Malaysia

Malaysia
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	67th best
Capital	Kuala Lumpur (legislative/judical) and Putrajaya (administrative)
Land Area	328 550km21
Location	Asia
Population	29.3m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	74.90yrs (2017)3
GNI	$24 620 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	MY, MYS, 4585
Internet Domain	.my6
Currency	Ringgit (MYR)7
Telephone	+608

1. Overview
2. Malaysia National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Malaysia offers steamy jungles packed with wildlife, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands, culinary sensations and multi-ethnic cultures. Malaysia is like two countries in one, cleaved in half by the South China Sea. The multicultural peninsula flaunts Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, while Borneo hosts a wild jungle of orang-utans, granite peaks and remote tribes. Throughout these two regions is an impressive variety of microcosms ranging from the space-age high-rises of Kuala Lumpur to the smiling longhouse villages of Sarawak.

And then there´s the food. Malaysia (particularly along the peninsular west coast) has one of the best assortments of cuisines in the world. Start with Chinese-Malay `Nonya´ fare, move on to Indian curries, Chinese buffets, Malay food stalls and even impressive Western food.

Yet despite all the pockets of ethnicities, religions, landscapes and the sometimes-great distances between them, the beauty of Malaysia lies in the fusion of it all into a country that is one of the safest, most stable, diverse but manageable in all of Southeast Asia.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Malaysia National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
56	Kazakhstan	56
57	Bulgaria	56
58	Bahamas	58
59	Malaysia	59
60	Palau	60
61	Panama	60
62	Antigua & Barbuda	62
63	Seychelles	63
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.3
2	Sweden	81.7
3	Norway	80.9
	...
64	Mexico	58.2
65	Peru	57.9
66	Suriname	57.3
67	Malaysia	57.2
68	Belize	56.4
69	Dominican Rep.	56.3
70	Panama	56.2
71	Bulgaria	56.0
	World Avg	53.8
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
92	Iran	13.4
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
98	Mexico	15.4
99	Peru	15.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
105	Togo	5.4
106	Ivory Coast	5.4
107	Switzerland	5.4
108	Malaysia	5.3
109	Guinea	5.2
110	Turkmenistan	5.0
111	Mozambique	5.0
112	Senegal	5.0
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
93	India	2.55
94	Germany	1.44
95	Laos	2.58
96	Malaysia	2.58
97	Hungary	1.42
98	Romania	1.42
99	Japan	1.40
100	Poland	1.40
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
60	Denmark	8.8
61	Russia	8.7
62	Portugal	8.6
63	Malaysia	8.4
64	Dominica	8.3
65	Slovenia	8.1
66	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.9
67	Ghana	7.6
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
71	Algeria	75.03
72	Georgia	75.02
73	Tunisia	74.98
74	Malaysia	74.90
75	Armenia	74.89
76	Romania	74.84
77	Peru	74.81
78	Brazil	74.75
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
41	Nepal	31.0m
42	Venezuela	29.9m
43	Peru	29.7m
44	Malaysia	29.3m
45	Saudi Arabia	28.7m
46	Uzbekistan	28.1m
47	Yemen	25.6m
48	Ghana	25.5m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Malaysia's population is predicted to rise to 37.27 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 2.58. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015)18
Pos.		Lower is better18
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
56	Ukraine	0.28
57	Uzbekistan	0.29
58	Tunisia	0.29
59	Malaysia	0.29
60	Barbados	0.29
61	Armenia	0.29
62	Cuba	0.30
63	Costa Rica	0.31
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote19
Pos.		Lower is better Year19
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
112	Gabon	1956
113	Egypt	1956
114	Comoros	1956
115	Malaysia	1957
116	Laos	1958
117	Hungary	1958
118	Chad	1958
119	Nigeria	1958
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Malaysia and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Malaysia is on the way towards ending gender inequality but women are still in an unfavourable position much of the time.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Religiosity (2009)20
Pos.		Lower is better %20
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
96	Philippines	96
97	Nigeria	96
98	Cameroon	96
99	Malaysia	96
100	Afghanistan	97
101	Comoros	97
102	Egypt	97
103	Morocco	97
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)21
Pos.		Higher is better21
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
104	Yemen	0
105	Zambia	0
106	Tanzania	0
107	Malaysia	0
108	Haiti	0
109	Iraq	0
110	Guinea	0
111	Ghana	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₂:

Christian	9.4%
Muslim	63.7%
Hindu	6%
Buddhist	17.7%
Folk Religion	2.3%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.7%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (or Islam - official) 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8% (2000 census)₂₃.

Malaysia has a particular problem when it comes to human rights surrounding freedom of belief, especially when it comes to issues surrounding Islam. The following case illustrates the depth of the problems:

“A few years ago, Lina Joy, a Malaysian who had been born a Muslim, started proceedings in civil court to obtain the right to marry her Christian fiancé and have children. She maintained that she had converted from Islam to Christianity and, consequently, did not need the permission of the Islamic sharia courts that typically governed such matters for Muslims in Malaysia. The lower civil courts ruled against her, and ultimately she brought the case to the nation's highest court, which - in May 2007 - rejected her appeal. Thus, her official identity card still designates her religion as Muslim. The high court ruled that one cannot, at one's whim and fancy, renounce a religion. Lina Joy continues to endure many death threats from Muslims who consider her an apostate and she lives in hiding. Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a Muslim human rights lawyer who helped with her case, has received one death threat that was widely circulated by e-mail. This e-mail featured his picture, with the heading "Wanted Dead" and the text "This is the face of the traitorous lawyer to Islam who supports the Lina Joy apostasy case."”

"Bad Faith: The Danger of Religious Extremism" by Neil J. Kressel (2007)₂₄

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012), in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Malaysia states:

“The constitution protects freedom of religion or belief. However, portions of the constitution as well as other laws and policies restrict this freedom. Prosecutions for blasphemy usually target those who offend Islam, but an insult to any religion can give rise to prosecution. Every Malaysian citizen over the age of 12 must carry an identification card, a 'MyKad', which must state the bearer's religion. This requirement alone appears to breach the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPT) under which States have no right to demand to know the religion of any of their citizens; a point reinforced by Section 3 of General Comment 22 of the Human Rights Committee: 'In accordance with articles 18.2 and 17, no one can be compelled to reveal his thoughts or adherence to a religion or belief.' But, in addition, the government has a history of limiting how citizens can identify their religion.₂₅

The constitution defines ethnic Malays as Muslim. Authorities at the state level administer Sharia laws through Islamic courts and have jurisdiction over all Muslims. Sharia laws and the degree of their enforcement vary by state. State governments impose Sharia law on Muslims in some cultural and social matters but generally do not interfere with the religious practices of non-Muslim communities; however, debates continued regarding incorporating elements of Sharia law, such as khalwat (being in close physical proximity with an unrelated member of the opposite sex), into secular civil and criminal law. Although specific punishments for violation of khalwat vary from state to state, it is typically punishable by some combination of imprisonment up to two years, a fine of RM 3,000 ($940)₂₆, or several strokes of the cane.

Amending the penal code is the exclusive prerogative of the federal government. Despite contradicting federal law, the state governments of Kelantan and Terengganu passed laws in 1993 and 2002, respectively, making apostasy a capital offense. Apostasy is defined as the conversion from Islam to another faith. No one has been convicted under these laws and, according to a 1993 statement by the Attorney General, the laws cannot be enforced absent a constitutional amendment. Nationally, Muslims who seek to convert to another religion must first obtain approval from a Sharia court to declare themselves "apostates." This effectively prohibits the conversion of Muslims, since Sharia courts seldom grant such requests and can impose penalties (such as enforced "rehabilitation") on apostates. Additionally, Articles 295-298A of the penal code allow up to three years in prison and a US $1,000 fine penalties for those who "commit offenses against religion", which covers "blasphemous" statements, usually against Islam.”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₂₇

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

6. The Internet

Freedom On The Internet (2012)28
Pos.		Lower is better28
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
20	India	39
21	Indonesia	42
22	Libya	43
23	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25	Turkey	46
26	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)29
Pos.		Higher is better29
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
58	Macedonia	69%
59	Argentina	69%
60	Trinidad & Tobago	69%
61	Malaysia	69%
62	Greenland	67%
63	Portugal	67%
64	Brazil	66%
65	St Kitts & Nevis	66%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)30
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio30
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
14	Peru	18.3
15	Ecuador	18.2
16	Estonia	17.6
17	Malaysia	16.5
18	Norway	14.7
19	Australia	14.6
20	Trinidad & Tobago	14.5
21	Finland	14.1
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

IT Security (2013)31
Pos.		Lower is better31
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
39	Spain	0.88
40	Kuwait	0.93
41	Saudi Arabia	0.93
42	Malaysia	0.96
43	Canada	0.96
44	Tajikistan	1.01
45	Brazil	1.02
46	Indonesia	1.05
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)18
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100018
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
42	Estonia	13.1
43	Poland	13.4
44	Bahrain	13.5
45	Malaysia	13.6
46	Latvia	13.6
47	Australia	14.1
48	UK	14.6
49	Sri Lanka	14.8
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)32
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita32
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
28	Syria	1.2
29	Maldives	1.2
30	Djibouti	1.3
31	Malaysia	1.3
32	Vanuatu	1.4
33	Qatar	1.5
34	Tunisia	1.5
35	Tuvalu	1.5
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)33
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %33
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
47	Tajikistan	96.1
48	Rwanda	96.1
49	Sao Tome & Principe	96.0
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)34
Pos.		Lower is better34
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
91	Venezuela	565
92	Uzbekistan	573
93	Oman	577
94	Malaysia	584
95	Seychelles	590
96	Jamaica	593
97	Korea, N.	610
98	Fiji	618
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. Politics and Freedom

Corruption (2012-2016)35
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score35
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
51	Hungary	52.4
52	Georgia	52.4
53	Czech Rep.	51.8
54	Malaysia	50.0
55	Namibia	50.0
56	Slovakia	49.0
57	Jordan	48.6
58	Bahrain	48.4
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)36
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties36
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
187	Singapore	5
188	Nauru	5
189	Marshall Islands	4
190	Myanmar (Burma)	4
191	Palau	4
192	Malaysia	4
193	Bhutan	3
194	Kiribati	3
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)37
Pos.		Lower is better Rank37
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
112	Senegal	111
113	Colombia	111
114	Kuwait	111
115	Malaysia	115
116	Russia	115
117	Qatar	117
118	UAE	118
119	Guinea-Bissau	118
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)38
Pos.		Lower is better38
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
141	Congo, DR	4166
142	Cambodia	4181
143	Bangladesh	4201
144	Malaysia	4273
145	Palestine	4309
146	Philippines	4311
147	Russia	4342
148	Singapore	4343
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries