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A social media post by Malaysian Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s comment about enjoying an early morning run in Sabah has reignited a debate over whether the Southeast Asian nation is “wrong”. time zone,
Although Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Located at approximately the same longitude as Bangkok and Jakarta, they move one hour ahead of the clock manilaA city in the Far East. this artificial change gmt+8 push Sunrise in Peninsular Malaysia By about 7 a.m., much later than Jakarta’s 5.30 a.m. or Manila’s 6 a.m., where local time more closely tracks the sun’s position. Critics argue that this limits morning light disrupts circadian rhythms,
Mr Aziz, an avid runner, underlined the paradox, saying Kota Kinabalu’s earlier sunrise allowed him to fit in a morning run before an 8.30am engagement.
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the Borneo state of Sabah.
Peninsular Malaysia is located on the Southeast Asian mainland, while Sabah and Sarawak are located on the island of Borneo across the South China Sea.
“I met many KK runners today! Power! Let’s continue practicing a healthy lifestyle,” the Minister of Trade and Industry said in a post on Instagram.
There was a flurry of reactions on his post Request to return to GMT+7Time zone as seen in Thailand and western Indonesia.
Many argued that people in Peninsular Malaysia were “denied” the opportunity to enjoy early daylight and that the late sunrise left them out of sync with natural physiological rhythms.
Peninsular Malaysia operated on GMT+7.30 after World War II, but on 31 December 1981, then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad moved the clocks forward by 30 minutes to align the peninsula with Sabah and Sarawak.
Singapore followed suit, saying it wanted to avoid unnecessary disruption to travelers and businesses.
A specific group active on the X has been urging Malaysia to turn back the clock for years, arguing that more morning sunlight could help tackle health problems such as diabetes and obesity.
When the proposal came back to Parliament in March 2024, the government accepted the health claims, but also said the time zone change would have major economic consequences.
Liew Chin Tong, then Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, said, “The government is not willing to go back on the decision that was taken in 1981.”
Many commentators responded to Mr Aziz’s post, urging change. “Bring back GMT +7 to Semenjung!!” one wrote, referring to Peninsular Malaysia.