abah, 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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIL, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador DALI Mahmud Hashim
chancery: 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2700
FAX: [1] (202) 483-7661
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John R. MALOTT
embassy: 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
mailing address: P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur or American
Embassy Kuala Lumpur, APO AP 96535-8152
telephone: [60] (3) 248-9011
FAX: [60] (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: After decades of high GDP growth, Malaysia's
economy-shaken by the ongoing regional financial crisis in 1997/98-is
forecast by the government to grow only 4%-5% in 1998; private
forecasts project the growth rate could be as low as 2%. The sharp
decline in local currency and stock markets forced Kuala Lumpur to
announce tough cost-cutting measures-on top of a contractionary
budget-to further reduce the current account deficit to 3% of GDP in
1998 from 5.5% in 1997. To achieve this goal, Kuala Lumpur will cut
government spending by 20% and continue to slash big-ticket imports
and defer large-scale infrastructure projects. Government austerity
and slower growth mean increased unemployment and higher interest
rates that will bite into corporate earnings.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$227 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 7.4% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$11,100 (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 45%
services: 41% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 36% (1996)

Labor force:
total: 8.398 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: manufacturing 25%, agriculture, forestry, an