Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the population of Malaysia was
28,334,135, making it the 42nd most populated country. The population of Malaysia consists of many ethnic
groups. Malays make up 50.4 per cent of the population, while other bumiputera make up another 11
per cent. According to constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs and culture. They play a
dominant role politically. Bumiputera status is also accorded to certain
non-Malay indigenous
peoples, including ethnic Thais, Khmers, Chams
and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. Non-Malay bumiputera make up more than half
of Sarawak's population and over two thirds of Sabah's population. There also
exist aboriginal groups in much smaller numbers on the peninsula,
where they are collectively known as the Orang Asli. Laws over who gets bumiputera status vary
between states.
Other minorities who lack bumiputera status
make up a large amount of the population. 23.7 per cent of the population are of Chinese
descent, while those of Indian descent comprise 7.1 per cent of the population. The Chinese
have historically been dominant in the business and commerce community, and
form a plurality of the population of Penang. Indians began migrating
to Malaysia in the early 19th century. The majority of the Indian community are
Tamils.
Malaysian
citizenship is not automatically granted to
those born in Malaysia, but is granted to a child born of two Malaysian parents
outside Malaysia. Dual citizenship is not permitted. Citizenship in the states
of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo are distinct from citizenship in Peninsular Malaysia for
immigration purposes. Every citizen is issued a biometric smart chip identity card known as MyKad at the age of 12, and must carry the card at all
times.
The education
system features a non-compulsory kindergarten education
followed by six years of compulsory primary education, and five years of
optional secondary education. Schools in the primary education system are
divided into two categories: national primary schools, which teach in Malay,
and vernacular schools, which teach in Chinese or Tamil. Secondary education is
conducted for five years. In the final year of secondary education, students
sit for the Malaysian Certificate of Education examination. Since the introduction of the matriculation programme in
1999, students who completed the 12-month programme in matriculation colleges
can enroll in local universities. However, in the matriculation system, only 10
per cent of places are open to non-bumiputera students.
The infant
mortality rate in 2009 was 6 deaths
per 1000 births, and life expectancy at birth in 2009 was 75 years. With the
aim of developing Malaysia into a medical tourism destination, 5 per cent of
the government social sector development budget is spent on health care. The population in concentrated on Peninsular
Malaysia where 20 million of approximately 28 million Malaysians
live. 70 per cent of the population is urban. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city in Malaysia, as
well as its main commercial and financial centre. Putrajaya, a purpose-built city constructed from 1999, is the
seat of government, as many executive and judicial branches of the federal
government were moved there to ease growing congestion within Kuala Lumpur.
Due to the rise in labour intensive industries, the
country is estimated to have over 3 million migrant workers; about 10 per
cent of the population. Sabah-based NGOs estimate that out of the
3 million that make up the population of Sabah, 2 million are illegal
immigrants. Malaysia hosts a population of refugees and asylum seekers
numbering approximately 171,500. Of this population, approximately 79,000 are
from Burma, 72,400 from the Philippines, and 17,700 from Indonesia. Malaysian
officials are reported to have turned deportees directly over to human
smugglers in 2007, and Malaysia employs RELA, a
volunteer militia with a history of controversies, to enforce its immigration
law.
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