List of cities in Malaysia

This is a list of cities of Malaysia. In Malaysia, there are populated areas which are granted city status by law (bandar raya). However, there are also highly urbanised and populated areas which does not have city status, but are sometimes colloquially also referred to as cities. City status is granted to a place within a local government area. Other populated areas which does not have city status are legally categorised as a municipality or town.

Cities of Malaysia

The following is a list of places in Malaysia in order by the date they were granted city status.

• George Town (1 January 1957)
• Kuala Lumpur (1 February 1972)
• Ipoh (27 May 1988)
• Kuching (1 August 1988)
• Johor Bahru (1 January 1994)
• Kota Kinabalu (2 February 2000)
• Shah Alam (10 October 2000)
• Malacca Town (15 April 2003)
• Alor Setar (21 December 2003)
• Miri (20 May 2005)
• Petaling Jaya (20 June 2006)
• Kuala Terengganu (1 January 2008)

George Town

George 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). 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 was set up in 1974-6.

Although the city status of George Town was never officially revoked, it is now questionable whether George Town exists as a corporate entity, 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.

This view has been supported by both the state and federal governments, but is disagreed with by some local residents, who hold that as George Town's city status has never been revoked it remains a city to this day. As city status is a matter of law, the actual legal position will depend on an analysis of the City Council of George Town (Transfer of Functions) Order 1966 and the Local Government Act 1976.

Subsequent cities

Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Shah Alam, Malacca Town, Alor Setar and Miri's royal charters were from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, while Ipoh and Johor Bahru were granted by their respective state sultans. Malacca was declared a "historic city" prior to being granted city status in 2003.

Kuala Lumpur, the largest city, is the federal capital and a federal territory, but as of 2003, most government executive bodies are moving to the new administrative capital and federal territory of Putrajaya.

Population

Main article: List of cities and towns in Malaysia by population

See also: Demographics of Malaysia#Major cities

Kuala Lumpur is by far the largest urban area as well as the largest metropolitan area in Malaysia. Other major cities with a population of more than 500,000 include Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu. The following table shows the largest populated area within a local government area.

See also

• States of Malaysia
• List of capitals in Malaysia

External links

• Map
• Population of cities in Malaysia from World Gazetteer