Economy, Transportation and Communications
Port Kelang, regional flights, British colonial period, Malaysia Airlines, Sepang
The framework of West Malaysia’s system of roads and railroads was laid down during the British colonial period. A main highway in western Peninsular Malaysia extends over 800 km (500 mi) from Singapore to the Thai border in the north. The road system in Sabah and Sarawak is much less developed; a main road runs along Borneo’s northern coast but there are few good interior roads. The state-owned railroad system consists of 1,648 km (1,024 mi) of track, most of which is in West Malaysia and with a short stretch in Sabah. Malaysia Airlines, founded in 1971, offers both domestic and international flights. Two additional national carriers also offer domestic and regional flights. Malaysia has a number of international airports, including the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, located south of the city at Sepang. Major seaports in West Malaysia are Port Kelang, George Town, and Melaka. Kuching and Labuan are the major seaports serving Sarawak and Sabah, respectively.
Malaysia has a vigorous press, with 42 daily newspapers publishing in four languages. The state-run Radio Malaysia operates six radio networks, and Television Malaysia operates two television networks; two private television networks also exist.
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