Celebrated in the Malaysian federal territories of Labuan, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, Federal Territory Day is a holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory in 1974. This holiday is observed on February 1st most years, but if the holiday happens to fall on a weekend, then the date of this holiday is moved to the following Monday.
Because it’s a public holiday in certain federal territories, it’s a non-working day for the people living in those territories and is also a day off for businesses, government offices, and schools in those areas. This is a holiday that’s also celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in those territories, often with a wide variety of different events.
The History Of Federal Territory Day
When the former British colony of Singapore joined the Federation of Malay, along with the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, then new territories came under the control of the Malay federal government.
During this time, the Capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, was a part of the state of Selangor. On the 28th of 1974, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Agreement was signed. Four days later, Kuala Lumpur would become a federal territory.
When the Sabah state ceded Labuan to the federal government, then another federal territory was created in 1984. To deal with overcrowding in Kuala Lumpur, a new city was planned. This city was Putrajaya and it would become the Malaysian administration center. Creating this city, however, required Selangor to give up more land.
In 1999, the seat of the Malaysian government was shifted to Putrajaya from Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya became the third federal territory. In all three federal territories, the 1st of February is observed as a public holiday to commemorate the creation of Kuala Lumpur as a federal territory.
Observing Federal Territory Day
This holiday is observed in the three federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya on the 1st of February. In these territories, there are a variety of events such as concerts, theater productions, parades, and sporting events. There are also fishing competitions at Lake Perdana and firework displays. It’s a day of fun and entertainment for the people of these three federal territories.
When is Federal Territory Day? |
|
| This year (2023) | February 1 (Wednesday) |
| Next year (2024) | February 1 (Thursday) |
| Last year (2022) | February 1 (Tuesday) |