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handle is hein.crs/govemmw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Infrming Ih legislative debabe sin 'e 1914 Malaysia Updated August 10, 2023 Overview The Federation of Malaysia is a majority Muslim parliamentary democracy in Southeast Asia. It has an ethnically and religiously diverse population of 32.7 million, with a Malay majority and large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Malaysia is considered a middle-income country and is relatively prosperous among Southeast Asian nations. Malaysia is one of four Southeast Asian nations that have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Malaysia has undergone significant political upheaval in recent years, as a series of coalition governments have held power following national elections in 2018 and 2022. In a country that had been led by a single governing coalition from Malaysia's independence in 1957 until 2018, the political instability has resulted in a series of weak governments marked by internal rivalries that many observers say has hindered their effectiveness. The current government is headed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister and then opposition leader, who came to power in November 2022 following elections in which no party gained a clear majority of parliamentary seats. Anwar's political coalition, Pakatan Harapan (PH), joined its longtime rival, the United Malays Nasional Organization (UNMO) to form a government, although the two groups remain deeply divided on many issues. Despite its chaotic political processes, Malaysia has long played an active role in regional diplomacy, and it has been a partner in various U.S. initiatives in Asia, including trade and security initiatives as well as efforts to combat terrorism and religious extremism. Malaysia was a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and sees itself as both a regional leader and a moderate voice within the Islamic world. Despite generally cooperative bilateral relations with the United States, some issues constrain closer ties, including Malaysian opposition to much of U.S. policy in the Middle East, and U.S. concerns over some Malaysian economic and human-rights policies. Malaysia's economy is export driven, and it has pursued a variety of trade negotiations. Malaysia was a member of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), from which the United States withdrew in 2017, and is one of 11 members of the renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which it ratified in September 2022. Malaysia also ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2022. Congress has overseen Malaysia policy, including trade negotiations in the 2000s and 2010s, as well as U.S.- Malaysia cooperation on security issues. Some Members of Congress have expressed concerns about human rights issues in the country including Malaysia's record in combatting human trafficking (Malaysia was listed on the Tier 2 Watchlist in the State Department's 2023 Trafficking in Persons report), as well as Malaysia's treatment of refugees from Burma (Myanmar). Demnocracy and Politkcs in Malaysia Until May 2018, Malaysia had been ruled by a single political coalition since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The Barisan Nasional was led by UMNO, a Malay-nationalist party that draws its membership predominantly from the country's Malay majority. During its lengthy period in power, UMNO enacted a series of economic and social preferences for bumiputera (ethnic Malays and indigenous peoples), and it derived much of its appeal from issues of ethnic identity. Anwar was UMNO's deputy chairman until 1998, when he broke with longtime UMNO leader Mahathir Mohamad and was later convicted and imprisoned on charges many considered politically motivated. Figure I. Malavsia vatronage and corruption are a major part of Malaysian politics. Some observers heralded the changes that resulted from the 2018 and 2022 elections, both of which brought peaceful changes of government in a country long seen as an authoritarian democracy. However, in the view of many analysts, the weakness of the resulting ruling coalitions has limited the government's ability to make reforms and constrained Malaysia from acting as a leader on many regional issues. U.S.-Malaysia Relations The relationship between the United States and Malaysia is complex. In the 1980s and 1990s, under former Prime Minister Mahathir, Malaysia was one of the leading voices behind building the East Asia Economic Caucus, and Asia-only regional institutions that excluded the United States. Since then, Malaysia has generally welcomed a

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