Telephone numbers in Malaysia

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

Geographic (fixed line) telephone numbers consists of an area code of 1 to 2 digits (excluding the leading zero) followed by a 6 to 8-digit subscriber number. Mobile phone numbers consists of a mobile phone code of 2 digits followed by a 7 to 8-digit subscriber number. Mobile phone codes are originally assigned to specific mobile network operators, however with mobile number portability, a mobile phone number might no longer be associated with its original assigned operator.

Calls to Singapore do not require international dialling; calls are made using the 02 domestic access code. Similarly, calls to Brunei from East Malaysia can be made using the 080 domestic access code 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. Until 1995, subscriber numbers in Peninsular Malaysia were six digits in areas other than area code 3. Prior to 2001, subscriber numbers were seven digits in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. From 1999 to 2001, subscriber numbers in these areas were gradually expanded to eight digits in phases to meet new demands that resulted from the growing population in the Klang Valley.

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 2xxx xxxx in Kuala Lumpur: 03-2xxx xxxx
• A number 2xx xxxx in Johor Bahru, Johor: 07-2xx xxxx
• A number 2x xxxx in Kuching, Sarawak: 082-2x xxxx

When calling from a fixed line phone, calls to fixed lines within the same area code does not require the area code to be dialled. Calls to and from mobile phones requires full national dialling. e.g. When calling a number 2xxx xxxx in Kuala Lumpur (03) from a fixed line phone:

• Within Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya: 2xxx xxxx
• Outside Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Within Malaysia: 03-2xxx xxxx
• Outside Malaysia: +60-3-2xxx xxxx (the initial 0 of the area code is omitted)

Prefix	Area
02	Domestic access code to  Singapore
03	Selangor Kuala Lumpur Putrajaya Genting Highlands,  Pahang
04	Perlis  Kedah  Penang Pengkalan Hulu,  Perak
05	Perak Cameron Highlands,  Pahang
06	Negeri Sembilan  Malacca Muar,  Johor Tangkak,  Johor
07	Johor Gemas,  Negeri Sembilan
080	Domestic access code from East Malaysia to  Brunei
081	Reserved number for future use
082	Kuching,  Sarawak
083	Sri Aman,  Sarawak
084	Sarawak – Sarikei, Sibu and Kapit
085	Sarawak – Lawas, Limbang and Miri
086	Sarawak – Bintulu and Belaga
087	Labuan Interior Division,  Sabah
088	Sabah – Kota Kinabalu and Kudat
089	Sabah – Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau
09	Pahang  Terengganu  Kelantan

Mobile phone codes and IP telephony

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

Subscriber number length is seven- or eight-digit, depending on the mobile phone code. Numbers in the 011 and 015 codes are eight digits long, while all other numbers are seven digits long. Therefore, a full national number (including the leading zero) is 11 digits long for 011 and 015 numbers, and 10 digits long for all other numbers.

Calling to and from mobile phones always require full national dialling, even with mobile phones in the same mobile phone code. When calling from outside Malaysia, the leading zero is dropped. For example, a number 016-xxx xxxx is dialled as +60-16-xxx xxxx from outside Malaysia.

Originally, each mobile phone operator was issued one mobile phone code. Through a series of mergers, there were three major mobile phone operators: Celcom, Maxis and DiGi as of 2005. As existing numbers began to run out, the three mobile phone operators were assigned numbers in 014 code distinguished by the first digit of the seven-digit subscriber number.

With the proliferation of new mobile virtual network operators and the exhaustion of existing codes, two new ranges 011 and 015 are made available for assignment. Subscriber numbers are eight digits long, resulting in an 11-digit mobile number including the leading zero. 011-1 was made available to mobile phone operators starting 15 December 2010.^[1] The two major ISPs in Malaysia, TMNet and Jaring are assigned numbers in the 015-4 prefix to provide VoIP (also known as Telephony Service over IP, TSoIP) service. New numbers are assigned in smaller blocks of 10,000, 100,000 or 1,000,000 numbers, as opposed to the previous practice of assigning a whole prefix to an operator, which is a block of nearly 8,000,000 numbers.

The advent of mobile number portability means the current operator of a particular mobile phone number is not necessarily the original assigned operator of the number.

Non-geographical short codes and special numbers

Note: R = 1 to 6, X = 0 to 9, Y = 1 to 9

Number portability

Mobile number portability was introduced on 1 October 2008 for mobile phone numbers in a bid to increase market competition. Thus, subscribers are allowed to retain their mobile numbers when they switch to another service provider. Therefore, the mobile number prefix only indicates the original service provider.

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

References