2003 in Malaysia - Events

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 Mathematics and Science subject in English are introduced to all primary and secondary schools for the first time.
• 14 February - The Southern Integrated Gateway projects (New CIQ complex and new bridge) in Johor Bahru is officially launched by the then Malaysian prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad.
• 20-25 February - The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) General Conference is held in Kuala Lumpur.
• 23 March - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is crowned as the 9th Sultan of Selangor.
• 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 Station (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 Jaya.
• 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.
• 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 Mydin become first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to cross English Channel by swimming from Dover, England to Calais, France.
• August - Naza Ria, Malaysian first MPV vehicle is launched.
• 31 August - The quickmarch version of Negaraku 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 Navy (RMN) signed a deal to purchase 2 of the French Scorpène class submarines worth almost $1 billion.
• 9 September - Channel 9 it was national sixth private commercial terrestrial television channel in Malaysia was launched grand opened inaugurated officially by Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad and broadcasts from Kuala Lumpur. This broadcast area was only limited to Klang Valley area, officially began transmission of broadcasters to replaced by MetroVision.
• 23 September - Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia's largest integrated media group of companies is launched
• 3 October - Berjaya Times Square, the highest shopping complex in Malaysia is officially opened.
• 16-17 October - The OIC General Conference is held in Putrajaya
• 22 October - Alor Star was granted city status
• 31 October - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi becomes the fifth prime minister replacing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad.
• 25 November - The construction of the SMART Tunnel 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 bus – at the 63rd kilometre of the Kuala Lipis-Merapoh trunk road near Merapoh, Pahang. Twenty-three others were injured.
• December - The Malaysian National Service (Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN)) is introduced as the conscription training program.
• December - A rockfall in the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) near the Bukit Lanjan interchange caused the expressway to close for more than six months.