Timeline of Malaysian history

This is a timeline of Malaysian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Malaysia and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Malaysia.

2nd century

Year	Event
200	Ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Langkasuka was founded by Merong Mahawangsa, a descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhul-Qarnayn.
	Ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Gangga Negara was founded by Ganji Sarjuna, a son of Merong Mahawangsa.

4th century

Year	Event
400	Emergence of Kedah Tua civilisation began with the involvement of the community in Guar Kepah conducting trade with foreign traders in Sungai Mas. The center of the civilisation was in Sungai Mas and Pangkalan Bujang.
	Gangga Negara also served as a port, frequented by foreign traders for its rich natural resources such as gold and tin.

7th century

Year	Event
630	Hindu Malay Kingdom of Kedah was founded by Maharaja Derbar Raja of Persia.
671	I-tsing visited Kedah and Srivijaya on his way to India from China.[1]
682	I-tsing returned to Kedah and Srivijaya on his way back from India to China. He described the Malays at the time as having high status in regards to controlling the economy and its kingdom's entry points.
700	Malay Peninsula was under the dominance of the Buddhist Malay Srivijaya, based in Palembang.[2]
	Sawaku Kingdom was founded by Datu Merpati near Santubong and Sarawak River, while Samadong Kingdom was founded near Samarahan and Sadong.

8th century

Year	Event
750	Srivijaya attacked Langkasuka and succeeded in conquering the kingdom.
775	King of Srivijaya married a princess of Langkasuka and made Ligor as his capital.

9th century

Year	Event
850	Gangga Negara managed to defend its sovereignty from Srivijaya invasion.
890	Klang Kio attacked and defeated Gangga Negara but withdrew after its ruler, Bolaputra married a princess of Gangga Negara.

11th century

Year	Event
1025	Chola army invasion from southern India weakened the trades in Kedah and Gangga Negara.
1100	Melano Kingdom was founded by Tugau near Sungai Retus.

12th century

Year	Event
1136	Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam and founded the Kedah Sultanate, so ending the practice of Hinduism in the dynasty.

13th century

Year	Event
1245	Sang Sapurba, a legendary great ancestor of major dynasties in the Malay world, also a descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhul-Qarnayn, enters into a sacred covenant with Demang Lebar Daun, the ruler of Palembang, and subsequently laid the basis of the proper relationship between the Malay rulers and the subjects.
1260	Minangkabau journeyed to Malay Peninsula.
1280	Siamese had begun to occupy the northern Malay Peninsula. Negara Sri Dharmaraja and Patani, became Siamese vassals.
1299	Kingdom of Singapura was founded by Sang Nila Utama, a son of Sang Sapurba.

14th century

Year	Event
1303	Islam reached Terengganu, proven by the discovery of the Terengganu Inscription Stone in Kuala Berang. It was also the earliest evidence of Jawi writing in the Malay world.
1330	The Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan visited Singapura and records an attack by Siam, recording it down alongside Long Ya Men and Ban Zu.
1360	Singapura Kingdom attacked and defeated by the Hindu Buddhist Javanese Kingdom of Majapahit
1362	Badang, a legendary Malay strongman was elected as the Hulubalang of Singapura
1363	Brunei Sultanate was established, when the Sultan of Brunei married with a princess of Singapura and converted to Islam
1398	Parameswara, a prince of Srivijaya, the last king of Singapura flees from Singapura.

15th century

Year	Event
1400	Malacca Kingdom was founded by Parameswara, the last king of Singapura.
1403	Chinese admiral Yin Ching reached Malacca, establishing diplomatic ties between China and Malacca.
	The first Malay-Chinese dictionary was complied in Chinese characters containing about 500 words related to trade used in Malacca.
1409	Chinese admiral Cheng Ho reached Malacca, strengthening diplomatic ties between China and Malacca.
1414	Malacca established diplomatic ties with Pasai, when Megat Iskandar Shah married a princess of Pasai and converted to Islam.
1444	Hang Tuah, the legendary Malaccan Laksamana was born in Malacca.
1445	Tun Perak, the Penghulu of Klang, led the Malaccan army to victory by defeating Siamese invaders in Muar.
1450	Sharif ul-Hashim, arrived in Sulu from Malacca, married a daughter of Raja Baginda, and founded Sultanate of Sulu.
1451	Malacca become the center of Islam in southeast Asia.
1456	Tun Perak once again led the Malaccan army to victory by defeating Siamese invaders in Batu Pahat. He was then made Bendahara of Malacca.
1459	Emperor of China sent away his daughter Hang Li Po and 500 followers as a gift to Sultan Mansur Shah. Sultan Mansur Shah established Bukit Cina as a settlement for the Chinese.
1463	Malacca established diplomatic ties with Ryukyu. Ryukyu traders are highly respected in Malacca because they were honest and well behaved.
1470	Tun Besar, a son of Tun Perak was killed because he had accidentally displaced Raja Muhammad's destar, a prince of Malacca.
	Raja Muhammad was exiled to Pahang and founded the Pahang Sultanate.

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1509	11 September	Diogo Lopes de Sequeira, the first European to reach the Far East, arrived in Malacca.
1511	24 August	Malacca comes under Portuguese rule after falling to an army led by Alfonso de Albuquerque.
	November	Flor de la Mar, carrying a large treasure trove from Malacca, sank near Sumatran coast.
		Panglima Awang was acquired as a slave by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
1512		Fortress of Malacca, the oldest European architectural remains in the Far East was built in Malacca.
		The first Portuguese expedition was sent eastward from Malacca to search for the Spice Islands led by Francisco Serrão.
1521	April 21	Magellan Expedition was received with hostility by the Mactan natives, led by Lapu-Lapu. Panglima Awang was believe to have left Mactan and made his way back to the Malay Peninsula, thus becoming the first person in recorded history to circumnavigate the world.
		Brunei was visited by Magellan Expedition.
		Church of Saint Paul was built, the oldest church building in Southeast Asia.
1522		The first Malay-Italian dictionary was complied by Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan circled the globe. The dictionary contains about 426 words related to trade used in Moluccas.
1528		Johor Sultanate was founded by Raja Alauddin, son of Mahmud Shah, the last king of Malacca.
		Perak Sultanate was founded by Raja Muzaffar, also a son of Mahmud Shah.
1540		Luak Rembau was founded.
1545		Francis Xavier arrived in Malacca and devoted much of his life to missions in Asia especially in Malacca and Maluku Islands.
1547		Francis Xavier met a Japanese man named Anjirō who had travelled from Kagoshima to Malacca to meet him and become the first Japanese Christian
1548		Francis Xavier established a school in the premises of the chapel known as Church of Saint Paul and thus the first school in the Malay archipelago.
		Cik Siti Wan Kembang rules Kelantan.
1563		Kota Jelasin was built for Cik Siti Wan Kembang and her adopted daughter, Puteri Saadong.
		Manuel Godinho de Erédia, Malay-Portuguese writer and cartographer of early Malay Peninsula was born in Malacca.
1577		Sultan Mansur Shah was abducted by the Acehnese forces. Acehnese forces captured the Sultan's widow and children, brought them back to Aceh.
		Raja Alauddin, a prince of Perak was married to an Acehnese princess and installed as the Sultan of Aceh.
		Perak nobles journeyed to Acehnese and requested Alauddin Mansur Syah for a successor. He sent his brother to become Perak's monarch to maintain the unbroken Malacca dynasty lineage.
1578		Castilian War : War broke out between Brunei and Spain in Borneo and Mindanao.
		Sulu Sultanate gained its independence from Brunei.
1594		Perak rotational succession system among members of the royal family began.
1598		Raja Tengah, accepted the offer by the Sultan of Brunei to be the Sultan of Sarawak

17th century

Year	Date	Event
1603	25 February	Dutch led by Jacob van Heemskerk with the assistance of Johor, seizured the Portuguese merchant vessel, Santa Catarina off the coast of Singapore.
		Malay-Dutch vocabulary, the earliest Malay book printed in Europe was published by Frederick de Houtman in Amsterdam.
1612		Sejarah Melayu was composed by Tun Sri Lanang, the Bendahara of Johor.
1613		Aceh attacked Johor in Batu Sawar. Tun Sri Lanang was captured and taken to Aceh.
1614		Pahang ruled by Johor.
1635		Raja Kuning of Patani married the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor.
1636		Perak nobles turned to Sultan Iskandar Thani of Aceh who sent his relative, Raja Sulong, to be the sultan of Perak because the previous sultan died without an heir and many royal family members died due to an epidemic that swept through the sultanate. Raja Sulong was a prince of Siak and was not genealogically linked to Perak royalty on his father's side.
1641		Dutch with the help from Johor, conquered Malacca from the Portuguese. Hikayat Hang Tuah was composed by an unknown writer from Johor after the Portuguese defeat in Malacca.
1644		Tarian Asyik was created to comfort the mourning Raja Kuning after the loss of her beloved bird.
1650		Kelantan become a part of the Patani founded by Raja Sakti I.
1653		Kota Sena was established by Muhyiddin Mansur Shah as a capital of Kedah.
1660		Brunei Civil War: Started over disagreement between the son of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Muda Bongsu and Pengiran Muda Alam, the son of Pengiran Abdul Mubin over the results of a cockfight which Pengiran Muda Bungsu lost.
1666	September	Kedah was under Thai sovereignty.
1667		Puteri Saadong ruled the territory of Kota Jelasin.
1670		Kelantan split into two, Kelantan Barat (center in Kota Kubang Labu) and Kelantan Timur (center in Kota Pangkalan Datu).
1671		Puteri Saadong managed to heal the King Narai of Siam, who promised her freedom if she able heal his disease. Puteri Saadong return to Kota Jelasin and killed her husband, Raja Abdullah, who remarried with another princess.
1673		Johor-Jambi war: Jambi attacked Johor in Johor Lama.
		Brunei Civil War: Eastern part of Sabah was given to Sulu as the reward for assisting the Muhyiddin's forces.
1679		Johor-Jambi war: Tun Abdul Jamil defeated Jambi, so ending the Johor-Jambi war.
1699		Tun Abdul Jalil, the Bendahara of Johor was elected as the Sultan of Johor, after the dead of "Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang".

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1700		Luak Sungai Ujong was founded.
1701		First original Malay-English dictionary by Thomas Bowrey was printed in London.
1704		Sultan of Brunei cedes the lands east of Marudu Bay to the Sultanate of Sulu.
1708		Terengganu Sultanate was founded by Zainal Abidin I, son of Tun Habib Abdul Majid, the Bendahara of Johor.
1718		Abdul Jalil Shah IV was overthrown by Raja Kecik from Siak and was supported by Minangkabau forces.
1722		Raja Sulaiman, a son of Abdul Jalil Shah IV overthrown by Raja Kecik with help of five Bugis warrior — Daeng Parani, Daeng Marewah, Daeng Chelak, Daeng Menambun, and Daeng Kamasi.
		Daeng Marewah was elected as the first Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor.
1750		Luak Teraci was founded, under the suzerainty of Sungai Ujong.
		Luak Gunung Pasir was founded, under the suzerainty of Rembau.
		Luak Ulu Muar was founded, under the suzerainty of Johol.
		Luak Jempol was founded, under the suzerainty of Jelebu.
		Luak Inas (Jelai) was founded.
1757		Tun Abdul Jamal was elected as the first Temenggong of Johor, direct ancestor to the House of Temenggong.
1762		Long Yunus, a prince from Kota Kubang Labu succeeded in uniting both Kelantan Barat and Kelantan Timur.
1766		Selangor Sultanate was founded by Raja Lumu, son of Daeng Chelak, the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor.
1767		Kedah was under Burmese sovereignty after the fall of Ayutthaya
1769		Kedah once again was under Thai sovereignty.
1770		Penghulu Luak of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol and Rembau invited a prince of the Minangkabau in Sumatra to rule Negeri Sembilan.
1773		Negeri Sembilan established as a confederation of nine states, with Raja Melewar as its first Yamtuan Besar.
1784		Raja Haji Fisabilillah, the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor, led a series of raids against the Dutch in Malacca and died at Teluk Ketapang.
1786	11 August	Penang was founded by Francis Light and was named "Prince of Wales Island"
1795		Administration of Malacca was given to British following the Kew Letters.
1796		Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir, the father of modern Malay literature was born in Malacca
1800		Seberang Perai was ceded to Penang and was named "Province Wellesley"

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1807		Fortress of Malacca was almost totally demolished but was saved by Stamford Raffles.
1808		Raja Ali Haji, a grandson of Raja Haji Fisabilillah was born in Selangor or Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga. He as a scholar and historian, led a renaissance of Malay letters.
1809	June	Kedah helped Siam during the Burmese invasion of Tanjung Salang
1811		Malay gamelan was first performed in public in Pekan during the wedding ceremony of Tengku Hussain, the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga, with Wan Esah, a sister of Raja Bendahara Tun Ali of Pahang.
		Sultan Mahmud Shah died in Lingga, the throne of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga went instead to Tengku Jummat, whose was supported by the Bugis in Lingga but opposed by the Malay chiefs in Riau and Pahang who were supporters of Tengku Hussain
1816		Sekolah Melayu Gelugor was established in Penang, the first Malay school.
		Penang Free School was built in Penang, the first English school.
1818		Malacca was once again ruled by the Dutch following the end of the Napoleonic Wars
1819	6 February	Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Tengku Hussain signed a treaty, marking Singapore as a British settlement.
1820		Cantonese-dominated Ghee Hin and Hakka-dominated Hai San, two main secret societies in Malaya were established.
1821	November	Kedah was invaded by the Siamese forces, a few years after Mahsuri's execution.
1822	27 November	Tengku Jummat was proclaimed the Sultan of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga with strong support from Raja Jaafar, Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga and the Dutch
1824	17 March	Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 was signed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, partitioning the southern Malay states, Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga between British Malaya and Dutch East Indies.
1826	20 June	Burney Treaty was signed between Siam and the United Kingdom, partitioning the northern Malay states between British Malaya and Siam.
		Straits Settlements were established, consisting of Penang, Malacca and Singapore.
		Alexander Hare, an English adventurer brought his Malay harem and slaves from the Malay archipelago to the Cocos Islands, forming a community called Cocos Malays.
1831		Naning War: The opposition of Dol Said to British taxation policy in Naning led to the Naning War.
1832		Luak Tampin founded.
1833		Naning War: Dol Said surrenders to British forces in return for an official pardon, so ending the Naning War.
1836		Malays and Bidayuhs of Sarawak River basin revolted and proclaimed their independence from Brunei.
1839		Kedah was divided into four administrative units by Siam, Setul, Perlis, Kubang Pasu and Kedah.
		James Brooke first arrived in Kuching.
1841		Sarawak was ruled by James Brooke.
1843		Siam recognized Syed Hussin Jamalullail as the ruler of Perlis.
1853		Rentap forces attacked Brooke's fort in Nanga Skrang and killed Alan Lee, a British officer.
1855		Ali Wallace was recruited as a cook for Alfred Russel Wallace in his explorations and was later responsible for independently collecting many significant specimens that are credited to Wallace.
1859		Sharif Masahor forces attacked Brooke's fort in Kanowit and killed Charles Fox and Henry Steele, two British officers.
1861	July	First Larut War: Hai San Society tried to sabotage Ghee Hin’s waterway.
1865		Second Larut War: Started over gambling quarrel between members of Ghee Hin and Hai San.
1867		Klang War: Raja Mahadi challenged Raja Abdullah for authority over Klang.
	1 April	Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony.
1866		Baju Kurung Telok Belanga, a version of Baju Kurung was designed by Sultan Abu Bakar and named after the centre of the Johor at that time. Baju Kurung is the national dress of Malaysia.
1869		Yap Ah Loy became the Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur
1870		Klang War: Ghee Hin had joined Raja Mahadi's forces, and Hai San had sided with Tengku Kudin.
1871		Third Larut War: Began with an affair between Ghee Hin's leader and a member of Hai San and conflict of Perak succession between Raja Abdullah and Raja Ismail.
1873		Fouth Larut War: Quarrelling Malay chiefs had taken sides in the Larut Wars, by showing support to the quarrelling Chinese secret societies.
		Klang War: Tengku Kudin, with British aid, a Pahang army, and his Chinese allies, defeated Raja Mahadi and his supporters.
1874	20 January	Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was signed, signalling the British involvement in the policies of the Malays, and the establishment of British Malaya.
		War break out in Sungai Ujong between the forces of Dato' Kelana and Dato' Bandar. British sided with Dato' Kelana and defeated Dato' Bandar and Sungai Ujong felt to British dominance.
1875	2 November	Perak War: James W. W. Birch, the first Resident of Perak was assassinated by Malay chief, Dato Maharaja Lela's forces in Pasir Salak.
	7 November	Perak War: Sultan of Perak and Malay chiefs attempted to end foreign influence in the region.
		A Persian theatre company from Bombay performed in Penang, led to the creation of Bangsawan.
1876		Perak War: Raja Abdullah, Ngah Ibrahim and Mohammad Amin were exiled to the Seychelles.
1877	20 January	Perak War: Dato' Maharaja Lela was executed by hanging in Taiping.
1882	May	North Borneo became a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company.
1885		The first Railway track was built connecting Taiping with Port Weld.
1887		Terengganu Inscription Stone was discovered by villagers in Kuala Berang.
1895		Terusan Wan Mat Saman was built by the Prime Minister of Kedah, connecting Alor Setar with Gurun, the longest aqueduct in Malaysia.
1895		Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Johor was introduced by Sultan Abu Bakar, the first written constitution in Malaysia.
1896		Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang joined to become the Federated Malay States, a federation of British protectorates.
1897		Mat Salleh Rebellion: Mat Salleh forces attacked and destroyed British's administrative center in Pulau Gaya.

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1909	10 March	The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 was signed by the United Kingdom and Thailand, effectively dissecting the northern Malay states.
1914	28 October	Battle of Penang: The German cruiser SMS Emden sank two Allied warships in the Strait of Malacca.
1915		William Kellie Smith, a Scottish planter started the construction project of Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah, Perak.
1922		Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong represented one of the 43 farmers being put to trial in a court for doing farming without permission.
1928		Haji Abdul Rahman Limbong assembled about 1,000 people in Kampung Buluh, to launch their resistance to get the British out of their state. Several police stations were attacked were made in Kuala Berang.
1941	7 December	Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japan opened hostilities with the Allies and their colonies.
	8 December	Japanese occupation of Malaya: Japanese forces invaded and began the occupation of British Malaya.
	16 December	Japanese occupation of British Borneo: Japanese forces invaded and began the occupation of British Borneo.
	10 December	The British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by Japanese bombers.
1942	14 January	Battle of Muar: The last major battle of the Malayan campaign was fought.
	23 January	Parit Sulong Massacre: Allied soldiers were massacred by Japanese forces.
	9 February	Battle of Singapore: The Japanese crossed the Strait of Johor in inflatable boats and landed in Singapore.
	13 February	Battle of Pasir Panjang: A Malay regiment led by Lieutenant Adnan bin Saidi fought bravely against the Japanese at Pasir Panjang Ridge.
	18 October	Kedah became the Thai possession of Syburi.
1945	January	Sandakan Death Marches: Cruel marches began which were forced by Japan.
	June	Sandakan Death Marches: The death marches came to an end.
	27 June	Battle of North Borneo: A battle was fought between the Australians and Japanese.
	14 August	Japan surrendered, leaving a power vacuum.
	5 September	The British returned and established a military administration in the Straits Settlements.
	23 September	Kedah and the three other states were returned to the British.
1946	1 April	The Straits Settlements were dissolved and replaced by the Malayan Union, conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government.
	8 February	Charles Vyner Brooke declared that the Sarawak Supreme Council agreed on the cession of Sarawak to British.
	1 July	British officially declared Sarawak as Crown Colony of Sarawak
1948	31 January	Opposition from Malay nationalists forced the Malayan Union to disband in favour of the Federation of Malaya, which restored the symbolic positions of the rulers of the Malay states.
	18 June	Sungai Siput Incident: Rubber plantations and tin mines in Malaya were destroyed by Communists, leading the British to declare a state of emergency.
	16 July	Death of Lau Yew: British security forces clashed with those of the Malayan Communist Party resulting in the death of one of their key leaders, Lau Yew.[3]
1949	8 October	The University of Malaya was established following the merger of Raffles College and King Edward Medical College.
	3 December	Rosli Dhobi and several members from Rukun 13 orchestrated the assassination of the Governor of Sarawak, Sir Duncan Stewart in Sibu.
1950	23 February	Bukit Kepong Incident: An armed encounter took place between Communists and the police.
1951	6 October	Assassination of Sir Henry Gurney: British High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney was killed by members of the Malayan Communist Party in Fraser's Hill.
1956	18 January	A constitutional conference proposed the appointment of the Reid Commission to devise a constitution for a fully self-governing and independent Federation of Malaya.
	8 February	Baling Talks: An talk between representative of the government of Malaya and Malayan Communist Party to resolve the Malayan Emergency situation. Tan Cheng Lock, David Marshall and Tunku Abdul Rahman represented the government whereas Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin and Chen Tien represented the communists. However, the talks were unsuccessful because the surrender terms were not acceptable to the Malayan Communist Party.
1957	21 February	The Reid Commission submitted its working draft to a Working Committee.
	31 July	Independence of the Federation of Malaya
	15 August	The new Federal Constitution was passed by the Federal Legislative Council.
	31 August	Formal independence of the Federation of Malaya was achieved.
1961	27 May	Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed a merger between Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak.
1962	17 January	Cobbold Commission: The Cobbold Commission, was a Commission of Enquiry set up to determine whether the people of North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak supported the proposal to create the Federation of Malaysia consisting of Malaya, Brunei, Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak.
1962	8 December	Brunei Revolt: A revolt led by Yassin Affandi began coordinated attacks on oil installations, police stations and government facilities around the protectorate.
1963	20 January	Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation: Indonesian Foreign Minister Subandrio announced that Indonesia would pursue a policy of konfrontasi with the Federation of Malaysia, North Borneo and Sarawak.
	9 July	The Malaysia Agreement was signed by the governments of the United Kingdom, Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo and Sarawak.
	31 July	Manila Accord was signed by the governments of Malaya (now Malaysia), Indonesia and, Philippines.
	16 September	Malaysia established. Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya merged to form Malaysia.
1965	May	Lee Kuan Yew began campaigning for a Malaysian Malaysia.
	7 August	Singapore and Malaysia signed a separation agreement.
	9 August	The Malaysian Parliament voted to expel Singapore from the Federation.
1966	7 February	Exchange of notes by the government of Malaysia (formerly Malaya) and Philippines constituting an agreement relating to the implementation of the Manila Accord of 31 July 1963.
1967	February	Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–89): A renewed insurgency was conducted by the Malayan Communist Party against Malaysian federal security forces.
1969	10 May	1969 Malaysian general election: The third general election since independence was held in West Malaysia.
	13 May	13 May Incident: Ethnic riots between Malays and Chinese took place in Kuala Lumpur.
	14 May	A state of emergency and accompanying curfew were declared throughout the country.
	16 May	The state of emergency and curfew were lifted.
1970		Rukun Negara, the national philosophy was instituted by royal proclamation on Merdeka Day, after the May 13 Incident in 1969.
1971		An affirmative action program known as the Malaysian New Economic Policy was launched by the Malaysian government.
1974	1 February	Designation of first Federal Territory.
1975	5 August	1975 AIA building hostage crisis: Japanese Red Army took more than 50 hostages at the AIA building, which housed several embassies.
1977	8 November	1977 Kelantan Emergency: The state of emergency was declared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) on 8 November 1977 upon the request of the federal government following a political impasse and street violence in Kelantan.[4]
1979	21 December	Pedra Branca dispute: Singapore lodged a formal protest with Malaysia in response to a map published by Malaysia in 1979 claiming Pedra Branca.
1982	1 January	The time zone in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore changed to UTC+08:00 and has not changed since.
	1 May	The time zone in East Malaysia changed to UTC+08:00 and has not changed since.
1984	16 April	Labuan became a Federal Territory of Malaysia.
1985	19 November	Memali Incident: A team of 200 policemen under orders from the Acting Prime Minister and Home Minister Musa Hitam laid siege to kampung (village) houses in Memali, near Baling in Kedah.
1987	27 October	Operation Lalang: An operation was carried out by the Malaysian police to crack down on opposition leaders and social activists.
1988		1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis: A series of events began which would lead to the eventual removal of the Lord President of the Federal Court.
1991	4 October	The Kuala Lumpur Tower official ground-breaking.
	1 November	The Kuala Lumpur International Airport official ground-breaking.
1993		The Parliament passed amendments to the Constitution with the aim of stripping the royalty of legal immunity.
	1 February	Kuala Lumpur International Airport construction began.
1994	1 January	Petronas Towers construction commenced.
1996	1 January	Petronas Twin Towers completed.
		Kuala Lumpur International Airport opened to public service.
	1 May	The Kuala Lumpur Tower completed.
	1 June	Astro was launched as Malaysia's first subscription-based satellite television station
1997	1 January	Asian financial crisis: Malaysia slipped into recession.
1998	1 January	Petronas Towers opened to public service of Aquaria KLCC, Suria KLCC and Petronas Philharmonic Hall.
	11 September	Opening ceremony of the 16th Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur
		The Kuala Lumpur National Stadium officially opened by Prime Minister Tun Doctor Mahathir Bin Mohamad.
1999	29 January	Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim replaced by Abdullah Badawi as Deputy Prime Minister.

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2000	December	Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu Park became UNESCO World Heritage Sites of nature.
2001	1 January	The Kuala Lumpur Central Station officially opened.
	1 February	Putrajaya was declared as a Federal Territory Putrajaya was handed over from the Selangor state authorities.
	4 March	Breakout of racial riot between Malay and Indian in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
	8 September	Opening ceremony of the 21st Southeast Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur
2003	31 October	Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became the new Prime Minister of Malaysia.
	23 May	Pedra Branca dispute resolved. Singapore gained sovereignty over Pedra Branca; Malaysia gained sovereignty over Middle Rocks.
	26 August	2008 Permatang Pauh by-election: Marked the significant return of Anwar Ibrahim to politics after his incasceration of 10 years. Anwar won the election and was sworn into Parliament on 28 August 2008, vowing to topple the government with the help of defectors from Barisan Nasional.
	12 December	Penang and Malacca City became a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site, citing as the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca.
2009	3 February	2009 Perak constitutional crisis: Began when three Pakatan Rakyat state legislators defected, causing a collapse of the state government.
2012	6 July	Lenggong became a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2013	11 February	2013 Lahad Datu standoff: Sulu Militants' attempt to siege Lahad Datu District from Sabah, Malaysia.
2014	27 January	Kajang Move: The attempted replacement of Khalid Ibrahim as Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Selangor with Anwar Ibrahim starts a political crisis.
	8 March	Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared.
	17 July	Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard.
	23 September	Kajang Move: The crisis concludes with the appointment of Parti KeADILan Rakyat Deputy President, Azmin Ali, as Menteri Besar.
2015	5 June	18 people were killed in the Sabah earthquake
2017	13 February	Kim Jong-nam assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.[5]
2018	9 May	Barisan Nasional defeated by Pakatan Harapan, first change of governing coalition since independence.
2020	4 February	First Malaysian infected by novel coronavirus (COVID-19)[6]
	24 February	Mahathir Mohamad resigns as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia.[7]

References

1. Junjiro Takakusu, (1896), A record of the Buddhist Religion as Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago AD 671–695, by I-tsing, Oxford, London.
2. Andaya, Barbara Watson; Andaya, Leonard Y. (1982). A History of Malaysia. London: MacMillan Press Ltd. pp. 26–28, 61, 151–152, 242–243, 254–256, 274. ISBN 0-333-27672-8.
3. "Malayan Emergency", Britain's Small Wars accessed 17 November 2013
4. Cheah, Boon Kheng. Malaysia: The Making of a Nation. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 179. ISBN 978-981-230-175-8.
5. "Kim Jong-nam killed by VX nerve agent". theguardian. 24 February 2017.
6. "First Malaysian tests positive for Wuhan coronavirus | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
7. "Dr Mahathir resigns". New Straits Times. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.