2003 in Malaysia

Incumbent political figures

Federal level

• Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
• Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tuanku Fauziah
• Prime Minister:
• *Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
• *Dato' Sri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
• Deputy Prime Minister: incumbent
• Chief Justice: Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah then Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim

  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 Faizuddin
• Sultan of Perak: Sultan Azlan Shah
• Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad Shah
• Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
• Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin
• Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku Jaafar
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang: Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca: Tun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak: Tun Abang Mohammad Salahuddin
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: Tun Sakaran Dandai

  Events

• 1 January -Visit Johor Year 2003 officially began.
• 1 January - The indirect advertising of tobacco brands was banned by the Malaysian federal government.
• 4 January - Mathematics and Science subjects in English were introduced to all primary and secondary schools for the first time.
• 14 February - The Southern Integrated Gateway projects in Johor Bahru were officially launched by the Malaysian prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
• 23 February - About 20,000 people rallied in the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil to show support for "Malaysians for Peace".
• 20–25 February - The Non-Aligned Movement General Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur.
• 9 March - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was crowned as the 9th Sultan of Selangor.
• 5 April - A 64-year-old man from Jerantut, Pahang died of Severe Acute Respiatory Syndrome virus.
• May — The Royal Malaysian Air Force signed a deal to purchase 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM jet fighters worth almost $1 billion. The Su-30MKMs would be delivered in batches starting in early 2007. As part of the deal, the Russians would send a Malaysian astronaut to the International Space Station.
• 25 May - A 19-year-old salesgirl died when a car driven by 21-year-old college student crashed into her and several friends seated at a table set up at a roadside in front of a 24-hour restaurant in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
• 14 June - IT analyst, Canny Ong was raped and murdered. Her body was found at the New Pantai Expressway construction site in Jalan Klang Lama near Kampung Dato' Harun, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
• 23 June - The base of a tower once part of the Porto de Santiago fort built by the Portuguese 500 years earlier was discovered near Padang Pahlawan, Malacca.
• 24 July - Malaysia and Singapore jointly submitted to the International Court of Justice a dispute concerning sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
• 24 July - The Federal Special Forces of Malaysia was declared an illegal organisation by the federal government because its activities posed a threat to national security. Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali the leader of the FSFM and 24 of its members were arrested.
• 3 August - Abdul Malik Mydin became the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian to cross the English Channel by swimming from Dover, England to Calais, France.
• August - Naza Ria, Malaysia's first MPV vehicle was launched.
• 26 August - Sultanah Bahiyah of Kedah, a consort of Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah of Kedah died of cancer. She was buried at the Kedah Royal Mausoleum in Langgar.
• 31 August - The quick-march version of Negaraku national anthem reverted to the original slow-march version.
• 31 August - Malaysia's first monorail transit system, KL Monorail began operations.
• September - The Royal Malaysian Navy signed a deal to purchase two of the French s worth almost $1 billion.
• 23 September - Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia's largest integrated media group of companies was launched.
• 3 October - Berjaya Times Square, the highest shopping complex in Malaysia was officially opened.
• 15 October - The opening of Malacca Tropical Fruit Farm in Malacca.
• 16–17 October - The Organisation of Islamic Conference General Conference was held in Putrajaya.
• 22 October - Alor Star was granted city status.
• 31 October - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became the fifth prime minister, replacing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
• 25 November - The construction of the SMART Tunnel projects began.
• 26 November - A rockfall on the New Klang Valley Expressway near the Bukit Lanjan interchange caused the expressway to close for more than six months.
• 1 December - 14 passengers were killed in an early morning collision involving two buses – a school bus which was converted for commercial use and an express bus – at the 63rd kilometre of the Kuala Lipis-Merapoh trunk road near Merapoh, Pahang. 23 others were injured.
• December - The Malaysian National Service was introduced as the conscription training program.

  Births

Deaths

• 12 February - Ahmad Nor - DAP vice-chairman and former Cuepacs president
• 18 Mac - Dato' Seri Dr. Hj. Mohammad Eusuff Teh - Founder of Zaitun Industri Berhad
• 8 June - Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman - Perodua chairman and Special Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister
• 5 July - Tun Sulaiman Ninam Shah - UMNO annual meeting permanent chairman.
• 9 August – Ali Bakar - Footballer
• 26 August – Sultanah Bahiyah of Kedah
• 19 October – Dato' Seri Harun Idris - Former Selangor Menteri Besar.
• Unknown date – Dato' Dr Mokhzani Abdul Rahim - Chairman of the Human Resources Development Council Malaysia and a writer of the Kuala Lumpur Corporate Capital book.
• Unknown date – M. Amin - Actor and director.
• Unknown date – Tan Sri Abdullah Sanusi Ahmad - Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya.
• Unknown date – Tun Mohd Adnan Robert - Sabah state Yang di-Pertua Negeri