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Malaysian Standard Time (MST; Malay: Waktu Standard Malaysia, WSM[1] or Malay: Waktu Piawai Malaysia, WPM), or sometimes Malaysian Time (MYT), is the standard time used in Malaysia. It is 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).[2] Malaysia does not observe daylight saving time.
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2020) |
The local mean time in Kuala Lumpur was originally GMT+06:46:46, while the local mean time in Kuching was 07:21:20. Peninsular Malaysia used the local mean time in Kuala Lumpur until 1 January 1901, when they changed to Singapore mean time GMT+06:55:25; this changed to GMT+07:00 in 1905. Between the end of the Second World War and the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, it was known as British Malayan Standard Time, which was GMT+07:30. At 23:30 hours local time of 31 December 1981, people in Peninsular Malaysia adjusted their clocks and watches ahead by 30 minutes to become 00:00 hours local time of 1 January 1982, to match the time used in East Malaysia, which is GMT+08:00. Singapore Standard Time followed suit and has continued to use the same time as Malaysia.
Period in use | Time offset from GMT | Name of Time (unofficial) |
---|---|---|
Prior to 1 January 1901 | GMT+06:46:46 | British Malayan Mean Time |
1 January 1901 – 31 May 1905 | GMT+06:55:25 | Singapore Mean Time |
1 June 1905 – 31 December 1932 | GMT+07:00 | Standard Zone Time |
1 January 1933 – 31 August 1941 | GMT+07:20 | Malaya Daylight Time/Malaya Standard Time |
1 September 1941 – 15 February 1942 | GMT+07:30 | Malaya Standard Time |
16 February 1942 – 11 September 1945 | GMT+09:00 | Tokyo Standard Time |
12 September 1945 – 31 December 1981 | GMT+07:30 | Malaya Standard Time/Malaysia Standard Time |
1 January 1982 – present | GMT+08:00 | Malaysian Standard Time |
Period in use | Time offset from GMT | Name of Time (unofficial) |
---|---|---|
Prior to 1 March 1926 | GMT+07:21:20 | Kuching Mean Time |
1 March 1926 – 31 December 1932 | GMT+07:30 | North Borneo Standard Time & Sarawak Standard Time |
1 January 1933 - 15 February 1942 | GMT+08:00 | North Borneo & Sarawak Standard Time |
16 February 1942 – 11 September 1945 | GMT+09:00 | Tokyo Standard Time |
12 September 1945 – 31 December 1981 | GMT+08:00 | North Borneo/Sabah Standard Time and Sarawak Standard Time |
1 January 1982 – present | GMT+08:00 | Malaysian Standard Time |
Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad declared that people in Peninsular Malaysia would adjust their clocks ahead by 30 minutes to match the time in use in East Malaysia (GMT+08:00) on 31 December 1981. The time was switched on 1 January 1982 from 00:00 (old time) to 00:30 (new time).[3] This is enforced in law through the Malaysian Standard Time Act 1981. It is noted that the official law in use still reference to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is not updated to use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).[2].
On 1 January 1990, the Malaysian Cabinet appointed the National Metrology Laboratory (SIRIM) as the official timekeeper of Malaysia. The cuurent timekeeping references to the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) standard +00:00 area, offset forward by 8 hours (UTC+08:00). This timescale is derived from five atomic clocks maintained by SIRIM and is always within 0.9 seconds of the legal time.[4]
The IANA time zone database contains two zones for Malaysia in the file zone.tab:
c.c.* | coordinates* | TZ* | comments* | UTC offset | UTC offset DST | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MY | +0310+10142 | Asia/Kuala_Lumpur | Malaysia (peninsula) | +08:00 | ||
MY | +0133+11020 | Asia/Kuching | Sabah, Sarawak | +08:00 |
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