Malaysia is a beautiful country. No doubt about it.
One day I shall conquer Kinabalu.
And wade the beaches of Redang.
Hike through its rainforests......
Run through its paddy fields.....
Or navigate through its mangrove while watching fireflies at night.......
Yes. Malaysia is beautiful, diverse in its culture and heritage.
I was reminded recently that I was suppose to have a 2nd post. Well, this one will be more light hearted. Pictures are not mine, they were all plucked out from Google Images. So I sincerely hope that no one will sue me for this. Please don't sue me. The only reason I took them is because the pictures were great.
Anyways, I grew up in Petaling Jaya, a satelite city of Kuala Lumpur. Born in 1987, I remember cycling through the streets back in the days when there was no Ipod, Nintendo Wii and internet for that matter. I still remember running barefoot on the sands of the playground near my house almost everyday. Sands that have tasted both my sweat and blood, as they have always provided a landing when I fell. Sands that have sensed the excitement in my feet and the creativity of my hands. Tanah air.
My sweetest childhood memories were made in Malaysia. High school, college, were all middle class suburban of nature. All made in Malaysia. No matter where I go, home is still home. The feeling you get after returning home after a long period of absence is irreplacable. To sleep in your own bed....... the comfort, safety and familiarity.
When we were younger, we lived carelessly, blissful, ignorant to the basic things that gave us comfort, taking for granted (this is the view of a middle class suburban kid, fortunate enough to experience these luxuries). As we grew older, we realised that these were not free, our parents had to work hard to provide for us, and that now it is time to take responsibility and ownership of our lives, to provide for ourselves and for them.
I guess its the same with our country. Malaysia is truly an awesome place, made me who I am today. And I have become a working adult now. Time to take some sort of ownership eh.......
To be honest I am pretty ignorant to a lot of what is happening in the country, living in my own little bubble, not really taking time to walk in the shoes of others. So I decided to take a closer look at Malaysia. My tool: the internet.
Here are some stats on Malaysia, all plucked out from various sources from the internet. Please don't ask me on the validity of the information, I have no idea, and it would be great to get some input from others if its wrong. But I think it shouldn't be too far off from the truth........
Population:
26,160,256 (July 2010 est.)
source: https://www.cia.gov
Although I think our population in the country is probably more than that. Its probably about 28 million.
Population by Age Group:-
Migrants:-
Source: Dept of Statistics of Msia
Ethnicity:-
Religion:-
Muslim 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)
Christianity by States:-
(2000 Census)
| State | Adherents | % of Population |
|---|---|---|
| Johor | 54,920 | 2.0% |
| Kedah | 12,569 | 0.8% |
| Kelantan | 2,575 | 0.2% |
| Melaka | 22,392 | 3.7% |
| Negeri Sembilan | 22,405 | 2.7% |
| Pahang | 14,749 | 1.2% |
| Perak | 61,175 | 3.1% |
| Perlis | 992 | 0.5% |
| Penang | 44,323 | 3.6% |
| Sabah | 691,096 | 28% |
| Sarawak | 852,198 | 42.4% |
| Selangor (including Federal Territory of Putrajaya) | 166,018 | 4.2% |
| Terengganu | 2,641 | 0.3% |
| Federal Territory | Adherents | % of Population |
| Kuala Lumpur | 71,819 | 5.5% |
| Labuan | 8,933 | 12.6% |
Highest number of Christians are from Sabah & Sarawak.
Languages:-
Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai
Internet users:-
| 026 |  Malaysia | 16,902,600 | 65.7% | 2009 |
More than 10 million Malaysians will not be able to read this post.
Income:-
Population below poverty line:-5.1% (2002 est.)
Source: CIA
Literacy:-
People living with HIV/AIDS:-
80,000 (2007 est.)
Labour Force:-
Employment | 2010 1st Qtr | 2010 April |
| Labour Force ('000) | 11,468.7 | 11,848.2 |
| Employed ('000) | 11,047.6 | 11,473.5 |
| Unemployed ('000) | 421.1 | 374.7 |
| Unemployment Rate (% of Labour Force) | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| Labour Force Participation Rate (%) (% of working age population 15-64 years) | 62.6 | 63.7 |
Source: Labour Force Survey, Department of Statistics, Malaysia
| | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Acquitted | 4,265 | | [21st of 30] |
| Bribe payers index | 3.9 | | [15th of 19] |
| Burglaries | 32,913 | | [21st of 38] |
| Burglaries (per capita) | 1.37407 per 1,000 people | | [33rd of 54] |
| Car thefts | 55,879 | | [13th of 46] |
| Car thefts (per capita) | 2.33286 per 1,000 people | | [16th of 55] |
| Convicted | 51,433 | | [32nd of 34] |
| Convicted (per capita) | 2.14725 per 1,000 people | | [42nd of 56] |
| Drug offences | 48.6 per 100,000 people | | [19th of 46] |
| Embezzlements | 4,212 | | [14th of 36] |
| Embezzlements (per capita) | 0.175844 per 1,000 people | | [24th of 44] |
| Frauds | 2,000 | | [37th of 48] |
| Frauds (per capita) | 0.0834968 per 1,000 people | | [51st of 61] |
| Illicit drugs drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties; heroin still primary drug of abuse, but synthetic drug demand remains strong; continued ecstasy and methamphetamine producer for domestic users and, to a lesser extent, the regional drug market | |||
| Jails | 26,294 | | [1st of 80] |
| Jails (per capita) | 1.09773 per 1,000 people | | [5th of 62] |
| Judges and Magistrates | 357 | | [31st of 35] |
| Judges and Magistrates (per capita) | 0.0149042 per 1,000 people | | [43rd of 45] |
| Murders | 551 | | [24th of 49] |
| Murders (per capita) | 0.0230034 per 1,000 people | | [34th of 62] |
| Police | 82,383 | | [14th of 47] |
| Police (per capita) | 3.43936 per 1,000 people | | [13th of 48] |
| Prisoners | 39,258 prisoners | | [33rd of 168] |
| Prisoners > Female | 9% | | [8th of 134] |
| Prisoners > Foreign prisoners | 39.6% | | [11th of 86] |
| Prisoners > Per capita | 161 per 100,000 people | | [54th of 164] |
| Prisoners > Pre-trial detainees | 30.7% | | [72nd of 143] |
| Prisoners > Share of prison capacity filled | 122.5% | | [57th of 128] |
| Rapes | 1,210 | | [26th of 50] |
| Rapes (per capita) | 0.0505156 per 1,000 people | | [38th of 65] |
| Robberies | 14,696 | | [22nd of 47] |
| Robberies (per capita) | 0.613535 per 1,000 people | | [26th of 64] |
| Software piracy rate | 59% | | [59th of 107] |
| Total crimes | 167,173 | | [32nd of 50] |
| Total crimes (per capita) | 6.97921 per 1,000 people | | [50th of 60] |
Corruption Index:-
| Rank | Country | Index | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2009[15] | 2008[16] | 2007[17] | 2006[18] | 2005[19] | 2004[20] | 2003 | 2002 | |
| 1 |  New Zealand | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.4 |
| 2 |  Denmark | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| 3 |  Singapore | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| 3 |  Sweden | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.0 |
| 5 |  Switzerland | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| 6 |  Finland | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
| 6 |  Netherlands | 8.9 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
| 8 |  Australia | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| 8 |  Canada | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| 8 |  Iceland | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| 11 |  Norway | 8.6 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 8.6 |
| 12 |  Hong Kong | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| 12 |  Luxembourg | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| 14 |  Germany | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.4 |
| 14 |  Ireland | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 7.5 |
| 16 |  Austria | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| 17 |  Japan | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| 17 |  United Kingdom | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.3 |
| 19 |  United States | 7.5 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.6 |
| 20 |  Barbados | 7.4 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.9 | |||
| 21 |  Belgium | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| 22 |  Qatar | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.6 | ||
| 22 |  Saint Lucia | 7.0 | 7.1 | 6.8 | |||||
| 24 |  France | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 6.7 |
| 25 |  Chile | 6.7 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 25 |  Uruguay | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| 27 |  Cyprus | 6.6 | 6.4 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.1 | |
| 27 |  Estonia | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| 27 |  Slovenia | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.2 |
| 30 |  United Arab Emirates | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.2 | |
| 31 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.1 | |||||
| 32 |  Israel | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 7.3 |
| 32 |  Spain | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.0 |
| 34 |  Dominica | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| 35 |  Portugal | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 6.3 |
| 35 |  Puerto Rico | 5.8 | 5.8 | ||||||
| 37 |  Botswana | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 6.4 |
| 37 |  Taiwan | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.6 |
| 39 |  Brunei | 5.5 | |||||||
| 39 |  Oman | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.3 | |
| 39 |  South Korea | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| 42 |  Mauritius | 5.4 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| 43 |  Costa Rica | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| 43 |  Macau | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 6.6 | ||||
| 45 |  Malta | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 6.4 | |||
| 46 |  Bahrain | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.1 | |
| 46 |  Cape Verde | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.9 | |||||
| 46 |  Hungary | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| 49 |  Bhutan | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.0 | |||||
| 49 |  Jordan | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| 49 |  Poland | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
| 52 |  Czech Republic | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| 52 |  Lithuania | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| 54 |  Seychelles | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.4 | ||
| 55 |  South Africa | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| 56 |  Latvia | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| 56 | Malaysia | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.9 |
This post took a bit of time, but looking at the statistics, I guess I can't really say that my life is terrible. So many more people are less fortunate than myself. We were given the opportunity to study abroad, to learn and equip ourselves. Let us not put it to waste.
Poverty, education, crime, corruption........... to put a few issues.
There is so much to do here in our country. But if the brain drain continues, then it will be hard.
Some might think that there is no hope. But I believe God hasn't given up yet.
This is still home. Our home. Come back and take ownership of it.
Some of us might be like Moses, we might not be able to enter the promise land. But let fight for them.
Patrick Sim
Adelaide
2006-2008
7 comments:
*likes*
nice one, patrick! ;)
what r u still doing in Adelaide?
Dear Davin,
There's a place that we sign our names off with for every post - the place where we spent most of our time in when we were abroad.
The year in brackets beside the place denotes the years which we were away.
Hopefully we'll be able to give our readers an idea of where we were and how long we were away for/how long we've been back for.
So, Patrick is safe and sound in good ol' Malaysia and has been since early 2009 :)
Cheers,
E.
this tugged strings of my heart...
wow.. the stats looks like something something I'd search for at work. heh.
great effort, Patrick... glad u came back. :)
Yes. Malaysia is beautiful country, it has got unity in diversity in its culture and people. Wonderful information. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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