Road signs in Malaysia are standardised road signs similar to those used in Europe but with certain distinctions. Until the early 1980s, Malaysia closely practice in road sign design, with diamond-shaped warning signs and circular restrictive signs to regulate traffic. Signs usually use the Transport Heavy (cf. the second image shown to the right) font on non-tolled roads and highways. Tolled expressways signs use a font specially designed for the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) which is LLM Lettering. It has two type of typefaces, LLM Narrow and LLM Normal. Older road signs used the FHWA Series fonts (Highway Gothic) typeface also used in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Most road signs in Melaka and speed limit signs use Arial.
According to the road category under Act 333, the Malaysian Road Transport Act 1987, chapter 67, blue traffic signs are used for federal, state and municipal roads. Green signs are used for toll expressways or highways only.[1] There are four major types of road signs in Malaysia. First is Warning Signs (Tanda Amaran), second is Prohibition Signs (Tanda Larangan), third is Mandatory Signs (Tanda Wajib) and fourth is Information Signs (Tanda Maklumat).[2]
Federal Roads only use numbers and digits, for example Federal Route 1 (Example: Federal Route 1). However, federal road numbers can also be added with the FT— prefix before the route number, which is normally used by the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) and the Royal Malaysia Police. For example, Federal Route 1 can also be written as Federal Route FT1.[3] There are also service roads off of main federal roads that use letters after its main route (Example: FT 2A).
Expressway signs have a green background. If the sign is not located on an expressway but is leading to one, it will have a blue background with green box in it.
Symbol of the Malaysian Expressways
Direction to expressway with expressway name
Direction to expressway
To expressway direction
Entrance to the toll expressway from non-tolled highway
White with black letters signs for expressway names of closed toll systems
Yellow with black letters signs for expressway names of opened toll systems
Start of Expressway with road name and route code (Option 1)
Start of Expressway (Option 2)
End of Expressway with road name and route code (Option 1)
End of expressway (Option 2)
Expressway maintenance border limit (Option 1)
Expressway maintenance border limit (Option 2)
Expressway maintenance border limit (Option 3)
Malaysian expressway shield with highway concessionaire logo and highway hotline number
Old next parking and rest service area signs (Note: Gua Tempurung between Sungai Perak & Simpang Pulai Lay-By did not exist anymore because it was destroyed in 1996 after a landslide incident)
Please take a transit ticket sign (Note: transit ticket systems are no longer used on closed toll expressways)
Please take a transit card sign (Note: transit ticket systems are no longer used on closed toll expressways)
Old start of expressway sign
Old end of expressway sign
Non-tolled Federal, State and Municipal Roads
Malaysian road signs are blue and used for federal, state and municipal roads.
Blue with white letters signs for major destinations
Maroon with white letters signs for recreational places/tourist spot
Blue with yellow letters signs for street names
White with green letters signs for specific places/buildings
Green with yellow letters signs for government buildings/institution
White with blue letters signs for residential area
Road markings in Malaysia primarily use thermoplastic and are white. Yellow markings are usually for road shoulders, construction or temporary markings and parking.[5]
Centre lines
Centre lines divide the road into either direction.
Standard road centre line on urban and residential roads.
Standard road centre line on federal roads.
Strictly no overtaking center line.
Overtaking is allowed with caution centre line, opposite direction cannot overtake.
Overtaking not allowed, only opposite direction can overtake centre line.
Edge lines
Edge lines are located at the edges of a road, whether there is a median or pavement or not.
Standard roadside edge line.
No parking on roadside edge line.
Opening on roadside edge line (building entrances, etc.)
Strictly no parking or stopping on roadside edge line
Lane dividers
Lane dividers divide road into lanes according to its designated width.
Standard lane divider on highways (JKR R5) and urban/residential roads.
Standard lane divider on highways (JKR R6) and federal roads.
Overtaking and changing lanes not encouraged lane divider.
Directional markings
Directional marking consists of arrows and lettering on the road.
Straight arrow
Straight or turn left arrow
Straight or turn right arrow
Turn left arrow
Turn right arrow
Turn left or right arrow
Straight or turn left or right arrow
U-Turn arrow
Junction direction lettering with arrow (Option 1)
Junction direction lettering with arrow and route code (Option 2)
Other type road markings
AWAS (Caution) lettering
PERLAHAN (slow down) lettering
Bus lane divider
Bus stop
Taxi stand
Give way
Transverse rumble strip (usually placed before junctions, toll plaza or high density areas)
Shoulder rumble strips (usually placed on highways at very hazardous areas)
A typical road sign in Kuala Lumpur, with yellow letters for major thoroughfares and green letters on white background for parks and locations of interests. Smaller signs below it show directions for pedestrians and tourists.
A typical pedestrian crossing traffic light in Kuala Lumpur with a countdown display and a pedestrian crossing sign above it.
A road sign near Jalan Yam Tuan, Seremban with yellow letters for major roads and green letters on green signs for hospitals and white on green signs for expressways.
A Federal Route code sign, placed at pole along the road.