Have you ever noticed that the sun rises much earlier in Jakarta or Bangkok than in Kuala Lumpur?
Even though these three cities are located on nearly the same longitude, Malaysia’s clocks run about one hour “behind.” It’s not because the sun wakes up later in Malaysia, but because the country uses a time zone that doesn’t perfectly align with its geographical position.
Since 1982, Malaysia has officially followed GMT+8, or Malaysian Standard Time (MST), the same as Hong Kong, Manila, and Perth. But did you know that before that, the country had changed its time zone six times throughout its history?
The Beginning: When Time Was Still “Local”
Before the concept of standardized time zones, each city set its time based on the position of the sun. Noon was when the sun was directly overhead.
However, with the rapid expansion of railway networks and long-distance communication in the 19th century, these time differences caused confusion, especially for travel schedules and international communication.
This global timekeeping chaos was eventually addressed by Sandford Fleming, a Canadian engineer known as the “Father of Standard Time.” He proposed dividing the Earth into 24 time zones, each spanning 15 degrees of longitude.
His proposal was adopted at the International Meridian Conference in 1879, which established Greenwich, England, as the Prime Meridian (GMT 0).
Colonial Era: When Malaya Followed Singapore’s Time
In Southeast Asia, the concept of time zones began to take shape in the early 20th century, when Malaya was under British rule.
In 1901, the Federated Malay States (FMS) and the Straits Settlements, including Singapore, adopted Singapore Mean Time, equivalent to GMT+6.55.
Just four years later, the British decided to align local time with the 105° east meridian—GMT+7.00—to match the newly standardized international time system. This marked the first and second time zone changes in Malaysia’s history.
From Daylight Saving to Japanese Occupation
The third time zone change occurred in 1932, when the British introduced Daylight Saving Time (DST), a policy that moved the clock forward by 20 minutes to allow people to make better use of sunlight in the late afternoon.
Originally planned as a one-year trial, DST was eventually made permanent in 1936.
Everything changed dramatically in 1942 when Japan occupied Malaya. The Japanese military administration forced all its territories to follow Tokyo Standard Time (GMT+9). Overnight, the clocks in Malaya were moved forward by 1 hour and 30 minutes. This became the fourth time zone change.
After Japan’s surrender in 1945, the British returned and reverted the time to GMT+7.30, marking the fifth change. This time zone remained in use for quite a long period, even after Malaysia gained independence.
The Modern Era: Mahathir and the Unification of Malaysian Time
Although Malaysia became independent in 1957, time differences remained a national issue. At that time, Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia were 30 minutes ahead of Peninsular Malaysia.
This seemingly small gap, however, created complications in administrative and interregional coordination.
When Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister in 1981, he saw the need to unify the nation’s time zone to improve efficiency and strengthen national identity. Through the Malaysian Standard Time Act 1981, he decided to advance Peninsular Malaysia’s time by 30 minutes to match East Malaysia.
At exactly 11:30 p.m. on December 31, 1981, Malaysians across the country moved their clocks forward by half an hour. The New Year of 1982 arrived a little earlier, marking the sixth and final time zone change in Malaysia’s history.
Singapore soon followed, aligning its time with Malaysia. Today, both countries share the same time zone: GMT+8.
Why Not Return to the Original Time?
Geographically, Peninsular Malaysia would fit more naturally in GMT+7, the same as Thailand and Vietnam. That’s why the sun rises about an hour later in Malaysia compared to its neighbors.
Some believe reverting to the original time zone would better align daily rhythms with the natural daylight cycle, potentially improving productivity and sleep quality.
However, from an economic perspective, GMT+8 offers clear advantages. Malaysia’s working hours now align with major markets such as Hong Kong, Beijing, and Perth, making trade and international business coordination much more efficient.
