Capital City - Kuala Lumpur
Official Language - Malaysian
Independence from the United Kingdom - 31st August 1957
Total Land area - 329,847 km² / 127,355 square miles
National currency - Ringgit (RM) (Bank Negara website)
Government and Politics Heads of Government
Prime Minister - YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi (PM website)
Deputy Prime Minister - YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak (DPM website) Government type : Democracy
Administrative Divisions
13 states and 3 Federal Territories; Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Pahang, Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Legal system
Based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court at request of supreme head of the federation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Legislative branch
Bicameral Parliament, or Parlimen, consists of nonelected Senate or Dewan Negara (70 seats; 44 appointed by the paramount ruler, 26 appointed by state legislatures) and the House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat (222 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms).
Elections: House of Representatives - last held 8 March 2008.
Judicial Branch
Federal court (judges appointed by the paramount ruler on the advice of the prime minister
POPULATION
Updated on 13 July 2007
2005
2006
2007
Population
( In Millions )
26.13
26.64
27.17
Vital statistics per thousand Updated on 14 December 2007
2005
2006
2007
Crude Birth Rate
18.4
18.0
17.6
Crude Death Rate
4.5
4.5
4.4
Gross Domestic Product /
Gross National Income Updated on 28 May 2008
2007
2007
4th Qrtr
2008
1st Qrtr
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : Current Prices (RM million)
