South-East Asia.

GMT + 8.

329,847 sq km (127,355 sq miles).

25.3 million (UN, 2005).

76.7 per sq km.

Kuala Lumpur. Population: 1.4 million, including suburbs (UN estimate 2002).

Malaysia is situated in central South-East Asia, bordering on Thailand in the north, with Singapore and Indonesia to the south and The Philippines to the east. It is composed of Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the north coast of the island of Borneo, 650 to 950km (404 to 600 miles) across the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia is an area of forested mountain ranges running north–south, on either side of which are low-lying coastal plains. The coastline extends some 1900km (1200 miles). The west coast consists of mangrove swamps and mudflats which separate into bays and inlets. In the west, the plains have been cleared and cultivated, while the unsheltered east coast consists of tranquil beaches backed by dense jungle. Sarawak has alluvial and, in places, swampy coastal plains with rivers penetrating the jungle-covered hills and mountains of the interior. Sabah has a narrow coastal plain which gives way to mountains and jungle. Mount Kinabalu, at 4094m (13,432ft), is the highest peak in Malaysia. The major islands are Langkawi (a group of 99 islands), Penang and Pangkor off the west coast; and Tioman, Redang, Kapas, Perhentian and Rawa off the east coast.

Malaysia has a complex federal political system, with extensive local power still in the hands of nine hereditary sultans, who elect the head of state (entitled HM the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) every five years from among their number. There are 13 states plus two ‘Federal Territories’ (Kuala Lumpur and the island of Labuan). Legislative power is in the hands of the bicameral parliament, comprising the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) with 192 members directly elected for a five-year term, and the 70-strong Dewan Negara (Senate), of which 40 members are appointed by the Head of State and 30 members elected by the country’s 13 regional assemblies. Executive power is held by the Prime Minister, who is formally appointed by the head of state but in practice by the leader of the largest party in the Dewan Rakpat. The Prime Minister governs with the assistance of an appointed ministerial cabinet.

Constitutional monarchy since 1963. Gained independence from the UK in 1957. Head of State: King Syed Sirrajuddin ibni al-Marhum Syed Putra Jamalullail since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi since 2003. Recent history: The dominant political organisation in Malaysia has long been the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), which allied itself with several smaller formations to create the Barisan Nasional (NF, National Front). In 1982, the NF won the General Election scheduled for that year under the new leadership of Mahathir Mohammed. Mahathir’s style was characterised by maverick policy-making, an acerbic tongue, strident nationalism, acute political antennae and a ferocious intolerance of opposition from any quarter. In his two decades in power, he stamped his authority on Malaysian politics. His ruthlessness was exemplified after falling out with his former deputy and heir apparent, Anwar Ibrahim, over Malaysia’s handling of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Anwar was framed for alleged homosexuality (which is illegal in Malaysia) and corruption; after a show trial he was then imprisoned for 15 years. Although the NF had comfortably won every poll in the 1980s and ’90s, many people, including influential figures within UMNO, believed that Mahathir had finally overreached himself. The acid test came at the general election of November 1999. In the event, Mahathir ran a well-judged campaign which returned the NF to office with, once again, a substantial majority. Both the democratic opposition, organised around residual supporters of Anwar, and the Islamist opposition centred on the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) were comfortably dealt with. In particular, Mahathir made effective use of the ‘9/11’ attacks in the US to demonise his Islamist opponents. With his political position now all but unassailable, Mahathir’s announcement in June 2002 of his intention to resign the following year was a huge surprise. The shock was followed by scepticism, and then by a further surprise in October 2003 when Mahathir did indeed stand down. The main political task for his chosen successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – formerly a senior civil servant – is to prevent any further progress by the Islamist PAS. The General Election on 21 March 2004 resulted in a landslide win by the Barisan Nasional.
Malaysia has a complex federal political system, with extensive local power still in the hands of nine hereditary sultans, who elect the Head of State (entitled HM the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) every five years from among their number. There are 13 states plus two ‘Federal Territories’ (Kuala Lumpur and the island of Labuan). Legislative power is in the hands of the bicameral Parliament, comprising the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) with 192 members directly elected for a five-year term, and the 70-strong Dewan Negara (Senate), of which 40 members are appointed by the Head of State and 30 members elected by the country’s 13 regional assemblies. Executive power is held by the Prime Minister, who is formally appointed by the head of state but in practice by the leader of the largest party in the Dewan Rakpat. The Prime Minister governs with the assistance of an appointed ministerial cabinet.

Bahasa M is the national and official language, but English is widely spoken. Other languages such as Chinese (Cantonese and Hokkien), Iban and Tamil are spoken by minorities.

Muslim (52 per cent) and Buddhist (17 per cent) majorities. The remainder are Christian, Taoist, Confucianist, Hindu and animist.

Malaysia’s population is a mixture of diverse cultures and characters. In general, the racial groups integrate, but keep to their individual traditions and lifestyles. Malays still form more than half of the total population and lead a calm life governed by the authority of elders and a strong sense of respect and etiquette. The Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan members of the population originally came to Malaysia to take up positions in the civil service, police and local government departments, as well as in the new rubber plantations, but many are now among the professional classes. European influences (British, Dutch and Portuguese in particular) are also very marked in Malaysia, although the European section of the population is now small. As far as greetings are concerned, the Malaysian equivalent of ‘hello’ is the Muslim ‘peace be with you’. Malay men are addressed Encik (pronounced Enchik) with or without the name; Malay women should be called Cik (pronounced Che) if they are single and Puan if they are married. Touching the hand to the chest is a sign of respect and a relaxed wrist and gentle touch should be adopted when shaking hands. Chinese and Indians usually use Western forms of address. Hospitality is always warm, lavish and informal. When eating food by hand, only the right hand should be used. Visitors should respect religious beliefs and follow the Malaysian example, such as wearing appropriate clothing. Footwear should be taken off at the door when entering a house or temple. Dress should be informal, but not over-casual. Within towns, smoking has now become the subject of government disapproval and fines are levied in a number of public places.

220-240 volts AC, 50Hz. Square three-pin plugs and bayonet-type light fittings are generally used.