Founded as an infantry division on 28 December 1976, during Communist insurgency (1968–1989), 3 DIV was tasked with defending the Malay peninsula alongside the 2nd Infantry Division (2 DIV). At the time, 2 DIV headquarters were based at Sungai Besi Army Base and were in charge of the Malay peninsula's northern region. The 2nd Infantry Division later relocated to Penang, and the 4th Infantry Division was established for the central Malay peninsular. Since then, the 3 DIV has been responsible for four states: Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and Pahang.