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.

Year	Event
1,830,000 BCE	Hand axes from early hominids, probably Homo erectus, have been unearthed in Lenggong, making them some of the oldest evidence of hominid habitation in Southeast Asia.^[1]^[2]
40,000 BCE	The earliest evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia is a skull excavated from the Niah Caves from this time period.^[3]^[4]^[5]
11,000 BCE	Perak Man: The oldest complete skeleton found in Malaysia was dated to this time.^[6]

Year	Event
200	The ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Langkasuka was founded by Merong Mahawangsa, a descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhu al-Qarnayn.
200	The ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Gangga Negara was founded by Ganji Sarjuna, a son of Merong Mahawangsa.^[7]

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

Year	Event
630	The Hindu Malay Kingdom of Kedah was founded by Maharaja Derbar Raja of Persia.
671	Yijing visited Kedah and Srivijaya on his way to India from China.^[8]
682	Yijing returned to Kedah and Srivijaya on his way back from India to China. He described the Malays as having high status in controlling the economy and its kingdom's entry points.
700	The Malay Peninsula fell under the dominance of the Buddhist Malay Srivijaya, based in Palembang.^[9]
700	The Sawaku Kingdom was founded by Datu Merpati near Santubong and Sarawak River. The Samadong Kingdom was founded near Samarahan and Sadong.

Year	Event
750	Srivijaya attacked Langkasuka and conquered the kingdom.
775	The king of Srivijaya married a princess of Langkasuka and made Ligor his capital.

Timeline of Malaysian history

Prehistory

2nd century

4th century

7th century

8th century

9th century

11th century

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also

References

Related Articles

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

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

Year	Event
1245	Sang Sapurba, a legendary ancestor of significant dynasties in the Malay world and descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhul-Qarnayn, entered into a sacred covenant with Demang Lebar Daun, the ruler of Palembang, and subsequently laid the basis of the relationship between the Malay rulers and subjects.
1260	Minangkabau people journeyed to the Malay Peninsula.
1280	Siamese 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.

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

Year	Event
1400	Malacca Kingdom was founded by Parameswara, the last king of Singapura.
1403	Chinese admiral Yin Ching reached Malacca, and established diplomatic ties between China and Malacca.
1403	The first Malay-Chinese dictionary was compiled 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, lead 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 the Sultanate of Sulu.
1451	Malacca became the center of Islam in southeast Asia.
1456	Tun Perak lead the Malaccan army to victory by defeating Siamese invaders in Batu Pahat. He was made Bendahara of Malacca.
1459	Emperor of China sent 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 were respected in Malacca.
1470	Tun Besar, a son of Tun Perak was killed because he had accidentally displaced Raja Muhammad's destar, a prince of Malacca.
1470	Raja Muhammad was exiled to Pahang and founded the Pahang Sultanate.

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 came 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.
1512		The first Portuguese expedition was sent eastward from Malacca to search for the Spice Islands led by Francisco Serrão.
1521	21 April	The Magellan Expedition was received with hostility by the Mactan natives, led by Lapu-Lapu. Panglima Awang was believed to have left Mactan and made his way back to the Malay Peninsula, becoming the first person in recorded history to circumnavigate the world.
		Brunei was visited by Magellan expedition.
		The Church of Saint Paul was built the oldest church building in Southeast Asia.
1522		The first Malay-Italian dictionary was compiled by Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan around the globe. The dictionary contains about 426 words related to trade in the Moluccas.
1528		Johor Sultanate was founded by Raja Alauddin, son of Mahmud Shah, the last king of Malacca.
1528		Perak Sultanate was founded by Raja Muzaffar, also a son of Mahmud Shah.
1540		Luak Rembau is founded.
1545		Francis Xavier arrived in Malacca and devoted his life to missions in Asia, especially in Malacca and Maluku Islands.
1547		Francis Xavier met a Japanese man named Anjirō who had traveled from Kagoshima to Malacca to meet him and become the first Japanese Christian.
1548		Francis Xavier established a school on the premises of the chapel known as Church of Saint Paul.
1548		Cik Siti Wan Kembang became Sultan of Kelantan.
1563		Kota Jelasin was built for Cik Siti Wan Kembang and her adopted daughter, Puteri Saadong.
1563		Manuel Godinho de Erédia, a 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 and 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 be 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.
1578		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

Year	Date	Event
1603	25 February	Dutch led by Jacob van Heemskerk with the assistance of Johor, seized the Portuguese merchant vessel Santa Catarina off the coast of Singapore.
1603		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 was 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 became 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		The Brunei Civil War began over a 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 could cure his disease. Puteri Saadong returned to Kota Jelasin and killed her husband, Raja Abdullah, who had remarried another princess in her absence.
1673		Johor-Jambi war: Jambi attacked Johor in Johor Lama.
1673		Brunei Civil War: The 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".

Year	Date	Event
1700		Luak Sungai Ujong was founded.
1701		First original Malay-English dictionary by Thomas Bowrey was printed in London.^[10]
1704		Sultan of Brunei ceded 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 was overthrown by Raja Kecik with the help of five Bugis warrior – Daeng Parani, Daeng Marewah, Daeng Chelak, Daeng Menambun, and Daeng Kamasi.
1722		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 was 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 the 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"

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. As a scholar and historian, he led the 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.
1811		Sultan Mahmud Shah died in Lingga, the throne of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga went instead to Tengku Jummat, who 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.
1816		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 enslaved people 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 was founded.
1833		Naning War: Dol Said surrendered to British forces in return for an official pardon, so ending the Naning War.
1836		Malays and Bidayuhs of the 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.
1839	15 August	James Brooke first arrived in Kuching.
1840	20 December	James Brooke and Serib Japper negotiated and accepted the surrender of Siniawan Rebels in Upper Sarawak
1841	14 February	James Brooke received permission from the Sultan of Brunei to trade and reside in Sarawak
1841	24 September	Sarawak was ruled by James Brooke.
1843		Siam recognized Syed Hussin Jamalullail as the ruler of Perlis.
1846	8 July	Brunei was captured by the British
	August	Brunei ceded Sarawak - Tg. Datu to the mouth of Samarrahan to James Brooke
	18 December	Brunei ceded Labuan to the British
1853	January	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	25 June	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 a gambling quarrel between members of Ghee Hin and Hai San.
1867		Klang War: Raja Mahadi challenged Raja Abdullah for authority over Klang.
1867	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		Fourth Larut War: Quarrelling Malay chiefs had taken sides in the Larut Wars, by showing support to the quarreling Chinese secret societies.
1873		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, signaling the British involvement in the policies of the Malays, and the establishment of British Malaya.
1874		War broke 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 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 the British's administrative center in Pulau Gaya.

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	29 April – 24 May	Kelantan Rebellion: Villagers led by Tok Janggut resisted British taxes and land control before being suppressed.
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 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.
	1 September	Almost 100 leading members of the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army were killed by the Japanese near the Batu Caves. Their secret location was betrayed by their leader Lai Teck, who was a double agent.
	18 October	Kedah became the Thai possession of Syburi.
1944	11 January	World War II: Action of 11 January 1944
1944	17 July	World War II: Action of 17 July 1944
1945	January	Sandakan Death Marches, marches forced by the Japanese, began.
	June	Sandakan Death Marches concluded.
	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	29 January	Communist allied trade unions staged a successful 24-hour general strike across Malaya.
	8 February	Charles Vyner Brooke declared that the Sarawak Supreme Council agreed on the cession of Sarawak to the British.
	1 April	The Straits Settlements were dissolved and replaced by the Malayan Union, conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government.
	1 July	The British officially declared Sarawak as the 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.
	16 June	European-owned plantations and tin mines in Malaya were attacked by Communists in an event known as the Sungai Siput incident. This event is recognised as the beginning of the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960).
	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.^[11]
	12 December	The Batang Kali massacre: The Scots Guards of the British Army murdered 24 unarmed civilians.
1949	4 May	British forces hung S. A. Ganapathy, the former president of Malaya's largest trade union.
	21 May	The 10th Malay Regiment was founded. This is the only predominantly Malay regiment to exist belonging to the Malayan National Liberation Army during the Malayan Emergency.
	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.
1952	28 April - May	The British communist newspaper the Daily Worker leaked photographs of British soldiers in Malay posing with the severed heads of guerrillas belonging to the Malayan National Liberation Army, a common practice among British forces during the Malayan Emergency. These photographs created an uproar among British politicians and military leaders. Winston Churchill ordered Gerald Templer to stop this practice.^[12]^[13]
1955	28-29 December	Baling Talks: A talk between representatives 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 unacceptable to the Malayan Communist Party.

Year	Date	Event
2001	1 February	Putrajaya was declared the third Federal Territory.
	16 April	Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, also known as KL Sentral, the largest transit-oriented railway station housing various modes of transportation, was officially opened, replacing the old Kuala Lumpur railway station.
	5 September	The Malaysian identity card, also known as MyKad, a multipurpose card introduced by the Malaysian government, was launched.
	8 September	The opening ceremony of the 2001 SEA Games was held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
	11 September	The September 11 attacks occurred in New York City, USA, claiming the lives of 2,996 people, including 3 Malaysians.
2002	22 June	At the 2002 UMNO General Assembly, Mahathir Mohamad shocked the nation by announcing his resignation as Prime Minister, UMNO President, and BN Chairman. This prompted his supporters to rush to calm him down and tearfully convince him to reconsider his decision on stage. Shortly after, it was decided that the handover would occur in October 2003.
2003	11 February	Telekom Tower was officially opened.
	23 February	More than 200,000 Malaysians gathered at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil to support the "Malaysians For Peace" movement.
	31 October	Mahathir Mohamad resigned after 22 years of leadership, and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn in as Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister the following day.
	12 December	Penang and Malacca City were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, recognized as the Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca.
2004	7 January	Najib Razak was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
	8 January	8TV, a Malaysian Chinese television channel, was launched.
	21 March	Barisan Nasional won 198 out of 219 parliamentary seats in the 2004 general election, setting a record for its most significant majority victory.
	2 September	Anwar Ibrahim was released after the Federal Court overturned his conviction and set aside his prison sentence on charges of sodomy.
	26 December	A tsunami struck many parts of Asia, including Malaysia, affecting the northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia, such as Penang and Langkawi. The disaster left 67 people dead.
2005	20 October	Tun Endon Mahmood Ambak, the wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, died at the age of 64 after a prolonged battle with breast cancer.^[18]^{[AI-retrieved source]}
2005	9 November	Azahari Husin, also known as "Demolition Man", a Malaysian engineer and former university lecturer believed to be the technical mastermind behind several major terrorist bombings in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali bombings, was killed during a police raid on his hideout in Batu, East Java, Indonesia.
2006	22 April	TV9, a new Malaysian television channel, was launched.
2007	31 August	Malaysia celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence.
	10 October	Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor became the first Malaysian astronaut to fly up to the International Space Station (ISS) with American and Russian astronauts using the Soyuz TMA-11 rocket from Kazakhstan.
	10 November	The first Bersih rally was held in Kuala Lumpur in their demand against corruption in the electoral process in Malaysia.
	25 November	More than 30,000 Hindu Rights Action Force supporters participated in a 2007 HINDRAF rally, which was held in Kuala Lumpur in their demand against Malaysian Indian discrimination.
2008	8 March	Barisan Nasional won the election but suffered its worst results since the 1969 election, losing its two-thirds majority. The opposition captured Kedah, Penang, Perak, and Selangor from BN, while PAS retained Kelantan.
	1 April	A new opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, was formed by PKR, DAP, and PAS.
	19 May	Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad left UMNO, forcing Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as Prime Minister.
	29 June	Anwar Ibrahim sought refuge in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur for his safety. He left the embassy the next day.
	16 July	Anwar Ibrahim was arrested again by police in Kuala Lumpur shortly after the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) interview. It is believed that police purposely wanted a DNA sample from Anwar at the hospital due to reports of his sodomising his aide.
	7 August	Anwar Ibrahim pleaded not guilty to sodomy charges, freed on RM 20,000 bond at Kuala Lumpur Court Sessions.
	26 August	Anwar Ibrahim won the Permatang Pauh by-election, marking his return to Parliament after 10 years. He was also appointed as Opposition Leader 2 days later.
	12 September	Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, and Sin Chew Daily News reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under ISA 1960. Hoon Cheng was freed the next day.
	14 September	De facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim led a chorus of protests with six ministers against the use of ISA 1960 and demanded that the government review the Act.
	17 September	Abdullah and his deputy, Najib Tun Razak, swapped their portfolios, with Abdullah as Defence Minister and Najib as Finance Minister
2009	31 January	2 PKR Perak State Assembly members went missing, and 1 DAP State Assembly also went missing 2 days later. It was believed that they would defect to the opposition party, BN, thus marking the beginning of the Perak political crisis.
	4 February	Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak declared that the BN government has enough of a majority to form a government in Perak due to the defection of three Perak state assembly members. This marked the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak since GE12 in 2008.
	6 February	Zambry Abdul Kadir was sworn in as Menteri Besar of Perak, but Nizar Jamaluddin vowed to stay despite Sultan Perak's call for his resignation.
	3 March	Perak Pakatan Rakyat state assembly members met under a tree after being barred from the building.
	3 April	Najib Tun Razak was sworn in as the sixth Prime Minister after Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi resigned.
	10 April	Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister.
	11 May	High Court ruled that Nizar Jamaluddin was declared as legitimate Menteri Besar. BN filed its appeal against this decision.
	21 May	Appeal Court decided that Zambry Abdul Kadir was declared the rightful Menteri Besar. Nizar Jamaluddin filed an appeal against this decision.