Mall Madness: Nearly 1,000 Shopping Centres In Malaysia, 34 New Ones In The Pipeline
The number of malls vary in different datasets as it depends on how they are categorised.
- Malaysia has nearly 1,000 shopping complexes, covering 17.3 million sqm of retail space, with an occupancy rate of 79 percent.
- Around 34 new shopping complexes are in the pipeline, mostly concentrated in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor.
- Two major upcoming malls, Ombak KLCC and 118 Mall, will add roughly 1.3 million sqft of net lettable retail space by end-2026.
- Selangor leads all states with 95 enclosed shopping malls, followed closely by Kuala Lumpur with 78.
- Many Malaysians are pushing back, calling for parks, hospitals, libraries, and community spaces instead of more malls.
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Malaysia is slowly turning into a land of shopping malls as the nation is already covered with almost 1,000 shopping centres.
According to a report by the Business Times, the country’s mall footprint covers 17.3 million square meters (sqm) and is only expanding further as a wave of fresh retail spaces are aleady in the works.
Roughly 1.3 million square feet (sqft) of net lettable retail space is also on the way, thanks to two upcoming major malls — Ombak KLCC and 118 Mall — by the end of 2026, said JLL Malaysia, a KL-based real estate company.
Data from the National Property Information Centre (Napic) showed that Malaysia was covered with 17.3 million sqm of existing retail space from 988 shopping complexes as at end-June 2025, with an occupancy rate of 79 percent.
However, it’s important to note that the number of malls depends on how they are categorised.
While Napic’s data covers a broader retail property category, the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association by research consultant Stratos Pinnacle recorded 733 malls and retail centres as at 19 March, 2025.
Currently, around 34 shopping complexes are in the pipeline, with most of them focused in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor, according to Napic.
Number of shopping malls in Malaysia by state
A chart shared by Zahier Nasrudin, the Lead Data Scientist at NielsenIQ, tells a different story as to how many malls exist in Malaysia as of April 2026.
Based on his findings, there is only a total of 419 shopping malls. As explained in his methodology, the shopping mall counts in his research data only reflects enclosed shopping centres. Strip malls, shophouses, and open-air markets are excluded.
Going by state, the chart shows that Selangor has the highest number of shopping malls (95). This is followed by Kuala Lumpur (78), Sarawak (59), Johor (40), Pulau Pinang (31), and Sabah (22).
Putrajaya, Labuan, and Perlis are the bottom three with the fewest shopping malls.
Zahier also compiled shopping malls by district, with Kuala Lumpur taking the lead at 78 malls.
Trailing behind the city centre are Petaling (49), Kuching (33), and Johor Bahru (31), while districts with the fewest malls are Seremban (11), Melaka Tengah (10), and Klang (10).
Malaysians want more parks, hospitals, not malls
Reacting to the news on social media, Malaysians protested against more malls being built in the country. Many said they prefer having more public parks, schools, hospitals, and other communal spaces.
Some also raised concerns about the lack of public shaded areas and useable spaces per capita, while others highlighted wasted space if and when a mall “dies”. Many also suggested converting old, abandoned shopping malls into new community spaces instead of retail centres.
“We don’t need malls. What we need are libraries, parks for exercise, and spaces to socialise,” said a Facebook user.
“Can dead malls be converted into affordable homes?” another user commented.
“We need something else other than malls. Do something different like sports centres with F&B, supplements, and education on health and fitness,” said one more Facebook user.
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