The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka was founded in 1845 as the Asiatic Society of Ceylon. It immediately applied for incorporation which was accorded in January 1846, thus becoming the Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon. It has published its Journal since 1846. In 1977 it was renamed the Royal Asiatic Society (Sri Lanka Branch), becoming the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka in 1986.
The Malaysian Branch was founded at the Raffles Library, Singapore, in November 1877, as the Straits Asiatic Society. It applied for incorporation with the Royal Asiatic Society which was enacted the following year when it was renamed as the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In 1964, it became the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. The Journal has been published since 1878.