Malaysia Facts (from US State Dept Website, May 2008)

We've received many questions about Malaysia (along with many reactions to our move, ranging from "That's the coolest thing ever!" to "Why would you ever do that?") If you don't know much about the country, you're not alone. I've had to bone up on the country's basics as I've prepared for our move. Some interesting factoids are below. Malaysia is one interesting and dynamic place.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected federal parliamentary government. The country is comprised of 13 states, 11 on the Malay Peninsula and two, Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. There is also a federally administered set of territories: the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the administrative center of Putrajaya, and the island of Labuan. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country of 27 million people. Malays form the predominant ethnic group. The two other large ethnic groups in Malaysia are Chinese and Indians. Islam is the official religion and is practiced by some 60 percent of the population. Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, although English is widely spoken.

• D-Bos Note: I recently learned Malaysia's poverty level is lower than the US and the country's literacy rate is 88.7%. (defined as “age 15 and over can read and write”)
  

Malaysia is the United States’ 10th-largest trading partner. Two-way bilateral trade totaled $44 billion in 2005 -- 60% more than U.S. trade with India.

The United States is the largest foreign investor in Malaysia, with American companies active in the energy, electronics and manufacturing sectors.

• D-Bos Note: The Malaysia facilities were the first offshore site for my husband's company. Established in 1972, it remains the company’s largest offshore site.

Air quality in Malaysia is acceptable most of the time. However, when burning of vegetation occurs in Malaysia and nearby countries, especially from March through June and during September and October, air quality can range from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy."

Malaysia hosts the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counterterrorism (SEARCCT), where over 1,100 officials from around the region have received training. The United States is the largest provider of training courses at SEARCCT.

The United States and Malaysia share a strong military-to-military relationship with numerous exchanges, training, joint exercises and visits.

Malaysia recently cemented its nonproliferation commitment by signing the International Atomic Energy Agency Additional Protocol and has sent observers to Proliferation Security Initiative exercises.