Scouting in Malaya (now Malaysia) was first introduced in Penang in 1908 as an experimental troop in YMCA before spreading throughout the entire peninsula.
Some local Scout troops registered with The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom which established a local branch, the Boy Scouts Association Malaya & Straits Settlement Branch which became defunct in 1957 when Persekutuan Budak-Budak Pengakap Malaysia (Federation of Malaya Boy Scouts Association) was formed. Persekutuan Budak-Budak Pengakap Malaysia was renamed the Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia (Scouts Association of Malaysia).