States of Malaysia
Encyclopedia
Malaysia is a federation
which consists of thirteen states (Negeri) and three federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). Eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula
while the remaining two states and one federal territory are on the island of Borneo
.
consisting of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). These are divided between the two regions of Malaysia, with 11 states and 2 federal territories on Peninsula Malaysia and the other 2 states and 1 federal territory in East Malaysia
.
, the governance of the states is divided between the federal and the state governments, while the Federal government has direct administration of the federal territories. The specific responsibilities of the federal and the state governments are listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of Malaysia
. Theoretically, any matter not set out in the Ninth Schedule can be legislated on by the individual states. However, legal scholars generally view this as a "pauper's bequest" because of the large scope of the matters listed in the Ninth Schedule. The courts
themselves have generally favoured a broad interpretation of the language of the Ninth Schedule, thus limiting the number of possible subjects not covered. The Ninth Schedule specifically lists the following matters as those that can only be legislated on by the states: land tenure, the Islamic religion, and local government.
The 13 states are based on historical Malay Kingdoms, and 9 of the 13 states, known as the Malay States, retain their royal families. The Federal King (titled Yang di-Pertuan Agong
) is elected (de facto rotated) among the nine rulers to serve a 5-year term. The nine Malay States have a hereditary Ruler as titular Head of state and an executive Chief Minister or Menteri Besar
as politically responsible Head of government. The rulers of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu are styled Sultan
s (typically Islamic). Only Negeri Sembilan's elective ruler holds the rare, autochthonous Malay title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar
, whereas only the Ruler of Perlis is titled Raja. Former British settlements and crown colonies of Penang and Malacca (both peninsular) and Sabah and Sarawak (both on Borneo) each have a federally appointed titular Governor (styled Yang di-Pertua Negeri
) and an executive Chief Minister or Ketua Menteri.
Sabah
and Sarawak
have additional powers as part of the terms when they joined Malaysia, such as immigration
controls. They have separate immigration policies and controls and a unique residency status. Passports are required even for Malaysians for travelling between these two states or between either state and Peninsular Malaysia, however Peninsular Malaysians who are on social/business visits up to three months are allowed to produce a MyKad
or birth certificate
and fill in a special form in lieu of a passport.
Each state has a unicameral legislature called Dewan Undangan Negeri
(DUN, State Assembly). Members of DUN are elected from single-member constituencies drawn based on the population. The state leader of the majority party in DUN is usually appointed Chief Minister by the Ruler or Governor. The term of DUN members is five years unless the assembly is dissolved earlier by the Ruler or Governor on the advise of the Chief Minister. Usually, DUN of the states in Peninsular Malaysia are dissolved in conjunction with the dissolution of the federal parliament
, in order to have state elections running concurrently with the parliamentary election. However, Rulers and Governors hold discretionary powers in dissolving the DUN.Each state sends two representatives to the Dewan Negara
(Senate), the upper house of the federal parliament.
The Parliament of Malaysia
is permitted to legislate on issues of land, Islamic religion and local government in order to provide for a uniform law between different states, or on the request of the state assembly concerned. The law in question must also be passed by the state assembly as well, except in the case of certain land law-related subjects. Non-Islamic issues that fall under the purview of the state may also be legislated on at the federal level for the purpose of conforming with Malaysian treaty obligations. Each state is further divided into districts
, which are then divided into mukim
. In Sabah and Sarawak districts are grouped into "Divisions".
Singapore was a Malaysian state from the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 until it separated from the Federation on 9 August 1965.
Brunei was invited to join the Federation but decided not to at the end due to several issues, such as the status of the Sultan within Malaysia, division of Bruneian oil royalties
, and pressure from opposition groups which amounted to the Brunei Revolt
.
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
which consists of thirteen states (Negeri) and three federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). Eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
while the remaining two states and one federal territory are on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
The states and federal territories
Malaysia is a federationFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
consisting of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories (Wilayah Persekutuan). These are divided between the two regions of Malaysia, with 11 states and 2 federal territories on Peninsula Malaysia and the other 2 states and 1 federal territory in East Malaysia
East Malaysia
East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are...
.
| Name | Capital | Population | Area (km²) | Population Density | License plate prefix | Phone area code Telephone numbers in Malaysia Country Code: +60International Call Prefix: 00Trunk Prefix: 0Telephone numbers in Malaysia are regulated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission .... |
Largest Metropolitan | Abbr. | ISO ISO 3166-2:MY ISO 3166-2:MY is the entry for Malaysia in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Malaysia, ISO 3166-2 codes are... |
FIPS FIPS 10-4 The FIPS 10-4 standard, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions, lists two-letter country codes that are used by the U.S. Government for geographical data processing in many publications, such as the CIA World Factbook. The standard is... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory of Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
1,627,172 | 243 | 6696 | W | 03 | Klang Valley | KUL | MY-14 | |
 Labuan Federal Territory of LabuanLabuan Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support... |
Victoria Victoria, Labuan Victoria is the capital of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan, an island off the north coast of Borneo. Though the term Bandar Labuan is more prominently used than the former. The Financial Park along Jalan Merdeka houses the international offshore banks, insurance and trust companies... |
85,272 | 91 | 937 | L | 087 | - | LBN | MY-15 | MY15 |
 Putrajaya Federal Territory of PutrajayaPutrajaya Putrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas... |
Putrajaya Putrajaya Putrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas... |
67,964 | 49 | 1387 | Putrajaya | 03 | - | PJY | MY-16 | |
 Johor |
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland... |
3,233,434 | 19,210 | 168 | J | 07, 06 (Muar & Ledang) | Johor Bahru | JHR | MY-01 | MY01 |
 Kedah |
Alor Setar | 1,890,098 | 9,500 | 199 | K | 04 | Alor Setar | KDH | MY-02 | MY02 |
 Kelantan |
Kota Bharu Kota Bharu Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies... |
1,459,994 | 15,099 | 97 | D | 09 | Kota Bharu | KTN | MY-03 | MY03 |
 Malacca |
Malacca Town Malacca Town Most tourist attractions are concentrated in its small city centre which encompasses Jonker Walk which houses Malacca's traditional Chinatown that exhibits Peranakan architecture. A Famosa Fort, St. Paul Hill are among the tourist attractions located in the Bandar Hilir, old city area. There are... |
788,706 | 1,664 | 474 | M | 06 | Malacca Town | MLK | MY-04 | MY04 |
 Negeri Sembilan |
Seremban Seremban Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban... |
997,071 | 6,686 | 149 | N | 06 | Seremban | NSN | MY-05 | MY05 |
 Pahang |
Kuantan Kuantan Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu... |
1,443,365 | 36,137 | 40 | C | 09, 03 (Genting Genting Highlands Genting Highlands otherwise known as Resorts World Genting is the flagship integrated resort developed by Genting Group. It is nestled on a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia... ), 05 (Cameron Cameron Highlands The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. It covers an area of .To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak.... ) |
Kuantan | PHG | MY-06 | MY06 |
 Perak |
Ipoh Ipoh Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway.... |
2,258,428 | 21,035 | 107 | A | 05 | Ipoh | PRK | MY-08 | MY07 |
 Perlis |
Kangar Kangar Kangar is the state capital of Perlis, Malaysia. It has a population of 48,898 and an area of 2,619.4 ha. It is located in the northern most point of Peninsular Malaysia and is situated by the Perlis River. The center of Kangar is Sena Province, which is referred to by few locals as 'Uptown Sena'... |
227,025 | 821 | 277 | R | 04 | Kangar | PLS | MY-09 | MY08 |
 Penang |
George Town George Town, Penang George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an... |
1,520,143 | 1,048 | 1451 | P | 04 | Penang | PNG | MY-07 | MY09 |
 Sabah |
Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount... |
3,120,040 | 73,631 | 42 | S | 087-089 | Kota Kinabalu | SBH | MY-12 | MY16 |
 Kingdom of Sarawak |
Kuching Kuching Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia.... |
2,420,009 | 124,450 | 19 | Q | 081-086 | Kuching | SWK | MY-13 | MY11 |
 Selangor |
Shah Alam Shah Alam Shah Alam is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighboring Klang District. It is located about west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978... |
5,411,324 | 8,104 | 668 | B | 03 | Klang Valley | SGR | MY-10 | MY12 |
 Terengganu |
Kuala Terengganu Kuala Terengganu -Transport:The city is connected to other towns via a good network of roads and also some ferries that ply the Terengganu River. The Sultan Mahmud Bridge, a bridge over the Terengganu River, provides a road link to both banks of the river... |
1,015,776 | 13,035 | 78 | T | 09 | Kuala Terengganu | TRG | MY-11 | MY13 |
Governance
As Malaysia is a federationFederation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
, the governance of the states is divided between the federal and the state governments, while the Federal government has direct administration of the federal territories. The specific responsibilities of the federal and the state governments are listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of Malaysia
Constitution of Malaysia
The Federal Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force in 1957, is the supreme law of Malaysia. The Federation was initially called the Federation of Malaya and it adopted its present name, Malaysia, when the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined the Federation...
. Theoretically, any matter not set out in the Ninth Schedule can be legislated on by the individual states. However, legal scholars generally view this as a "pauper's bequest" because of the large scope of the matters listed in the Ninth Schedule. The courts
Courts of Malaysia
The Judiciary of Malaysia is largely centralized despite Malaysia's federal constitution, heavily influenced by the British Common Law and to a lesser extent Islamic law, and is mostly independent from political interference.-History:...
themselves have generally favoured a broad interpretation of the language of the Ninth Schedule, thus limiting the number of possible subjects not covered. The Ninth Schedule specifically lists the following matters as those that can only be legislated on by the states: land tenure, the Islamic religion, and local government.
The 13 states are based on historical Malay Kingdoms, and 9 of the 13 states, known as the Malay States, retain their royal families. The Federal King (titled Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
) is elected (de facto rotated) among the nine rulers to serve a 5-year term. The nine Malay States have a hereditary Ruler as titular Head of state and an executive Chief Minister or Menteri Besar
Menteri Besar
The Menteri Besar is the chief executive of the state government for states in Malaysia with hereditary rulers. For states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister is used...
as politically responsible Head of government. The rulers of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu are styled Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
s (typically Islamic). Only Negeri Sembilan's elective ruler holds the rare, autochthonous Malay title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar
Yang di-Pertuan Besar
In Malay, Yang di-Pertuan Besar, literally "He Who Is Made Great" or "Great Ruler", is a royal title.-In Malaysia:# Also known as Yamtuan Besar, it is the title of the elected monarch of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia...
, whereas only the Ruler of Perlis is titled Raja. Former British settlements and crown colonies of Penang and Malacca (both peninsular) and Sabah and Sarawak (both on Borneo) each have a federally appointed titular Governor (styled Yang di-Pertua Negeri
Yang di-Pertua Negeri
The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
) and an executive Chief Minister or Ketua Menteri.
Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
have additional powers as part of the terms when they joined Malaysia, such as immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
controls. They have separate immigration policies and controls and a unique residency status. Passports are required even for Malaysians for travelling between these two states or between either state and Peninsular Malaysia, however Peninsular Malaysians who are on social/business visits up to three months are allowed to produce a MyKad
MyKad
MyKad is the compulsory identity document for Malaysian citizens aged 12 and above. Introduced by the National Registration Department of Malaysia on 5 September 2001 as one of four MSC Malaysia flagship applications and a replacement for the High Quality Identity Card , Malaysia became the first...
or birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
and fill in a special form in lieu of a passport.
Each state has a unicameral legislature called Dewan Undangan Negeri
Dewan Undangan Negeri
A state legislative assembly is the legislature of each of the 13 Malaysian states. Members of a state legislative assembly comprises elected representatives from single-member constituencies during state elections through the first-past-the-post system....
(DUN, State Assembly). Members of DUN are elected from single-member constituencies drawn based on the population. The state leader of the majority party in DUN is usually appointed Chief Minister by the Ruler or Governor. The term of DUN members is five years unless the assembly is dissolved earlier by the Ruler or Governor on the advise of the Chief Minister. Usually, DUN of the states in Peninsular Malaysia are dissolved in conjunction with the dissolution of the federal parliament
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
, in order to have state elections running concurrently with the parliamentary election. However, Rulers and Governors hold discretionary powers in dissolving the DUN.Each state sends two representatives to the Dewan Negara
Dewan Negara
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. The Dewan Negara consists of 70 members, of which 26 are indirectly elected by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, and the other 44 being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong .The Dewan Negara...
(Senate), the upper house of the federal parliament.
The Parliament of Malaysia
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
is permitted to legislate on issues of land, Islamic religion and local government in order to provide for a uniform law between different states, or on the request of the state assembly concerned. The law in question must also be passed by the state assembly as well, except in the case of certain land law-related subjects. Non-Islamic issues that fall under the purview of the state may also be legislated on at the federal level for the purpose of conforming with Malaysian treaty obligations. Each state is further divided into districts
Districts of Malaysia
Districts in Malaysia are known as Daerah or Jajahan . A district governed directly by the federal government is known as a Federal Territory, and they are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan....
, which are then divided into mukim
Mukim
In Brunei, a mukim is a subdivision of a daerah . The equivalent of the word 'mukim' in English would be 'sub-district'.In Malaysia, a mukim can either be a subdivision of a daerah or a subdivision of sub-district, In Singapore, a mukim is one of two varieties of survey...
. In Sabah and Sarawak districts are grouped into "Divisions".
Singapore and Brunei
Singapore was a Malaysian state from the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 until it separated from the Federation on 9 August 1965. Brunei was invited to join the Federation but decided not to at the end due to several issues, such as the status of the Sultan within Malaysia, division of Bruneian oil royaltiesRoyalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
, and pressure from opposition groups which amounted to the Brunei Revolt
Brunei Revolt
The Brunei Rebellion broke out on 8 December 1962. The rebels began co-ordinated attacks on the oil town of Seria and on police stations and government facilities around the protectorate...
.