Malaysia Administrative Divisions: States, Federal Territories, and Regions Explained

Malaysia administrative divisions are best understood through one simple starting point: the country is divided at the first level into 13 states and 3 federal territories. These 16 units are the main administrative map layer for Malaysia and the correct basis for understanding Malaysia states, Malaysia regions, and searches that refer to Malaysia provinces.

Quick Answer: How Malaysia Is Divided

First-Level Divisions

As of July 2026, Malaysia consists of 13 states and 3 federal territories. The High Commission of Malaysia describes the country as made up of 13 states and 3 federal territories, divided geographically between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.

Malaysia State, Federal Territories and Districts || State and districts of Malaysia.

The official English terms are states and federal territories. In Malay, states are commonly called negeri, while federal territories are Wilayah Persekutuan. Malaysia is a federation, and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia provides the constitutional foundation for the states and territories of the Federation.

The practical hierarchy begins with Malaysia as the country, then the 13 states and 3 federal territories, then lower-level units such as districts, subdistricts, local authorities, and villages where applicable.

Regions Are Geographic Groupings, Not the Main Administrative Tier

Malaysia is often described as having two broad geographic regions: Peninsular Malaysia, also called West Malaysia, and East Malaysia. These are useful map groupings, but they are not the same as first-level administrative divisions.

Mengapa Malaysia Terbagi Menjadi 2 Bagian?

Peninsular Malaysia contains 11 states and 2 federal territories. East Malaysia contains 2 states and 1 federal territory. The South China Sea separates the peninsula from Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan on or near Borneo.

Complete List of Malaysia's States and Federal Territories

States in Peninsular Malaysia

Most of Malaysia's states by number are located in Peninsular Malaysia. The 11 peninsular states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, and Terengganu.

States in East Malaysia

East Malaysia has two states: Sabah and Sarawak. Both are on the island of Borneo and are separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. Sabah's capital is Kota Kinabalu, while Sarawak's capital is Kuching.

Sabah and Sarawak have internal administrative arrangements that differ in important ways from many peninsular states, so it is safer to describe their lower-level structures separately rather than assuming one nationwide pattern.

The Three Federal Territories

Malaysia's three federal territories are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. Federal territories are not states. They are administered under federal authority rather than by a state government.

Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are closely associated with the Selangor urban region geographically, but they are not part of Selangor for first-level administrative classification.

Official Terminology and Common Confusions

Why Provinces Is Not the Standard Term

Many international readers search for “Malaysia provinces” because province is a familiar word in other countries. In Malaysia, however, province is not the normal official term for the country's first-level divisions. The correct terms are states and federal territories.

If a map, travel site, or data table uses “provinces of Malaysia,” it is usually referring loosely to Malaysia's states and federal territories. For accuracy, use states for Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, and the other 10 states, and use federal territories for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan.

The Meaning of the 14 States Phrase

Malaysia officially has 13 states, not 14 states. The phrase “14 states of Malaysia” usually appears because someone has counted Kuala Lumpur, another federal territory, or the federal territories collectively as if they were states.

The accurate first-level total is 16 units: 13 states plus 3 federal territories. Flags, maps, or informal lists may place states and federal territories side by side, but that does not make the federal territories into states.

States, Cities, Capitals, and Territories

A state is a first-level administrative division. A city is usually a settlement or local authority area within a state or territory. The two ideas overlap in everyday speech, but they are not the same administrative category.

For example, George Town is a city and the capital of Penang, while Penang is the state. Johor Bahru is the capital of Johor. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak. Kuala Lumpur is unusual because it is both a city in common usage and a federal territory in first-level administrative classification.

Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia on the Map

Peninsular Malaysia

Peninsular Malaysia is the western part of the country on the Malay Peninsula. It includes the 11 peninsular states and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. On a Malaysia regions map, this is the part of Malaysia connected by land to Thailand and facing the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.

This grouping is useful for basic orientation, maps, transport planning, and understanding where most of Malaysia's first-level units by count are located. It should not be mistaken for a separate first-level administrative division.

East Malaysia

East Malaysia is the Malaysian part of Borneo, together with nearby Labuan. It includes Sabah, Sarawak, and the federal territory of Labuan. Although East Malaysia has fewer first-level units than the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak cover a large land area and have distinctive internal administrative structures.

East Malaysia is a geographic grouping within Malaysia, not a separate country and not a single first-level administrative unit.

Lower-Level Administrative Divisions

Districts and Subdistricts

Below the state or federal territory level, Malaysia uses lower administrative units. Districts, known in Malay as daerah, are important for land administration, local administration, public services, and statistics. District arrangements vary by state and should not be assumed to be identical nationwide.

[INFOGRAFIK] PKPD mukim-mukim di Selangor & lokaliti di Kuala Lumpur

In most contexts, districts are below states or territories. In Sabah and Sarawak, they may sit within larger internal structures such as divisions, depending on the state system being described.

Subdistrict Units and Villages

Many peninsular states use mukim as a subdistrict-type unit below districts. A mukim often groups villages or local communities, but its exact function and practical importance can vary by state and territory.

Villages, commonly called kampung, are community-level settlements. They are important for everyday identity and local administration, but they are not first-level administrative divisions of Malaysia.

Local Authorities

Local authorities handle municipal and local services such as planning, licensing, waste services, public facilities, and local infrastructure. They may be organized as city councils, municipal councils, district councils, or other bodies depending on the place and legal framework.

Local authority boundaries do not always match district boundaries. This is why a city name, a district name, and a local council area may refer to related but different things. In federal territories, local administration operates under federal oversight rather than state oversight.

Special Internal Structures in Sabah and Sarawak

Sabah

Sabah is a first-level state of Malaysia in East Malaysia. Its capital is Kota Kinabalu. For internal administration, Sabah is commonly described through divisions, districts, and local authorities rather than through the peninsular pattern alone.

When reading a Sabah map or dataset, check whether it is showing the state, a division, a district, a local authority, or another boundary type. These layers answer different questions and should not be mixed without care.

Sarawak

Sarawak is a first-level state of Malaysia in East Malaysia, with Kuching as its capital. Internally, Sarawak uses divisions, districts, and subdistricts. These Sarawak divisions are official internal units within the state, not the same thing as Malaysia's first-level national divisions.

Cara menggambar PETA SARAWAK - MALAYSIA dengan mudah & lengkap | How to draw a Sarawak Map

This distinction matters because a “division” in Sarawak is not equivalent to a Malaysian state or federal territory. It is a lower-level administrative structure within Sarawak.

How Malaysia's Divisions Work in Maps, Data, and Area Hierarchies

Map-Friendly Hierarchy

A clean map hierarchy for Malaysia starts with the country, then the 13 states and 3 federal territories, then lower units such as districts, subdistricts, local authorities, and villages where applicable. Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia can be added as regional grouping labels for orientation.

Geospatial datasets commonly treat states and federal territories as Malaysia's first-level administrative divisions. For example, EarthWorks describes a Malaysia first-level administrative division layer in which level 1 divisions include states and federal territories.

Official Data and Statistics

Official data in Malaysia is often organized by state and federal territory, with more detailed breakdowns where relevant. The Department of Statistics Malaysia is the main national statistical authority, and its tables may use different territorial levels depending on the topic.

Before comparing figures across places, check whether the dataset is using states, federal territories, districts, local authorities, or another boundary type. A number reported for Selangor, for example, should not automatically be assumed to include Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya, because those are separate federal territories at the first level.

Conclusion: Reading Malaysia's Administrative Map Correctly

Key Takeaways

Malaysia's official first-level administrative divisions are 13 states and 3 federal territories. The word province is not the standard administrative term for Malaysia, even though some international readers use it informally.

For maps, remember the two broad geographic groupings: Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. For administrative accuracy, start with the 16 first-level units, then move down to districts, mukims, local authorities, and villages as needed. Sabah and Sarawak should be handled with extra care because their internal structures do not always match the common peninsular pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many states are there in Malaysia?

Malaysia has 13 states. It also has 3 federal territories, making 16 first-level administrative units in total.

Does Malaysia have provinces?

Not as the standard official first-level term. Searches for Malaysia provinces usually mean Malaysia's states and federal territories.

What are the federal territories of Malaysia?

The three federal territories are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan. They are administered under federal authority rather than as states.

What is the difference between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia?

Peninsular Malaysia is the western part of the country on the Malay Peninsula. East Malaysia is the Malaysian part of Borneo plus Labuan. These are geographic regions, not first-level administrative divisions.

Why do some people say Malaysia has 14 states?

Malaysia officially has 13 states. The “14 states” phrase usually comes from incorrectly counting a federal territory as a state or mixing states and territories in one informal list.

What are districts and mukims in Malaysia?

Districts, or daerah, are lower-level administrative units below states or territories. A mukim is a subdistrict-type unit used in many peninsular states, often grouping villages, though its role varies by place.