Mileage may vary I suppose, but I am in KL right now to see my doctor and have been staying at a friend's hostel for the past week in a very touristic area.
I have been socializing quite a bit and have not met a single American the entire week.
That seems like a likely explanation, although the island where I dive attracts very affluent tourists and there are effectively no Americans there either.
Were most of the people you met tourists or living in Malaysia?
I have been socializing quite a bit and have not met a single American the entire week.