# Melaka: the state with no Sultan, a city layered by the Portuguese, Dutch and British

> A profile of the State of Melaka — capital Bandaraya Melaka, the institution of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri who is appointed rather than hereditary, the 2008 UNESCO World Heritage Site listing, and a state economic structure that turns out to be broader than tourism alone.

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

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Nine states in Malaysia have a Raja. Melaka is not one of them — even though its
name is attached to the most famous Malay sultanate in the region's history.

That is the paradox most often misunderstood about this state. The name
"Melaka" carries the shadow of a palace, but the modern state of Melaka is
headed by a **Yang di-Pertua Negeri** appointed for a limited term, not a ruler
who inherits the throne.

## Key facts

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Capital | Bandaraya Melaka |
| Head of state | Yang di-Pertua Negeri (appointed, not hereditary) |
| State Head of Islam | Yang di-Pertuan Agong, under Article 3(3) |
| Population | 1,052.5 thousand people (2025 estimate, DOSM) |
| Land area | 1,712 km² (JUPEM, via My Local Stats) |
| Administrative districts | Three — Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah, Jasin |
| GDP | RM50.3 billion (2025, constant 2015 prices), growing 3.0% |
| UNESCO World Heritage | Listed 2008, criteria (ii)(iii)(iv) |

## Why the title is Yang di-Pertua Negeri

Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution defines the term briefly: Yang
di-Pertua Negeri means the Head of State for a state that **has no Raja**.

Four states fall into that category — Melaka, [Penang](/en/states/penang),
Sabah and Sarawak. The core provisions sit in sections 19A to 19D of the
Eighth Schedule to the [Federal Constitution](/en/law/federal-constitution):

| Provision | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| 19A(1) | Appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acting in his discretion, but after consulting the Chief Minister |
| 19A(2) | Term of office is **four years**; may resign; may be removed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong following a motion of the DUN supported by two-thirds of its total membership |
| 19B(1) | A non-citizen, or a citizen by naturalisation or registration, may not be appointed |
| 19B(2) | May not hold any office of profit, and may not actively engage in any commercial enterprise |
| 19C | State law must provide for a Civil List (*Senarai Sivil*) charged on the Consolidated Fund, which may not be reduced during the term of office |

Section 22 of the Eighth Schedule then sets out the mechanics of the
substitution: in the application of Parts I and II of that Schedule to Melaka
and Penang, references to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri **replace** references to
the Raja.

The state government's official portal states that the appointment is made by
the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after consulting the Chief Minister, and lists Tun
Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam as the seventh Yang di-Pertua
Negeri of Melaka, holding office since 2020. Check the portal for the current
position.

## Consequences rarely explained

The difference in title carries three concrete constitutional consequences.

**The Head of Islam differs.** Article 3(3) provides that the Constitutions of
Melaka, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak shall each make provision for conferring on
the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the position of Head of the religion of Islam in
that state. In states with a Raja, that position is held by the Raja of the
state concerned.

**Membership of the Conference of Rulers is not full membership.** Section 1
of the Fifth Schedule includes the Yang di-Pertua Negeri as members of the
Conference of Rulers. But section 7 of the same Schedule excludes them from
proceedings relating to the election or removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,
the election of the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and matters concerning
solely the privileges, position, honours and dignities of the Rulers or
religious acts and ceremonies.

**The office has a term.** Four years, renewable — compared to a throne held
for life. This also distinguishes Melaka from the model in
[Negeri Sembilan](/en/states/negeri-sembilan), whose head of state is elected
by the Undang Yang Empat but remains a customary ruler.

## Four layers of power in one city

The state government's official portal records the following sequence.

| Period | Event |
| --- | --- |
| Until 1511 | [Melaka Malay Sultanate](/en/malaysia/melaka-sultanate) |
| 1511–1641 | Portuguese; Afonso de Albuquerque arrived 10 August 1511, the city fell 24 August — 130 years of rule |
| 1641–1795 | Dutch, after the Portuguese defeat by the Dutch–Johor alliance — 154 years; Stadthuys built 1650, St. Peter's Church 1710 |
| 1795–1957 | British; the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 and the establishment of the Straits Settlements in 1826 |
| 1942–1945 | Japanese Occupation |
| 1956 | Independence proclaimed at Padang Banda Hilir on 20 February |

It is that Padang Banda Hilir that makes Melaka a symbolic location in the
story of [1957 independence](/en/malaysia/independence-1957).

Melaka was declared a Historic City on 15 April 1989. The Melaka Historic City
Municipal Council was later upgraded to become the Melaka Historic City
Council (Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah, MBMB) on 15 April 2003, with a
current administrative area of 270.39 km².

## What UNESCO actually recognises

The listing is not for Melaka alone. The serial property is named **"Melaka
and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca"**, inscribed in
2008 under criteria (ii), (iii) and (iv), with a minor boundary modification
inscribed in 2011.

The division of roles between the two cities is stated directly in UNESCO's
description: with its government buildings, churches, squares and forts,
**Melaka represents the early stage** of this history — the 15th-century
Malay sultanate together with the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in
the early 16th century. **George Town, in turn, represents the British era**
from the end of the 18th century.

So the most prominent British layer in the listing sits in Penang, not in
Melaka. This is a nuance often lost in popular summaries.

Criterion (iv) specifically cites the extraordinary row of shophouses and
townhouses, some of which date from the Dutch or Portuguese periods. The
entire serial property covers 154.68 hectares with a buffer zone of 392.8
hectares.

## Economy: not tourism alone

This is where the official data cuts against the common assumption. Melaka is
indeed a tourism state — but manufacturing contributes more than a third of
its economy.

| Sector | 2025 GDP (RM million) | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Services | 26,369.9 | 52.4% |
| Manufacturing | 17,777.4 | 35.4% |
| Agriculture | 4,686.2 | 9.3% |
| Construction | 1,258.8 | 2.5% |
| Mining and quarrying | 72.1 | 0.1% |
| **GDP at purchasers' prices** | **50,286.0** | **100%** |

Constant 2015 prices. Overall growth was 3.0 percent in 2025, following 4.2
percent in 2024.

Tourism still has its own signature in the data. In the Domestic Tourism
Survey (States) 2024, DOSM found Melaka to be the **only state** whose primary
purpose for domestic overnight travel is holiday, rest and recreation — in
every other state, the primary purpose is visiting relatives and friends.

The population is concentrated in Melaka Tengah: 633.3 thousand people out of
1,052.5 thousand in 2025, compared with Alor Gajah's 261.8 thousand and
Jasin's 157.3 thousand. Yet by land area, Melaka Tengah is the smallest (359
km²) compared with Jasin (679) and Alor Gajah (674).

## Common misconceptions

**"Melaka still has a Sultan."** No. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertua
Negeri, appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a four-year term. The
Melaka Malay Sultanate is a historical entity that ended as a ruling power in
Melaka in 1511.

**"The Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the same as a Raja, just with a different
title."** Not the same. The office is for a fixed term, is not hereditary,
does not hold the position of the state's Head of Islam, and does not take
part in the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

**"The whole of Bandaraya Melaka is a UNESCO site."** The listing covers a
specifically bounded core zone and buffer zone within the serial property
shared with George Town — not the entire 270.39 km² administrative area of
the city.

**"Melaka's economy depends entirely on tourists."** The state's GDP data
shows manufacturing contributing about 35 percent, and services covering many
activities besides tourism.

## Note on scope

This article describes constitutional structure, history and official data
only. It does not make any political judgement and does not touch on any
ongoing interpretive dispute. This article is in draft status and has not yet
undergone human review.

## What's next

- For the actual text of sections 19A to 19D and section 22, refer to the
  Eighth Schedule of the [Federal Constitution](/en/law/federal-constitution)
  in the official AGC reprint.
- For the origins of the sultanate institution whose name endures on this
  state, see [Melaka Sultanate](/en/malaysia/melaka-sultanate).
- To compare two different models of non-hereditary head of state, see
  [Penang](/en/states/penang) and [Negeri Sembilan](/en/states/negeri-sembilan).
- For more up-to-date state-level GDP, population and tourism data, use the
  OpenDOSM data catalogue and DOSM release pages.

## Sources

- Perlembagaan Persekutuan (Cetakan Semula, sehingga 15 Oktober 2020) — Perkara 3, 38, 160(2), Jadual Kelima, Jadual Kelapan seksyen 19A–19D dan 22 — https://lom.agc.gov.my/ilims/upload/portal/akta/LOM/EN/Federal%20Constitution%20(Reprint%202020).pdf (Jabatan Peguam Negara (AGC))
- Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Melaka — Yang di-Pertua Negeri — https://www.melaka.gov.my/ms/kerajaan/pentadbiran-kerajaan-negeri/yang-di-pertua-negeri.html (Kerajaan Negeri Melaka)
- Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Melaka — Sejarah — https://www.melaka.gov.my/ms/kerajaan/info-negeri/sejarah.html (Kerajaan Negeri Melaka)
- Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca — https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223 (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
- Keluaran Dalam Negeri Kasar mengikut Negeri (harga malar 2015, bekalan) — https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/gdp_state_real_supply (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Jadual Penduduk: Negeri dan Daerah — https://open.dosm.gov.my/data-catalogue/population_state (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- My Local Stats Melaka — Jadual 1.1 Saiz keluasan tanah mengikut daerah pentadbiran (sumber: JUPEM) — https://www.parlimen.gov.my/resources/files/rsaindex/pdf/My%20Local%20Stats%20Melaka.pdf (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Domestic Tourism Survey (States) 2024 — https://www.dosm.gov.my/portal-main/release-content/domestic-tourism-survey-states-2024 (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM))
- Portal Rasmi MBMB — Latar Belakang — https://www.mbmb.gov.my/ms/mbmb/profil/latar-belakang (Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah)
- PLANMalaysia Melaka — Bandar Warisan Dunia — https://planmalaysiamelaka.gov.my/bandar-warisan-dunia (PLANMalaysia@Melaka)

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