There are 195 countries in the world (or more depending on who you’re talking to). Each country has its own unique codes. This saves time and prevents mistakes as these unique combinations of letters or numbers are recognised world over.
Malaysia is represented through the two-letter code (alpha-2) MY. This general-purpose code is defined by the ISO 3166 standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These standards were established in the 1970s to represent not only countries but also dependent areas and places of special geographic interest.
3 is a magic number and you may see Malaysia represented as a 3 digit code too; specifically MYS. This is its ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code. The difference between this and the alpha-2 code is that it allows a better visual association between the code and the country name.
Where are these codes applied you might ask? E-passports utilise these codes so the machine can identify your nationality when you travel through passport control at the airport, with your documentation and your Malaysia eVisa.
Looking for your flight to Kuala Lumpur on a flight board? You’ll see a different code come up on the screen. This is an IATA code defined by the International Air Transport Association. This abbreviation is specific to the airport and in this case, it would be KUL.
Read on to learn more about the different codes you might come across as you’re travelling around the country. This includes international dialling codes, zip codes and more.
We hope this will help you to decipher any booking confirmations and allow you to make calls both to and from Malaysia with ease. Happy travels!
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How to Call Malaysia From Abroad
If you need to call your hotel ahead of your trip or book an attraction or visit, then you will need to know how to call Malaysia from abroad.
To dial a Malaysian phone number, you will need to know the country code. The country code for Malaysia that you need to remember is +60.
To call a Malaysian phone number simply dial your exit country code, the country code and the area phone code, all before the local number.
The country exit code indicates to the operator that you want to call someone outside of your current country.
As an example, the exit code to dial when placing a call from the UK and the USA is 011.
Wondering how to call Malaysia from the USA?
Perhaps you are calling regarding your tourist visa. If you were calling a number in Kuala Lumpur (area dialling code 60-3) from the US then you would need to type this into your keypad:
011 (US Exit Code) + 60 + 3 + phone number.
Take into account the time difference when calling from overseas and check standard business hours.
The time zone for Malaysia (MY) is GMT+8.
Here is the time difference between here and the following countries:
- London, UK – MY is 8 hours ahead.
- Washington D.C, USA – MY is 13 hours ahead.
- Sydney, Australia – MY is 3 hours behind.
- New Deli, India – MY is 2 hours and 30 minutes ahead.
- Wellington, New Zealand – MY is 5 hours behind.
- Ottawa, Canada – MY is 13 hours ahead.
If you are calling from Singapore, then you can call during your normal hours, you won’t have to worry about the time difference, as it is in the same time zone.
The cost to call Malaysia varies depending on your network provider. If you want to call here for free you can call via Skype or another online platform.
How to Ring a Malaysian Phone Number
Knowing how to make a call while you are on holiday abroad is essential.
Perhaps you want to confirm a restaurant reservation or book tickets to a family attraction like the Batu caves. To do this, you will need to know how to make a call within Malaysia.
As a general rule, telephone numbers in Peninsular Malaysia are made up of 7 digits (excluding prefixes).
The following parts of the country have 8 digit numbers instead:
- Kuala Lumpur
- Selangor
- Putrajaya
Telephone lines in Eastern Malaysia have 6 digits.
Unsure of the area phone code? Check out our list below.
Malaysia Phone Codes
In order to make a call to a specific part of the country, you will need to know the area telephone code to dial.
This nation is made up of 13 states and 3 federal territories however there are more than 16 city codes for the country. Most tourists travel to the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The area code for this city is 60-3.
Travelling to elsewhere in the federation?
Here is a full list of Malaysia area codes:
Area |
Area Code |
|---|---|
| Alor Setar | 60-4 |
| Beranang | 60-3 |
| Bintulu | 60-8 |
| Broga | 60-3 |
| Cheras | 60-3 |
| Dengkil | 60-3 |
| Ipoh | 60-5 |
| Johor Bahru | 60-7 |
| Johore (state) | 60-7 |
| Kajang | 60-3 |
| Kedah | 60-4 |
| Kelantan (state | 60-9 |
| Kepala Batas | 60-4 |
| Kota Bharu | 60-9 |
| Kota Kinabalu | 60-8 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 60-3 |
| Kuala Terengganu | 60-9 |
| Kuantan | 60-9 |
| Kuching | 60-8 |
| Labuan | 60-8 |
| Machang | 60-9 |
| Maran | 60-9 |
| Melaka (state) | 60-6 |
| Miri | 60-8 |
| Muar | 60-6 |
| Negeri Sembilan (state) | 60-6 |
| Pahang | 60-4 |
| Penang (state) | 60-4 |
| Perak (state) | 60-4 |
| Perlis (state) | 60-6 |
| Port Dickson | 60-8 |
| Sabah (state) | 60-8 |
| Sandakan | 60-8 |
| Sarawak (state) | 60-3 |
| Selangor (state) | 60-3 |
| Semenyih | 60-6 |
| Seremban | 60-8 |
| Sibu | 60-4 |
| Sintok | 60-8 |
| Sri Aman | 60-3 |
| Sungei Besi | 60-3 |
| Sungei Renggam Terengganu (state) | 60-9 |
Malaysia Emergency Numbers You Should Know
Before you travel anywhere, you should be aware of the emergency services numbers in your destination country.
These are the key Malaysia emergency numbers to note down before you travel:
- To call an ambulance anywhere in Malaysia, dial 999.
- The same number also applies to the police.
- To call the fire brigade (known as Bomba), dial 994.
It is also helpful to have a local taxi service number in your phone book along with the phone number for your hotel or other tourist accommodation.
Internet Coverage and Wifi Codes
For those travellers who like to Instagram every meal on their holiday, getting connected to the internet once you’ve touched down in Kuala Lumpur is vital.
You will be pleased to hear that both telephone and internet coverage are generally good across the country.
Telekom Malaysia is the federation’s main provider; this telecommunications company dates back to the early 20th century
If you want 24/7 connectivity without maxing out on roaming, then buying a SIM card from a local provider could be a good option. Having a Malaysia mobile number can also be useful when making local calls.
Alternatively, there are a number of wifi hotspots in cities around the country, as well as cafes where you can ask for the wifi code.
If you want to surf local travel blogs or tourist sites ahead of your trip, you will see that the country-specific domains here end in “.my”; for example, www.sample-domain.my
Malaysia Postal Code and Sample Address
Malaysia zip codes (or poskod as they are known in Malay) are made up of 5 numbers.
The 2 digits at the start of the code refer to a particular state or administrative area.
For example, if you are sending an item to someone in Kuala Lumpur then the postcode will either start:
50XXX or 60XXX
It is important to address the letter or package correctly so that it arrives at the right address.
The standard format for a Malaysian address is:
Line 1 – Name of recipient
Line 2- House or building name or number/floor
Line 3 – Street name and district
Line 4 – City and postcode
Line 5 – State
Here is an example of a Malaysian address:
Adam Lim
65 Jalan Sultan Ismail
Kuala Terengganu
Terengganu, 20200
Malaysia
If you want to send an item within Malaysia, the postal service is called Pos Malaysia Berhad. There are more than 1,000 post offices and Pos Mini (mini post offices) spread across the country. Costs are reasonable and the service is known as being reliable.
Need a courier whilst in the country? The PosLaju courier service offers a high-speed service to send parcels overseas.
We hope you will now have all the information you need to make a phone call whilst in the country and decipher any other codes you come across during your travels in the ‘Wild East!’
