cities in MalaysiaThis article discusses the list of cities within Malaysia. In Malaysia, cities (Malay: bandaraya) are officially designated under the governance of city councils (Malay: Majlis bandaraya), although there are several exceptions. As of 2022, 19 areas in the country are officially termed cities by law. Among them, 16 are from Peninsular Malaysia, while 3 are from East Malaysia. George Town, the capital city of Penang, was declared a city on 1 January 1957 by Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, making it the first city in the country, and the only city declared before Malayan independence. George Town remained the sole city of Malaya until 1963, when Singapore was formally incorporated into Malaysia. However, Singapore’s expulsion in 1965 meant that George Town would remain Malaysia’s only city until Kuala Lumpur’s declaration as a city in 1972, by Abdul Halim of Kedah, the fifth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. In 1988, Kuching was chartered as the first city in East Malaysia. Kuantan is the most recent municipality in the country declared a city, doing so in February 2021.There are also highly urbanised and populated areas across the country that did not attain city status, but are sometimes referred as cities. Officially, these areas are classified as municipalities or townships.PenangeditGeorge Town became a city on 1 January 1957 by a royal charter granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, becoming the first town in the Federation of Malaya to become a city (Singapore became a city in 1951). The royal charter stated that:… the said Municipality of George Town shall on the First Day of January in the year of Our Lord One thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven and forever after that be a city and shall be called and styled the CITY OF GEORGE TOWN instead of the Municipality of George Town and shall thenceforth have all such rank, liberties, privileges and immunities as are incident to a City.However, local government elections were abolished by the federal government in 1965, and the functions of the City Council were transferred to the Chief Minister of Penang in 1966. A Municipal Council for the whole of Penang Island, the Penang Island Municipal Council, was set up between 1974 and 1976.Although the city status of George Town was never officially revoked, George Town’s existence as a corporate entity was in doubt, let alone as a city. This is similar to the position of the former city of Rochester in England, the site of England’s second-oldest cathedral, which had been a city from 1211 until 1998 when it was merged with a neighbouring borough. As the new council was not granted city status, and the city, through oversight, failed to appoint charter trustees to inherit the city charter, the city ceased to exist.Most residents disagreed with this view and held that as George Town’s city status has never been revoked, it remains a city to this day. According to lawyer Datuk Anwar Fazal, George Town “legally has been and is still a city because the City of George Town Ordinance 1957 had not been repealed”.As city status is a matter of law, the actual legal position will depend on an analysis of the City Council of Penang (Transfer of Functions) Order 1966 and the Local Government Act 1976.On 1 January 2015, the Malaysian federal government upgraded the Penang Island Municipal Council into the present-day Penang Island City Council, thereby expanding the city limit of George Town to encompass the entirety of Penang Island, as well as a handful of surrounding islets.Subsequent citieseditThe royal charters for Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Shah Alam, Malacca City, Alor Setar and Miri were from the Malaysian head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, while Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri and Subang Jaya were granted by their respective state sultans. Malacca City was declared a “historical city” prior to being granted city status in 2003.Kuala Lumpur, the largest city, is the national capital and a federal territory, but as of 2012, most government ministries have relocated to the new administrative capital of Putrajaya.The local government must administer a region that is an administrative centre of a state;The region must have a population of more than 500-thousand people;The local government must be financially sustainable, with an annual income of not less than 100-million ringgit, and has the ability to afford stable administrative expenditures;The local government must have an efficient bureaucratic structure, while maintaining public services at the highest-level, e.g. tax collection, development approvals, legal enforcement, and other necessary functions;Urban developments planned by the local government should be sustainable;The local government should give further emphasis on resolving social issues, i.e. squatting, pollution, safety, affordable housing, and environmental conservation. Studies conducted by the Malaysian Urban Indicators Network (MURNInet) would also be taken account of.The local government must promote an urban image that is applicable towards the national identity as a representation of the country’s heritage, and preserve any local objects or places of historical, cultural, or artistic significance;The region must contain adequate resources and institutions of finance and industry to easily facilitate trade and foreign investments;The region must be a local hub of education, complete with universities, colleges, museums and public libraries;The region must be a centre of culture, sports, and recreation;The local government should have the ability to host conventions of national and international level;The infrastructure of the region should be complete, with sufficient public utilities (e.g. disabled-persons friendly-public parks, public transportation, traffic management systems, road networks, computer services), and;The region must achieve nationwide or international recognition equivalent to those of other cities worldwide.This table lists all cities, municipalities and districts in Malaysia whose population exceeds 150,000 people, according to statistics published in the 2020 Malaysian census by the Malaysian Department of Statistics (DOSM). There are 64 populated regions in Malaysia whose population exceeds 150,000 people. All 13 states and the Federal Territories have at least one city, municipality or district whose population exceeded 150,000 people.This table displays:The settlement rank by population as of 2020, as estimated by the DOSM;The settlement name;The state in which the settlement is located;The settlement’s population as of 2020, as estimated in the 2020 census conducted by the DOSM;The settlement’s population as of 2010, as estimated in the 2010 census conducted by the DOSM;The settlement’s population difference between 2010 and 2020;The land area of the settlement’s defined boundaries in square kilometres (km2);The population density of the settlement in people per square kilometres (/km2), as estimated in by the settlement’s 2020 population figures.Kuala Lumpur is the most popular city of the multi cultural country, Malaysia. With skyscrapers on one side and shopping malls on the other, Kuala Lumpur has its own night life. It is an enclave within the state of Selangor. Kuala Lumpur is famous for its street foods all over the world, the street food of KL is a vibrant mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Arabian and that is what makes it special, what else can you ask for.The popular capital of Penang, George Town is a colourful Malaysian city that has also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. George Town is the second largest city in Malaysia. You will find a very relaxed and calm atmosphere in this city, with shops opening post noon. The city is rich in architecture, in that there are several beautifully built colonial buildings here. George Town is also very famous for its food at the stalls of street hawkers, in particular.Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, is located on the west side of Peninsular Malaysia, closer to the Indonesian island of Sumatra than to East Malaysia. East Malaysia is home to Mount Kinabalu, the country’s highest point, which has an elevation of 13,455 feet (4,101 meters).Malaysia is blanketed by tropical rainforests. Large rivers, fed by nearly 10 feet of rain (about three meters) a year, flow from the country’s highlands and empty into warm tropical seas. Combined, these three ecosystems—forest, river, and marine—make Malaysia one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries. (A mega-diverse country is one that’s home to a majority of Earth’s species and has a high number of endemic species, or species found only in one location on the planet.)Malaysia’s tropical rainforests are also home to several endangered species, including Sumatran rhinoceroses, pygmy elephants, and Bornean orangutans in East Malaysia. Malayan tigers and Indochinese leopards prowl the Malay Peninsula. In the South China Sea, several sea turtle species—including the olive ridley, hawksbill, green, and leatherback sea turtles—swim in the warm waters.Malaysia has several vast nature reserves and national parks throughout the country. Taman Negara National Park, established in 1939, is the country’s oldest national park. Located on the Malay Peninsula, Taman Negara protects one of the world’s oldest rainforests, estimated to be more than 130 million years old—and was once home to dinosaurs.Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy that consists of 13 states and three federal territories, which include the capital city region of Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capital of Putrajaya, and the island of Labuan off the coast of East Malaysia.Malaysia’s monarch is a ceremonial head of state referred to as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or “paramount ruler.” The federal government, which governs all of Malaysia, includes a Senate (the Dewan Negara), a House of Representatives (the Dewan Rakyat), and a prime minister appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.Before the late 20th century, rubber and tin exports drove Malaysia’s economy. Natural resources still remain an important part of the economy—especially rubber and palm oil— but the country also has a strong manufacturing industry, as well as growing financial and banking services.