C, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador GHAZZALI bin Sheikh
Abdul Khalid chancery: Los Angeles and New York FAX: [1] (202) 483-7661
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2700

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Marie T. HUHTALA embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur; American
Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152 telephone: Flag description:
14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom);
there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow
crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are
traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US

Economy Malaysia

Economy - overview: Malaysia, a middle income country, transformed itself
from 1971 through the late 1990s from a producer of raw materials into
an emerging multi-sector economy. Growth is almost exclusively driven
by exports - particularly of electronics - and, as a result Malaysia was
hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the Information
Technology (IT) sector in 2001. GDP in 2001 grew only 0.3% due to an
estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal stimulus
package has mitigated the worst of the recession and the economy is
expected to grow by 2% to 3% in 2002 as the world economy rebounds. Kuala
Lumpur's healthy foreign exchange reserves and relatively small external
debt make it unlikely that Malaysia will experience a crisis similar
to the crisis of 1997, but the economy remains vulnerable to a more
protracted downturn in the US and Japan, top export destinations and
key sources of foreign investment.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $200 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 0.3% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12% industry: 40% services:
48% (2001)

Population below poverty line: 8% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 38.4% (1997 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 49.2 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 9.9 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: local tra