Year 1998

Nation Building

English To Teach Math and Science Abandoned

Wednesday, 8th July 2009

Malaysian education officials announced that they will abandon the use of English to teach math and science, bowing to protesters who demanded more use of the national Malay language. Science and Maths to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) again. Officially reversing the 6-year English policy in Science and Math education. The teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English will be scrapped in stages from 2012 starting with Year 1, Year 4, Form 1 and Form 4.


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.


School Launching of PPSMI

Friday, 3rd January 2003

Implementation of Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) or the Teaching Science and Mathematics in English which was launched this school year. English is used as the medium of instruction for teaching Science and Maths in Primary One, Form One, Lower Six and Matriculation classes.


Teaching of Maths and Science in English

Monday, 29th July 2002

Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) is the outcome of a policy decision made by the Government of Malaysia as the result from the Minister’s Council Meeting held on 19 July 2002. Realizing that poor English skills hurt graduates competing for work against people from other countries, especially neighboring Singapore, ex-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad launched a program to resume teaching math and science in English. Most other subjects are taught in Malay. The implementation of PPSMI was carried out in stages beginning with the 2003 schooling session. The pioneers were all Year 1 students for Primary Schools, Form 1 and Lower 6 students for Secondary Schools.


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.


RMAF Renamed From TUDP To TUDM Formed

Tuesday, 17th September 1963

With the formation of Malaysian Federation on 16 Sept 1963, Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) change is name for TUDP to Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM).


Federation of Malaysia formally established

Monday, 16th September 1963

The Federation of Malaysia was formally established which Singapore, Sabah and Sarawakjoined the Malayan peninsula to form Malaysia. The union with Singapore was rocky from the start. Distrust and ideological differences between leaders of the State of Singapore and the federal government of Malaysia resulted in frequent disagreement in politics, economic, financial and social policies. Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR), age 60, as the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was known as "Tunku" (a princely title in Malaysia), and also called Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence) or Bapa Malaysia (Father of Malaysia).


RMAF Was Formed

Monday, 2nd June 1958

Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan (TUDP) or Royal Malayan Air Force (RMAF) was formed with its roots traced to the Malayan Auxiliary Air Force formations of the British's Royal Air Force (RAF) in the colonial Malaya.


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.