One of the main activities of the department is cadastral surveying which then resulted in the production of the legal document named the Cadastral Plan.

In the Department of Survey and Mapping in Johor, the first Cadastral Plan, which is designated as PA2, can still be seen today. Shown on it is the information of a land parcel located in the area at Gunong Pulai and endorsed on May 25, 1885.

The department's role in the development of the country's infrastructure is in:

1. Providing information and advice to local governments concerning layout or measurement pertaining to cadastral, mapping and state or international boundaries.
2. Providing the legal cadastral measurement information as to land and relevant infrastructure in facilitating the preparation of land, strata and stratum final title.
3. Managing the viability, contemporariness and security of the cadastral and mapping databases.
4. Producing topographic, cadastral, thematic, and utility maps for planning, natural resource management, environment conservation, land and marine development as well as monitoring and security purposes.
5. To measure, determine, mark and maintain inter-state and international boundaries for the purpose of safeguarding national sovereignties.
6. Establishing and maintaining the right geodetic infrastructure to facilitate cadastral measurement, mapping framework, engineering measurement and scientific analysis.

Armed with century-long experience and development, the department today is capable of contributing and providing services which are recognised at both national and international levels.

On the other hand, it has moved collaterally with the advancement of today's measurement technology and technical procedure development by adopting them in cadastral and mapping activities whenever applicable.

No wonder a number of countries have used the department as a role model for their surveying activities.

With regards to national and international boundaries determination, it is responsible for preparing the National and the International Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the participating parties.

The Department of Mapping and Survey also makes invaluable contributions to society with the following activities:

1. Determination of the direction of Kaabah as guidance for Muslims to pray.
2. To determine prayer times for every state based on their geographic location.
3. Determination of times of sunrise and sunset.
4. Lunar observation for determining the start of the Islamic months of Ramadhan, Syawal and Zulhijjah.
5. Marine observation for sea level prediction.

The department is always prepared to provide service to the people and the nation, and in doing so, become an eminent contributor to the well-being of people and the nation's development, which is in line with the theme of its 120th anniversary celebration, “Inspiring the Well-Being of People and the Nation's Development”.