| Demographics of Malaysia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator | Rank | Measure |
| Economy | ||
| GDP (PPP) per capita | 56th | $13,315 |
| Unemployment rate | ↓ 31st | 3.10%* |
| CO2 emissions | 54th | 7.05t† |
| Electricity consumption | 32nd | 78.72GWh |
| Economic Freedom | 68th | 2.98 |
| Politics | ||
| Human Development Index | 63rd | 0.811 |
| Political freedom | Unknown | 4 |
| Corruption (A higher score means less (perceived) corruption.) | ↓ 43rd | 5.1 |
| Press freedom | 124th | 41.00 |
| Society | ||
| Literacy Rate | 94th | 88.7% |
| Number of Internet users | 23rd | 14,904,000 users |
| E-readiness | 34th | 6.16± |
| Ease of Doing Business | 24th | Unknown |
| Health | ||
| Life Expectancy | 66th | 74.2 |
| Birth rate | 94th | 20.6‡ |
| Fertility rate | 79th | 2.98†† |
| Infant mortality | 124th | 16.39‡‡ |
| Death rate | 181st | 4.5‡ |
| HIV/AIDS rate | 81st | 0.40% |
| Quality-of-life | 36th | 6.608± |
| Notes | ||
| * including several non-sovereign entities ↓ indicates rank is in reverse order (e.g. 1st is lowest) † per capita ± score out of 10 ‡ per 1000 people †† per woman ‡‡ per 1000 live births |
||
The demographics of Malaysia are represented by the multiple ethnic groups that exist in this country. Malaysia's population, as of July 2010[update], is estimated to be 28,250,500, which makes it the 44th most populated country in the world.[1] Of these, 5.72 million Malaysians live in East Malaysia and 22.5 million live in Peninsular Malaysia.[2] The Malaysian population continues to grow at a rate of 2.4% per annum; about 34% of the population is under the age of 15. According to latest 2010 census, among the three largest Malaysian groups Malays and Bumiputera Fertility rates are at 2.8 children per woman, Chinese 1.8 children per woman, and Indians 2.0 children per woman. Malay fertility rates are 40% higher than Malay Indians and 56% higher than Malay Chinese. In 2010, the Malays were 60.3%, Chinese 22.9%, and the Indians 6.8% of the total population. The Chinese population has shrunk to half of its peak share from 1957 when it was 45% of Malaysia, although in absolute numbers they have multiplied more than threefold.[3]
The population distribution is uneven, with some 20 million of 28 million citizens concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia, which has an area of 131,598 square kilometres (50,810.27 sq mi).
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Censuses were taken in Malaysia in 1970, 1980, 1991, and 2000, with the one in 2000 taking place between 5 and 20 July.[4] The total population is approximately 28 million.[5] The population distribution is highly uneven, with some 20 million residents concentrated in Peninsula Malaysia.[6] 70% of the population is urban.[7] Due to the rise in labour-intensive industries,[8] Malaysia is estimated to have over 3 million migrant workers, which is about 10% of the Malaysian population.[9] The exact numbers are unknown: there are a million legal foreign workers and perhaps another million unauthorised foreigners. The state of Sabah alone had nearly 25% of its 2.7 million population listed as illegal foreign workers in the last census. Sabah based NGOs estimate that out of the 3 million population, 2 million are illegal immigrants.[10]
Additionally, according to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Malaysia hosts a population of refugees and asylum seekers numbering approximately 155,700. Of this population, approximately 70,500 refugees and asylum seekers are from the Philippines, 69,700 from Burma, and 21,800 from Indonesia.[11] The USCRI named Malaysia as one of the ten worst places for refugees on account of the country's discriminatory practices toward them. Malaysian officials are reported to have turned deportees directly over to human smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employs RELA, a volunteer militia, to enforce its immigration law.[11]
| State | Population (2000) |
Population[2] (2010, est.) |
Area (km2) |
Pop. density[2] (2010, est.) |
Urban pop. %[2] (2010, est.) |
Bumiputera (%) | Chinese (%) | Indian (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johor | 2,740,625 | 3,305,900 | 18987 | 174 | 66.2 | 57.1 | 35.4 | 6.9 |
| Kedah | 1,649,756 | 1,966,900 | 9425 | 209 | 40.8 | 76.6 | 14.9 | 7.1 |
| Kelantan | 1,313,014 | 1,670,500 | 15024 | 111 | 36.1 | 95.0 | 3.8 | 0.3 |
| Malacca | 635,791 | 771,500 | 1652 | 467 | 69.2 | 63.8 | 29.1 | 6.5 |
| Negeri Sembilan | 859,924 | 1,011,700 | 6644 | 152 | 56.6 | 57.9 | 25.6 | 16.0 |
| Pahang | 1,288,376 | 1,534,800 | 35965 | 43 | 42.9 | 76.8 | 17.7 | 5.0 |
| Penang | 1,313,449 | 1,596,900 | 1031 | 1549 | 80.9 | 48.5 | 40.9 | 10.6[12] |
| Perak | 2,051,236 | 2,460,800 | 21005 | 117 | 60.5 | 55.87 | 31.35 | 20[13] |
| Perlis | 204,450 | 240,100 | 795 | 302 | 35.7 | 85.5 | 10.3 | 1.3 |
| Sabah | 2,603,485 | 3,214,200 | 73619 | 44 | 49.3 | 80.5 | 13.2 | 0.5 |
| Sarawak | 2,071,506 | 2,506,500 | 124450 | 20 | 49.9 | 72.9 | 26.7 | 0.2 |
| Selangor | 4,188,876 | 5,037,600 | 7960 | 633 | 88.3 | 58.9 | 27.8 | 13.3[14] |
| Terengganu | 898,825 | 1,050,000 | 12955 | 81 | 51.2 | 96.8 | 2.8 | 0.2 |
| FT Kuala Lumpur | 1,379,310 | 1,722,500 | 243 | 7088 | 100.0 | 38.6 | 46.5 | 13.4 |
| FT Labuan | 76,067 | 95,500 | 92 | 1038 | 78.1 | 79.6 | 15.8 | 1.3 |
| FT Putrajaya | 45,000 | 65,000 | 148 | 439 | 100.0 | 94.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 |
Source: National Census 2000,[15] Department of Statistics Malaysia.
| Year | < 15 Years (%) | 15 - 64 Years (%) | > 64 Years (%) | Population (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 32.7 | 63.4 | 3.9 | 24.12 |
| 2002 | 31.9 | 64.1 | 4.0 | 24.72 |
| 2003 | 31.2 | 64.8 | 4.0 | 25.32 |
| 2004 | 30.4 | 65.5 | 4.1 | 25.91 |
| 2005 | 29.7 | 66.1 | 4.2 | 26.48 |
| 2006 | 29.2 | 66.5 | 4.3 | 26.83 |
| 2007 | 28.7 | 66.9 | 4.4 | 27.18 |
| 2008 | 28.2 | 67.3 | 4.5 | 27.54 |
| 2009 | 27.7 | 67.7 | 4.6 | 27.90 |
| 2010 | 27.2 | 68.1 | 4.7 | 28.25 |
Data from July 2010.[16]
Data for (^) obtained from Department of Statistics releases. See notes.[18][19] All key rates sampled per 1000 of population.
Ranking Census statistics Malaysia 2010.
| Rank | State | Population 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selangor | 5,411,324 |
| 2 | Johor | 3,233,434 |
| 3 | Sabah | 3,120,040 |
| 4 | Sarawak | 2,420,009 |
| 5 | Perak | 2,258,428 |
| 6 | Kedah | 1,890,098 |
| 7 | Kuala Lumpur | 1,627,172 |
| 8 | Penang | 1,520,143 |
| 9 | Kelantan | 1,459,994 |
| 10 | Pahang | 1,443,365 |
| 11 | Terengganu | 1,015,776 |
| 12 | Negeri Sembilan | 997,071 |
| 13 | Melaka | 788,706 |
| 14 | Perlis | 227,025 |
| 15 | Labuan | 85,272 |
| 16 | Putrajaya | 67,964 |
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | TFR1 | IMR1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1955 | 280 000 | 92 000 | 188 000 | 42.7 | 14.0 | 25.3 | 6.23 | 96.4 |
| 1955-1960 | 318 000 | 89 000 | 229 000 | 41.9 | 11.7 | 28.9 | 6.23 | 79.5 |
| 1960-1965 | 361 000 | 86 000 | 275 000 | 40.8 | 9.7 | 29.9 | 6.23 | 64.3 |
| 1965-1970 | 351 000 | 82 000 | 268 000 | 34.2 | 8.0 | 28.1 | 5.21 | 51.0 |
| 1970-1975 | 365 000 | 82 000 | 283 000 | 31.4 | 7.1 | 25.9 | 4.56 | 40.4 |
| 1975-1980 | 385 000 | 83 000 | 302 000 | 29.4 | 6.3 | 21.7 | 3.93 | 31.9 |
| 1980-1985 | 436 000 | 86 000 | 350 000 | 29.5 | 5.8 | 26.4 | 3.73 | 25.3 |
| 1985-1990 | 488 000 | 91 000 | 397 000 | 28.7 | 5.3 | 26.9 | 3.59 | 19.9 |
| 1990-1995 | 535 000 | 97 000 | 438 000 | 27.5 | 5.0 | 22.8 | 3.42 | 15.7 |
| 1995-2000 | 559 000 | 104 000 | 454 000 | 25.3 | 4.7 | 19.8 | 3.18 | 12.4 |
| 2000-2005 | 572 000 | 114 000 | 458 000 | 23.1 | 4.6 | 18.2 | 2.96 | 9.8 |
| 2005-2010 | 571 000 | 127 000 | 443 000 | 20.9 | 4.7 | 14.3 | 2.72 | 7.7 |
| 1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births | ||||||||
Malaysia's population comprises many ethnic groups. People of Austronesian origin make a slim majority of the population, and are known as the Bumiputras. Large Chinese and Indian minorities also exist. Malays, as bumiputra, see Malaysia as their land, and since race riots in 1969 bumiputra have been especially privileged in Malaysia. However, since then racial stability has prevailed, if not full harmony. Mixed marriages are on the rise.[21] The twenty largest ethnolinguistic groups in Malaysia are as follows:[22]
| Group | Total |
| Malay, Peninsular[23] | 9,041,091 |
| Han Chinese, Hokkien | 1,848,211 |
| Tamil | 1,743,922 |
| Han Chinese, Hakka | 1,679,027 |
| Han Chinese, Cantonese | 1,355,541 |
| Banjar Malay | 1,237,615 |
| Han Chinese, Teochew | 974,573 |
| Han Chinese, Mandarin | 958,467 |
| Minangkabau | 874,536 |
| Indonesian | 772,558 |
| Iban | 666,034 |
| Filipino | 442,933 |
| Han Chinese, Hainanese | 380,781 |
| Han Chinese, Min Bei | 373,337 |
| Malay, East Malaysia | 271,979 |
| Han Chinese, Min Dong | 249,413 |
| Straits Chinese | 236,918 |
| Nepalese | 217,587 |
| Tausug | 201,797 |
| Dusun, Central | 191,146 |
Bumiputras are divided into Malays, who make up the majority of the Malaysian population at 50.4%; and other bumiputra, who make up 11% of the Malaysian population.[7] Bumiputra status is also accorded to certain non-Malay indigenous peoples, including ethnic Thais, Khmers, Chams and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Laws over who gets Bumiputra status vary between states.[24] Some Eurasians can obtain bumiputra privileges, providing they can prove they are of Portuguese descent.[25]
The Malays are an ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and parts of Sumatra and Borneo. They form the largest community in Malaysia and play a dominant role politically. They make up about half of the total population. By constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs (adat) and culture. Therefore, technically, a Muslim of any race who practices Malay customs and culture can be considered a Malay and allocated privilleged status in the form of the Bumiputra rights stipulated in the constitution.
Their language, Malay (Bahasa Malaysia), is the national language of the country.[26] Citizens of Minangkabau, Bugis or Javanese origins, who can be classified "Malay" under constitutional definitions may also speak their respective ancestral tongues. However, English is also widely spoken in major towns and cities across the country. Malays from different states in Malaysia carry distinct dialects that can sometimes be unintelligible to most of their fellow countrymen. By definition of the Malaysian constitution, all Malays are Muslims.
In the past, Malays wrote in Pallava or using the Sanskrit-based alphabet of Kawi. Arabic traders later introduced Jawi, an Arabic-based script, which became popular after the 15th century. Until then reading and writing were mostly the preserve of scholars and nobility, while most Malay commoners were illiterate. Jawi was taught along with Islam, allowing the script to spread through all social classes. Nevertheless, Kawi remained in use by the upper-class well into the 15th century. The Romanised script was introduced during the colonial period and, over time, it came to replace both Sanskrit and Jawi. This was largely due to the influence of the European education system, wherein children were taught the Latin alphabet.
Malay culture shows strong influences from Buddhism and animism. However, since the Islamisation movement of the 1980s and 90s, these aspects are often neglected or banned altogether. Because any Malay-speaking Muslim is entitled to bumiputra privileges, many non-Malay Muslims have adopted the Malay language, customs and attire in the last few decades. This is particularly the case with Indian Muslims from the peninsula and the Kadayan of Borneo. The Malay ethnic group is distinct from the concept of a Malay race, which encompasses a wider group of people, including most of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Malaysia has many other non-Malay indigenous people, who are given Bumiputra status. The indigenous tribes are the oldest inhabitants of Malaysia, and the indigenous groups of Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are collectively known as the "Orang Asal". They account for about 5 percent of the total population, and represent a majority in East Malaysia of Sabah and Sarawak. In Sarawak, the dominant tribal groups are the Dayak, who are either Iban or Bidayuh. The Iban of form the largest of all indigenous groups, numbering over 600,000 (30% of Sarawak's population) and some of who still live in traditional longhouses which can hold up to 200 people.[27] Longhouses are mostly places along the Rajang and Lupar rivers and their tributaries, although many Iban have moved to the cities. The Bidayuhs, numbering around 170,000, are concentrated in the southwestern part of Sarawak. They, together with other indigenous groups in Sarawak make up over half of the states population.[7]
The largest indigenous tribe in Sabah is the Kadazan, most of whom are Christians[28] and rice farmers.[29] They live as substinence farmers. Sabah's has a large amount of indigenous people, 18% of the population are Kadazan-Dusuns, and 17% are Bajaus).[7]
There also exist aboriginal groups in much smaller numbers on the peninsula, where they are collectively known as Orang Asli (literally meaning "original person").[30] The 140,000 Orang Asli comprise a number of different ethnic communities. Many tribes, both on the peninsula and in Borneo, were traditionally nomadic or semi-nomadic hunter—gatherers, including the Punan, Penan and Senoi. However, their ancestral land and hunting grounds are commonly reclaimed by the state, shifting them to inferior land and sometimes pushing them out of their traditional way of life.[31] The most numerous of the Orang Asli are called Negritos and are related to native Papuans in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and possibly even to aborigines in Australia. Other bumiputra minorities include Malaysian Siamese, Khmers, Chams, and Burmese.
Minorities who lack Bumiputra status have established themselves in Malaysia. Those who are not considered to be bumiputras make up a considerable portion of the Malaysian population. While some Chinese and Indian families, known as Peranakan ("straits-born"), have resided in Malaysia since as far back as 15th century Melaka, the majority of Malaysia's Chinese and Indian populations are descended from migrants who arrived during the colonial period.
The second largest ethnic group is Chinese who make up 24.6% of the population.[32] They have been dominant in trade and business since the early 20th century. Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur are Chinese-majority cities, while Penang is the only Chinese-majority state in Malaysia. The Chinese have been settling in Malaysia for many centuries, as seen in the emergence of the Peranakan culture, but the exodus peaked during the nineteenth century through trading and tin-mining. When they first arrived, the Chinese often worked the most grueling jobs like tin mining and railway construction. Later, some of them owned businesses that become large conglomerates in today's Malaysia. Most Chinese are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland.
The first Chinese to settle in the Straits Settlements, primarily in and around Malacca, gradually adopted elements of Malaysian culture and intermarried with the Malaysian community and with this, a new ethnic group called babas (male) and nyonyas (female) emerged. Babas and nyonyas as a group are known as Peranakan. They produced a syncretic set of practices, beliefs, and arts, combining Malay and Chinese traditions in such a way as to create a new culture.
The Chinese community in Malaysia speak a variety of Chinese dialects including Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew. A large majority of Chinese in Malaysia, especially those from the larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Ipoh, Klang and Penang speak decent English as well. There has also been an increasing number of the present generation Chinese who consider English as their first language.
The Indian community in Malaysia is the smallest of the three main ethnic groups, comprising 7.1% of the population.[7] Tamils make up the largest subgroup,[33] and together with Malayalees-speaking and Telugu people make up over 85% of the people of Indian origin in the country. The rest of the percentage consist of mostly Hindi-speaking Punjabis. Indians began migrating to Malaysia in the early 19th century.[34] They first came to Malaya for barter trade, especially in the former Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang. Other came as teachers or other skilled workers. A large number were part of the migrations from India forced by the British during colonial times to work in the plantation industry.[35][36]
There is a substantial presence of people of Pakistani origin (estimated to be 200,000, about 1.0%), mainly Punjabis as well as smaller groups of Pashtuns, Sindhis, Urdu-speaking people, Kashmiris and a small number of Afghans and Nepalis. They arrived in Malaysia as British soldiers of the Punjab Rifles Regiment and as businessmen and traders. They were initially listed as others but they have intermarried with local Muslims and most of them list themselves as Malays. People of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepali origin are often included in the "Indian" category for statistical purposes. Some of the well known tycoons and banker are from this ethnic group. Urdu is widely spoken by these groups and some Malays. The Punjabis (mostly Sikhs) are substantial in number with around 100,000 of them in Malaysia. Punjabis were originally brought in as police, guards and soldiers. Many middle- to upper-middle-class Indians in Malaysia speak English as a first language. A Tamil Muslim community of 200,000 also thrives as an independent subcultural group.
When India came under British rule, Indian labourers were sent to Malaya to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations and later in the rubber and oil palm estates. Some of them also came to work on the construction of buildings, roads and bridges. These labourers were mostly Hindu Tamils from Southern India and they were supervised by kanganis (overseers) and mandurs (foreman) who were from the upper caste Tamils. Sri Lankan Tamils came to Malaya as white-collar workers, holding jobs like clerks and hospital assistants. As for the Punjabis from Punjab (North India), most of them joined the army in Malaya while some handled the bullock-cart services in the country. One of the main reasons the Indians willingly left their homeland for Malaya was because of the caste system being practiced in their country. Under the system, those who are born into the lower castes can never improve their standing in society.
The Indians who came to Malaysia brought with them the Hindu and Sikh culture — its unique temples and Gurdwaras, delicious cuisine and colourful garments. Hindu tradition remains strong until today in the Indian community of Malaysia. There's also the Chitty community in Malacca — similar to the Babas and Nyonyas, it is the result of the assimilation between the Indian immigrants and local culture. Though they remain Hindu, the Chitties speak Bahasa Malaysia and women dress in sarong kebayas instead of sarees. However, other Indian Hindus retain their vernacular languages and dialects. The community celebrates two main festivals — Deepavali and Thaipusam — and many other smaller religious events each year. On the other hand, the Sikhs celebrate Vasakhi, Lodi and Gurpurab. Indians in Malaysia mainly speak Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and some Punjabi.
A small minority of Malaysians do not fit into the broader ethnic groups. A small population exists of people of European and Middle Eastern descent. Europeans and Middle Easterners, who first arrived during the colonial period, assimilated through intermarriage into the Christian and Muslim communities. Most Eurasian Malaysians trace their ancestry to British, Dutch or Portuguese colonists, and there is a strong Kristang community in Melaka.
The Nepali population numbers little over 600 and lives in Rawang, Selangor. Originally brought by the British as bodyguards and security personnel, they come from the Rana, Chettri, Rai and Gurung clans. Other minorities include Filipinos and Burmese. A small number of ethnic Vietnamese from Cambodia and Vietnam settled in Malaysia as Vietnam War refugees.
There is no general consensus on the ethnic profiling of children of mixed parentage. Some choose to be identified according to paternal ethnicity while others simply think that they fall in the "Others" category. The majority choose to identify as Malay as long as either parent is Malay, mainly due to the legal definition of Bumiputera. Children of Chinese-Indian parentage are known as Chindians. Though this is not an official category in national census data, it is an increasing number especially in urban areas.
Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages,[37] 41 of which are found in Peninsula Malaysia.[38] The official language of Malaysia is known as Bahasa Malaysia, a standardized form of the Malay language.[26] English was, for a protracted period, the de facto, administrative language of Malaysia, though its status was later rescinded. Despite that, English remains an active second language in many areas of Malaysian society and is compulsory, serving as the medium of instruction for Maths and Sciences in all public schools per the PPSMI policy (which is pending reversal in 2012).[39][40] Many businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English, and it is sometimes used in official correspondence. Examinations are based on British English, although there has been much American influence through television.
Malaysian English, also known as Malaysian Standard English (MySE), is a form of English derived from British English, although there is little official use of the term, except with relation to education. Malaysian English also sees wide use in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of English with heavy Malay, Chinese dialect and Tamil influences. Most Malaysians are conversant in English, although some are only fluent in the Manglish form. The Malaysian government officially discourages the use of Manglish.[41]
Chinese Malaysians mostly speak Chinese dialects from the southern provinces of China. The more common dialects in Peninsular Malaysia are Hakka, Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, and Hokchiu.[42] In Sarawak, most ethnic Chinese speak either Foochow or Hakka while Hakka predominates in Sabah except in the city of Sandakan where Cantonese is more often spoken despite the Hakka-origins of the Chinese residing there. Hokkien is mostly spoken in Penang and Kedah whereas Cantonese is mostly spoken in Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. However, in Malaysia as a whole, the majority of ethnic Chinese speak Mandarin as their first language, while English is the first language for the rest. Some of the less-spoken dialects such as Hainanese are facing extinction. As with Malaysian youths of other races, most Chinese youth are multilingual and can speak up to four languages with at least moderate fluency – their native Chinese dialect, Mandarin, English and Malay.
Tamil is the most common language spoken among Indians in Malaysia,[43] especially in Peninsular Malaysia where they still maintain close cultural ties with their homeland. However, many Indians in East Malaysia, especially the younger generation, do not speak much Tamil and speak either Malay or English as their first language. This is because there are far fewer Indians in East Malaysia than in the Peninsula. Thus, the Indians in East Malaysia prioritize on Malay and English because those languages are more useful in daily life in that region.
Citizens of Minangkabau, Bugis or Javanese origins, who can be classified "Malay" under constitutional definitions may also speak their respective ancestral tongues. The native tribes of East Malaysia have their own languages which are related to, but easily distinguishable from, Malay. The Iban is the main tribal language in Sarawak while Dusunic languages are spoken by the natives in Sabah.[44] A variant of the Malay language that is spoken in Brunei is also commonly spoken in both states.
Some Malaysians have caucasian ancestry and speak creole languages, such as the Portugese based Malaccan Creoles,[45] and the Spanish based Zamboangueño Chavacano.[46] Thai is also spoken in some areas.[7]
Citizenship is usually granted by lex soli.[47] Citizenship in the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for immigration purposes. Every citizen is issued a biometric smart chip identity card, known as MyKad, at the age of 12, and must carry the card at all times.[48]
Islam is the largest and official religion of Malaysia, although Malaysia is a multi-religious society and the Malaysian constitution guarantees religious freedom. Despite the recognition of Islam as the state religion, the first 4 prime ministers have stressed that Malaysia could function as a secular state. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000 figures, approximately 60.4 percent of the population practised Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 2.6 percent practise Confucianism, Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions. The remainder was accounted for by other faiths, including animism, folk religion, and Sikhism while 0.9% either reported having no religion or did not provide any information.[4][49]
The majority of Malaysian Indians follow Hinduism (84.5%), with a significant minority identifying as Christians (7.7%), Muslims (3.8%), over 150,000 Sikhs, and 1,000 Jains. Most Malaysian Chinese follow a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor-worship but, when pressed to specify their religion, will identify themselves as Buddhists. Statistics from the 2000 Census indicate that 75.9% of Malaysia's ethnic Chinese identify as Buddhist, with significant numbers of adherents following Taoism (10.6%) and Christianity (9.6%), along with small Hui-Muslim populations in areas like Penang.[49] Christianity is the predominant religion of the non-Malay Bumiputra community (50.1%) with an additional 36.3% identifying as Muslims and 7.3% follow folk religion.[49]
Islam is thought to have been brought to Malaysia around the 13th century by Indian traders.[50] Since then the religion has become the predominant religion of the country and is recognised as the state's official religion. All ethnic Malays are considered Muslim by Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.[51]
Muslims are obliged to follow the decisions of Syariah courts in matters concerning their religion. The Islamic judges are expected to follow the Shafi`i legal school of Islam, which is the main madh'hab of Malaysia.[52] The jurisdiction of Shariah courts is limited only to Muslims in matters such as marriage, inheritance, divorce, apostasy, religious conversion, and custody among others. No other criminal or civil offences are under the jurisdiction of the Shariah courts, which have a similar hierarchy to the Civil Courts. Despite being the supreme courts of the land, the Civil Courts (including the Federal Court) do not hear matters related to Islamic practices,[53] as ratified by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the late 1980s. Regulation of sexual activities among the Muslim population is strict, with laws prohibiting unmarried couples from occupying a secluded area or a confined space, to prevent suspicion of acts considered islamically immoral.[54]
Literacy rates (percentage of people over 15 who can read and write) are high in Malaysia, with an overall Literacy rate of 88.7%.[55] Literacy rates are higher among males (92%) than females (85.4%)
Education in Malaysia is monitored by the federal government Ministry of Education.[56] The education system features a non-compulsory kindergarten education followed by six years of compulsory primary education,[5] and five years of optional secondary education.[57] Most Malaysian children start schooling between the ages of three to six, in kindergarten.
Children begin primary schooling at the age of seven for a period of six years. Primary schools are divided into two categories, national primary schools ands vernacular school.[58] Vernacular schools (Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan) use either Chinese or Tamil as the medium of instruction, whereas national primary schools (Sekolah Kebangsaan) uses Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for subjects except English, Science and Mathematics.
Before progressing to the secondary level of education, pupils in Year 6 are required to sit the Primary School Achievement Test (Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah, UPSR).[59] A programme called First Level Assessment (Penilaian Tahap Satu, PTS) taken during Primary Year 3 was abolished in 2001.
Secondary education in Malaysia is conducted in secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) for five years. National secondary schools use Malay as the main language of instruction. The only exceptions are Mathematics and Science and languages other than Malay, however this was only implemented in 2003, prior to which all non-language subjects were taught in Malay. At the end of Form Three, which is the third year, students are evaluated in the Lower Secondary Assessment (Penilaian Menengah Rendah, PMR). However, PMR is to be abolished by 2016. Secondary students no longer sit for PMR in Form Three but to directly sit for SPM in Form Five. In the final year of secondary education (Form Five), students sit the Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the former British Ordinary or 'O' Levels. The government has decided to abandon the use of English in teaching maths and science and revert to Bahasa Malaysia, starting in 2012.[60]
Malaysian national secondary schools are sub-divided into several types: National Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), Religious Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Agama), National-Type Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan) (also referred to as Mission Schools), Technical Schools (Sekolah Menengah Teknik), Residential Schools and MARA Junior Science College (Maktab Rendah Sains MARA).
There are also 60 Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia, where most subjects are taught in Chinese. Chinese Independent High Schools are monitored and standardised by the United Chinese School Committees' Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM). However, unlike government schools, independent schools are autonomous. It takes six years to complete secondary education in Chinese independent schools. Students will sit a standardised test conducted by UCSCAM, which is known as the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in Junior Middle 3 (equivalent to PMR) and Senior Middle 3 (equivalent to A level). A number of independent schools conduct classes in Malay and English in addition to Chinese, enabling the students to sit the PMR and SPM additionally.
Before the introduction of the matriculation system, students aiming to enter public universities had to complete an additional 18 months of secondary schooling in Form Six and sit the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, STPM); equivalent to the British Advanced or 'A' levels.[61] Since the introduction of the matriculation programme as an alternative to STPM in 1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges (kolej matrikulasi in Malay) can enrol in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10 per cent of the places are open to non-Bumiputra students.[62]
There are a number of public universities established in Malaysia. Private universities are also gaining a reputation for international quality education and students from all over the world attend these universities. In addition, four reputable international universities have set up their branch campuses in Malaysia since 1998. A branch campus can be seen as an ‘offshore campus’ of the foreign university, which offers the same courses and awards as the main campus. Both local and international students can acquire these identical foreign qualifications in Malaysia at a lower fee. The foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia are: Monash University Malaysia Campus, Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.
Students also have the option of enrolling in private tertiary institutions after secondary studies. Most institutions have educational links with overseas universities especially in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, allowing students to spend a portion of their course duration abroad as well as getting overseas qualifications. One such example is SEGi University College which partnered with University of Abertay Dundee.[63]
In addition to the Malaysian National Curriculum, Malaysia has many international schools. These schools mainly cater to the growing expatriate population in the country.
The Malaysian government places importance on the expansion and development of health care, putting 5% of the government social sector development budget into public health care[64]—an increase of more than 47% over the previous figure. This has meant an overall increase of more than RM 2 billion. With a rising and aging population, the Government wishes to improve in many areas including the refurbishment of existing hospitals, building and equipping new hospitals, expansion of the number of polyclinics, and improvements in training and expansion of telehealth. A major problem with the health care sector is the lack of medical centres for rural areas, which the government is trying to counter through the development of and expansion of a system called "tele-primary care".[65] Another issue is the overperscription of drugs, though this has decreased in recent years.[66] Since 2009 the Malaysian Health Ministry has increased its efforts to overhaul the system and attract more foreign investment.[64]
The country generally has an efficient and widespread system of health care. It implements a universal healthcare system, which co-exists with the private healthcare system.[65] Infant mortality rate in 2009 was 6 deaths per 1000 births, and life expectancy at birth in 2009 was 75 years.[67]
The Malaysian health care system requires doctors to perform a compulsory three years service with public hospitals to ensure that the manpower in these hospitals is maintained.[65] Recently foreign doctors have also been encouraged to take up employment in Malaysia. There is still, however, a significant shortage in the medical workforce, especially of highly trained specialists; thus, certain medical care and treatment are available only in large cities. Recent efforts to bring many facilities to other towns have been hampered by lack of expertise to run the available equipment.
The majority of private hospitals are in urban areas and, unlike many of the public hospitals, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities. Private hospitals have not generally been seen as an ideal investment—it has often taken up to ten years before companies have seen any profits. However, the situation has now changed and companies are now exploring this area again, corresponding with the increased number of foreigners entering Malaysia for medical care and the recent government focus on developing the health tourism industry.[68] The Government has also been trying to promote Malaysia as a health care destination, regionally and internationally.[64]
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. Although many executive and judicial branches of the federal government have moved to Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia, making it the country's legislative capital. It is also the economic and business centre of the country, and is a primate city. Kuala Lumpur is also rated as a global city, and is the only global city in Malaysia. Along with Subang Jaya, Klang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Kajang-Sungai Chua, Ampang Jaya and Selayang it forms the country's largest and most important urban area, the Klang Valley.
Johor Bahru is the second largest city and second largest urban area in the country. It is close to Singapore, and receives more than 60% of the country's annual 16 million foreign tourists. The city is also an important industrial, tourism and commercial hub for southern Malaysia.
George Town, situated in the state of Penang, is the third largest city and fifth largest urban area in Malaysia. It used to be Malaysia's largest city until the 1970s when Kuala Lumpur became the capital. Today, the city remains a major hub in Malaysia, serving the northern region.
Other major cities in Malaysia include Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
| Largest cities of Malaysia The World Gazetteer[69] |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City name | State | Pop. | Rank | City name | State | Pop. | ||
Subang Jaya |
1 | Subang Jaya | Selangor | 1 553 589 | 11 | Cheras | Selangor | 601 534 | Klang |
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | Wilayah Persekutuan | 1 435 337 | 12 | Sandakan | Sabah | 501 195 | ||
| 3 | Klang | Selangor | 1 113 851 | 13 | Kajang | Selangor | 448 243 | ||
| 4 | Johor Bahru | Johor | 916 409 | 14 | Seremban | Negeri Sembilan | 439 296 | ||
| 5 | Ampang Jaya | Selangor | 804 901 | 15 | Kuantan | Pahang | 422 020 | ||
| 6 | Ipoh | Perak | 704 572 | 16 | Tawau | Sabah | 381 736 | ||
| 7 | Shah Alam | Selangor | 671 282 | 17 | Kuala Terengganu | Terengganu | 286 317 | ||
| 8 | Kuching | Sarawak | 658 549 | 18 | Miri | Sarawak | 280 518 | ||
| 9 | Petaling Jaya | Selangor | 638 516 | 19 | Kota Bharu | Kelantan | 272 647 | ||
| 10 | Kota Kinabalu | Sabah | 604 078 | 20 | Selayang Baru | Selangor | 265 297 | ||
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