Not to be confused with Malesia.
Malaysia

‫( م ل ي س يا‬Jawi)
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu[1]
‫( موت و ب رت م به ب ر س کوت و‬Jawi)
"Unity is Strength"
Anthem: Negaraku
"My Country"
Duration: 59 seconds.0:59
Show globeShow map of Southeast AsiaShow all
Location of Malaysia (dark green)
– in Asia (dark gray & white)
– in ASEAN (dark gray)
Capital
and largest city
Administrative center
Kuala Lumpur[fn 1]
3°8′N 101°41′E
Putrajaya[fn 2]
2°56′N 101°42′E
Official languages
Malay[a][b][c]
Recognised
English[c]
language
Ethnic groups

69.7% Bumiputera
o
o
(2021)[2][3]
57.3% Malay
12.4% indigenous
groups
of Sabah, Sarawak and Orang
Asli
Religion
(2020)[5]



22.9% Chinese






63.5% Sunni Islam (official)[4]
6.6% Indian
0.8% other
18.7% Buddhism
9.1% Christianity
6.1% Hinduism
0.9% other
1.8% unknown
Demonym(s)
Malaysian
Government
Federal parliamentary constitutional elective
monarchy
• Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Ibrahim Iskandar
• Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim
• President of the Dewan
Vacant[citation needed]
Negara
• Speaker of the Dewan
Johari Abdul
Rakyat
• Chief Justice
Legislature
Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat
Parliament
• Upper house
Dewan Negara (Senate)
• Lower house
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)
Independence
from the United Kingdom
• Federation of Malaya
31 August 1957[6]
• Sarawak self-
22 July 1963
governance
• North Borneo self-
31 August 1963[7]
governance
• Proclamation of
Malaysia
Area
16 September 1963
• Total
330,803[8][9] km2 (127,724 sq mi) (67th)
• Water (%)
0.3
Population
• 2023 estimate
33,200,000[10] (43rd)
• 2020 census
32,447,385[11]
• Density
101/km2 (261.6/sq mi) (116th)
GDP (PPP)
2023 estimate
• Total
$1.225 trillion[12] (31st)
• Per capita
$37,082[12] (55th)
GDP (nominal)
2023 estimate
• Total
$430.895 billion[12] (36th)
• Per capita
$13,034[12] (67th)
Gini (2018)
41.2[13]
medium
HDI (2021)
0.803[14]
very high · 62nd
Currency
Malaysian ringgit (RM) (MYR)
Time zone
UTC+8 (MST)
Date format
dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side
left
Calling code
+60
ISO 3166 code
MY
Internet TLD
.my
Malaysia (UK: /məˈleɪziə/ mə-LAY-zee-ə; US: /məˈleɪʒə/ mə-LAY-zhə; Malay: [malɛjsia] ⓘ) is a
country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three
federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular
Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and
maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia, as well as a
maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital, the
country's largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal
government. Putrajaya is the administrative centre, which represents the seat of both
the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and federal agencies) and the judicial
branch of the federal government. With a population of over 33 million, the country is the
world's 43rd-most populous country. Malaysia is tropical and is one of 17 megadiverse countries;
it is home to numerous endemic species. Tanjung Piai in the Malaysian state of Johor is the
southernmost point of continental Eurasia.
ⓘ
The country has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on,
became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate.
During World War Two, British Malaya, along with other nearby British and American colonies,
was occupied by the Empire of Japan.[15] Following three years of occupation, Peninsular
Malaysia was unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 and then restructured as the Federation of
Malaya in 1948. The country achieved independence on 31 August 1957. On 16 September
1963, independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak,
and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation
and became a separate, independent country.[16]
The country is multiethnic and multicultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About
half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous
peoples. The official language is Malaysian Malay, a standard form of the Malay language.
English remains an active second language. While recognising Islam as the official religion, the
constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims. The government is modelled on
the Westminster parliamentary system, and the legal system is based on common law. The head
of state is an elected monarch, chosen from among the nine state sultans every five years.
The head of government is the prime minister.
After independence, the gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 6.5% per year
for almost 50 years. The country's economy has traditionally been driven by its natural
resources, but it is expanding into commerce, tourism, and medical tourism. The country has
a newly industrialised market economy, ranked fifth-largest in Southeast Asia and 36th-largest in
the world. The country is a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
the East Asia Summit (EAS), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and a
member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, and the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC).
Etymology