2018 in Malaysia is Malaysia's 61st anniversary of its independence and 55th anniversary of Malaysia's formation.
Incumbents
Federal Level
State level
Events
January
| Date |
Event
|
| 1 January |
The nation's oldest shopping center, Ampang Park is officially closed.[1]
|
| Astro Radio drops the "FM" suffix for all 11 radio stations as part of its re-branding.[2]
|
| 3 January
|
Four Singaporeans including a child were an Indonesian rebels killed, while five others were injured in the accident involving five vehicles at the junction of Jalan Lukut-Sepang Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
|
| 6 January |
Mah Siew Keong who is also Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister had reportedly made several mistakes in a few lines leaving the audience amused during a joint rally with MCA. His speech has been edited into a viral video.[3]
|
| 7 January |
14th Malaysian general election (GE14) :
|
| 8 January
|
The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has postponed the hearing of the defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Najib Razak against former MCA President Ling Liong Sik.[4]
|
| 10 January
|
Former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad not allowed by prison authorities to visit People's Justice Party (PKR) chief Anwar Ibrahim in Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital.[5]
|
| 11 January
|
An actor and film director, Farid Kamil was arrested for allegedly assaulting a traffic policeman and a civilian at the Kota Damansara police station. He also tested positive for marijuana.[6]
|
| 27 January
|
50,000 Muslims gathered to pray for the Palestine's well-being and liberation of Palestine from Zionist tyranny near Palace of Justice, Putrajaya.[7]
|
| 29 January
|
Malaysian netizen criticize and make jokes over the new logo of the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign after it was presented at the launch of a promotion in Chiang Mai, Thailand.[8] Minister of Tourism and Culture, Nazri Aziz defend the logo and says criticism is normal, cannot get the consensus of the whole of Malaysia.[9]
|
| Film Censorship Board of Malaysia banned Hindi film, Padmaavat because of elements sensitivity to the Muslim.[10]
|
February
| Date |
Event
|
| 1 February |
Five individuals including two Nepali nationals, aged between 19 and 62 were rushed to Penang General Hospital after experiencing weakness, fatigue and unconsciousness as a result of consuming a kind of durian-flavoured premix coffee believed to have mixed with drug.[11]
|
| 13 February |
An Employees Provident Fund (EPF) building in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya was nearly destroyed by a fire at 12 noon.[12][13]
|
| 22 February |
Prime Minister Najib Razak mentioned that he had switched from rice to quinoa because it was better for his health. This had attracted torrents of criticisms and a flurry of Google searches on what exactly was quinoa.[14]
|
| 23 February |
The Prime Minister's Office has clarified that Prime Minister Najib Razak does not rely exclusively on quinoa for his daily nutrition. It said that quinoa was part of Najib's dietary regime because it was recommended by doctors.[15]
|
March
| Date |
Event
|
| 6 March |
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has rejected an emergency motion which was filed to urge Prime Minister Najib Razak to explain attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali's statement that the government will not claim businessperson Jho Low's luxury yacht Equanimity.[16]
|
| 8 March |
The weekly magazine Economist featured an article titled “Stop, thief! Malaysia's PM is about to steal an election”.[17]
|
| 11 March |
The 1MDB scandal has made to the front page of leading Indonesian current affairs magazine Tempo.[18]
|
| 16 March |
Former MCA president Ling Liong Sik has failed to strike out the suit filed by Prime Minister Najib Razak.[19]
|
| 21 March |
Sand dredging vessel JBB Rong Chang 8 is reported to have capsized off Malaysia's southern state of Johor in the waters of Parit Jawa, Muar in which 14 crewmen were missing. Two crewmen were rescued barely alive from the engine room of the vessel by the Civil Defence personnel 50 hours after being trapped in the vessel.[20][21][22]
|
April
| Date |
Event
|
| 7 April |
14th Malaysian general election (GE14) :
|
| 10 April |
The Jakarta Post said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Razak is reminiscent of former Indonesian president Suharto with his similar “manipulative” tactics. An editorial, the Indonesian daily said: "For Indonesians, the manipulative tactics being used by Malaysian leader Najib Razak to win the upcoming general election is a strong reminder of former president Suharto’s tricks during his 32-year rule."[24]
|
| 28 April |
14th Malaysian general election (GE14) :
- Candidate nominations for Parliament seats and state assembly seats were held on this day.
|
May
14th Malaysian general election (GE14) :
- 9 May—The 14th general election was held on this day. For the first time in the country's history, the Barisan Nasional coalition was defeated by the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, only winning 79 seats against Pakatan Harapan's 121. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party won 18 seats while independents won 3 seats. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who led Pakatan Harapan to victory, manage to defeat his protege Najib Razak,
- 10 May -- Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia at 2130 hours (GMT+8), as he becomes the world's oldest elected state leader at the age of 92.[25] This marks his return to the position after holding the post previously for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.
- 12 May --
- 13 May --
- Mahathir instructs Inland Revenue Board to return taxes collected 'illegally'.
- 14 May --
- Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali goes on unrecorded leave, duties taken over by solicitor-general
- MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad resigns
- Treasurer general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah's contract shortened, transferred to Public Service Department
- Mahathir says laws on fake news will be clearly defined
- Mahathir says political appointments in government-linked companies will be reviewed.
- 15 May --
- Audit Department declassifies its 1MDB report
- Council of Eminent Persons sets up a committee on institutional reforms, committee includes:
- Retired judge of Court of Appeal Datuk KC Vohrah;
- Retired judge of the Court of Appeal and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai;
- National Patriot Association President Brigadier General (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji;
- University Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman Professor of Law Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi;
- Hakam President and Bar Council former President Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan
- Apandi Ali, Irwan Serigar, Dzulkifli and former IGP Khalid Abu Bakar barred from leaving the country.
- 16 May --
- Pakatan Harapan de facto leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is released from prison after being pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He had served three years of his prison sentence.
- 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy is also barred from leaving the country
- Police search Najib's house and seize handbags and clothes
- Government announces GST will be zero-rated effective, 1 June 2018
- Mahathir to sack 17,000 political appointees from civil service
- Registrar of Societies approves Pakatan Harapan's registration.
- Ministries instructed to cease use of 1Malaysia slogan
- Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia 2.0 (KR1M) programme ceased
- Board meetings of the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia and committees which have political appointees to be postponed.
- 17 May
- Police search at Najib's house continues
- Finance Ministry initiates fiscal reforms.
- 20 May
- Former executive of PetroSaudi whistleblower Swiss national Xavier Justo meets Mahathir [27]
- 21 May
- Special task force formed to investigate the 1MDB scandal as well as to prosecute wrongdoers and retrieve related assets. Task force would be jointly headed by former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former MACC head Abu Kassim Mohamed, current MACC head Mohd Shukri Abdull and former special branch head Abdul Hamid Bador.
- Deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and several federal ministers officially sworn in as members of cabinet.
- 22 May
June
July
| Date |
Event
|
| 1 July |
Friendster closes down as a company after 16 years.
|
| 2 July |
New ministers in Pakatan Harapan's cabinet led by Mahathir were introduced.[32] Remaining members sworn in on that day completes cabinet line-up.
|
| UMNO Sungai Besar Branch Chief, Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos was arrested by Indonesian police while having a hair cut at a barbershop in South Jakarta.[33]
|
| 3 July |
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is arrested for allegedly stealing US$4.5 billion.[34]
|
| 4 July |
Najib was charged for the first time in the Sessions Court with three counts of CBT and one charge of abusing his post over SRC International Sdn Bhd's funds totalling RM42 million. The case was later transferred to the High Court.[35]
|
| 16 July |
Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad lead the 222 Members of Parliament to swear in as members of the Dewan Rakyat for the 14th term of the Malaysian Parliament.[36]
|
| 17 July |
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V of Kelantan opens the first session of 14th Parliament in the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur.[37]
|
August
| Date |
Event
|
| 8 August |
Former prime minister Najib Razak was charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of having received RM42 million in proceeds from unlawful activities into two of his accounts four years ago, with the money belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.[38][39]
|
| Touch 'n Go stops selling SmartTAGs, with an RFID pilot to replace these devices starting next month.[40]
|
| 10 August |
High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed Najib's application for a gag order restraining the media and public from publishing statements on the merits of his criminal charges, which would infer Najib’s guilt pending the disposal of his case.[41]
|
| 13 August |
Najib filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the High Court refusal to issue an order restraining the media and public from publishing statements on the merits of his case.[42]
|
| 19 August – 2 September |
2018 Asian Games :
|
| 31 August |
Malaysia celebrated its 61st Independence Day.
|
September
October
November
- 6 November - Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad visited Japan, and received a medal of the Emperor of Japan.
- 15 November - Mahathir came back to Kuala Lumpur since end the 33rd Asean summit in Singapore.
December
National Day and Malaysia Day
National Day theme
Sayangi Malaysiaku (Love My Malaysia)
National Day parade
Putrajaya
Malaysia Day celebration
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Sports
Deaths
See also
References
- ^ "Tearing down of Ampang Park shopping centre under way - Metro News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ "With multiplatform the new reality, Astro Radio drops 'FM', refreshes 11 brands". Digital News Asia. 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ "Mah Siew Keong, the new viral video star, takes it in stride - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
- ^ Chie, Kow Gah (2018-01-08). "Court postpones hearing of Najib's suit against ex-MCA president". Malaysiakini.
- ^ "Tun Mahathir barred from visiting Anwar". www.thesundaily.my. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
- ^ "Actor Farid Kamil arrested for allegedly assaulting cop, civilian in police station". 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
- ^ "Nasional | Berita Harian". www.bharian.com.my (in Malay). Retrieved 2018-01-27.
- ^ "Visit Malaysia 2020 logo panned as a 'joke'". Free Malaysia Today. 2018-01-27. Archived from the original on 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ "Nazri: We stand by the Visit Malaysia 2020 logo despite the flak - Nation | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ "Hindi film on Hindu-Muslim love affair too sensitive, say censors". Free Malaysia Today. 2018-01-29. Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ "Penang durian coffee passed food safety tests, released from recall: AVA". Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
- ^ "EPF fire: No, your retirement plan is not up in smoke". The Star (Malaysia). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ "EPF to Investigate Cause of PJ Office Fire". Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
- ^ Hoong, Lu Wei (2018-02-22). "DAP MP 'cooks' Najib over switching from rice to quinoa remark". Malaysiakini.
- ^ "PMO: Najib doesn't eat quinoa exclusively". Malaysiakini. 2018-02-23.
- ^ Azhar, Alyaa (2018-03-06). "Speaker sinks emergency motion on Equanimity". Malaysiakini.
- ^ "Report: Najib to 'steal' GE14 by rigging the system". Malaysiakini. 2018-03-09.
- ^ "1MDB, Jho Low on front page of leading Indonesian magazine". Malaysiakini. 2018-03-11.
- ^ Yatim, Hafiz (2018-03-16). "Ex-MCA president fails to strike out Najib's suit". Malaysiakini.
- ^ Two rescued after 50 hours
- ^ Chinese dredger sinks in Malaysian waters, 14 missing
- ^ Chinese sand-dredger capsizes off Muar; 1 dead, 14 believed alive in sunken hull
- ^ Speaker confirms dissolution
- ^ "Indonesian daily: Najib's tactics similar to Suharto's". Malaysiakini. 2018-04-11.
- ^ Euan McKirdy; Marc Lourdes; Ushar Daniele. "Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad is now the world's oldest leader". CNN. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak banned from leaving country". BBC News. 2018-05-12.
- ^ "PetroSaudi whistleblower meets Dr M". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ "Malaysia's embattled Najib questioned by anti-corruption agency". Reuters. 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- ^ Auto, Hermes (2018-06-05). "Ex-PM Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor questioned for five hours by Malaysia anti-graft agency over 1MDB funds". www.straitstimes.com.
- ^ Auto, Hermes (2018-06-20). "After meeting Altantuya's dad, PM Mahathir 'agrees her murder case should be reopened'". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ^ KAOS, JOSEPH Jr. "After meeting her father, Dr M agrees that Altantuya case should be re-opened". The Star. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ^ "Remaining Cabinet members sworn in". Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
- ^ Jamal Yunos caught in Indonesia
- ^ Maddow, Rachel (July 3, 2018). "Trump's 'favorite prime minister' arrested over theft of billions". MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
- ^ "Malaysia's ex-PM Najib charged with corruption over 1MDB". BBC News. 2018-07-04. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ It’s a new Parliament: Swearing-in begins
- ^ Agong opens first session of 14th Parliament
- ^ Hamdan, Nurbaiti (2018-08-08). "Najib charged with three counts under Anti-Money Laundering Act". The Star. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ "Malaysia ex-PM Najib charged with money laundering". BBC News. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ Nair, Sharmila (8 August 2018). "Touch 'n Go stops selling SmartTAGs, plans to kick off RFID pilot in September". The Star. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
- ^ "(Updated) High Court dismisses Najib's gag order application". NST Online. 2018-08-10.
- ^ "Najib Razak files appeal against gag order refusal". CNA. 2018-08-13.
- ^ "Malaysian contingent performed well in Asiad 2018: CDM". Archived from the original on 2018-09-03. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
- ^ Motorist.my,"Malaysian Car Prices Expected to Increase with SST Roll Out",September 2018"
- ^ "SST going smooth, complaints only on price of foods". Free Malaysia Today. 1 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ^ Agencies (2018-09-13). "Najib Razak's lawyer charged with money laundering by 1MDB investigators". the Guardian.
- ^ "Former Malaysia PM Najib Razak faces new charges over missing $681m". the Guardian. 2018-09-20.
- ^ Lin, Koh Jun (2018-09-26). "BM edition of 'Billion Dollar Whale' to land in November". Malaysiakini.
- ^ Mohd, Hariz (2018-10-03). "Rosmah arrested, to be charged with money laundering tomorrow". Malaysiakini.
- ^ "Found: Body of teen whose rescue operation saw six firemen drown".
- ^ "Malaysia bags 17 gold in best ever Asian Para Games outing".
- ^ "Zahid arrested by MACC". The Star. 2018-10-18.
- ^ "Sultan Sallehuddin installed as 29th Sultan of Kedah".
- ^ Team, Malaysiakini (2018-10-25). "Najib, Irwan charged with CBT over RM6.6b funds, bail RM1m each". Malaysiakini.
- ^ "1MDB scandal: Najib Razak faces more charges over $1.6bn government coffer". amp.theguardian.com.
- ^ Rahim, Raja Noraina Raja (2018-10-26). "Negri Sembilan palace strips Najib, Rosmah of Datuk Seri titles". NST Online.
- ^ "Three killed in Kuching mall blast".
- ^ "PAS and Umno to hold anti-Icerd rally in KL on Dec 8 - Malaysiakini". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ "Don't let it happen again, says distraught father".
- ^ "Goldman Sachs fires back after Malaysia charges bank in 1MDB probe". Reuters. 2018-12-17.
- ^ Karim, Khairah N. (2018-12-18). "Najib's defence team fails in bid to have letter of authority of lead prosecutor's appointment produced". NST Online.
- ^ "Former Selangor MB Abu Hassan Omar dies". New Straits Times. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
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Malaysia was only formed on September 16, 1963. Prior to that date, Peninsular Malaysia was known as Malaya, Sarawak under Crown Colony of Sarawak and Kingdom of Sarawak and Sabah under North Borneo. |
| Years in British Malaya | |
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| Years in Federation of Malaya | |
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| Years in Malaysia | |
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