Peninsular Malaysia,[a] historically known asPeninsular Malaya or simplyMalaya prior to1963,[b] and also known asWest Malaysia and theMalaysian Peninsula,[c] is the southern part of theMalay Peninsula inMainland Southeast Asia along with thenearby islands that are part ofMalaysia.[1] Its area totals approximately 131,956 km2 (50,948 sq mi). It makes up nearly 40% of the total area of Malaysia; the other 60% is on the island ofBorneo, also known asEast Malaysia.
The present-day landborder withThailand to the north originates from theAnglo–Siamese Treaty of 1909, while a maritime border withSingapore to the south was established following theindependence of Singapore in 1965.[2] To the west, across theStrait of Malacca, lies the island ofSumatra, and to the east, across theSouth China Sea, lie theNatuna Islands, both part ofIndonesia. At its southern tip, across theStrait of Johor, lies theisland country ofSingapore. Most of Peninsular Malaysia's interior is forested, mountainous and rural, while the majority of the population and economic activity are concentrated along the coastal western half, where the country's major urban centres are located.
Peninsular Malaysia consists of 11 out of the 13 states, and two out of the threefederal territories of Malaysia, which includes the national capital ofKuala Lumpur. The states are listed as the following:
| Flag | Emblem / Achievement | State | Capital | Royal Capital | Area (km²)[3] | Office of Head of State | Current Head of Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Johor | Johor Bahru | Muar | 19,166 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Kedah | Alor Setar | Anak Bukit | 9,492 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Kelantan | Kota Bharu | Kubang Kerian | 15,040 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Malacca | Malacca City | — | 1,712 | Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) | Chief Minister |
 |  | Negeri Sembilan | Seremban | Seri Menanti | 6,658 | Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Grand Ruler) | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Pahang | Kuantan | Pekan | 35,965 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Penang | George Town | — | 1,049 | Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) | Chief Minister |
 |  | Perak | Ipoh | Kuala Kangsar | 21,146 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Perlis | Kangar | Arau | 819 | Raja | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Selangor* | Shah Alam | Klang | 7,951 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
 |  | Terengganu | Kuala Terengganu | Kuala Terengganu | 12,958 | Sultan | Menteri Besar |
Originally comprising the states and territories of theFederation of Malaya, the then Federation under theMalaysia Agreement merged with theCrown Colony of North Borneo, theCrown Colony of Sarawak and the self-governingState of Singapore to form the new Federation calledMalaysia. The merger was initially proposed in order to reunify Singapore with itshinterland in the Federation as they were originally associated underBritish Malaya but later separated and were governed separately after the formation of theMalayan Union. Even when the Malayan Union transformed into the Federation of Malaya, Singapore was not a part of it. Although politically distinct, Malaya was then seen geographically as comprising the States of the Federation of Malaya in the Peninsula and Singapore. In order to facilitate the merger, the Borneo States (which initially also includedBrunei) were brought in as well as it was believed that with the inclusion of the various ethnic groups in Borneo, the racial arithmetic would be offset such that the influx of ethnic Chinese from Singapore would not politically overwhelm Malaya, satisfying theMalay ultras.
Ultimately, both Malaysia and Singapore agreed that after a merger, Singapore would retain autonomy in labour, education and health, among others, unlike the other states in the Federation of Malaya. In exchange, Singapore received an underproportioned representation in theHouse of Representatives of Parliament. Singapore within Malaysia was seen as having a special status (similar toNorthern Ireland in theUnited Kingdom) and was thus not grouped with the other non-autonomous states in the Peninsula. Although this arrangement was brief and Singapore was ultimately expelled from the Federation two years later in 1965, becoming a fully sovereign country, the Interpretation Act 1965 of the Parliament of Singapore still defines Malaya as comprising the States of Malaya and Singapore in a geographical sense.[4] Today, the States of Malaya are colloquially referred to as Peninsular Malaysia and West Malaysia, excluding the Borneo States andSingapore. The term should also not be confused with theMalay Peninsula, which includes lands that are a part ofMyanmar andThailand.
Peninsular Malaysia (States of Malaya) comprises the states ofJohor,Kedah,Kelantan,Malacca,Negeri Sembilan,Pahang,Penang,Perak,Perlis,Selangor, andTerengganu, as well as the federal territories ofKuala Lumpur andPutrajaya.
Malaya comprises Peninsular Malaysia and theRepublic of Singapore.[citation needed]
Malay Peninsula comprises thesouthern tip ofMyanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, andSouthern Thailand.
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 67% | |||
| Buddhism | 21.4% | |||
| Hinduism | 7.6% | |||
| Christianity | 3.2% | |||
| Chinese folk religion | 0.9% | |||
| Others | 1.7% | |||
Peninsular Malaysia is largely inhabited byethnic Malays, predominantlyMuslims at about 65–67%.[5] However, large Chinese and Indian populations exist. TheOrang Asli are the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia; in 2022, they numbered around 209,575 and mostly lived in inland and rural parts of the region.[6]
As of 2012, Peninsular Malaysia oil production stood at 520,000barrel of oil equivalent per day.[7]
The termEast Coast (Malay:Pantai Timur;Jawi: ڤنتاي تيمور) is particularly used in Malaysia to describe the following states in Peninsular Malaysia facing theSouth China Sea, amarginal sea of thePacific Ocean:
The termWest Coast (Malay:Pantai Barat;Jawi: ڤنتاي بارت) refers informally to a collection of states in Peninsular Malaysia situated towards the western coast generally facing theStrait of Malacca which is a component of theIndian Ocean, as opposed to the East Coast. The West Coast is partitioned further into three regions:
Although Johor has a coastline facing theSouth China Sea on thePacific Ocean, it is not generally regarded as an East Coast state, since the main coastline of the state is located on theStraits of Johor of theIndian Ocean.
The East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is socioculturally different in terms of overall racial composition and political affiliations compared to the West Coast – the states' demographics in the former are overwhelminglyMalay and its people lean towardssocial conservative andIslamist values, their electoral representation dominated by theMalaysian Islamic Party.[8]
The distinction between West andEast Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) goes beyond the sphere ofgeography. Being separate regions administratively before the formation of the Malaysia, there exists moreautonomy than the original States of Malaya, e.g. in having a different judicial court structure and separate immigration regulations. These rights were granted as part of Sarawak's18-point agreement and Sabah's20-point agreement with theFederation of Malaya during the formation of expanded federation.
Media related toPeninsular Malaysia at Wikimedia Commons
Peninsular Malaysia travel guide from Wikivoyage| National | |
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