Telephone numbers in Malaysia

Country Code: +60
International Call Prefix: 00

Telephone numbers in Malaysia are regulated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Calls to Singapore do not require international dialing; calls are made using the 02 access code. Similarly, calls to Brunei from East Malaysia can be made using the 080 access codem but calls from Peninsular Malaysia to Brunei require the international prefix 00673.

[+] Geographic area codes

Geographic (fixed line) area codes are, excluding the STD prefix 0, one digit in Peninsular Malaysia (area codes 3 to 7 and 9) and two digits in East Malaysia (area codes 8x). In Peninsular Malaysia, an area code is usually shared by multiple states and territories and roughly follows state borders. The two East Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak, are split into multiple area codes.

Fixed line subscriber numbers are seven digits in Peninsular Malaysia (except Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, i.e. area code 3) and six digits in East Malaysia. Prior to 1999, subscriber numbers were seven digits in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor. From 1999 to 2001, subscriber numbers in these areas were expanded to eight digits in phases to meet new demands. The first digit of a subscriber number is associated with a specific area in the area code. In Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the second digit of a subscriber number identifies the service provider, which is almost always Telekom Malaysia (TM), as TM holds a near-monopoly of the Malaysian fixed line market.

Thus, a full national number is 10 digits in area code 3 and 9 digits elsewhere, including the STD prefix 0. When writing a telephone number with the area code, the area code and subscriber number is separated with a hyphen. Examples:

• A number 21345678 in Kuala Lumpur: 03-21345678
• A number 2134567 in Ipoh, Perak: 05-2134567
• A number 213456 in Kuching, Sarawak: 082-213456

Malaysia employs a open dialing plan, which means calling within the area code does not require the area code to be dialed, apart from mobile phone calls. Calls to and from mobile phones requires full national dialing. e.g. When calling a number 21345678 in Kuala Lumpur (03) from a fixed line phone:

• Within Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya: 21345678
• Outside Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya: 03-21345678
• Outside Malaysia: +60-3-21345678 (the initial 0 of the area code is omitted)

02 Domestic access code to Singapore
03 Selangor & Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya
04 Kedah, Penang & Perlis
05 Perak & Cameron Highlands (Pahang)
06 Melaka, Negeri Sembilan & Muar (Johor)
07 Johor (except Muar) 
080 Domestic access code to Brunei (East Malaysia only)
081 reserved for domestic access/area code
082 Kuching (Sarawak)
083 Sri Aman (Sarawak)
084 Sarikei, Bintangor, Sibu, Kanowit, Song, & Kapit (Sarawak)
085 Lawas, Limbang, Miri (Sarawak)
086 Bintulu, Belaga (Sarawak)
087 Inner District (Sabah) & Federal Territory of Labuan
088 Kota Kinabalu, Kudat (Sabah)
089 Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Tawau (Sabah)
09 Kelantan, Pahang (except Cameron Highlands) & Terengganu

[+] Mobile phone codes and IP telephony

Mobile phone codes and IP telephony codes are in the area code 1, ranging from 2 to 3 digits excluding the leading zero.

Originally, each mobile phone operator is issued one mobile phone code. Through a series of mergers, there are currently three major mobile phone operators: Celcom (a subsidiary of TM), Maxis and DiGi. As existing numbers begin to run out, the three mobile phone operators are assigned numbers in 014 code distinguished by the first digit of the subscriber number.

A mobile phone number consist of a mobile phone code and a seven-digit subscriber number. Therefore, a mobile phone number is written as 01x-xxxxxxx. Calling from mobile phones to fixed lines and vice versa requires full national dialing. Calls between mobile require the full national number, regardless if both parties are in the same mobile phone code. Calling from outside Malaysia requires the leading zero to be dropped.

Mobile phones in Malaysia uses 900/1800MHz for GSM and 2100MHz for WCDMA. Domestic roaming service is available free within Malaysia in places where there is only a single transmitter in place due to restrictions.

The dismantling of analogue services ART450 and ATUR800 as well as CDMA fixed line replacements for remote users by Mobikom (a subsidiary of Sapura) for Telekom Malaysia released the 010, 011 and 018 numbering for Mobile Virtual Numbering Operator (MVNO) services. 014 prefixes are also released to GSM900 and GSM1800 services due to the shortage of numbers.

As codes are being exhausted, a new range, 015x is made available for assignment. Despite the length of the code, subscriber numbers are seven digits, resulting in an 11-digit national number including the leading zero. The two major ISP, TMNet and Jaring are assigned numbers in the 0154 prefix to provide VoIP (also known as Telephony Service over IP, TSoIP) service.

Jaring, MIMOS as a winning bidder for 3G services, but has yet to use up a prefix. U Mobile (formerly MiTV), part of Berjaya Holdings, too won a 3G-only license and thus used the 018 prefix with 7 numbers (branded as U Mobile). Celcom also offers satellite calls system, thus offering 99.99% coverage in outdoor Malaysia using Vodafone backbones.

010 DiGi, XOX Com Sdn Bhd, Tune Talk MVNO (GSM900/GSM1800 mobile, formerly Celcom Art900 on analogue mobile)
011 reserved (formerly TM ATUR 450 on analogue mobile)
012 Maxis (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile, formerly Binariang)
013 Celcom (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800/Satellite mobile, formerly TMTouch)
014-2 Maxis (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-3 DiGi (GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-4 reserved (for Mobile Number Portability testing)
014-5 Celcom (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-6 DiGi (GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-7 Maxis (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-8 Celcom (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
014-9 DiGi (GSM900/GSM1800 mobile)
0153 B & E Wireless Mobile (Wireless Mobile Phone Line)
0154 TSoIP services
0156 Digital public mobile radio
0158 Broadband wireless access
016 DiGi (GSM1800 mobile)
017 Maxis (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800 mobile, formerly Adam)
018 U Mobile (3G/GSM900/DVB-T mobile, formerly Mobikom on CDMA mobile then TM wireless fixed telephony over CDMA mobile)
019 Celcom (3G/3.5G/GSM900/GSM1800/Satellite mobile)

[+] Non-geographical short codes and special numbers

100 Universal operator service (formerly fixed telephone & facsimile fault report)
101 Operator assistance for domestic calls (to be combined to 100)
102 Operator service assistance (to be combined to 100)
103 Fixed telephone directory assistance
104 Telegram services
1051 Time announcement
1066 Earthquakes and Tsunami Alert Centre
108 Operator assistance for international calls (reallocated to 102, to be combined to 100)
112 Mobile network emergency telephone number
12xx reserved, also used in mobile network roaming outgoing calls
1300-xx-xxxx Local rate telephone number
13100 Celcom budget IDD
13188 TM SMS
13200 Maxis value IDD
1315 TMNet EZnet dial-up Internet access service
1377x Mass calling service
141xx Internationally accessible short codes 
1500-xx-xxxx Paging service
1508-xx-xxxx Dial-up internet access service
1511 Jaring dial-up Internet access service
1512 Maxis Net dial-up Internet access service
1513 TMNet EZnet dial-up Internet access service
1515 TMNet dial-up Internet access service
1516 iDiGi dial-up Internet access service
1517 Time Net dial-up Internet access service
1519 Celcom Net dial-up Internet access service
152x ISDN dial-up Internet access service
15454 Electricity fault reporting
1600-xR-xxxx Premium-rate telephone number
1700-xx-xxxx Personal numbering service
1800-xx-xxxx Toll-free telephone number
18Yxx Long distance carrier selection code
1900-xx-xxxx Multimedia service number
600-xx-xxxx Audiotext Premium-rate telephone number (re-allocated to 1600 prefix)
991 Civil defense service (combined to 999)
994 Fire Department (combined to 999)
995 Gas Pipeline emergency (combined to 999)
999 Universal emergency service
Note: R= 1 to 6, x = 0 to 9, Y= 1 to 9

[+] Number portability

Recently, the MCMC announced the mobile number portability (MNP) service for mobile carriers. Thus, subscribers are allowed to retain their mobile numbers when they switch to another service provider, in a bid to increase market competition. Therefore, the mobile number prefix only indicates the original service provider.

Number portability has not been offered for fixed lines, as TM holds a monopoly except in Putrajaya and some areas in the Klang Valley.

[+] See also

• Communications in Malaysia
• Telephone numbering plan

[+] References

• MCMC Numbering And Electronic Addressing Plan [1]

[+] External links

• MCMC Numbering & Electronic Addressing

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