2003 in Malaysia

File:Gsb3.jpg

The Southern Integrated Gateway, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

A KL Monorail train

Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

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 NAM General Conference is held in Kuala Lumpur.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 23 November - 14 passengers were killed in a bus tragedy near Merapoh, Pahang.
• 25 November - The construction of the SMART Tunnel projects has begun.
• December - The Malaysian National Service (Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN)) are introduced for the first time 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.

National Day

Main theme

Keranamu Malaysia

National Day Parade

• Putrajaya (new locations replaced Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur)

Deaths

• Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah — UMNO meeting chairman
• Dato' Dr Mokhzani Abdul Rahim — Chairman of the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) Malaysia and a writer of the Kuala Lumpur Corporate Capital book.
• M Amin — Malay actors and directors.
• Dato' Seri Harun Idris — former Selangor Menteri Besar.
• Tan Sri Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad — Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya.
• Sultanah Bahiyah of Kedah

See also

• 2003
• 2002 in Malaysia | 2004 in Malaysia
• History of Malaysia