KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 30): The total area of Malay reserve land (MRL) in Peninsular Malaysia increased to 4.95 million hectares in 2024, up from 4.82 million hectares in 2020. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the net increase amounted to 135,063.46 hectares over a five-year period. “The total area of MRL in Peninsular Malaysia excludes Penang and Melaka, which do not have a Malay Reservation Enactment (MRE),” NRES said, in a written reply published on Parliament’s official website. Based on data from state authorities, the ministry said that Kelantan recorded the largest MRL area at 1.36 million hectares, followed by Perak (953,212.43 hectares), Kedah (809,142.22 hectares), Johor (561,802.60 hectares), and Pahang (444,074.90 hectares). In addition, Negeri Sembilan recorded 224,483.22 hectares, Selangor (164,743.96 hectares), Perlis (33,554.48 hectares), Kuala Lumpur (1,004.00 hectares), while Terengganu involved an area of 2,378.89 hectares, with Malay holdings in the state amounting to 401,129 hectares.

Source: The Edge Markets January 30, 2026 04:53 UTC