Malaysia - Transportation



In 2002, the highway system of Malaysia consisted of 64,672 km (40,187 mi) of roads, of which 40,707 km (25,295 mi) were paved, including 1,192 km (741 mi) of expressways. The major highways on Peninsular Malaysia run north-south along the east and west coasts; east-west links connect George Town and Kota Baharu in the north and Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan farther south. As of 1991, (according to the Malaysian Highway Authority) the East-West Highway (Federal Route 2) crossing Peninsular Malaysia, as well as the Klang Valley Expressway connecting Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang were completed. The 924 km (574 mi) North-South Highway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia connects Thailand and Singapore. In 2000, registered vehicles included 2,639,423 automobiles and 954,737 commercial vehicles.

The national Malayan Railway Administration operates some 1,801 km (1,119 mi) of Peninsular Malaysia, which provides links to Thailand, Singapore, and eastern parts of the peninsula. Sabah State Railways provides diesel service along the west coast and in the interior for 136 km (85 mi). There are no railroads in Sarawak.

There are 7,296 km (4,533 mi) of waterways in all of Malaysia: 3,209 km (1,994 mi) in Peninsular Malaysia; 1,569 km (975 mi) in Sabah; and, 2,518 km (1,565 mi) in Sarawak.

The three leading ports, all located on the busy Strait of Malacca, are Kelang (the port for Kuala Lumpur), Johor Baharu, and George Town. Kuching is the main port for Sarawak, and Kota Kinabalu the main port for Sabah. The Malaysian merchant fleet in 2002 consisted of 363 ships with a combined capacity of 4,952,119 GRT.

Also in 2001, there were 116 airports, 35 of which had paved runways. Most international flights enter or leave Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Other principal airports include Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Penang. The Malaysian Airline System (MAS) provides domestic service to most major cities of the peninsula and to Sarawak and Sabah. In 2001, 16,310,500 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international flights.

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