Malaysian Roads Tagging

This page merely recommends how to tag highway=* in Malaysia (note: strictly the peninsular at the moment). Over time, different mappers will have their own way to interpret a certain tag, but definitely, some key-value pairs will become the standard way to tag things.

The main classification for Malaysian highways are as follows:

• Expressways (Lebuh Raya Ekspres)
• Federal roads (Jalan Persekutuan)
• State roads (Jalan Negeri)

Other types of roads may not fall under any kind of the mentioned categories, but they are able to be systematically tagged in the OSM database according to their primary function and/or importance to local traffic. The ref tags listed on signs do not delineate between ref and ref:to markers. In order to determine how to tag the ref network, mappers should look at the larger road network before tagging.

Attention Organised Editing Teams

Remember local craft mappers are humans too - these people may make mistakes. However, please, please, with cherry on top, analyse for any possible recent edits of their work before straight into making any changes. Check for any history of edits in the JOSM editor (Ctrl or ⌘ Cmd and H). Unless more concrete evidences, especially from KartaView, Mapillary or likewise, are made available; try not to discard any likely recent ground truth observations.

Carriageways demystified

For more details on this topic, see Dual carriageway.

Should highways be mapped as undivided (single carriageways)? Or otherwise (multiple carriageways)?

Refer to the following diagram on the right.

In short: no physical divider, no need to trace separate highway. This is not a Malaysia-specific policy.

Visual examples

Case	Divided highway?
	yes
	no
	no: painted barriers are not physical barriers
	no
	yes: traffic delineators are fixed to the ground
	yes: only for the link highway with the give way sign
	yes: don't forget to map the tree, growing in the middle of the divider
	no: painted chevrons are not physical barriers, use lanes=* instead
	yes

Expressway

The highway system which is the highest class in Malaysia.

Reference number Highway shield	OSM tagging Typical examples	Description, comments	Photo
One or two digits, beginning with the letter E	highway=motorway ref=E1 int_ref=AH2 lanes=2 oneway=yes toll=yes motorcycle=yes	High-speed expressway, usually 90km/h and up to the national speed limit of 110km/h. Use the maxspeed=* tag to indicate different speed limit zones. Typically expressways are strictly full access control highways. Which means: no direct access to properties (buildings) inaccessible to cyclists or pedestrians (in some cases, motorcyclists) restriction on certain type of heavy vehicles (may vary across different expressways) traffic flow in and out of the highway through specified interchanges only They are often tolled: usually closed toll system (or an open toll system). Use the toll=* tag accordingly. Often expressways have central reservations (double carriageways or divided highway). Each carriageway has two lanes minimum. However, some expressways do not have central reservations (single carriageways or undivided highway) at some certain stretches but still maintain toll payments and access restrictions. Exceptions: Some highways in the Greater Klang Valley – Kuala Lumpur area may not fall under this category e.g. Federal Highway . Consider using highway=trunk for certain stretch of the highway that features lack of controlled access. For example, the northbound North-South Expressway, there are intersections with traffic lights between the stretch from Bukit Kayu Hitam and Changlun.
	highway=motorway_link destination=* destination:ref=* destination:ref:to=*	Ramps in and out of an expressway. There's no need to include names or any kind of related description unless it is mentioned by any street signs. Street signs can indicate destination=* tags along the way. highway=motorway_junction on the node would carry the EXIT number and EXIT names.	[1] Alternate ref signage sometimes seen. Imagery found on Mapillary.	[2] New version of this type of signage. Imagery found on Mapillary.
	highway=path	Motorcycle path for certain expressways, or designated motorcycle paths near toll plazas. Please refer to this specific segment.

Further reading

• Malaysian Expressway System (Wikipedia)
• Malaysian Highway Authority official portal

Federal roads

These highways are maintained under the Ministry of Works (MoW or KKR). Features blue road signs.

Reference number Highway shield	OSM tagging Typical examples	Description, comments	Photo
Main Federal Road One or two or three digits	highway=trunk ref=2 name=Lebuhraya Persekutuan lanes=2 toll=yes oneway=yes	Semi-expressways This is the highway that looks like the expressways. The highway is meant to carry long distance journeys but may not be significant for local traffic. E.g. Federal Highway . These highways feature partial access controls. Central reservations much like the expressways, commonly from one end to another end. They have more interchanges or even intersections. These let more traffic going in; usually through collector roads. Traffic lights are uncommon, but it may not impact the flow of traffic. Designated places for U-turns. Indirect access to properties is possible. Typically toll-free. Exception: Federal Highway have tolls. National speed limit up to 90 km/h.
	highway=primary ref=1 lanes=2 oneway=no	Main roads Typical roads that connects between major key places across the country. Lack of access control: Highway is important for both local and non-local traffic. Almost every kind of vehicle is allowed to use the highway. Fragmented central reservations. In other words, most part of the highway is left undivided (single carriageways). There will be divided segments (dual carriageway) but only near intersections. Anything else simply not matching the highway=trunk description as above. National speed limit up to 90 km/h.
	highway=*	Other main roads Some roads in certain places (e.g. Langkawi or Selangor) may not be suitable to be tagged with highway=trunk or highway=primary. Use highway=secondary or highway=tertiary to accurately reflect the importance of such roads.	N/A
Institutional Federal Roads Three digits	highway=* ref=272 lanes=2 oneway=no	Most roads may warrant the tag highway=unclassified.	N/A
FELDA or FELCRA Federal Road Four digits, beginning with 1000-2999	highway=* ref=1123 lanes=2 oneway=no	highway=tertiary for example, if the road links a FELDA or FELCRA settlement with a nearby key road. highway=unclassified for anything else – e.g. roads in the settlement.	N/A
Industrial Federal Roads Four digits, beginning with 3000-3799	highway=* ref=3053 lanes=2 oneway=no	highway=unclassified Consider highway=service with service=driveway for industrial roads that may not be important at all to the local traffic.	N/A

Note

• Major federal route, for example, Federal Route 1, is usually referred as a federal trunk. However, as it winds through small cities or towns or rural areas (e.g. outside Greater Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru), the route may show clear signs not fully meeting the conventional highway=trunk criteria. highway=primary tag (or lower tag classifications) describes better this particular stretch of road. This may apply to the rest of major federal routes (which usually has a single digit reference number). Divided stretch (dual carriageway), or an undivided stretch (single carriageway) does not directly imply whether it should be tagged as highway=trunk or highway=primary – consider access control. To discuss more in depth, the forum is the best place to do so! Important: do not simply tag for the renderer.

• Currently the road reference system can be said quite messy. The last time the road list was updated in 2013, the main federal routes are coded with 1-255 and institutional roads are coded with 250-499. However, recently, some of the formerly state roads were made into roads maintained under the federal level (MoW) and are using codes meant for institutional road.

Major federal routes suitable to be tagged as a highway=trunk

• The Federal Highway, route number 2
• The Pan-Borneo Highway when it's completed

Further reading

• Malaysian Federal Roads System (Wikipedia)
• List and map of the Malaysian Federal Route (official website) - says it was last updated 1 June 2015 but still holds the outdated information.

State roads

Roads connecting towns, districts or villages in a state. Maintained under the state's Public Works Department.

Reference number Highway shield	OSM tagging Typical examples	Description, comments	Photo
One or two or three digits, beginning with specified letters for each state	highway=* ref=A2 lanes=2 oneway=no	The main function of the road can be considered to decide the class of a state road. For example: For a main (arterial) state road (e.g. connects between towns) which carries significant amount of traffic, then the tag highway=primary may fit well. Roads that connects across key places across a state (e.g. between villages and nearby towns) is suggested to carry the highway=secondary tag. Road that acts as connector roads between a village and a main road may be tagged as highway=tertiary. Please note that some residential roads may look the same to these kind of road, however, there is a specific tag for that. In short, universal tag convention gives the best description.

State road codes

Axxx: Perak Bxxx: Selangor Cxxx: Pahang Dxxx: Kelantan Jxxx: Johor Kxxx: Kedah

Mxxx: Melaka Nxxx: Negeri Sembilan Pxxx: Penang Txxx: Terengganu Rxxx: Perlis

Sarawak uses Qxxx prefix; while federal routes in Federal Territory Labuan has Lxxx prefix. Sabah does not use any state prefixes.

Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory allegedly uses W prefix, however on the ground rules apply. No offical signages, so nothing.

Further reading

Malaysian State Roads system (Wikipedia)

Other roads

Sample signpost	OSM tagging Typical examples	Description, comments	Photo
	highway=* ref=OKU50 name=Jalan Masjid	Maintained by local authorities (majlis bandar raya or majlis perbandaran). This kind of road is typical, for example, in Shah Alam (with BSA code followed by a number). Again, the degree of importance of the road depends on its traffic, etc. More about its road code over here.	N/A
	highway=unclassified	Roads with no certain classification. These may include: Very minor public road Rural roads These kind of road act as feeder roads, which means they mainly carries traffic from villages (or special residential areas) to a major road.
	highway=residential	Roads in a typical housing estate (taman perumahan). May also be used in villages (or any other kind of residential areas) upon roads that act as feeders to the more important local highway.
	highway=service	Provides access to parking spaces, fuel stations, buildings, etc.
	highway=track	The bottom class of the road network which is still accessible by cars (or probably four-wheeled drive only). The tag can describe the tracks in agriculture lands or the only way deep in remote areas.
Signposted motorcycle lane in expressways Signposted bicycle lane	highway=path	Used for roads totally inaccessible by any four-wheeled vehicles. Motorcycles may or may not be able to use it.
N/A	highway=pedestrian	As shown in the picture to the right (Kuala Lumpur Central Market), the road is open for pedestrians only. No vehicles is allowed on the road.
	highway=footway		N/A
	highway=living_street
Example based on 560371536 560371536	highway=motorway_link destination:ref=* destination=*
Example based on 249848185 249848185	highway=motorway_link destination:ref=* destination:ref:to=*	Often times there is no clear difference between the destination:ref and destination:ref:to signs for motorways and links. Look at the larger road network to see which refs connect directly to a link.

Notes

• Roads maintained by local authorities are categorised in this typical way: three letters followed by a number. The first of the three letter code is taken from the state road codes and the rest of the letters may be the initials of a city's names. For example, in Shah Alam, Selangor, roads maintained by the Shah Alam City Council is marked with BSA and followed by a number. Here, B is the state code for Selangor and SA is the initials of Shah Alam. Reference

• The road Lebuh AMJ is an abbreviation commonly used on a road running from Simpang Ampat to Malaaca City before going west-east from Malacca City to Muar. The less commonly used expanded form is Lebuhraya Alor Gajah–Melaka Tengah–Jasin.

Route reference number

These can be found in direction signs or mile markers: the route reference number is in hexagonal highway shields ()

Sample street furniture	OSM tagging
	ref=1 N.B. Taiping indicates other reachable major road(s)
	ref=J7 name=Jalan Gelang Patah - Ulu Choh
	ref=K1
	Painted reference number on road surface ref=95

See also

• Highway classification in Thailand
• Highway classification in Singapore
• Highway classification in Indonesia

External links

• List of highway exits