GENERAL INFORMATION

The Federation of Malaysia comprises of 11 states (namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, and Terengganu) in Peninsular Malaysia, and the 2 states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. In addition to the 13 states, there are three Federal Territories, which is administered under the authority of the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing. At present, the three Federal Territories are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. Malaysia is situated between 2° and 7° to the North of the Equator line, Peninsular Malaysia is separated from Sabah and Sarawak by the South China Sea. In the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia lies Thailand, and in the south is Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak are bounded by Indonesia while Sarawak also shares borders with Brunei

Malaysia Flag and Coat of Arms: The Malaysian flag, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory), and the Malaysian coat of arms are symbols of the nation's stateliness and sovereignty. The Government encourages the flying of the Jalur Gemilang particularly during the Month of Independence in August as an expression of love, loyalty, and pride for the country.

The coat of arms of Malaysia (Jata Negara) is comprising a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for a crest and a motto. As the Malaysian coat of arms descended from that of the Federated Malay States under British colonial rule, it resembles European heraldic designs.

Motto: "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu" (Unity Is Strength)

National Anthem:

Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
Rakyat hidup
Bersatu dan maju
Rahmat bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita
Selamat bertakhta

Negaraku (My Country). The National Anthem’s role is not only to arouse patriotism among the Malaysian people, it represents sociocultural and even posted remarkable ambitions, desires, and expectations of the country. Negaraku was named the national anthem. The lyrics are calling on the people of various races, religions and socio-cultural life of unity and pursue a variety of advances. Besides this song begs mercy and happiness of God for the welfare of the people and our beloved country Malaysia. National anthem beats moderato originally the same as most other countries in the world monarchy.

LAND

Area : 329,960.22 sq. km
Highest Point : Mount Kinabalu 4,101 m (13,455 ft.) above sea level
Lowest Point : Sea level along the coast

CLIMATE

Malaysia experiences hot and humid weather throughout the year. The average daily temperature throughout Malaysia is between 21˚C to 32˚C. Typically, the Malaysian climate is influenced by winds blowing from the Indian Ocean (Southwest Monsoon Wind-May to September) and South China Sea (Northeast Monsoon Wind-November to March). Its annual rainfall is 80 percent per year ranging from 2000mm to 2500mm.

POPULATION

The estimated population of Malaysia in 2018 is 32.4 million (including non-citizens) as compared to 32.0 million in 2017 with an annual population growth rate of 1.1 per cent.

Urban/Rural Breakdown

74.4% Urban
25.6% Rural

Largest Cities

Kuala Lumpur - 1 674 621 populations
Johor Baharu - 1 386 569 populations
Kajang - 795 522 populations

Ethnic Groups

Population of citizens in 2018 is 29.06 million and 3.32 million non-citizens. Malays and Bumiputeras comprise 69.1% of the population, followed by Chinese (23%), Indian (6.9%) and others (1%).

Languages

Official language is Bahasa Malaysia. Other languages are English, Mandarin, Tamil, Iban and other minority languages

Religions

Islam is the most widely professed religion in Malaysia with the proportion of 66.72 per cent. As a multi-racial nation, other religions embrace are Buddhism (17.92%), Christianity (8.96%) and Hinduism (5.12%).

ECONOMY

Gross Domestic Product RM322.6 billion (Fourth Quarter 2018)
Gross Domestic Product current price RM10.8 billion (Fourth Quarter 2018)

Main Economic Products:

Agriculture and Forestry
Rice, palm oil, rubber, pepper, coconuts, pineapples, timber

Mining
Petroleum, natural gas, tin, bauxite, iron ore, copper

Manufacturing
Semiconductors and electronic products, rubber products, refined petroleum, motor vehicles

Employment Breakdown

61.55% Services
27.44% Industry
11.01% Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Unemployment rate: 3.3% (December 2018)

Major Exports

Electrical and electronic product, petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products, manufacture of metal, wood and wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles

Major Imports

Electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals, food

Major Trading Partners

Exports: Singapore 13.9%, China 13.9%, US 9.1%, Hong Kong 7.5%, Japan 6.9%, Thailand 5.7%,
Imports: China 19.9%, Singapore 11.7%, US 7.4%, Japan 7.2%, Taiwan 7.2%, Thailand 5.5%, Indonesia 4.6%, Germany 3.0%

Currency Ringgit

Exchange Rate
Ringgit Malaysia RM4.07 = USD 1.00 (As 20 February 2019)

GOVERNMENT

Malaysia is a confederation of 13 states plus the three Federal Territories which are Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya. The Capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya is the seat of Federal Government. Nine of the peninsular states have Sultans and every five years an election is held among them to choose 'Yang Di Pertuan Agong' or 'King' of Malaysia.

The politics of Malaysia takes place in the framework of a federal representative democratic constitutional monarchy, in which the Yang Di Pertuan Agong' is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government.

Executive power is exercised by the federal government and the 13 state governments. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the Senate (Dewan Negara) and the House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat). The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature, though the executive maintains a certain level of influence in the appointment of judges to the courts.

EDUCATION

The Malaysian education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to university. Pre-tertiary education (pre-school to secondary education) and tertiary or higher education are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Government-funded Educational Institutions

The Government provides more than 95% of primary and secondary education as well as about 60% of the tertiary education, with the private sector providing the balance.

Private-funded Educational Institutions

Private education providers in Malaysia can be broadly grouped into 2 categories, depending on the levels of education offered, ranging from pre-school to tertiary education. These two categories of private institutions are:

• Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) which provide education at preschool, primary and secondary levels. They comprise private schools and foreign system schools.
• Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) which provide tertiary education leading to the awarding of certificate, diploma and degree qualifications.

Major Universities and Colleges (Government Funded Institutions)

University of Malaya (UM)
University of Science Malaysia (USM)
National University of Malaysia (UKM)
International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM)
Malaysia University of Technology (UTM)
Putra University of Malaysia (UPM)
MARA University of Technology (UiTM)

Major Universities and Colleges (Private Higher Education Institutions)

Petronas University of Technology (UTP)
National Power University (UNITEN)
Malaysia Multimedia University (MMU)
Tunku Abdul Rahman University (UTAR)
Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC)
Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology

2. DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (DOSH) MALAYSIA

The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is a department under the Ministry of Human Resources. This department is responsible for ensuring the safety, health and welfare of people at work as well as protecting other people from the safety and health hazards arising from the activities sectors which include:

• Manufacturing
• Mining and Quarrying
• Construction
• Hotels and Restaurant
• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Transport, Storage and Communication
• Public Services and Statutory Authorities
• Utilities - Gas, Electricity, Water and Sanitary Services
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services
• Wholesale and Retail Trades

As a government agency, the department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of legislations related to occupational safety and health of the country, with a vision of becoming an organisation which leads the nation in creating a safe and healthy work culture that contributes towards enhancing the quality of working life.

Vision

"To be the leader of Occupational Safety and Health"

Mission

"To ensure Safety and Health at Work"

Objectives

To prevent industrial accidents and occupational diseases by the year 2020 through:

1. Reduction in rate of fatalities to 4.36/100,000 workers;
2. Reduction in rate of accidents to 2.53/1000 workers; and
3. Increase in reporting of occupational diseases and poisoning among workers by 30%.

Corporate Values

"Firm, Fair and Friendly"

Function

• To study and review the policies and legislations of occupational safety and health.
• To enforce the following legislations:

a) Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and its regulations.
b) Factories and Machinery Act 1967 and its regulations.
c) Part of Petroleum Act 1984 (Safety Measures) and its regulations.

• To conduct research and technical analysis on issues related to occupational safety and health at the workplace.
• To carry out promotional and publicity programs to employers, workers and the general public to foster and increase the awareness of occupational safety and health.
• To become a secretariat for the National Council regarding occupational safety and health.

DOSH Main Activities

i. Standard Setting

The standards on safety, health, and welfare had to be reviewed, drafted, and finalised from time to time. This ensured that the prepared standards were relevant to the safety and health conditions of the workplace.

a. Policy Study

Studies on existing OSH policies were conducted from time to time to assess the extent to which these policies had achieved their original objectives. Changes would be made, if necessary, to ensure that the goals and the practice of self-regulation among employers and employees were achieved.

b. Drafting Regulations, Guidelines, and Industrial Codes of Practice

The Department had and currently in the process of amending the new industrial Regulations, Codes of Practice, and Guidelines. This was intended to assist the industry in complying with and fulfilling its responsibilities as an employer, as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

ii. Enforcement

The Department carried out enforcement activities aimed at ensuring the safety, health, and welfare of workers and other persons from the hazards of work activities, as required under the following Acts: 

• Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514)
• Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139); and
• Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984 (Act 302)

Enforcement activities that were carried out by DOSH include:

a. Approval and Authorisation
b. Registration
c. Certification
d. Inspection
e. Investigation
f. Litigation

iii. Promotional Activities

In the effort to improve occupational safety and health awareness among workers, employers, and customers, the Department disseminated information and provided guidance pertaining to the safety and health legislation. This was to ensure compliance to all occupational safety and health laws. Among the publicity and promotional activities conducted by DOSH include:

• Giving talks and explanations as well as training on occupational safety and health;
• Organising campaigns and exhibitions on occupational safety and health;
• Providing expertise on occupational safety and health to public agencies, the private sector, associations of employers and employees as well as professional bodies; and
• Collecting and providing informational materials on occupational safety and health for reference, lending, and dissemination.

Organisation Chart