Federal Territory Day, is celebrated on 1st February every year in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. Also known as 'Hari Wilayah Persekutuan', the day commemorates the day in 1974 when Kuala Lumpur was transferred to federal control.
The three federal territories of Malaysia are:
- Kuala Lumpur, the original sole federal capital territory of Malaysia, and the country’s official capital city.
- Putrajaya, the “administrative centre” of Malaysia.
- Labuan, consisting of Labuan Island and six neighbouring isles just off the coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Centre of offshore fossil fuels drilling, and its main city, Victoria, is an international financial centre. Labuan became an international free trade zone in 1990.
In all three of Malaysia’s federal territories, Federal Territory Day is celebrated with parades, cultural exhibitions and performances, fireworks displays, and various games and contests. However with COVID-19 still looming, events this year have been scaled down to ensure public safety is prioritised.
Fun Facts
- in Malay, Kuala Lumpur means “muddy confluence”. This is because Kuala Lumpur sits at the confluence of two major rivers — Gombak and Klang.
- 2022 also marks the 50th anniversary of Kuala Lumpur’s foundation. Even though Kuala Lumpur became the state capital of the Federation of Malaya following the country’s independence in 1957, it was not until 1972 that it gained its city status with the office of a mayor. The official recognition came from a royal charter granted by His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- The country all together has 13 states (11 states in Peninsular Malaysia & 2 Borneo States) as well as the 3 federal territories mentioned earlier.
