Malaysia

Neither the effect of the war in Iraq, the regional outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome nor the sluggish global economy. Not the coming retirement of its long-term and much loved prime minister in October. Not even the intense competition from China for much-coveted foreign direct investment dollars.

Despite this formidable list of challenges, local and foreign business people alike seem generally positive that Malaysia and life in this dynamic country will just keep getting better. FULL STORY

Looking East: Japan and the Legacy of "Dr. M"

Regardless of whether or not one agrees with his policies or his opinions, it is difficult to find anyone living or working in Malaysia who doesn't respect the accomplishments and resolve of its long-serving prime minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He is stepping down voluntarily this October, but the marks he has left will continue to shape the country's future for decades to come.
Dr. Mahathir's close guidance, strong will and genuine passion for the continued evolution of his homeland has not only put the country on the road to developed nation status but has also kept it steadily on course through the bumpy stretches along the way. His effective leadership has kept him in office for 23 years while his business savvy earned him epithets such as the "CEO of Malaysia, Inc." and "Malaysia's Best Known Brand Name". FULL STORY

Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

An affordable Asian sampler

Malaysia offers visitors multiple views of the wonders of Asia's continent and islands.

There's probably not a single CNN watcher who can't hum the tune to the "Malaysia, Truly Asia" advertising campaign. This aggressive and prolific effort by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board - combined with the government's approach to controlling the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - continues to help attract visitors to the country.

Going into 2003, the Tourism Board had set some lofty goals for itself. After hosting 13.3 million tourists during 2002 (up 4 percent from the previous year), Malaysia was hoping to set a record for itself by recording numbers in excess of 15 million.

Figures from the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Malaysia Institute of Economic Research estimate that the tourism industry contributed about $11.2 billion to the national GDP in 2002. That's up 8.9 percent from 2001.

Mulu National Park in Sarawak

Yet, it remains unclear if the current slump facing the global tourism industry will keep the country from reaching its goal. Last year, events such as the 9/11 attacks on the US and the Bali bombing the following year prevented Malaysia from reaching its 14 million visitor target. But this year early indicators are positive.

The first two months of 2003 saw just over 2 million tourists entering Malaysia, up from about 1.8 million for the same period the previous year. Among the countries registering a growing number of tourists were Saudi Arabia (up 53.5 percent), Japan (up 28.5 percent) and Indonesia (up 11 percent). Most countries showing a decreased number of tourists were North American and European.

Malaysia offers some of the best diving in Asia.
All kinds of access
The slogan "Malaysia, Truly Asia" isn't just a catchy little rhyme. It's accurate as well. "Our culture is a blend of Chinese, Indian and Bumiputra (native Malay). We have the Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian faiths here. We have islands, beaches, jungles, mountains and world-class shopping," says Datuk Abdullah Jonid, director general of the Tourism Promotion Board. "There is something for everyone to see and do in Malaysia."

Complementing the multi cultural and multi faceted allure of Malaysia as a tourist destination is its overall accessibility and affordability. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) makes getting to Malaysia from anywhere on earth a pleasurable experience. On the sleek KLIA Express rapid transit system, the city center can be reached in 28 minutes for under $10.

From Kuala Lumpur, a network of domestic flights can carry passengers to all of the most popular tourist destinations. From KLIA, the national carrier Malaysia Airlines and its main rival Air Asia offer many domestic round-trip tickets for under $100.

Exotic examples:

Kuala Lumpur: The heart of Malaysia beats loud and strong throughout the streets of the capital city. Clean, green and boasting a host of ultra-modern skyscrapers - including the Petronas Twin Towers, currently the world's tallest buildings, this city of less than 2 million offers shopping to rival Hong Kong and Singapore and a dazzling taste of Malay, Chinese and Indian art, food and culture as well as enough nightlife to satisfy any appetite.

Penang: This island-state off the northwest coast is not only known as the "Silicon Island of Malaysia" but also "The Pearl of the Orient." Perfect for a mixture of business and pleasure, Penang's white sand beaches are a short drive from its high-tech industrial parks. Established as a British trading post in 1786, the island's architecture still maintains a lot of colonial flavor. A trishaw ride through the historic sections of George Town gives visitors a true taste of the old English Empire.

Cameroon Highlands: Sitting 1,524 meters above sea level, the cooler climate of the Highlands made the area a prime location for British tea plantations as well as a range of other indigenous fruits and flowers. Tours of working tea plantations, golf courses and old English country-style inns are just a few of the area's attractions. This is also the region where Thai silk magnate Jim Thompson mysteriously vanished in 1967.

Ancient cultural traditions live on in the country.

Tioman: Made famous posing as the island paradise of "Bali Ha'i" in the 1958 film "South Pacific," Tioman (off the east coast) is a major attraction for sun worshipers, snorkelers and scuba divers. It is only 39 kms long and 12 kms wide, but the island is home to backpacker-style bungalows and five-star resorts.

Explore the jungle on the Canopy Walk in Kepong.

Malaysian Borneo: Two states, Sarawak and Sabah, make up the Malaysian portion of Borneo (shared with Indonesia). Far less developed than the peninsula, Malaysian Borneo offers both land and sea adventures in the form of scuba diving, sea kayaking, jungle trekking and animal watching. The island is home to Mt Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia (4,101 meters), as well as the world-renowned Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center.

The pearl of both business and pleasure in Malaysia
Building on ambition
An investment in friendship
Asia's high-tech nirvana beckons to foreign capital and partnerships
Industrial output surges at the start of the 2nd quarter
Exports rise, imports fall in April
Value Added: Catapulting Malaysian business to the next level
Matsushita in Malaysia - a look at a local giant

Healthy developments in health care
Malaysia unveils tourism stimulus package
People power the Malaysian way
Mastering the material world
The real properties of success
PATA awards 2005 travel market to Malaysia
Building without boundaries
More than playing their parts

Malaysia

Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Area: 328,550 sq km
Population: 24.53 million
Currency: Ringgit (RM)
Average exchange rate: $1=3.80

Investments(2002)
Foreign: $3.09 billion
Domestic: $1.85 billion
Total: $4.94 billion

Top five exports:
Electrical and electronic products, Palm oil, Chemicals and chemical products, Liquefied

Major export markets (percentage share)
US (16.9 percent), Singapore (16.4 percent), Japan (11.5 percent), China (6.8 percent), Hong Kong (6.6 percent).

Major sources of imports (value) Japan ($1.05 billion), US ($1.0 billion), Singapore ($0.78 billion), China ($0.5 billion), Republic of Korea ($0.32 billion)

GDP: $200 billion (2001 est.)
GDP growth: 4.1%
GDP per capita: $3,626.58
Inflation rate: 1.5% (2003 forecast)
Unemployment rate: 3.4%

Exports: $8.0 billion
Imports: $6.35 billion

natural gas, Crude petroleum

Top five imports:
Electrical and electronic products, Chemical and chemical products, Machinery, appliances and parts, Metal products, Iron and steel products Source: Malaysia External Trade Development corporation (MATRADE), Malaysia Industrial Development Authority, The world Factbook 2002, Department of statistics, Malaysia

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