In this work, activated carbon (referred to as MCAC) was produced by microwave radiation assisted ZnCl₂ activation using Malaysian coal (MC) as a precursor. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller findings indicate that the MCAC has a relatively large surface area (798.18 m²/g) and a mesoporous structure (average pore diameter of 3.67 nm). The removal of Methylene Violet (MV 2B) a cationic dye model, was employed to investigate the adsorption properties of MCAC. A numerical desirability function in the Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the independent crucial adsorption variables as follows: A: MCAC dose (0.02–0.1 g); B: pH (4–10); and C: time (5–25 min). The results of equilibrium and dynamic adsorption showed that the adsorption of MV 2B followed Freundlich and pseudo-second order models, respectively. The maximum amount of MV 2B dye that the MCAC could adsorb (q_max) was 134.1 mg/g. Electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, H-bonding, and pore diffusion contribute to the adsorption of MV 2B dye onto the MCAC surface. This study demonstrates the potential to utilize MC as a low-cost precursor for the efficient synthesis of MAC and its utility for the removal of pollutants.