiwan and Singapore also have substantial
investments.
The NEP of 1971 was established to eradicate poverty in
Malaysia and to restructure the economy to end the identification of
economic function with race. In particular, it was designed to
enhance the economic standing of the ethnic Malays and indigenous
peoples (collectively known as "bumiputras" in Malay). Rapid
growth during the 1970s and early 1980s made it possible to expand
the share of the economy for bumiputras without reducing the
economic attainments of the other groups.
The most controversial NEP goal was to alter the pattern of
ownership of corporate equity in Malaysia. The NEP sought to
ensure that by 1990, at least 30% of corporate equity was held by
bumiputras, 40% by other Malaysians (primarily Chinese and Indian
Malaysians), and no more than 30% by non-Malaysians. To this end,
the government provided funds to purchase foreign-owned
shareholdings on behalf of the bumiputra population. Foreign firms
were urged to restructure their equity (often 100% foreign-owned)
in line with the NEP guidelines. By the time the NEP expired at the
end of 1990, the bumiputra equity share had risen to 20%. In June
1991, the government unveiled its National Development Policy,
which is expected to continue many of the NEP's policies, although
specific equity targets and time tables have been dropped.
DEFENSE
From the late 1940s until recently, Malaysia's defense forces
were oriented toward counter-insurgency. With the demise of the
communist insurgency, however, Malaysia has launched a major
program to expand and modernize its armed forces in order to meet
potential external threats. Although budgetary constraints have
obliged the government to defer some of its procurement, the army
is being reorganized and its equipment upgraded as Malaysia moves
toward development of a more conventional defense posture.
While relying primarily on its own armed forces, Malaysia is a
member of the Five-Power Defense Arrangement with the United
Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The arrangement
provides a framework for consultations among the parties in the
event of an external threat to Malaysia or Singapore.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
As a founding member of the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN)) established in 1967 Malaysia views regional
cooperation as the cornerstone of its foreign policy. Malaysia
supported its ASEAN partners--Indonesia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei--in seeking a negotiated settlement
of the Cambodian civil war which would provide self-determination
for the Cambodian people.
In world affairs, Malaysia maintains close, cordial relations
with the United States, Japan, and the European Community.
Malaysia is a member of the Commonwealth, the UN, the
Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned
Movement. Malaysia maintains diplomatic relations with North
Korea, China, and Vietnam. It hopes that changes in the affected
region will permit closer economic and political integration with
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, perhaps including eventual
membership in ASEAN.
Prime Minister Mahathir emphasizes enhanced relations with
Islamic countries and Asian neighbors, espousing a "Look East"
policy, which views Japan and South Korea as models for economic
development.
US-MALAYSIAN RELATIONS
The United States has maintained friendly relations with
Malaysia since its independence in 1957. Malaysia's contribution to
stability in Southeast Asia, the growth of US-Malaysian economic
and cultural ties, Malaysia's role in ASEAN, its self-reliant drive to
develop its economy and preserve its independence, its
participation in the Five-Power Defense Arrangement, and its
strong commitment to the suppression of narcotics trafficking are
in harmony with US policy and form a solid basis for US-Malaysian
friendship.
US support for Malaysia has been demonstrated by cooperation
in many areas, including narcotics enforcement, cultural exchanges,
and a Fulbright educational exchange program initiated in 1963.
Malaysians, at about 14,000, represent one of the largest foreign
student groups enrolled in American colleges and universities. Over
more than 20 years, the cumulative total of Peace Corps volunteers
serving there was 3,500, but as Malaysia's economy developed, the
program was reduced and then phased out completely in 1983. The
United States also has supported Malaysia's defense efforts by
providing for Malaysian participation in US military education
training programs and purchases of equipment under the foreign
military sales program. The United States also actively promotes
American trade and investment in Malaysia.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador--Paul M. Cleveland
Deputy Chief of Mission--W. Scott Butcher
Political Counselor--Gene B. Christy
Economic Counselor--Douglas A. Hartwick
Commercial Attache--Paul T. Walters
Public Affairs Officer (USIS)--James C. Pollock
Agricultural Attache--Jeffrey A. Hesse
Consul--Peter G. Kaestner
Defense Attache--Col. Michael McDermott
The US Embassy in Malaysia is located at 376 Jalan Tun Razak,
50400 Kuala Lumpur (tel. 248-9011).
Additional Information
The following are available from the Superintendent of
Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402:
Area Handbook for Malaysia.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.
For information on foreign economic trends, commercial
development, production, trade regulations, and tariff rates,
contact the International Trade Administration, US Department of
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230.
TRAVEL NOTES
Customs: Visas are not required of US citizens arriving as
tourists or for business for up to 3 months. Business travelers who
will be residing in Malaysia and visitors for purposes other than
business or tourism should arrange in advance for visas with the
Malaysian Embassy. Vaccination certificates for cholera and yellow
fever are required only of visitors arriving from infected areas.
Climate and clothing: Lightweight clothing is suitable for the
tropical climate except in the highland resort areas.
Health: Kuala Lumpur and other major cities are generally free
from most diseases commonly associated with the Far East.
Tapwater from the municipal water systems is considered safe.
The use of malaria suppressants is recommended in rural areas.
Telecommunications: Telephone and telegraph service to the US
is available 24 hours daily. Kuala Lumpur is 13 hours ahead of
eastern standard time.
Transportation: The modern Subang International Airport is 19
kilometers (12 mi.) from Kuala Lumpur. Many daily flights connect
the capital with most major cities in the region, Europe, the Middle
East, and North America. Daily train service connects Kuala Lumpur
with Penang, Singapore, and Bangkok. Traffic moves on the left. (###)