[3] The 655.85 kilometres (408 mi) federal highway runs from Jelapang, Perak in the north to Skudai, Johor in the south.

Starting from Pontian Kechil, it becomes the main west coastal trunk road of Peninsular Malaysia.

At Mount Soga Intersection, the FT5 highway is diverted to Jalan Peserai FT5 that forms the Muar–Batu Pahat Road FT5 to Parit Jawa.

[8] At Malacca City, the Federal Route 5 passes through a maze of old streets before it becomes Jalan Tengkera FT5 where it forms a part of the Melaka–Port Dickson Road FT5.

[1] About a decade later, another road from Ipoh to Lumut was constructed, featuring the Bota Bridge that crossed the Perak River.

[12] As a result, the Batu Pahat–Kluang–Mersing Road was completed in 1919,[13] where the section of the Banang Roundabout to Mount Soga Intersection formed a part of the present-day Federal Route 5.

[6][15] In 1967, the old Bota Bridge FT5 was collapsed due to a huge flood, effectively cutting off the transportation link between Ipoh and Lumut.

Funded by a RM9 million loan from Chase Manhattan Bank, the federal government began the construction of both bridges in 1965 and was completed in early 1967.

[19] However, the project sparked a controversy due to delays caused by the failure of the original contractor to complete the job.

[20] As a result, a new tender was opened in 1976 to get a new contractor to complete the abandoned Kuala Selangor Bridge construction job.

[23] Construction of the Sultan Yusuf Bridge began in April 1986 with the total cost of RM27 million for the entire road project.

[25] As a result, the Malaysian Ministry of Works is considering to re-evaluate the alignment of the expressway, especially along the Tanjung Karang–Hutan Melintang section.