In general, human settlements are called villages, towns or cities, depending on size and importance. But more often than not, the difference between “town” and “city” is unclear.
In Malaysia, a human settlement, in accordance with English tradition, can only be called a city following the declaration of a royal charter by the monarch – in our case, the Yang di- Pertuan Agong. In contrast, all human settlements in the US are referred to as cities, even if there are only 99 residents in the place.
As of March 9, 2015 Malaysia had 11 cities: KL (February 1, 1972), Ipoh (May 27, 1988), Kuching (August 1, 1988), Johor Bahru ( January 1, 1994), Kota Kinabalu (February 2, 2000), Shah Alam (October 10, 2000), Malacca City (April 15, 2003), Alor Star (December 21, 2003), Miri ( June 20, 2005), Petaling Jaya ( June 20, 2006) and Kuala Terengganu ( January 1, 2008).
