Year 1998

Major Events

Women Canned For Sex Crime

Tuesday, 9th February 2010

The Malaysian Home Minister announced that three women were caned at the Kajang Prison under Section 23 (2) of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 for having illicit sex. The three became the first women in the country to be caned for committing syariah offences. The Syariah High Court had issued the caning order between December 2009 and January 2010.


Anwar Sodomy Trial 2.0

Tuesday, 2nd February 2010

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's new version of Sodomy Trial begins today at Kuala Lumpur Federal Court. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a 63 year old Opposition Leader, has engaged three foreign DNA and forensic experts to assist in his trial. The court claimed that he had sodomise (engage in an unnatural sexual intercourse with) his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, age 25, in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008. Anwar Sodomy Trial 1.0 was in 1999.


Petrol Price Rise by 41 Percentage Point

Wednesday, 4th June 2008

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that petrol prices would rise 41 percent to 2.70 ringgit a litre and diesel 63 percent to 2.58 Ringgit. Electrical power tariffs would go up by as much 26 percent and inflation may skyrocket. The Malaysian government decide on 3 June 2008 to revamped its old subsidy system. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is risking a political backlash after losing ground in elections in the past year. Oppositions Parties pledged to rally the nation's poor in nationwide protests.


Start of Malaysian National Service PLKN

Saturday, 14th February 2004

The first batch of about 25,000 Malaysian teenagers have started the inaugural compulsory three-month national-service stint aimed at promoting patriotism and ethnic unity.  The program had targeted some 480,000 Malaysians who were born in 1986. Of these 85,000 were randomly selected by a computer program for service which comprises of conscripts that are 17-year-old youths. It is known as PLKN or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara which can be literally translated as National Service Training Program or just known as NS, is a compulsory 3 months military service program for teenagers. Male trainees are called Wira and female are call Wirawatis. The spent 2 months in physical training camp, followed by a final month in a university setting. The 3 months program end in Early May 2004. The second batches will begin in March 2004 and ended in June 2004.


Anwar Ibrahim convicted of sodomy

Tuesday, 8th August 2000

Anwar Ibrahim was given a nine-year jail sentence for sodomy (engage in an unnatural sexual intercourse) with his family driver Azizan A## B###r. According to Azizan, Anwar was behind him for 15 times between between 1992 to 1997. The prison sentence came on top of a six-year jail term which Anwar is currently serving for corruption would keep Malaysia's main opposition figure in political wilderness until at least 2014. During the highly-charged climax of the 14-month trial, High Court Judge Arifin Jaka ruled that Anwar (age 52) and his adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan (age 39), were guilty of sodomy. Brother Sukma was given six years in prison and four strokes of a cane. Anwar who turns 53 was spared canning, as caning is limited to convicts aged 49 years and below in Malaysia. Prisoners, who show good behaviour in Malaysia, generally serve two-thirds of their jail-terms.


Anwar Ibrahim Sacked

Wednesday, 2nd September 1998

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. He was fired after months of economic policy differences with the Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The was expel from UMNO by UMNO supreme council a day after.


Capital controls for Stock Market

Tuesday, 1st September 1998

Capital controls were imposed on the stock market. Foreigners holding stocks were not allowed to take their money out of the country for one year. Dr. Mahathir ordered that the austerity measures of Anwar Ibrahim be rolled back.


Proton was incorporated today

Saturday, 7th May 1983

Proton, short for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (National Car Project), is a Malaysian car manufacturer initiated in 1983 by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The main plant is located in Shah Alam. Malaysia's second Proton plant is in Tanjung Malim, Perak.


Dr Mahathir became the Prime Minister of Malaysia

Thursday, 16th July 1981

Dr. Mahathir became the Prime Minister of Malaysia when Tun Hussein Onn stepped down due to health reasons. Mahathir was the nation's first Prime Minister that came from a modest social background. The first three prime ministers were members of the royal or elite families. Dr Mahathir was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was to hold on to this post for the next 22 years till 2003.


Malaysia gained independence from Britain

Saturday, 31st August 1957

Malaysia gained independence from Britain (National Day). Malaysia established itself as a constitutional monarchy. Malaysia established itself as a constitutional monarchy. Article 11 in the constitution gave every person “the right to profess and practice his religion.” Pro-bumiputra (sons of the soil) discrimination was laid down in the constitution to ease Malays’ fears of being marginalized by Chinese and Indian migrants.