Federal Territory Day is a regional festival held annually in Malaysia on February 1 to commemorate the establishment of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur in 1974. Malaysia consists of three federal territories: Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan.
Malaysia’s modern history began in 1963, when the Federation of Malaya merged with the former British colony of Singapore territory and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. At the time of the celebration of Federal Territory Day (or Hari Wilayah Persekutuan, as the locals prefer to call it), Kuala Lumpur was still a part of the state of Selangor.
Federal Territory Day commemorates the ratification of the jointly signed Federal Territory Agreement, which saw Selangor state give up part of its land to expand and create an autonomously controlled Kuala Lumpur region four days after it was signed on January 28, 1974.
The day was proposed and inaugurated on February 1, 1974, to commemorate the anniversary of Kuala Lumpur’s founding. Possibly also because February 1 has significant historical importance being the date on which the nation was founded in 1948.
The regional holiday is frequently honoured on February 1 as an annual public holiday. And the event is typically highlighted with free performances, parades, fireworks, cultural exhibitions, numerous games, and competitions, among other activities.
The announcement to relocate government administrative offices from Kuala Lumpur to the newly founded Putrajaya (one of three federal territories) was generally seen as an endeavour to transform all government assets in the city into commercial ventures. Although this notion has been demonstrated to be accurate, it is only now being seen as a good idea.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | February 1 | Wednesday |
| 2024 | February 1 | Thursday |
| 2025 | February 1 | Saturday |
| 2026 | February 1 | Sunday |
| 2027 | February 1 | Monday |