2003 in Malaysia explained

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2003, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.

Incumbent political figures

Federal level

• Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

• Raja Permaisuri Agong

Tuanku Fauziah

• Prime Minister

• • Mahathir Mohamad (until 31 October)
  • Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (from 31 October)
• Deputy Prime Minister

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (until 31 October)

• Chief Justice

Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah then Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim

State level

• Sultan of Johor: Sultan Iskandar
• Sultan of Kedah: Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah
• Sultan of Kelantan: Sultan Ismail Petra
• Raja of Perlis: Tuanku Syed Faizuddin (Regent)
• Sultan of Perak: Sultan Azlan Shah
• Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad Shah
• Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
• Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong)
• Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku Jaafar
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang: Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Malacca: Tun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sarawak: Tun Abang Mohammad Salahuddin
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah: Tun Sakaran Dandai (until 31 December)

Events

• 1 January  - Visit Johor Year 2003 officially began.^[1]
• 1 January  - The indirect advertising of tobacco brands was banned by the Malaysian federal government.^[2]
• 4 January  - Mathematics and Science subjects in English were introduced to all primary and secondary schools for the first time.^[3]
• 14 February  - The Southern Integrated Gateway projects (new CIQ complex and new bridge) in Johor Bahru were officially launched by the Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad.^[4]
• 23 February  - About 20,000 people rallied in the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil to show support for "Malaysians for Peace".^[5]
• 20–25 February  - The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) General Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur.^[6]
• 9 March  - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was crowned as the 9th Sultan of Selangor.^[7]
• 5 April  - A 64-year-old man from Jerantut, Pahang died of Severe Acute Respiatory Syndrome (SARS) virus.^[8]
• May - The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) signed a deal to purchase 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM jet fighters worth almost $1 billion. The Su-30MKMs would be delivered in batches starting in early 2007. As part of the deal, the Russians would send a Malaysian astronaut (angkasawan) to the International Space Station (ISS).^[9]
• 23 May  - Ling Liong Sik resigns as MCA president.
• 25 May  - A 19-year-old salesgirl died when a car driven by 21-year-old college student crashed into her and several friends seated at a table set up at a roadside in front of a 24-hour restaurant in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
• 14 June  - IT analyst, Canny Ong was raped and murdered. Her body was found at the New Pantai Expressway construction site in Jalan Klang Lama near Kampung Dato' Harun, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.^[10]
• 23 June  - The base of a tower once part of the Porto de Santiago fort built by the Portuguese 500 years earlier was discovered near Padang Pahlawan, Malacca.
• 24 July  - Malaysia and Singapore jointly submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a dispute concerning sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca), Middle Rocks and South Ledge.^[11]
• 24 July  - The Federal Special Forces of Malaysia (FSFM) was declared an illegal organisation by the federal government because its activities posed a threat to national security. Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali the leader of the FSFM and 24 of its members were arrested.^[12]
• 3 August  - Abdul Malik Mydin became the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to cross the English Channel by swimming from Dover, England to Calais, France.^[13]
• August  - Naza Ria, Malaysia's first MPV vehicle was launched.^[14]
• 26 August  - Sultanah Bahiyah of Kedah, a consort of Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah of Kedah died of cancer. She was buried at the Kedah Royal Mausoleum in Langgar.^[15]
• 31 August  - The quick-march version of Negaraku national anthem reverted to the original slow-march version.^[16]
• 31 August  - Malaysia's first monorail transit system, KL Monorail began operations.^[17]
• September  - The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) signed a deal to purchase two of the French s worth almost $1 billion.^[18]
• 18 September  - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad paid a glowing tribute to former MCA president Ling Liong Sik for his successful service as transport minister and Cabinet minister for 27 years.^[19]
• 23 September  - Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia's largest integrated media group of companies was launched.^[20]
• 3 October  - Berjaya Times Square, the highest shopping complex in Malaysia was officially opened.^[21]
• 15 October  - The opening of Malacca Tropical Fruit Farm in Malacca.
• 16–17 October  - The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) General Conference was held in Putrajaya.^[22]
• 22 October  - Alor Star was granted city status.^[23]
• 31 October  - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became the fifth prime minister, replacing Mahathir Mohamad.^[24]
• 25 November  - The construction of the SMART Tunnel projects began.^[25]
• 26 November  - A rockfall on the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) near the Bukit Lanjan interchange caused the expressway to close for more than six months.^[26]
• 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 bus – at the 63rd kilometre of the Kuala Lipis-Merapoh trunk road near Merapoh, Pahang. 23 others were injured.^[27]
• December  - The Malaysian National Service (Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN)) was introduced as the conscription training program.

Deaths

• 5 July  - Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah  - UMNO annual meeting permanent chairman.
• 9 August – Ali Bakar  - Footballer
• 26 August – Sultanah Bahiyah of Kedah
• 19 October – Dato' Seri Harun Idris  - Former Selangor Menteri Besar.

See also

• 2003
• List of Malaysian films of 2003
• 2002 in Malaysia | 2004 in Malaysia
• History of Malaysia

Notes and References

1. Web site: Johor to promote education tourism - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
2. News: BBC NEWS Business Malaysia bans tobacco ads. news.bbc.co.uk. 22 August 2002. 2017-07-22.
3. News: PPSMI dimansuhkan mulai 2012. 2009-07-08. Malaysiakini. 2017-07-22. ms-MY.
4. Web site: GERBANG PERDANA. www.gerbangperdana.com.my. 2017-07-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180707090719/http://www.gerbangperdana.com.my/servlets/sfs206a.html?s=dDiicmSjwnHEtGVuO&t=%2FDefault%2FselectCatalog&i=1129525537501&b=1129525537501&l=0&ParentID=1129610542469&intro=1. 2018-07-07. dead.
5. Web site: Hacken Lee – Malaysians for Peace Concert & Rally 2003. www.9-creativision.com. en-US. 2017-07-22. 2019-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227060247/http://www.9-creativision.com/?page_id=446. dead.
6. Web site: Mahathir thanks NAM conference staffers - Nation The Star Online. 2017-07-22.
7. Web site: Sultan Sharafuddin crowned ninth Ruler of Selangor - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
8. Web site: Yahoo! Groups. groups.yahoo.com. en-US. 2017-07-22.
9. Web site: Sukhoi Su-30 story in colours. Sukhoi Su-30 fighter worldwide camouflage and painting schemes. Prototypes, experimental planes, variants, serial and licensed production, deliveries, units, numbers. Russia, India, China, Malaysia, Venezuela, Belarus, Ukraine, Algeria, Vietnam, Eritrea, Angola, Uganda. sukhoi.mariwoj.pl. 2017-07-22.
10. News: Canny Ong - a 'surreal' murder. 2003-06-27. Malaysiakini. 2017-07-22. en-GB.
11. News: MFA: Singapore studying closely KL's application over Pedra Branca. hermes. 2017-02-04. The Straits Times. 2017-07-22. en.
12. Web site: Polis pantas tangani PKPM - Pak Lah. Utusan Online. 2017-07-22.
13. Web site: English Channel hero Malik takes the plunge - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
14. Web site: Naza to assemble 2 new Kia models - Business News The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
15. Web site: Sultanah Bahiyah laid to rest in Royal Mausoleum - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
16. News: BBC NEWS World Asia-Pacific New anthem marks Malaysia's Independence Day. news.bbc.co.uk. 31 August 2003. 2017-07-22.
17. Web site: Over 170,000 use monorail in first 15 days - Nation The Star Online. Shen-Li. Leong. 2017-07-22.
18. Web site: Malaysian Crews Begin Training in France. www.defense-aerospace.com. 2017-07-22.
19. Web site: RITIKOS. JANE. Glowing tribute to Ling. The Star. en.
20. Web site: Media Prima Berhad About Us. www.mediaprima.com.my. en-US. 2017-07-22. 2017-06-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20170614224649/https://www.mediaprima.com.my/about-us/. dead.
21. Web site: A new shopping landmark in KL - Business News The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
22. Web site: Sidang Kemuncak OIC ke-10 2003 - News. ww1.utusan.com.my. 2017-07-22.
23. Web site: City status for Alor Star - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
24. News: BBC ON THIS DAY 31 2003: End of Mahathir era in Malaysia. news.bbc.co.uk. 31 October 2003. 2017-07-22.
25. Web site: SMART (Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel), Kuala Lumpur. Road Traffic Technology. 2017-07-22.
26. Web site: Rockfall at New Klang Valley Expressway - Nation The Star Online. www.thestar.com.my. 2017-07-22.
27. Web site: Kuala Lipis bus crash continues to grab headlines - Nation The Star Online. 2017-07-22.