2003 in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
2003 in Malaysia is the 46th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.
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Federal level
- Yang di-Pertuan AgongYang di-Pertuan AgongThe Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
: Tuanku Syed SirajuddinTuanku Syed SirajuddinTuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail is the current Raja of Perlis, reigning since 17 April 2000. He served as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 13 December 2001 to 12 December 2006 and 7th Raja of Perlis since 2000.... - Raja Permaisuri AgongRaja Permaisuri AgongRaja Permaisuri Agong, or in full, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong, is the title given to the Queen of Malaysia, consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.The holders of this office have been:...
: Tuanku Fauziah - Prime MinisterPrime Minister of MalaysiaThe Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
:- Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohammad (until 31 October)
- Dato' Sri Abdullah Ahmad BadawiAbdullah Ahmad BadawiTun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
(from 31 October)
- Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister of MalaysiaDeputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
: incumbent
State level
- Sultan of JohorSultan of JohorSultan of Johor is a hereditary seat and the nominal ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a bendahara...
: Sultan Iskandar - SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
: Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah - SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of KelantanKelantanKelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
: Sultan Yahya Petra - RajaRajaRaja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of PerlisPerlisPerlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
: Tuanku Syed Faizuddin (Regent) - Sultan of PerakSultan of PerakSultan of Perak is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states.When the Sultanate of Malacca empire fell to Portugal in 1511, Sultan Mahmud Syah I retreated to Kampar, Sumatra and died there in 1528. He left behind two princes named Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II and Sultan Muzaffar...
: Sultan Azlan Shah - SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of PahangPahangPahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
: Sultan Ahmad Shah - Sultan of SelangorSultan of SelangorSultan of Selangor is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia.-Bugis bloodline:The Sultans of Selangor are descended from a Bugis dynasty that claim descent from the rulers of Luwu in the southern part of Celebes...
: Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah - SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of TerengganuTerengganuTerengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
: Sultan Mizan Zainal AbidinSultan Mizan Zainal AbidinTuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin is the 17th Sultan of Terengganu and the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutional head of state of Malaysia...
(Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong) - Yang di-Pertuan BesarYang di-Pertuan BesarIn Malay, Yang di-Pertuan Besar, literally "He Who Is Made Great" or "Great Ruler", is a royal title.-In Malaysia:# Also known as Yamtuan Besar, it is the title of the elected monarch of the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia...
of Negeri SembilanNegeri SembilanNegeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
: Tuanku JaafarTuanku JaafarDuli Yang Maha Mulia Almarhum Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, GCB was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the fourth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of modern Negeri Sembilan.-Early life and education:The second son of Tuanku Abdul Rahman... - Yang di-Pertua NegeriYang di-Pertua NegeriThe Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) of PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
: Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas - Yang di-Pertua NegeriYang di-Pertua NegeriThe Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) of MalaccaMalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
: Tun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud ShahabuddinSyed Ahmad bin Syed Mahmud ShahabuddinTun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin was a Malaysian politician. He was the Menteri Besar of Kedah from 1967 to 1978 and the fifth Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Melaka state from 1984 until 2004.-Life:... - Yang di-Pertua NegeriYang di-Pertua NegeriThe Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) of SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
: Tun Abang Mohammad SalahuddinAbang Muhammad SalahuddinTun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin bin Abang Barieng is third and sixth Yang di-Pertua Negeri of the Malaysian state of Sarawak... - Yang di-Pertua NegeriYang di-Pertua NegeriThe Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) of SabahSabahSabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
: Tun Sakaran Dandai (until 31 December)
Events
- 1 January - Visit Johor Year 2003 officially began
- 1 January - The indirect advertising of tobacco brands are banned by the Malaysian federal government
- 4 January - The MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
subject in English are introduced to all primary and secondary schools for the first time. - 14 February - The Southern Integrated GatewaySouthern Integrated GatewayThe Southern Integrated Gateway refers to a complex in Johor Bahru, Malaysia incorporating the city's main railway station, JB Sentral, and a customs, immigration, and quarantine complex , the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex or Sultan Iskandar Complex The Southern...
projects (New CIQ complex and new bridge) in Johor BahruJohor BahruJohor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
is officially launched by the then Malaysian prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. - 20-25 February - The Non-Aligned MovementNon-Aligned MovementThe Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
(NAMNon-Aligned MovementThe Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
) General Conference is held in Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. - 23 March - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is crowned as the 9th Sultan of SelangorSultan of SelangorSultan of Selangor is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia.-Bugis bloodline:The Sultans of Selangor are descended from a Bugis dynasty that claim descent from the rulers of Luwu in the southern part of Celebes...
. - May - The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) signed a deal to purchase 18 of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM jet fighters worth almost $1 billion. The Su-30MKMs will be delivered in batches starting in early 2007. As part of the deal, the Russians will send a Malaysian astronaut (angkasawan) to the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). - 25 May - A 19-year old salesgirl died when a car driven by 21-year old college student crashed into her and several friends seat at a table set up at a roadside in front of a 24-hour restaurant in Section 14, Petaling JayaPetaling JayaPetaling Jaya is a Malaysian city originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur comprising mostly residential and some industrial areas. It is located in the Petaling district of Selangor with an area of approximately 97.2 km². On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a...
. - 24 July - Malaysia and SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
jointly submitted to the International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
(ICJ) a dispute concerning sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca), Middle Rocks and South Ledge. - 24 July - The Federal Special Forces of Malaysia (FSFM) has been declared an illegal organisation by the federal government because its activities were deemed illegal and posed a threat to national security. Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali the leader of the FSFM and 24 members were arrested
- 3 August - Abdul Malik MydinAbdul Malik MydinDato Abdul Malik Mydin is a Malaysian solo long-distance swimmer, hailing from Penang. He was notable as the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to swim across the English Channel on August 3, 2003, successfully completing the journey in 17 hours and 42 minutes.-Athletic career:Abdul Malik was a...
become first Malaysian and Southeast AsiaSoutheast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n to cross English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
by swimmingLong-distance swimmingThe distances that distinguish long distance swimming from ordinary swimming are those distances that are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than outright speed, the more likely it is to be considered a long distance swim...
from DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, England to CalaisCalaisCalais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, France. - August - Naza Ria, Malaysian first MPVMinivanMinivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
vehicle is launched. - 31 August - The quickmarch version of NegarakuNegaraku"Negaraku" is the national anthem of Malaysia. "Negaraku" was selected as a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957. The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie"...
national anthem has changed to the original slowmarch version - 31 August - Malaysia's first monorail transit system, KL Monorail has begin in operations.
- September - The Royal Malaysian NavyRoyal Malaysian NavyThe Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
(RMN) signed a deal to purchase 2 of the French Scorpene submarines worth almost $1 billion. - 23 September - Media Prima BerhadMedia Prima BerhadMedia Prima Berhad , DBA Media Prima, is Malaysia’s leading integrated media investment group. It currently owns 100 per cent equity interest in TV3, 8TV, NTV7 and TV9...
, Malaysia's largest integrated media group of companies is launched - 3 October - Berjaya Times SquareBerjaya Times SquareBerjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur is a twin tower complex containing a shopping centre and five star hotel located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was opened in October 2003 by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad...
, the highest shopping complex in Malaysia is officially opened. - 16-17 October - The OIC General Conference is held in PutrajayaPutrajayaPutrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas...
- 22 October - Alor StarAlor StarAlor Setar, known as Alor Star between 2004 and 2008, is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia, and Kota Setar District's Administrative Centre. It is also a distribution center for manufacturing and agricultural products such as paddy, and the royal seat of the Kedah state since the establishment...
was granted city status - 31 October - Abdullah Ahmad BadawiAbdullah Ahmad BadawiTun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
becomes the fifth prime minister replacing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. - 25 November - The construction of the SMART TunnelSMART TunnelThe "Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel" or "SMART Tunnel", is a storm drainage and road structure in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a major national project in the country...
projects has begun. - 1 December - 14 passengers were killed in an early morning collision involving two buses – a school bus which was converted for commercial use and an express bus2003 Merapoh bus tragedyThe 2003 Merapoh bus tragedy took place on 23 November 2003 when an Ekspres Mutiara bus collided with another bus at kilometre 63 of Lipis-Merapoh Road near the Pahang-Kelantan border, Malaysia...
– at the 63rd kilometre of the Kuala Lipis-Merapoh trunk roadMalaysia Federal Route 8Federal Route 8 , also known as the Gua Musang Highway, is a main federal road in Malaysia. It connects Bentong in the south until Kota Bharu in the north...
near MerapohMerapohMerapoh is a small town situated in the Lipis district of Pahang, Malaysia. Located near Pahang-Kelantan border.Jalan Bukit Tujuh is an infamous short strip of road along the route from Merapoh in the state of Pahang to Gua Musang in the state of Kelantan. The strip which is in the state of...
, PahangPahangPahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
. Twenty-three others were injured. - December - The Malaysian National ServiceMalaysian National ServiceThe National Service Training Programme, or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara , is Malaysia's national service program. The conscripts are 18-year-old youths that are selectively drafted...
(Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN)) are introduced for the first time as the conscription training program. - December - A rockfall in the New Klang Valley ExpresswayNew Klang Valley ExpresswayThe New Klang Valley Expressway, or the NKVE refers to a stretch of the North-South Expressway in Peninsular Malaysia which starts from Bukit Raja near Klang town, and ends at Jalan Duta in Kuala Lumpur. It is a busiest expressway in Klang Valley during rush hour from/to Kuala Lumpur...
(NKVE) near the Bukit LanjanBukit LanjanBukit Lanjan is a Malaysian hill in the Petaling district of Selangor. It is also the name of a state constituency of the Selangor State Assembly. Bukit Lanjan is part of the Subang parliamentary constituency....
interchange caused the expressway to close for more than six months.
National Day Parade
- PutrajayaPutrajayaPutrajaya is a planned city, located 25km south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, due to the overcrowding and congestion in the Kuala Lumpur areas...
(new locations replaced Dataran MerdekaDataran MerdekaMerdeka Square is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was here the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on August 31, 1957...
, Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
)
Deaths
- Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah — 5, July; UMNO annual meeting permanent chairman.
- Dato' Dr Mokhzani Abdul Rahim — Chairman of the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) Malaysia and a writer of the Kuala Lumpur Corporate Capital book.
- M Amin — Malay actors and directors.
- Dato' Seri Harun IdrisHarun bin IdrisDato' Seri Harun bin Haji Idris was a Malaysian politician. He was born in Selangor, Malaysia. He worked as a field officer with the publicity department until 1948, when he was appointed District Officer for Gemas and Tampin, in the Malay Administrative Service.After a short spell as magistrate...
— former Selangor Menteri Besar. - Tan Sri Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad — Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya.
- Sultanah Bahiyah of KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
- Tun Mohd Adnan Robert — Sabah state Yang di-Pertua NegeriYang di-Pertua NegeriThe Yang di-Pertua Negeri is the official title of the ceremonial heads of state of the Malaysian states without hereditary rulers, namely Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak...
(Governor) (1977–1987)
See also
- 2003
- 2002 in Malaysia2002 in Malaysia2002 in Malaysia is the 45th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.-Federal level:*Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin*Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tuanku Fauziah*Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohammad...
| 2004 in Malaysia2004 in Malaysia2004 in Malaysia is the 47th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.-Federal level:*Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin*Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tuanku Fauziah*Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi... - History of MalaysiaHistory of MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in South East Asia whose strategic sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences that fundamentally influenced its history. Hindu and Buddhist cultures imported from India dominated early Malaysian history...