Masjid Tanah is a major town in district of Alor Gajah, Malacca, Malaysia. The name Masjid Tanah originates from a mosque (masjid) built from soil (tanah). The town has been inhibited since mid 1500 AD starting from a small village. It is one of the largest towns in Malacca. In the late 1990s, the value of real estate in Masjid Tanah was quite a boom when the government decided to build an oil refinery owned by Petronas at Sungai Udang near the town. It has many beaches in Pengkalan Balak, 7 km away, and is close to Tanjung Bidara and Kuala Sungai Baru. Datuk Abu Seman Yusop, the former Malaysian Deputy of Home Minister (2009–2013), comes from this town. He is also the former PR for Masjid Tanah. After the 2013 Malaysian General Election, he was succeeded by Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (2013-current), the first female PR for Masjid Tanah.