In just 50 years, Malaysia’s urbanisation rate has nearly tripled from 28% in 1970 to over 75% today^[1]. Cities like Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Penang, and Melaka are now almost entirely urban. In Selangor alone, the urban population has jumped by nearly 2 million in just a decade, while entire rural districts see fewer young faces every year.

This rapid shift means millions have left their small towns behind. In 1970, Malaysia’s urban population was just 3 million – today, it’s more than 24 million. Meanwhile, rural communities have barely grown, increasing by just half a million people in the same period^{[1, 2]}.

For young Malaysians, the draw is clear: cities promise jobs, better schools, modern healthcare, and a faster life. However, as they leave, small towns are paying the price of losing not just people, but the everyday life and culture that once held the nation together.

Here are just five examples of such towns – places once full of life, now emptied out by a migration tide that shows no sign of slowing.

Fraser’s Hill, Pahang

Fraser’s Hill, once fondly called Malaysia’s Little England, still lures visitors with its cool weather, colonial cottages, and serene birdwatching trails. But behind the postcard charm, the hill station is quietly struggling^[3].

Tourists still trickle in, but for residents, daily life has grown harder. Power cuts can stretch up to 24 hours, drains clog the roads, and unstable slopes pose constant risks. Decades ago, a central agency with on-site staff kept the hill well-maintained. Today, oversight is fragmented, and essential services like maintenance and waste collection are outsourced, and delays and neglect have become the norm^[4].

Tourism numbers echo this slow fade. According to Tourism Pahang, visitors to Bukit Fraser have nearly halved since 2017, plunging from 127,612 to just 49,407 in 2024, even as other destinations bounce back post-pandemic^[4,5].

Young people are leaving too, not for lack of jobs (hotels and guesthouses often can’t fill vacancies) but because few locals want to stay. The pandemic only deepened the drift.

Even schools are vanishing. SJK (C) Bukit Fraser, once so notable it hosted Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew for a Mandarin retreat, shut its doors in 2018 after recording zero new students. Nearby, SJK (T) Bukit Fraser is barely holding on with just one pupil^[3].

I had a few classmates in Year One, but they left a year later, so I was the only pupil in Year Two. I’ll stay in this school and hope more friends join me in Year Three. – B. Suresh, student at SJK (T) Bukit Fraser^[3]

In 2024, recognising the decline, a Pahang assemblyman proposed creating a single agency to manage Fraser’s Hill, aiming to revive tourism and streamline upkeep. At the same time, Sultan Al-Sultan Abdullah called for the hill to be preserved as an eco-friendly retreat, urging restoration over overdevelopment and better traffic control to avoid the gridlock choking other highlands.

Teluk Intan, Perak

Once a bustling river port, Teluk Intan – formerly known as Teluk Anson – was the main gateway for exporting tin from the rich Kinta Valley near Ipoh^[8]. In the late 19th to early 20th century, the town thrived as a strategic hub for tin, rubber, copra, and later petroleum exports. Its deep river access and key infrastructure, such as the Tapah-Teluk Intan railway, cemented its role as one of Perak’s most vital trading centres^[9].

But its fortunes began to shift in the 1980s and 1990s.

Over time, erosion caused the Perak River to silt and narrow, making it too shallow for large cargo ships and oil tankers. Teluk Intan lost its deep-water port advantage, prompting companies like Shell to leave. As river trade declined, the railway was discontinued, cutting off a vital transport link^[9].

With fewer ships and no rail, exports slowed. The town lost its role as a key distribution hub. Jobs disappeared, and young people began moving to cities like Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Klang, and Shah Alam in search of better prospects. Ironically, their departure left a labour gap, especially in agriculture, which has since been filled by migrant workers from Indonesia and Bangladesh^[11].

Still, the town is not without hope.

As the river narrowed, business dried up. Exports of tin, rubber, and petroleum slowed, and the town lost its status as a key distribution hub when tankers could no longer dock^[12]. 

In April 2025, the Federal Government allocated RM5.46 million for infrastructure upgrades – including a facelift for Glutton Square food court, new badminton courts in kampung areas, and other public improvements^[13].

At the same time, Teluk Intan’s heritage is being reimagined. A former shipyard on the Perak River has been transformed into a sustainable office complex, preserving its historic structure and adding community features. Other heritage-led initiatives aim to attract tourism and renew local pride^[14].

Today, Teluk Intan sits at a crossroads. It’s no longer the thriving port it once was, but it’s not in decline either. With ongoing investments in infrastructure, culture, and public spaces, the town has a real chance to reinvent itself and slow the outflow of its younger generation.

Pekan Kerling, Hulu Selangor

Pekan Kerling in Hulu Selangor was once a vibrant stopover, best known as a weekend hive for National Service (PLKN) trainees. Their presence brought the town to life – streets buzzing with youth, eateries packed, and local shops thriving. Surrounded by hot springs, rivers, and lush greenery, Kerling became a natural rest stop and weekend escape^[15].

But everything changed in 2018 when PLKN was shut down. The steady stream of young people vanished, and with it, the lifeblood of the local economy. Shops shuttered, stalls closed early, and a once-busy town fell quiet.

The demographic shift has been stark. Across the wider district, the under-65 population dropped by 53%, while seniors aged 65 and above surged by 269%^[15]. Today, one in four residents in Mukim Kerling is elderly, making it the most aged community in Peninsular Malaysia.

There used to be plenty of young people, but most have left for the city. – Low Foong Kiew, 55, vegetable trader^[15]

Weekend visitors still trickle in for camping, hot springs, and farm stays, but it’s not enough. There’s no public transport, limited services, and few jobs to keep young adults rooted. Many keep leaving in search of a better life, leaving behind a town increasingly defined by what it has lost: its youth, its shops, and its spark.

While nearby Lembah Beringin (15 km away) saw a new water pipeline in 2014, Kerling itself has seen little recent investment or state-led revival.

It’s a familiar story of rural decline, a once-lively community slowly fading.

Yet Kerling’s natural charm still holds promise. Its hot springs, rivers, and peaceful scenery could anchor eco-tourism or heritage tourism, but a true revival will need more than just weekend visitors. It will need a reason for young people to stay.

Song, Sarawak

Once a key riverside trading hub for Sarawak’s Indigenous and Malay communities, Song began to fade after World War II, when its fort and administrative centre were relocated to Nanga Katibas^[16]. Post-war rebuilding focused on other regions, and the town gradually lost its significance.

In the 1970s, logging became Song’s main economic lifeline. Timber production peaked in 1991, but by 2013, output had plunged due to quota restrictions and environmental regulations. In 2025, the parent company sold off its struggling timber operations as global demand continued to fall^[17].

With logging gone, Song lost both its economic engine and strategic relevance in river transport networks. No alternative industries emerged to fill the gap.

The district’s population, once around 20,000 in 2010, has since dropped to under 10,000^[18].

Infrastructure remains a major obstacle. Many of Song’s 88 rural settlements still lack road access, leaving vast tracts of fertile Native Customary Rights (NCR) land idle and disconnected from opportunity^[19].

To address this, Katibas assemblyman Lidam Assan has proposed a 156km road network, alongside efforts to provide land titles, internet connectivity, and agricultural training – all aimed at bringing youth back^[19].

In 2020, the Department of Statistics Malaysia listed Song as one of Sarawak’s poorest districts. Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, RM27 million was allocated for infrastructure upgrades, home repairs, and community support^[20].

Whether these initiatives can reverse decades of decline remains uncertain. For now, Song stands as a symbol of rural Malaysia left behind, caught between a past it can’t return to and a future it’s struggling to reach.

Rantau Panjang, Kelantan

Situated next to Sungai Kolok (Thailand), Rantau Panjang became a bustling crossing point via the Harmony Bridge, drawing shoppers with duty‑free products like electronics, cigarettes, and clothing. 

But over time, better-developed Thai towns just across the river began to outshine their Malaysian counterparts. With cheaper prices, improved facilities, and livelier streets, they’ve slowly chipped away at Rantau Panjang’s appeal. Fewer visitors now cross over, trade has slowed, and jobs have become scarce^[21].

For many young Kelantanese, the solution has been to leave – not just for Kuala Lumpur or Penang, but across the border into Thailand.

Ahmad Shahril Hafizi, 23, from nearby Bachok, performs fire shows in southern Thailand several times a week to make ends meet^[22].

Kelantan youth are like refugees in their own state. We have to go out to find work, because in our own state, there is none. – Ahmad Shahril Hafiz^[22].

To revive Rantau Panjang’s economy, the Kelantan government is considering relocating the duty-free zone to a more strategic site to boost trade^[23]. Officials also hope to tap into growing cross-border tourism.

In the first half of 2024, over 800,000 Thai nationals entered Kelantan through its three border checkpoints, while 700,000 air travellers arrived via domestic airports, contributing to a total of 1.5 million visitors^[23].

Yet despite these encouraging figures, much of the spending happens elsewhere. Without serious investment in infrastructure, jobs, and modern facilities, towns like Rantau Panjang risk remaining just pit stops, not destinations.

More Than Just Towns

These towns were once full of life – busy streets, strong communities, and local pride. But when development focuses only on big cities, small towns get left behind.

Small towns matter. They are home to real people, rich histories, and untapped potential. Helping them thrive isn’t just about roads or buildings – it’s about fairness and making sure no one is forgotten.

If we want a stronger, more equal Malaysia, we need to bring everyone along, including the places many have left behind.

Explore Our Sources

1. Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia. (2024). Cities for the future: Addressing urbanisation and inclusivity – Part 1. Link
2. Malay Mail. (2022). Statistics Dept: Malaysia’s urbanisation rate tripled over five decades. Link
3. The Vibes. (2021). Balancing act: Protecting Fraser’s Hill’s environment, charm – Pt 2. Link
4. Free Malaysia Today. (2023). Fraser’s Hill in decline as infrastructure issues pile up, says expert. Link 
5. Perbadanan Kemajuan Bukit Fraser (PKBF) (2024). Statistik. Link
6. New Straits Times. (2024). Pahang elected rep proposes sole entity to bring Fraser’s Hill back to its glory. Link 
7. The Star. (2024, September 5). Pahang Sultan calls for preservation of natural beauty of Fraser’s Hill. Link 
8. TravelTill. (n.d.). History of Teluk Intan, Malaysia. Link 
9. New Straits Times. (2025). Lone pupil yearns for peer company. Link
10. New Straits Times. (2025). Discovering Teluk Intan – A town of secrets, stories, and memories. Link
11. Aliran. (2021, October 5). Teluk Intan: My old stomping ground has changed beyond recognition. Link
12. Wikiwand. Teluk Intan. Link
13. Malay Mail. (2025, April 26). Teluk Intan to get RM54.6m in infrastructure upgrades, including RM1m Glutton Square food court facelift. Link 
14. The Star. (2025, May 25). Teluk Intan shipyard transformed into corporate office through adaptive reuse. Link 
15. The Star. (2024). Uncertain fate of a pensioner’s paradise. Link
16. Sarawak Tribune. (2021). Song in perspective. Link
17. The Edge Malaysia. (2025, April 30). WTK sells loss-making Sarawak logging unit for RM23.5m to refocus on profitable segments. Link 
18. Wikipedia. (n.d.). Song, Malaysia. Wikipedia. Link 
19. Sarawak Tribune. (2023). Song lacks development. Link
20. Sarawak Tribune. (2024, May 21). RM27.12 mln for socio-economic projects in Song. Link
21. Malay Mail. (2025, February 13). Kelantan eyes duty-free zone to counter Thai shopping rivals, says deputy MB. Link
22. The Malaysian Insight. (2019, March 13). Kelantan youth cross Thai border in search of jobs. Link
23. The Star. (2024, September 19). Kelantan mulls relocation of Rantau Panjang duty-free zone. Link