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Malaysia

	Population:	26,572,000
	Capital:	Kuala Lumpur
	Language:	Malay, English
	Literacy Rate:	88.7%
	GDP/PP:	$15,200
	Joined Commonwealth:	16 September 1963 (joined in 1957 as Federation of Malaya)

Media

Malaysia has some of the toughest censorship laws in the world. The authorities exert substantial control over the media and can - and do - impose restrictions in the name of national security.

The government is keen to insulate the largely-Muslim population from what it considers harmful foreign influences on TV. News is subject to censorship, entertainment shows and music videos regularly fall foul of the censors, and scenes featuring swearing and kissing are routinely removed from TV programmes and films.

The TV sector comprises commercial networks and pay-TV operations. Around a quarter of TV households subscribe to the Astro multichannel service. Pay-TV operators MiTV and Fine TV entered the market in 2005. TV3 is the leading national private, terrestrial broadcaster.

State-owned Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) operates two TV networks and many of the country's radio services. Private stations are on the air, broadcasting in Malay, Tamil, Chinese and English.

Newspapers must renew their publication licences annually, and the home minister can suspend or revoke publishing permits. Due to the draconinan media laws, internet blogs have provided an alternative - and usually critical of government - voice. Some web sites, such as Laman Reformasi, close to former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, freeMalaysia and Malaysiakini, have attracted official criticism.