Malaysia is made up to two major landmasses separated by water: Peninsular Malaysia to the west and East Malaysia on Borneo to the east. There are numerous smaller islands that surround these landmasses. The land borders are defined by geological features, such as the Perlis River, the Golok River, and the Pagalayan Canal, whilst some of the maritime boundaries are still being contested. With just under 33 million people across the two halves, the population is concentrated on Peninsular Malaysia where around 20 million people live and where the capital, Kuala Lumpur, is located. Malaysia is a federal constitutional elective monarchy - the only federal country in Southeast Asia. The government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system, a legacy of British rule. Malaysia is attempting to achieve high-income status by attracting investments in high technology, knowledge-based industries and services, however there are economic inequalities between different ethnic groups. The country is estimated to have just under 3 million migrant workers, making up almost 10% of the population.
The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) have approximately 115,000 active-duty troops with another 50,000 in reserve. Australia is regarded as an extra-regional country. Bilateral defence ties between Kuala Lumpur and Canberra are robust and long-standing. The relationship was strengthened in 1992 with the signing of the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Programme (MAJDP).