Political parties and leaders: State Reform Party or STAR [PATAV
Rubis]; Democratic Action Party or DAP ; Gerakan Rakyat
Malaysia ; Liberal Democratic Party ;
Malaysian Chinese Association or MCA ; Malaysian
Indian Congress or MIC ; National Front or NF [MAHATHIR
bin Mohamad] (a coalition of 14 political parties, dominated by the
UMNO, and including the UPKO, SAPP, and the Liberal Democratic Party);
National Justice Party or NJP ; Parti Akar
; Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak or PBDS [Datuk
Leo MOGGIE]; Parti Bersekutu ; Parti Islam SeMalaysia
or PAS ; Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu or
PBB ; Sabah People's
Progressive Party or SAPP ; Sabah People's United Party
(Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) or PBRS ; Sarawak
National Party or SNAP ; Sarawak United
People's Party or SUPP ; United
Kadazan People's Organization or UPKO (formerly Parti Demokratik
Sabah) ; United Malays National Organization or UMNO
; United Sabah Party (main opposition party) (Parti Bersatu
Sabah) or PBS
note: subsequent to the election, the following parties were dissolved
- Spirit of '46 or Semangat '46
and Sabah United Party (Parti Bersatu Sabah) or PBS [Datuk Seri Joseph
PAIRIN Kitingan]
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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dato' GHAZZALI Sheikh Abdul Khalid chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 328-2700 FAX: (202) 483-7661 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 telephone: (3) 2168-5000 FAX: (3) 242-2207
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
@Malaysia:Economy
Economy - overview: Malaysia made a quick economic recovery in 1999 from its worst recession since independence in 1957. GDP grew 5%, responding to a dynamic export sector, which grew over 10% and fiscal stimulus from higher government spending. The large export surplus has enabled the country to build up its already substantial financial reserves, to $31 billion at yearend 1999. This stable macroeconomic environment, in which both inflation and unemployment stand at 3% or less, has made possible the relaxation of most of the capital controls imposed by the government in 1998 to counter the impact of the Asian financial crisis. Government and private forecasters expect Malaysia to continue this trend in 2000, predicting GDP to grow another 5% to 6%. While Malaysia's immediate economic horizon looks bright, its long-term prospects are clouded by the lack of reforms in the corporate sector, particularly those dealing with competitiveness and high corporate debt.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $229.1 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,700 (1999 est.)