The Human Truth Foundation

Malaysia

https://www.humantruth.info/malaysia.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

#malaysia

MalaysiaFlag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index55th best
CapitalKuala Lumpur (legislative/judicial) and Putrajaya (administrative)
Land Area 328 550km21
LocationAsia
Population31.5m2
Life Expectancy74.88yrs (2017)3
GNI$26 658 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesMY, MYS, 4585
Internet Domain.my6
CurrencyRinggit (MYR)7
Telephone+608

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

Book CoverMalaysia 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

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
59=Uruguay0.809
60Belarus0.808
61Panama0.805
62Malaysia0.803
63=Mauritius0.802
63=Georgia0.802
63=Serbia0.802
66Thailand0.800
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
51Russia$27 166
52Oman$27 054
53Panama$26 957
54Malaysia$26 658
55Seychelles$25 831
56Chile$24 563
57Kazakhstan$23 943
58Trinidad & Tobago$23 392
Asia Avg$22 215
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Denmark29.1
2Norway32.3
3Sweden34.1
...
52Serbia74.8
53Barbados75.5
54San Marino76.1
55Malaysia76.5
56Albania76.6
57Tunisia77.5
58Trinidad & Tobago77.7
59Peru78.0
Asia Avg92.0
World Avg88.9
q=199.

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: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Malaysia's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Malaysia's population is predicted to rise to 37.27 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.79. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - 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 (two new children for each set of parents who die), 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 highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.13

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
41Saudi Arabia33.7m
42Uzbekistan32.5m
43Peru32.0m
44Malaysia31.5m
45Angola30.8m
46Ghana29.8m
47Mozambique29.5m
48Venezuela28.9m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
60Lebanon75.0
61Grenada74.9
62Slovakia74.9
63Malaysia74.9
64Brunei74.6
65Hungary74.5
66Jordan74.3
67Serbia74.2
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
29Bahrain1.80
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
33El Salvador1.79
34Qatar1.78
35Bulgaria1.78
36St Vincent & Grenadines1.78
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
15
Pos.2016
Per 10015
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
92Iran13.4
93Samoa13.7
94Algeria14.0
95Malaysia14.5
96Guyana15.0
97Fiji15.3
98Mexico15.4
99Peru15.5
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.2017
%16
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
61Dominica9.2%
62Serbia9.1%
63Ivory Coast9.0%
64Malaysia8.5%
65Portugal8.5%
66Suriname8.5%
67Costa Rica8.4%
68Russia8.1%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants17
Pos.2010
%17
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
105Togo5.4%
106Ivory Coast5.4%
107Switzerland5.4%
108Malaysia5.3%
109Guinea5.2%
110Turkmenistan5.0%
111Mozambique5.0%
112Senegal5.0%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #malaysia #malaysia_gender #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank18
1Sweden6.1
2Denmark8.6
3Norway9.0
...
124Kazakhstan104.7
125Tonga105.5
126Benin105.6
127Malaysia105.8
128Tajikistan106.4
129Kenya106.8
Asia Avg103.00
World Avg86.55
q=199.
Malaysia is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Malaysia does worse than average in its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms19, eliminating modern slavery20, LGBT equality21 and in freethought22. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)23, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice24, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports25 (amongst the lowest in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights26 (amongst the worst in Asia). Malaysia "continued its crackdown on critical voices and human rights defenders in 2017". Malaysia already persecutes non-Muslims and thoroughly rejects human rights, but in 2017 it continued to deepen its Islam-based intolerance and prejudice even further27, and in 2017 was considering giving Shariah courts more powers27. Anti-free-speech laws are used to persecute critics even for minor and indirect criticisms of government policy27. LGBT and women's rights are both rejected.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

5. Malaysia's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #malaysia #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)28
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank28
1Japan41.2
2Hong Kong48.2
3=S. Korea49.9
3=Sri Lanka49.9
5Singapore51.1
6N. Korea51.3
7China58.6
8Malaysia61.3
9Vietnam64.1
10Thailand70.8
11Brunei71.2
12Cyprus72.8
13Maldives73.0
Asia Avg80.90
q=50.
Health (2025)28
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank28
1Monaco14.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Isle of Man32.1
...
23Channel Islands58.4
24China58.6
25Finland59.8
26Malaysia61.3
27Belgium61.5
28Luxembourg63.9
29Vietnam64.1
30Italy65.0
World Avg97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man29. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue29.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans29, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia29.

For more, see:

Health:

Public health in Malaysia is very good. Malaysia does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate30, its fertility rate14, its adolescent birth rate31, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance32, its immunizations take-up33, the prevalence of overweight adults34 and in its average life expectancy11. But, things could still be better. Malaysia does worse than average for its smoking rate35 (still good for Asia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Malaysia improved by +4.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Malaysia's peak fertility rate was 6.41 in 1960.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
60Lebanon75.0
61Grenada74.9
62Slovakia74.9
63Malaysia74.9
64Brunei74.6
65Hungary74.5
66Jordan74.3
67Serbia74.2
Asia Avg73.48
World Avg71.28
q=195.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
30
Pos.2016
Per Capita30
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
23=Indonesia0.8
23=Azerbaijan0.8
25Algeria0.9
26=Malaysia0.9
26=Comoros0.9
28Iran1.0
29=Vanuatu1.0
30Papua New Guinea1.2
Asia Avg3.9
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
14
Pos.202214
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
29Bahrain1.80
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
33El Salvador1.79
34Qatar1.78
35Bulgaria1.78
36St Vincent & Grenadines1.78
Asia Avg2.17
World Avg2.47
q=208.
Smoking Rates
Lower is better
35
Pos.201435
1Guinea 15
2Solomon Islands 26
3Kiribati 28
...
91Venezuela 565
92Uzbekistan 573
93Oman 577
94Malaysia 584
95Seychelles 590
96Jamaica 593
97N. Korea 610
98Fiji 618
Asia Avg1 035
World Avg 819
q=182.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
43Russia43
44Turkey44
45Mexico45
46Malaysia46
47Czechia47
48China48
49Singapore49
50Ecuador50
Asia Avg64.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
34
Pos.1976
%34
1Bangladesh4.7
2Vietnam5.1
3Nepal5.4
...
52=Sudan11.5
53Sao Tome & Principe11.7
54Congo, (Brazzaville)11.8
55Malaysia11.9
56=S. Korea12.3
56=Zambia12.3
58Gabon12.9
59Botswana13.6
Asia Avg23.1
World Avg27.1
q=191.
Adult Obesity
Lower is better
36
Pos.2022
%36
1Vietnam2.1%
2Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.2%
3Ethiopia2.4%
...
88Belgium22.0%
89Morocco22.1%
90Slovenia22.2%
91Malaysia22.4%
92Iceland22.6%
93Venezuela22.8%
94Israel23.4%
95Cuba23.5%
Asia Avg21.1%
World Avg24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
31
Pos.2022
Per 100031
1Hong Kong1.6
2Denmark1.8
3S. Korea2.1
...
37Croatia8.2
38Greece8.3
39Bahrain8.7
40Malaysia9.1
41Poland9.2
42Czechia9.4
43Bosnia & Herzegovina9.4
44France9.4
Asia Avg25.9
World Avg43.8
q=195.
Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
Higher is better
33
Pos.2015
Avg %33
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
47Tajikistan96.1
48Rwanda96.1
49Sao Tome & Principe96.0
50Malaysia96.0
51Croatia95.9
52Nicaragua95.9
53Tunisia95.7
54Japan95.7
Asia Avg90.5
World Avg88.3
q=194.

6. Malaysia's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)37
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank37
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Nepal47.9
3India49.5
...
24S. Korea84.0
25Cambodia84.0
26Taiwan86.1
27Malaysia89.5
28Palestine92.7
29Qatar94.1
30Saudi Arabia94.9
31Israel95.8
32=Laos97.0
Asia Avg86.44
q=51.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)37
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank37
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Uruguay43.2
3Switzerland45.0
...
117Jamaica88.6
118Fiji89.1
119Czechia89.3
120Malaysia89.5
121Lithuania89.5
122Paraguay91.0
123Equatorial Guinea91.2
124Belize91.3
World Avg84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"38. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

Malaysia ranks 120th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed from 21 data sets. Malaysia does better than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population39, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance40. Malaysia still has work to do. Malaysia does worse than average in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person41, energy to GDP efficiency42 and in its forested percent change 2000-202043. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its score on the Green Future Index44.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
43
Pos.Total43
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
157US Virgin Islands-1.9%
158Sri Lanka-2.5%
159Central African Rep.-2.6%
160Malaysia-2.9%
161S. Korea-2.9%
162Timor-Leste (E. Timor)-3.0%
163American Samoa-3.4%
164Rwanda-3.5%
Asia Avg3.2%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
40
Pos.201840
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
72Mexico59.7
73Dominica59.4
74Argentina59.3
75Malaysia59.2
76Antigua & Barbuda59.2
77UAE58.9
78Jamaica58.6
79Namibia58.5
Asia Avg54.5
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Lower is better
42
Pos.2022
Avg42
1Rwanda0.25
2Chad0.26
3Tanzania0.31
...
121Belgium1.49
122Panama1.49
123Uzbekistan1.52
124Malaysia1.53
125Vietnam1.55
126Estonia1.56
127Bosnia & Herzegovina1.60
128Kazakhstan1.63
Asia Avg1.50
World Avg1.23
q=165.
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Pos.Total
Avg Rate
1Sweden83%
2Canada82%
3Norway81%
...
62Sri Lanka65%
63Madagascar65%
64China64%
65Malaysia64%
66Botswana64%
67El Salvador64%
68Iran64%
69Argentina64%
Asia Avg55.4%
World Avg57.5%
q=197.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better
39
Pos.2011
%39
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
45Iran47.9%
46Turkey47.4%
47Sudan46.9%
48Malaysia46.6%
49Mozambique46.5%
50Laos45.3%
51Slovenia45.1%
52Spain44.8%
Asia Avg37.9%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
41
Pos.2021
kg41
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
114Slovakia63.5
115China63.6
116Netherlands63.8
117Malaysia65.3
118Belgium66.2
119Gabon66.3
120Sweden66.9
121Romania67.1
Asia Avg46.7
World Avg52.5
q=185.
Green Future Index
Higher is better
44
Pos.2023
Score44
1Iceland6.7
2Finland6.7
3Norway6.4
...
65Ghana3.8
66Uganda3.7
67Pakistan3.7
68Malaysia3.7
69=Guatemala3.6
69=Russia3.6
71Paraguay3.6
72Bangladesh3.5
Asia Avg4.3
World Avg4.8
q=76.

7. Malaysia's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #it_security #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Asia (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1S. Korea22.2
2Japan24.7
3Israel29.5
4Hong Kong31.2
5Singapore34.1
6Russia44.3
7Cyprus55.6
8Turkey55.9
9Malaysia59.4
10Kazakhstan59.8
11=Saudi Arabia62.0
12UAE64.3
13Georgia65.6
Asia Avg78.26
q=49.
Modernity & Learning (2020)45
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank45
1Finland7.1
2Belgium12.9
3Denmark13.6
...
53S. Africa56.9
54Serbia57.1
55Uruguay57.6
56Malaysia59.4
57Kazakhstan59.8
58=Saudi Arabia62.0
58=Tonga62.0
60UAE64.3
World Avg86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark46. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone46. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots47.

Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.

Bill Emmott (2017)48

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe46, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia46.

For more, see:

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2949
2Israel4.1149
3Japan3.5849
...
30Russia1.1949
31New Zealand1.1750
32Brazil1.1551
33Malaysia1.1351
34Turkey1.0149
35Lithuania0.9552
36Poland0.9449
37=Slovakia0.8949
Asia Avg0.75
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Secondary Education
Higher is better
53
Pos.201853
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
55France83.5%
56Sri Lanka82.8%
57Bosnia & Herzegovina81.2%
58Malaysia80.8%
59Cyprus80.3%
60Singapore79.6%
61Italy79.6%
62Hong Kong79.4%
Asia Avg66.0%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
54
Pos.2021
Years54
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
96Jamaica13.4
97Sao Tome & Principe13.4
98Palestine13.4
99Malaysia13.3
100Dominica13.3
101Andorra13.3
102Bhutan13.2
103Turkmenistan13.2
Asia Avg13.5
World Avg13.5
q=193.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
49Norway49
50Fiji50
51Dominica51
52Malaysia52
53Russia53
54St Lucia54
55Turkey55
56Armenia56
Asia Avg97.1
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Religiosity
Lower is better
55
Pos.2018
%55
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
66=Ecuador76
66=Costa Rica76
68Puerto Rico77
69=Malaysia77
69=Colombia77
71Dominican Rep.78
72=Iran78
72=Tunisia78
Asia Avg55.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better56
Pos.200656
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
46=Argentina93
46=Bulgaria93
48Ireland92
49=Malaysia92
49=Greece92
51Brunei91
52=Thailand91
52=Lithuania91
Asia Avg90.4
World Avg85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users
Higher is better
57
Pos.201657
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
58=Macedonia69%
58=Argentina69%
60Trinidad & Tobago69%
61Malaysia69%
62Greenland67%
63Portugal67%
64Brazil66%
65St Kitts & Nevis66%
Asia Avg48.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
Freedom On The Internet
Lower is better
58
Pos.201258
1Estonia10
2USA12
3Germany15
...
20India39
21Indonesia42
22=Libya43
22=Malaysia43
24Jordan45
25=Turkey46
25=Tunisia46
27Venezuela48
Asia Avg56.6
World Avg46.7
q=47.
IT Security
Lower is better
59
Pos.201359
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
39Spain0.88
40Kuwait0.93
41Saudi Arabia0.93
42Malaysia0.96
43Canada0.96
44Tajikistan1.01
45Brazil1.02
46Indonesia1.05
Asia Avg1.08
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
60
Pos.2017
Ratio60
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
14Peru18.3
15Ecuador18.2
16Estonia17.6
17Malaysia16.5
18Norway14.7
19Australia14.6
20Trinidad & Tobago14.5
21Finland14.1
Asia Avg2.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.
Digital Quality of Life
Higher is better
61
Pos.202461
1Germany77.9%
2Finland76.9%
3France73.9%
...
38Greece58.9%
39Qatar58.6%
40Saudi Arabia57.5%
41Malaysia57.5%
42Argentina56.2%
43UAE55.8%
44Chile55.0%
45China54.8%
Asia Avg46.4%
World Avg48.4%
q=121.

8. Malaysia's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Asia (2020)62
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank62
1Singapore20.2
2Taiwan37.2
3Hong Kong40.5
...
7Cyprus47.4
8Bhutan49.2
9S. Korea49.5
10Malaysia55.4
11Oman61.8
12Mongolia62.1
13Jordan65.4
14Indonesia65.9
15Kuwait66.3
Asia Avg79.59
q=49.
Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)62
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank62
1Denmark11.2
2Norway13.9
3Netherlands14.4
...
41Croatia52.9
42USA54.1
43Romania54.4
44Malaysia55.4
45Chile57.4
46Lithuania59.6
47Moldova59.7
48Latvia60.1
World Avg78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

National Culture:

World Giving Index
Higher is better
63
Pos.2022
%63
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
56=Slovakia41.0
56=Germany41.0
58Nepal40.0
59=Malaysia40.0
59=Nicaragua40.0
59=Senegal40.0
59=Estonia40.0
59=Uruguay40.0
Asia Avg37.9
World Avg39.6
q=125.
Corruption
Higher is better
64
Pos.2022
Points64
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
59Namibia49.0
60Vanuatu48.0
61=Jordan47.0
61=Malaysia47.0
63Armenia46.0
64=Romania46.0
65China45.0
66=Sao Tome & Principe45.0
Asia Avg39.98
World Avg42.98
q=180.
Happiness
Higher is better
65
Pos.2024
Score65
1Finland7.7
2Denmark7.5
3Iceland7.5
...
61Colombia6.0
62Ecuador6.0
63Honduras6.0
64Malaysia6.0
65Peru5.9
66Russia5.9
67Cyprus5.9
68China5.9
Asia Avg5.41
World Avg5.58
q=147.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
38Croatia38
39Bulgaria39
40Marshall Islands40
41Malaysia41
42Namibia42
43St Vincent & Grenadines43
44Cyprus44
45Japan45
Asia Avg99.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
16Togo16
17France17
18Singapore18
19Malaysia19
20Nicaragua20
21Portugal21
22Moldova22
23Hungary23
Asia Avg86.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
66
Pos.2023
Score66
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
16Netherlands1.49
17Bhutan1.50
18Hungary1.51
19Malaysia1.51
20Belgium1.52
21Qatar1.52
22Australia1.53
23Mauritius1.55
Asia Avg2.17
World Avg2.07
q=163.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
...
31Jordan31
32India32
33New Zealand33
34Malaysia34
35S. Korea35
36Qatar36
37Germany37
38Togo38
Asia Avg76.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
32
Pos.2017
Rank32
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
37Uruguay37
38Liberia38
39Turkey39
40Malaysia40
41Montenegro41
42Iceland42
43Hungary43
44Kenya44
Asia Avg92.2
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
67
Pos.2019
Score67
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
74Netherlands2.35
75Ecuador2.46
76Kuwait2.49
77Malaysia2.50
78Brazil2.53
79Ivory Coast2.60
80Australia2.65
81Congo, (Brazzaville)2.69
Asia Avg3.60
World Avg2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better68
Pos.201968
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
45Qatar5.70
46Kuwait5.90
47Maldives6.00
48=Malaysia6.10
48=Bulgaria6.10
50Chile6.30
51=USA6.30
51=Romania6.30
Asia Avg11.80
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
69
Pos.2023
%69
1Slovakia24.1%70
2Slovenia24.3%70
3Belarus24.4%71
...
123=Argentina40.7%72
123=Sao Tome & Principe40.7%73
123=Philippines40.7%70
123=Malaysia40.7%70
127Bolivia40.9%70
128Haiti41.1%74
129USA41.3%72
130Djibouti41.6%73
Asia Avg33.0%
World Avg36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #malaysia #religion #religion_in_malaysia #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)55
Pos.Lower is better
%55
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
66=Ecuador76
66=Costa Rica76
68Puerto Rico77
69=Malaysia77
69=Colombia77
71Dominican Rep.78
72=Iran78
72=Tunisia78
74Bangladesh80
75=India80
76Iraq82
77=El Salvador85
77=Jordan85
79Palestine86
80=Uganda86
80=Chad86
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)75
Pos.Higher is better
%75
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
104=Yemen0
104=Zambia0
104=Tanzania0
104=Malaysia0
104=Haiti0
104=Iraq0
104=Guinea0
104=Ghana0
104=Jordan0
104=Gambia0
104=Kenya0
104=Ethiopia0
104=Afghanistan0
104=Egypt0
104=Liberia0
104=Libya0
World Avg9.9
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 below76:

Christian9.4%
Muslim63.7%
Hindu6%
Buddhist17.7%
Folk Religion2.3%
Jewish0.1%
Unaffiliated0.7%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99.2% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 77% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

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)77.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Malaysia has a particular problem when it comes to human rights surrounding freedom of belief, with non-Muslims facing persecution and legal restrictions impacting on many aspects of their personal lives27, and deconversion from Islam is difficult, impossible, and illegal78.

Links: