# Kelantan: Profile of the Darul Naim State, Economy and Handicrafts

> A state in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia centred on Kota Bharu — its economic structure rests on services and agriculture rather than manufacturing, and it maintains a distinctive tradition of performance and handicrafts.

- Category: states
- Language: en
- Status: published
- Updated: 2026-07-24
- Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/states/kelantan

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Malaysia's economy is usually told through the factory. Kelantan is the
clearest exception: manufacturing accounted for only 4.7% of the state's Gross
Domestic Product in 2025 — the lowest share among the 13 states — while
agriculture contributed nearly a fifth.

That figure, from the Department of Statistics Malaysia's GDP by state
dataset, explains a good deal else about this state: its population
distribution, its employment patterns, and why its craft and performance
heritage remains tied to household networks rather than large-scale industry.

## Key facts

| | |
| --- | --- |
| State capital | Kota Bharu |
| State title | Kelantan Darul Naim |
| Area | About 15,040 km² |
| Population (2025) | About 1.91 million |
| Head of state | Sultan of Kelantan |
| Administrative division | 10 districts and 1 sub-district (Lojing) |
| GDP (2025) | RM29.8 billion, constant 2015 prices |
| Largest sector | Services (71.8%), agriculture (19.8%) |

## Geography and administration

Kelantan sits in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia, bordering Thailand to
the north and facing the South China Sea to the northeast, with an area of
about 15,040 square kilometres according to the National Security Council
(Majlis Keselamatan Negara, MKN).

Its name is linked to two commonly cited explanations — the word for
"lightning," and forests of the gelam tree (*Melaleuca leucadendron*). The
state's motto is "Berserah Kepada Tuhan" ("Submission to God").

The state's administration is divided into ten districts (jajahan): Kota
Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh, Tumpat, Tanah Merah, Machang, Kuala
Krai, Gua Musang and Jeli — plus the sub-district (jajahan kecil) of Lojing.
DOSM's district-level population data lists all eleven units separately.

Population distribution is highly uneven. In 2025, Kota Bharu district was
home to about 590,100 people, followed by Pasir Mas (242,700) and Tumpat
(191,200), while Jeli (58,200) and Lojing (11,700) sat at the other end —
consistent with the divide between the densely populated coastal plain and
the hilly interior.

## Kota Bharu

Kota Bharu is the state capital and, according to its local authority, the
main centre of administration, commerce, finance, culture and education for
the entire state.

The city's administrative area covers 115.64 square kilometres. A royal
settlement was founded here in 1844; municipal status was granted in 1936, it
was reorganised as a town board in 1971, and its current municipal council
status was granted in 1978. The local authority is officially known as the
Kota Bharu Islamic City Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu
Bandar Raya Islam, MPKB-BRI).

## Economic structure

Kelantan's GDP was worth RM29.8 billion in 2025 at constant 2015 prices,
growing 4.1% from RM28.6 billion in 2024.

| Sector | Share of state GDP (2025) |
| --- | --- |
| Services | 71.8% |
| Agriculture | 19.8% |
| Manufacturing | 4.7% |
| Construction | 2.0% |
| Mining and quarrying | 1.5% |

Two numbers in that table stand out against other states. The agriculture
share of 19.8% is the second highest in Malaysia after Pahang (22.4%), far
above the average for industrialised states. The manufacturing share of 4.7%,
meanwhile, is the lowest among the 13 states — compare Penang (47.3%) or
[Johor](/en/states/johor) (28.0%).

This structure also shows up in household data. Kelantan's median monthly
household income was RM4,083 in 2024 (mean RM5,265), the lowest figure among
the states and federal territories in that survey year.

For national context on how these figures are calculated and compared, see
[Malaysia's GDP overview](/en/economy/gdp-overview).

## Culture, performance and handicrafts

Government sources consistently associate Kelantan with a cluster of
traditional craft and performance forms: the wau bulan (moon kite), [wayang
kulit](/en/arts-culture/wayang-kulit) (shadow puppetry), wood carving,
silverwork, [batik](/en/arts-culture/batik) and songket weaving.

**Mak yong** theatre holds the most formal international recognition. UNESCO
listed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity in 2008, following a 2005 proclamation, and describes it as a
tradition originating in villages in Kelantan. UNESCO also notes that the
form is passed down largely by oral transmission and faces a decline in the
number of young successors.

The state's geographic position has also shaped its material culture.
Proximity to Thailand has influenced the local dialect, cuisine and dress —
a feature noted directly in government explanatory material.

Handicrafts here remain a workshop- and household-based activity rather than
factory production. That is one reason they show up in the statistics as
part of trade and tourism — see [Malaysia's tourism
sector](/en/economy/tourism) — rather than as manufacturing.

## State institutions

The head of state is the Sultan of Kelantan, one of the Malay Rulers who sit
on the Conference of Rulers (Majlis Raja-Raja). According to the Keeper of
the Rulers' Seal (Pejabat Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja), the reigning
Sultan is His Royal Highness Sultan Muhammad V, who ascended the throne on 13
September 2010.

Day-to-day executive power is exercised by the state government, headed by a
Menteri Besar together with members of the State Executive Council
(Ahli-Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan), with a State Legislative Assembly
(Dewan Undangan Negeri) as the state legislature. Land administration and
district affairs are handled through the Land and District Office (Pejabat
Tanah dan Jajahan) in each district. Kelantan is also represented in the
Federal Parliament — see [the structure of Malaysia's
Parliament](/en/government/parliament).

## Common misconceptions

**"Kelantan doesn't have a long urban history."** This area is among the
oldest continuously inhabited parts of Peninsular Malaysia, and the
archaeological sites around it are linked to early political networks such
as [Langkasuka](/en/malaysia/langkasuka).

**"Kota Bharu's population is the city's population."** Two different
figures are often conflated: the 115.64 km² MPKB-BRI administrative area, and
the much larger Kota Bharu district, with about 590,100 people in 2025.

**"The state's economy is agriculture alone."** Agriculture is indeed large
by Malaysian standards, but services still make up more than two-thirds of
the state economy at 71.8%.

**"State GDP figures can be compared directly with nominal figures."** The
state series used here is at constant 2015 prices. Comparing it directly with
nominal values would give a misleading picture.

## What's next

Check the latest figures at the [OpenDOSM data
catalogue](https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/gdp_state_real_supply)
before citing any number here — the state series is revised annually. For
administrative matters, services and official state announcements, refer to
the [Official Portal of the Kelantan State
Government](https://www.kelantan.gov.my/).

This article remains a draft until a human reviewer confirms the items
listed under "verification needed".

## Sources

- GDP by State (Real, Supply Side) — data catalogue — https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/gdp_state_real_supply (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Population by State — set data terbuka — https://storage.dosm.gov.my/population/population_state.csv (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Population by District — set data terbuka — https://storage.dosm.gov.my/population/population_district.csv (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Household Income by State — data catalogue — https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/hh_income_state (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Tinta Bicara Hari Malaysia: Kenali Negeri Kelantan — https://www.mkn.gov.my/web/ms/2022/09/07/tinta-bicara-hari-malaysia-kenali-negeri-kelantan/ (Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN))
- Info Kota Bharu — https://mpkbbri.kelantan.gov.my/index.php/pelawat/info-kota-bharu (Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu Bandar Raya Islam (MPKB-BRI))
- Maklumat Majlis Raja-Raja — https://www.majlisraja-raja.gov.my/ms/maklumat-majlis-raja-raja-latest (Pejabat Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja)
- Mak Yong theatre — Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mak-yong-theatre-00167 (UNESCO)
- Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan — https://www.kelantan.gov.my/ (Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan)

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Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md
License: CC BY-SA 4.0