From Malaysia To The World: Do You Know Our Sister Cities?

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

As the nation celebrates Merdeka Day on 31 August and Malaysia Day on 16 September, it’s the perfect season to reflect on what makes Malaysia – our history, our diversity, and you guessed it, our friendships around the globe.

Here’s a fun fact many Malaysians don’t know: several of our cities have “sisters” scattered across the world.

But first, what exactly is a “sister city”?

Sister city or twin city partnerships are long-term partnerships between two municipalities in different countries, usually formalised through a memorandum of understanding.

It’s designed to build cultural, educational, and economic bridges between two places that share something in common. It could be shared history, heritage, or ambition.

These partnerships enable collaborations in areas such as tourism, education, heritage preservation, and sustainable city planning.

This, in turn, contributes to Malaysia’s broader diplomatic and regional integration efforts within ASEAN and beyond. In many ways, it can be seen as a long-distance friendship between cities, strengthening connections and fostering greater understanding across borders.

Before you deck yourself out in Jalur Gemilang merchandise these two patriotic months, here’s a fun dive into some cities Malaysia calls family.

George Town & Adelaide: The OG friendship

George Town, the capital of Penang, was founded in 1786 by Captain Francis Light. Fifty years later, his son Colonel William Light founded Adelaide, so it was only natural that the two cities should develop a sister city relationship.

In 1972, the then Premier of South Australia, the Honourable Don Dunstan, suggested that the City of Adelaide should consider establishing links with George Town to increase its connection with its neighbours in the Asia Pacific region.

George Town and Adelaide became sister cities on 8 December 1973 after Dr Lim Chong Eu, the then Chief Minister of Penang, signed the agreement with the City of Adelaide.

Over the decades, the partnership has facilitated over 340 visits from Penang residents to Adelaide, boosting trade, tourism, and cultural events. Both cities marked their golden jubilee together in 2023.

Kuala Lumpur & Ankara (Turkiye), Casablanca (Morocco), Osaka (Japan): A capital with connections

As the nation’s capital, it’s no surprise that Kuala Lumpur maintains longstanding twin-city relationships with Ankara, Turkiye (established 1984); Casablanca, Morocco (1992); and Osaka, Japan (1989).

These partnerships go beyond official ties, creating opportunities to exchange knowledge, culture, ideas, and experiences.

From strengthening people-to-people connections to supporting collaboration in areas such as education, tourism, business, and urban development, Kuala Lumpur’s sister-city network highlights how cities can learn from one another and grow together.

Ipoh & Fukuoka (Japan): A garden of goodwill

Ipoh and Fukuoka, Japan, have been sister cities since 21 March 1989, when Ipoh’s first Mayor, Dato’ Umar Abu, and then-Fukuoka Mayor Keiichi Kuwahara signed the agreement.

The bond lives on today in the Japanese Garden at D.R. Seenivasagam Recreational Park. Along with ongoing exchange programmes such as the Fukuoka–Ipoh Youth Exchange Programme and the Bridge Summer Camp, the garden symbolises friendship and helps bring the two cities’ younger generations together.

Melaka & Lisbon (Portugal), Nanjing (China): History finds history

Melaka, a UNESCO World Heritage city with 600 years of trading-port history, found kinship with other cities steeped in heritage. Melaka’s sister cities stretch from Lisbon, Portugal (established 1984) to Nanjing, China (2008).

The partnership with Nanjing resulted in cultural exchanges like Melaka-Nanjing Culture Day and a “Friendly District” partnership between Nanjing’s Confucius Temple-Qinhuai River area and Melaka’s Jalan Hang Jebat. In 2017, the Nanjing Government presented a pair of 1.5-metre tall stone lions to Melaka, which were placed at Jonker Walk.

Meanwhile, the partnership with Lisbon led to the creation of the Portuguese Square. The then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed launched the site on 24 January 1985. Visitors can enjoy traditional Portuguese food like the Portuguese Baked Fish and Curry Debal here.

Melaka also has several partnerships closer to home across the Nusantara region, reflecting the historic trade and migration routes that once linked the Melaka Sultanate to the rest of the world.

Johor Bahru & Changzhou (China), Daegu (South Korea): Growing a modern network

Johor Bahru uses its sister city partnerships and cross-border agreements to boost economic growth in regional zones like the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

The IMT-GT framework has helped expand trade, green infrastructure, and sustainable development cooperation across national borders.

The Johor capital is also a sister city of Changzhou, China, a partnership established in 2016. It has also signed friendship-city agreements with Daegu, South Korea, in June 2023 and June 2024.

These ties have opened doors to youth-exchange programmes and joint sustainable urban-planning initiatives, showing that sister-city relationships are more than symbolic—they can actively shape how cities learn, collaborate, and grow.

Kota Kinabalu & Vladivostok (Russia): Uniting port cities

Kota Kinabalu and Vladivostok, Russia, officially established their sister-city relationship on 15 March 2010, when then-Kota Kinabalu mayor Datuk Ilyas Ibrahim and Vladivostok mayor Igor Pushkaryov signed the agreement.

As bustling port cities, the partnership serves as a strategic bridge between East Malaysia and eastern Russia, with opportunities for cooperation in tourism, trade, higher education and cultural exchange.

The connection is also reflected in Vladivostok’s Twin Cities Park, where Kota Kinabalu is recognised alongside the Russian city’s other international partners. It is a small but meaningful reminder that sister-city ties can extend beyond official documents into the shared public spaces and memories of both communities.

Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day celebrate who we are as a nation, but nationhood has never been built in isolation. Malaysia’s sister-city relationships are a quiet reminder that our story has long been connected with communities beyond our shores.

From Kuala Lumpur’s links with Ankara, Casablanca and Osaka, to Ipoh’s friendship with Fukuoka, Johor Bahru’s partnerships in China and South Korea, and Kota Kinabalu’s connection with Vladivostok, these relationships show how international friendship can take practical form.

They create room for cultural exchange, youth programmes, trade, education and more sustainable ways for cities to grow. This Merdeka and Malaysia Day, as we wave the Jalur Gemilang and sing Negaraku, it is worth remembering the cities around the world that, in their own way, are part of Malaysia’s extended family.

Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.

...