1998 in Malaysia

Federal level

Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Tuanku Jaafar

Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tuanku Najihah

Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohammad

Deputy Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim

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 Putra

Sultan of Perak: Sultan Azlan Shah

Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad Shah

Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong)

Sultan of Terengganu:

Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah (until 14 May)

Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (from 15 May)

Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tengku Naquiddin (Regent)

Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang: Tun Dr Hamdan Sheikh Tahir

Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Malacca: Tun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin

Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sarawak: Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Mohammed Noor

Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah: Tun Sakaran Dandai

January

7 January – The National Economic Action Council (NEAC) is established.

February

February – The El Nino phenomenon begins.

February–April – The Klang Valley water crisis causes by El Niño phenomenon.

March

7 March – NTV7 was test of transmission by airing music video mostly in Malay and English after 24-days of test of broadcasters.

31 March – NTV7 was content of television broadcast by airing movie bioscope after 7-days of test of broadcasters.

April

7 April – NTV7 was launched as Malaysian's third private commercial free-to-air terrestrial television stations it was opening ceremony of the first programmes to grand launched of national broadcast (on-air/sign-on) programmes its born of company names.

19 April – The Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing is officially opened.

21 April – Malaysian parachute expedition team with Proton Wira cars lands at North Pole for the first time.

May

14 May – Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah of Terengganu dies in Singapore, age of 68. On 15 May, his son, the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Terengganu, Tengku Mizan Zainal Abidin is elected as a new Sultan of Terengganu with a title Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

June

27 June – Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang is officially opened as the main international airport in Malaysia replaced Subang International Airport in Subang.

July

1 July – The Kuala Lumpur mini-bus (Bas Mini) service was officially terminated.

11 July – The National Stadium at National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil is officially opened.

August

1 August – In Singapore, Malaysian CIQ for rail passengers controversially remained at Tanjong Pagar railway station after Singapore relocated its CIQ to Woodlands Train Checkpoint.

1 August – Perodua Kembara, Malaysian first 4WD vehicle is launched.

17 August – The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (a subsidiary of Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra are played for the first time), Aquaria KLCC and Suria KLCC of the Petronas Twin Towers at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) is officially opened.

September

1 September – The PUTRA Light Rail Transit system (LRT), Malaysia's first automated light rail transit system has begun in operations

1 September – The money banking control is introduced. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) Composite Index rose up from 400 points to 500 points.

2 September – Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister is sacked from his post, parliament and UMNO.

11–21 September – The 1998 Commonwealth Games is held in Kuala Lumpur for the first time in Asia. Malaysia form 10-gold medals, 14-silver medals and 12-bronze medals in this games.

11 September – The 1998 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is held in National Stadium at National Sports Complex.

20 September – Anwar Ibrahim addressed a protest gathering of nearly 100,000 people in Kuala Lumpur, after which a number of his supporters marched to Mahathir Mohammad's then official residence "Sri Perdana" demanding reformasi (economic and political reforms) and Mahathir's resignation.

21 September – The 1998 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony is held in National Stadium at National Sports Complex.

29 September – Anwar Ibrahim was appeared in court and pleaded innocent to charges of corruption and sodomy.

October

October – Proton Perdana V6 and Proton Satria GTi are launched at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil.

November

17–18 November – The Tenth APEC Ministerial Meeting is held in Kuala Lumpur.

26 November – Miss Malaysia/World 1998, Lina Teoh Pick Lim wins third place in the 1996 Miss World finals in Mahé, Seychelles.

December

12 December – The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is officially opened.

Main theme

Negara Kita Tanggungjawab Kita - Our Country Our Responsibility

National Day Parade

George Town, Penang

Sports

17-19 April – 1998 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix

11 September-21 September — The Kuala Lumpur 1998, XVI Commonwealth Games

Births

Ahmad and Muhammad Rosli — Malaysian siamese twins

Tengku Muhammad Ismail — Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Terengganu

Khairul Idham Pawi — Malaysian motorcycle rider

Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif

Ahmad Firdaus Bin Ismail

Ahmad Ikhwan

Dinesh a/l Rajasingam

Kogileswaran Raj Mohana Raj

Mohamad Ikram Bin Nasiran

Mohd Ramadhan Bin Jalil

Muhamad Hamka Bin Daud

Muhammad Amirul Ashraf Bin Ariffin

Muhammad Asri Bin Muhamad

Muhammad Hafify Haikal Bin Ismail

Muhammad Haziq Bin Nadli

Muhammad Khairul Akmal Bin Rokisham

Muhammad Najmuddin Bin Samat

Muhammad Shahrul Akmal Bin Mohd Adnan

Najib Bin Abdullah

Muhammad Shyamierul Razmee Jasmi

Muhammad Syahmi Bin Safari

Muhammad Syazwan Bin Salihin

Deaths

Haji Anwar bin Abdul Malik — Malayan political

Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah of Terengganu

Yusof Latiff – actors

Tun Ismail Mohd Ali — Second Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia

Salleh Kamil — actors