Malaysia's institutions of higher education include the Univ. of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, the Univ. of Malaysia and the International Islamic Univ. Unemployment and interest rates rose, and thousands of foreign workers, many of them from Indonesia, were forced to leave the country. The economy began to improve in 1999. Since the late 1980s, the government has moved to privatize large industries that had been under state control, and foreign investment in manufacturing has increased significantly. Pinang city is the chief port.
Rice is the staple food, while fish supply most of the protein.
Industry is largely concentrated in West Malaysia. The major cities on the Malay Peninsula are connected by railroads with Singapore, and an extensive road network covers the west coast. The main trading partners are Japan, the United States, and Singapore. 7 Government Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. The cabinet is chosen by the prime minister with the consent of the sovereign.