States and federal territories of Malaysia in the context of "Malay states"

Johor is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to the east and west. As of 2023, the state's population is 4.09 million, making it the second most populous state in Malaysia, after Selangor. Johor Bahru is the capital city and the economic centre of the state, Kota Iskandar is the state administrative centre and Muar serves as the royal capital.

As one of the nation's most important economic hubs, Johor has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in Malaysia outside of the Klang Valley, making it the country's second largest state economy, behind Selangor. Its household income and total salaries are the second highest among all Malaysian states. Johor has the world's second largest artificial intelligence hub, robust manufacturing and logistics centres, and home to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, the 15th busiest port in the world. Iskandar Malaysia, which covers much of southern Johor, is the country's largest special economic zone by investment value.

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. A federal constitutional monarchy, it consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia on the Indochinese Peninsula and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Thailand, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia; East Malaysia shares land borders with Brunei and Indonesia, and maritime borders with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the country's national capital, largest city, and the seat of the legislative branch of the federal government, while Putrajaya is the federal administrative capital, representing the seat of both the executive branch (the Cabinet, federal ministries, and federal agencies) and the judicial branch of the federal government. With a population of over 34 million, it is the world's 42nd-most populous country.

The country has its origins in the Malay kingdoms, which, from the 18th century on, became subject to the British Empire, along with the British Straits Settlements protectorate. During World War II, British Malaya, along with other nearby British and American colonies, was occupied by the Empire of Japan. Following three years of occupation, Peninsular Malaysia was briefly unified as the Malayan Union in 1946 until 1948 when it was restructured as the Federation of Malaya. The country achieved independence on 31 August 1957. On 16 September 1963, independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation and became a separate, independent country.

Singapore, officially the State of Singapore, was briefly one of the 14 states of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 by the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the former British colonies of North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore. This marked the end of 144 years of British rule in Singapore, which began with the founding of modern Singapore by Stamford Raffles in 1819. With a land area of approximately 670 km (260 sq mi), it was the smallest state but had the largest population and was highly urbanised, playing a central role in the national economy. As part of the integration referendum and the Malaysia Agreement, Singapore was given autonomous status including in education, labour and healthcare.

The merger was supported by the British, Malayan and Singaporean leaders as a measure to counter the influence of communism in Southeast Asia, especially through the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). The threat of communist expansion was considered serious by all parties, and the union was seen as a means to contain it through political consolidation. However, serious disagreements soon surfaced between the governments of Singapore and Malaysia, led by the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Alliance Party respectively. Conflicts arose over financial contributions, political participation and racial policies. Although a common market had been promised in exchange for Singapore's substantial tax revenues, trade barriers remained in place. In response, Singapore withheld development loans to Sabah and Sarawak. The situation was worsened when the Malay–based United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of the Alliance and the PAP contested elections beyond their agreed jurisdictions, triggering further mistrust.

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, formally known as State of Brunei, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2025, the country had a population of 466,330, of whom approximately 64,409 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay, and Sunni Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.

At the Sultanate of Brunei's peak during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah (1485–1528), the state is claimed to have had control over the most of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu archipelago and the islands off the northwestern tip of Borneo. There are also claims to its historical control over Seludong, in which Southeast Asian scholars believe the name of the location in question is actually in reference to Mount Selurong, in Indonesia, or Serudong River in eastern Sabah. The maritime state of Brunei was visited by the surviving crew of the Magellan Expedition in 1521, and in 1578 it fought against Spain in the Castilian War.

Pahang (Malay pronunciation: [paˈhaŋ]; Pahang Hulu Malay: Paha, Pahang Hilir Malay: Pahaeng, Ulu Tembeling Malay: Pahaq), officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific Darul Makmur ("The Abode of Tranquility") is a sultanate and a federal state of Malaysia. It is the third largest state in the country and the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia, and the ninth most populous. The state occupies the basin of the Pahang River, and a stretch of the east coast as far south as Endau. The state borders the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu to the north, Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to the west and Johor to the south, with the South China Sea is to the east. Pahang is separated from the west coast states by the Titiwangsa Mountains that forms a natural divider between the peninsula's east and west coasts from north to south, and from Terengganu in the east by the Pantai Timur Range. The state's highest elevation culminates at Mount Tahan in the eponymous Tahan Range, which is 2,187 metres (7,175 ft) high. Although two thirds of the state is covered by dense rain forest, its central plains are intersected by numerous rivers, and along the coast there is a 32-kilometre (20 mi) wide expanse of alluvial soil that includes the deltas and estuarine plains of the Kuantan, Pahang, Rompin, Endau, and Mersing Rivers.

The state is divided into 11 districts (daerah) – Pekan, Rompin, Maran, Temerloh, Jerantut, Bentong, Raub, Lipis, Cameron Highlands and Bera. The largest district is Jerantut, which is the main gateway to the Taman Negara national park. Pahang's capital and largest city, Kuantan, is the eighth largest urban area by population in Malaysia. The royal capital and the official seat of the Sultan of Pahang is located at Pekan. Pekan was also the old state capital and its name translates literally into 'the town', it was known historically as 'Inderapura'. Other major towns include Temerloh, Raub, Bentong, Jerantut, Kuala Lipis and its hill resorts of Genting Highlands, Bukit Tinggi, and Cameron Highlands. The head of state is the Sultan of Pahang, while the head of government is the Menteri Besar. The government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system. The state religion of Pahang is Islam, but allows other religions in its territory.

Malacca (Malay: Melaka), officially the Historic State of Malacca (Malay: Melaka Negeri Bersejarah), is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca. The state is bordered by Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to the south. The exclave of Tanjung Tuan also borders Negeri Sembilan to the north. Its capital is Malacca City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.

Malacca has diverse tropical rainforests and experiences an equatorial climate. Situated immediately south of the Titiwangsa Mountains, the state is mostly level and dotted with inselbergs, with Bukit Gapis as the highest point.

Negeri Sembilan (Malay pronunciation: [ˈnəgəri səmbiˈlan], Negeri Sembilan Malay: Nogoghi Sombilan, Nismilan), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south. The Arabic honorific title of the state is Darul Khusus (دار الخصوص; "The Special Abode").

The capital of Negeri Sembilan is Seremban. The royal capital is Seri Menanti in Kuala Pilah District. Other important towns are Port Dickson, Bahau and Nilai. The name is believed to derive from the nine (sembilan) villages or nagari in the Minangkabau language (now known as luak) settled by the Minangkabau (or Menangkabau), a people originally from West Sumatra (in present-day Indonesia). Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the dialect of Malay spoken.

Johor Bahru, abbreviated JB, is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Johor. It is the core city of Johor Bahru District, Malaysia's second-largest district by population and economy. Covering an area of 373.18 km, Johor Bahru had a population of 858,118 people in 2020, making it the nation's largest state capital city by population. It is located at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the city-state of Singapore.

As the financial and business centre of southern Malaysia, Johor Bahru is Malaysia's second best-performing city behind only Kuala Lumpur, in terms of economic competitiveness, prosperity, and ease of doing business, according to the World Bank. It has the fastest urbanisation growth and internet speed among Malaysian cities. As one of the most visited cities globally, Johor Bahru also has the world's busiest land border crossing, via the Johor-Singapore Causeway, KTM Intercity and the future RTS Link to Singapore. Johor Bahru is served by Senai International Airport and the world's 15th-busiest port, Tanjung Pelepas.

The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (Malay: Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia; Jawi: ‏كراجأن ڤرسكوتوان مليسيا‎), is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a federation composed of the 11 States of Malaya, the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak, and 3 Federal Territories operating within a constitutional monarchy under the Westminster system and is categorised as a representative democracy. The federal government of Malaysia adheres to and is created by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of the land.

The federal government adopts the principle of separation of powers under Article 127 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, and has three branches: the executive, legislature, and judiciary. The state governments in Malaysia also have their respective executive and legislative bodies. The judicial system in Malaysia is a federalised court system operating uniformly throughout the country.