The nation's oldest shopping center, Ampang Park is officially closed.[1]
Astro Radio drops the "FM" suffix for all 11 radio stations as part of its re-branding.[2]
3 January
Four Singaporeans including a child were an Indonesian rebels killed, while five others were injured in the accident involving five vehicles at the junction of Jalan Lukut-Sepang Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
6 January
Mah Siew Keong who is also Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister had reportedly made several mistakes in a few lines leaving the audience amused during a joint rally with MCA. His speech has been edited into a viral video.[3]
The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has postponed the hearing of the defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Najib Razak against former MCA President Ling Liong Sik.[4]
An actor and film director, Farid Kamil was arrested for allegedly assaulting a traffic policeman and a civilian at the Kota Damansara police station. He also tested positive for marijuana.[6]
Five individuals including two Nepali nationals, aged between 19 and 62 were rushed to Penang General Hospital after experiencing weakness, fatigue and unconsciousness as a result of consuming a kind of durian-flavoured premix coffee believed to have mixed with drug.[11]
Prime Minister Najib Razak mentioned that he had switched from rice to quinoa because it was better for his health. This had attracted torrents of criticisms and a flurry of Google searches on what exactly was quinoa.[14]
23 February
The Prime Minister's Office has clarified that Prime Minister Najib Razak does not rely exclusively on quinoa for his daily nutrition. It said that quinoa was part of Najib's dietary regime because it was recommended by doctors.[15]
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has rejected an emergency motion which was filed to urge Prime Minister Najib Razak to explain attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali's statement that the government will not claim businessperson Jho Low's luxury yacht Equanimity.[16]
8 March
The weekly magazine Economist featured an article titled “Stop, thief! Malaysia's PM is about to steal an election”.[17]
11 March
The 1MDB scandal has made to the front page of leading Indonesian current affairs magazine Tempo.[18]
Sand dredging vessel JBB Rong Chang 8 is reported to have capsized off Malaysia's southern state of Johor in the waters of Parit Jawa, Muar in which 14 crewmen were missing. Two crewmen were rescued barely alive from the engine room of the vessel by the Civil Defence personnel 50 hours after being trapped in the vessel.[20][21][22]
The Jakarta Post said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Razak is reminiscent of former Indonesian presidentSuharto with his similar “manipulative” tactics. An editorial, the Indonesian daily said: "For Indonesians, the manipulative tactics being used by Malaysian leader Najib Razak to win the upcoming general election is a strong reminder of former president Suharto’s tricks during his 32-year rule."[24]
9 May—The 14th general election was held on this day. For the first time in the country's history, the Barisan Nasional coalition was defeated by the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, only winning 79 seats against Pakatan Harapan's 121. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party won 18 seats while independents won 3 seats. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who led Pakatan Harapan to victory, manage to defeat his protege Najib Razak,
10 May -- Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia at 2130 hours (GMT 8), as he becomes the world's oldest elected state leader at the age of 92.[25] This marks his return to the position after holding the post previously for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.
12 May --
A Council of Eminent Persons is formed as government's advisory board, board members are
Mahathir instructs Inland Revenue Board to return taxes collected 'illegally'.
14 May --
Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali goes on unrecorded leave, duties taken over by solicitor-general
MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad resigns
Treasurer general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah's contract shortened, transferred to Public Service Department
Mahathir says laws on fake news will be clearly defined
Mahathir says political appointments in government-linked companies will be reviewed.
15 May --
Audit Department declassifies its 1MDB report
Council of Eminent Persons sets up a committee on institutional reforms, committee includes:
Retired judge of Court of Appeal Datuk KC Vohrah;
Retired judge of the Court of Appeal and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai;
National Patriot Association President Brigadier General (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji;
University Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman Professor of Law Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi;
Hakam President and Bar Council former President Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan
Apandi Ali, Irwan Serigar, Dzulkifli and former IGP Khalid Abu Bakar barred from leaving the country.
16 May --
Pakatan Harapan de facto leader and former Deputy Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim is released from prison after being pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He had served three years of his prison sentence.
Police search Najib's house and seize handbags and clothes
Government announces GST will be zero-rated effective, 1 June 2018
Mahathir to sack 17,000 political appointees from civil service
Registrar of Societies approves Pakatan Harapan's registration.
Ministries instructed to cease use of 1Malaysia slogan
Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia 2.0 (KR1M) programme ceased
Board meetings of the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia and committees which have political appointees to be postponed.
17 May
Police search at Najib's house continues
Finance Ministry initiates fiscal reforms.
20 May
Former executive of PetroSaudi whistleblower Swiss national Xavier Justo meets Mahathir [27]
21 May
Special task force formed to investigate the 1MDB scandal as well as to prosecute wrongdoers and retrieve related assets. Task force would be jointly headed by former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former MACC head Abu Kassim Mohamed, current MACC head Mohd Shukri Abdull and former special branch head Abdul Hamid Bador.
Deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and several federal ministers officially sworn in as members of cabinet.
The hugely unpopular Goods and Services Tax (GST) is reduced to 0% by the Malaysian Government.
5 June
Tommy Thomas is officially appointed as the Attorney General, being the first non-Malay to be appointed to the post.
5 June
Former prime minister Najib Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor left Malaysia's anti-graft agency headquarters after being quizzed for five hours as part of a probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds at SRC International, a former subsidiary of state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).[29]
Friendster closes down as a company after 16 years.
2 July
New ministers in Pakatan Harapan's cabinet led by Mahathir were introduced.[32] Remaining members sworn in on that day completes cabinet line-up.
UMNO Sungai Besar Branch Chief, Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos was arrested by Indonesian police while having a hair cut at a barbershop in South Jakarta.[33]
3 July
Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is arrested for allegedly stealing US$4.5 billion.[34]
4 July
Najib was charged for the first time in the Sessions Court with three counts of CBT and one charge of abusing his post over SRC International Sdn Bhd's funds totalling RM42 million. The case was later transferred to the High Court.[35]
Former prime minister Najib Razak was charged in the Sessions Court with three counts of having received RM42 million in proceeds from unlawful activities into two of his accounts four years ago, with the money belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.[38][39]
High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali dismissed Najib's application for a gag order restraining the media and public from publishing statements on the merits of his criminal charges, which would infer Najib’s guilt pending the disposal of his case.[41]
13 August
Najib filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the High Court refusal to issue an order restraining the media and public from publishing statements on the merits of his case.[42]
Malaysia participated at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, sending 447 athletes to compete in 38 sports. The national contingent won 7 Golds, 13 Silvers and 16 Bronzes at the continental event.[43]
20 September - Former prime minister Najib Razak has appeared in court facing 25 charges related to the 1MDB scandal, including abuse of power and money laundering.[47]
26 September - Local independent publishing house ZI Publications has acquired the rights to publish a Bahasa Malaysia translation of Tom Wright and Bradley Hope's Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World.[48]
Malaysia participated at the 2018 Asian Para Games held in Jakarta in Indonesia, sending 126 athletes to compete in 15 sports. The national contingent won 17 Golds, 26 Silvers and 25 Bronzes at the continental event.[51]
Former prime minister Najib Razak and his former treasury secretary-general jointly are charged with six counts of criminal breach of trust over government payments linked to 1MDB.[54][55]
26 October
The Negeri Sembilan palace has revoked the Datuk Seri titles that were conferred on former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.[56]
16 December - Mohd Hafiz Nor Azman, a 22-year-old motorcycle racer was killed in an accident when competing at the Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix championships at Dataran Bandar Penawar, Johor.[59]
17 December - Malaysia files criminal charges against Goldman Sachs and two former executives over bond sales it organized for 1MDB.[60]
18 December - High Court rejected former prime minister Najib Razak’s request to get the letter of authorisation (fiat) on the appointment of lead prosecutor Sulaiman Abdullah, and his application for discovery of documents pertaining to the case.[61]
Malaysia was only formed on September 16, 1963. Prior to that date, Peninsular Malaysia was known as Malaya, Sarawak under Crown Colony of Sarawak and Kingdom of Sarawak and Sabah under North Borneo.
