Prime Minister Najib Razak faced calls for his resig-nation in 2016 after being implicated in a corrup-tion scandal involving 1Malaysia Development
Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian state-owned investmentfund. Separate investigations launched by Swiss andAmerican authorities determined that an estimated $3.5billion had been embezzled from 1MDB and launderedthrough a variety of channels. The U.S. Department ofJustice’s anti-kleptocracy unit sought to recover $1 billionin assets linked to the scandal, the largest asset recoveryoperation in the organization’s history. Malaysian author-ities confirmed that “Malaysian Official 1,” an unnamedindividual referenced extensively in court filings, was, infact, Razak.
Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2015): 16.9 (world avg. 19.5).Death rate per 1,000 population (2015): 4.8 (world avg. 8.1).Life expectancy at birth (2015): male 72.5 years; female 77.4 years.
Age breakdown (2015):
Ethnic composition (2011):
Religious affiliation (2010):
Malaysia
Official name: Malaysia.Form of government: federal constitu-tional monarchy with two legislativehouses (Senate [701]; House ofRepresentatives [222]).
Head of state: Paramount Ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) Tuanku Muhammad Vibni Sultan Ismail Petra.
Head of government: Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Population economically active (2015): total 14,518,000;participation rates: ages 15–64, male 80.6%; female54.1%; unemployed 3.1%, of which youth (ages15–24) 11.0%.
Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2014): palm fruit oil 96,066,750, rice2,645,119, natural rubber 826,4219, coconuts 653,489,pineapples 315,9779, bananas 290,4799, tomatoes130,2209, cassava 62,967, tea 18,3779, ginger 9,3789,sugarcane 9,147, nutmeg, mace, and cardamoms 4079, cloves 2239;livestock (number of live animals) 1,828,142 pigs, 760,997 cattle,122,943 water buffalo, 51,500,000 ducks; roundwood 20,405,075 cu m,of which fuelwood 13%; fisheries production 1,739,753 (from aquacul-ture 16%); aquatic plants production 245,332 (from aquaculture100%). Mining and quarrying (2013): iron ore (2014–15) 7,249,000;kaolin clay 293,480; tin (metal content) 3,697; gold 3,822 kg.Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$’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; 2012) 27,501,000 ([2011] 23,419,000); natural gas (cu m; 2013–14)70,938,000,000 ([2012] 31,250,000,000).
Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$320,672,000,000 (U.S.$10,570per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$26,140 per capita).
Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$66,236,837,000.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%.
Exports (2014): RM 765,416,900,000 (machinery andtransportation equipment 38.8%, mineral fuels22.0%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 9.6%,chemicals and chemical products 7.4%, oils andfats 6.6%). Major export destinations (2013):
Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2013): route length (2014)1,149 mi, 1,849 km; passenger-km 1,099,000,-000; metric ton-km cargo 1,762,000,000. Roads
(2010): total length 89,728 mi, 144,403 km(paved 80%). Vehicles (201313): passen-ger cars 10,467,014; 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 (2015) 13.3; 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 2015):109,000 (army 73.4%, navy 12.8%, air force13.8%). Military expenditure as percentageof GDP (2015): 1.5%; per capita expendi-ture U.S.$155.
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. 8Detail does not add to total given because of rounding. 92013. 10Import duties.11Unemployed. 12Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 13January 1. 14Subscribers.
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 2015 44,11014 1,43914
Landline 2015 4,395 143
Internet users 2009 15,824 576Broadband 2015 2,74314 9014
Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2013
in value % of total labour % of labourRM ’000,000 value force force
