percent of vote by
party--National Front 63%, other 37%; seats by party--National Front
162, DAP 9, PBS 8, PAS 7, Spirit of '46 6; note--subsequent to the
election there was a change in the distribution of seats, the
current distribution is--National Front 168, DAP 8, PAS 8, PBS 5,
independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the paramount
ruler on the advice of the prime minister

Political parties and leaders:
Peninsular Malaysia: National Front (a confederation of 13 political
parties dominated by United Malays National Organization or UMNO
Sarawak: National Front, composed of the Party Pesaka Bumiputra
note: subsequent to the election, the following parties were
president] and Sabah United Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah) or PBS

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C,
CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIL, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dato' GHAZZALI Sheikh Abdul Khalid
chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE
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

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

Economy--overview: After a decade of 8% average GDP growth, the
Malaysian economy--severely hit by the regional financial
crisis--declined 7% in 1998. Malaysia will likely remain in recession
for the first half of 1999; official statistics continue to show
anemic exports, and some private financial analysts forecast a
further drop in GDP of 1% in 1999. Prime Minister MAHATHIR has
imposed capital controls to protect the local currency while cutting
interest rates to stimulate the econom