2018 in Malaysia is 61st anniversary of Malaysia's Independence and 55th anniversary of its formation of Malaysia.
Incumbents
Federal level Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan Raja Permaisuri Agong: Vacant Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah of Perak Prime Minister: Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak (until 9 May) Mahathir Mohamad (from 10 May) Deputy Prime Minister: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (until 9 May) Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (from 21 May) President of the Dewan Negara: Vigneswaran Sanasee Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat: Pandikar Amin Mulia (until 15 July) Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof (from 16 July) Chief Justice: Md Raus Sharif (until 10 July) Richard Malanjum (from 11 July)
State level Johor: Sultan of Johor: Sultan Ibrahim Menteri Besar of Johor: Mohamed Khaled Nordin (until 12 May) Osman Sapian (from 12 May) Kedah: Sultan of Kedah: Sultan Sallehuddin Menteri Besar of Kedah: Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (until 10 May) Mukhriz Mahathir (from 11 May) Kelantan: Sultan of Kelantan: Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra (Regent) Menteri Besar of Kelantan: Ahmad Yakob Perlis: Raja of Perlis: Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Menteri Besar of Perlis: Azlan Man Perak: Sultan of Perak: Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Menteri Besar of Perak: Zambry Abdul Kadir (until 12 May) Ahmad Faizal Azumu (from 12 May) Pahang: Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah Menteri Besar of Pahang: Adnan Yaakob (until 15 May) Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (from 15 May) Selangor: Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Menteri Besar of Selangor: Mohamed Azmin Ali (until 18 June) Amirudin Shari (from 19 June) Terengganu: Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Menteri Besar of Terengganu: Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (until 10 May) Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (from 10 May) Negeri Sembilan: Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku Muhriz Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Mohamad Hasan (until 11 May) Aminuddin Harun (from 12 May) Penang: Governor of Penang: Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas Chief Minister of Penang: Lim Guan Eng (until 14 May) Chow Kon Yeow (from 14 May) Malacca: Governor of Malacca: Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob Chief Minister of Malacca: Idris Haron (until 11 May) Adly Zahari (from 11 May) Sarawak: Governor of Sarawak: Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Chief Minister of Sarawak: Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg Sabah: Governor of Sabah: Tun Juhar Mahiruddin Chief Minister of Sabah: Musa Aman (until 12 May) Mohd Shafie Apdal (from 12 May)
Events January 1 January The nation's oldest shopping center, Ampang Park is officially closed. Astro Audio drops the "FM" suffix for all 11 radio stations as part of its re-branding. 3 January – Four Singaporeans including a child were an Indonesian rebels killed, while five others were injured in the accident involving five vehicles at the junction of Jalan Lukut-Sepang Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. 6 January – Mah Siew Keong who is also Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister had reportedly made several mistakes in a few lines leaving the audience amused during a joint rally with MCA. His speech has been edited into a viral video. 7 January – 2018 Malaysian general election (GE14): Pakatan Harapan has chosen former prime minister and coalition chairman, Mahathir Mohamad, and coalition president, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as their candidate for the prime minister and deputy prime minister post respectively for the upcoming general election. 8 January – The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has postponed the hearing of the defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak against former MCA president Ling Liong Sik. 10 January – Former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad not allowed by prison authorities to visit People's Justice Party (PKR) chief Anwar Ibrahim in Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital. 11 January – An actor and film director, Farid Kamil was arrested for allegedly assaulting a traffic policeman and a civilian at the Kota Damansara police station. He also tested positive for marijuana. 27 January – 50,000 Muslims gathered to pray for the Palestine's well-being and liberation of Palestine from Zionist tyranny near Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, Malaysia. 29 January Malaysian netizen criticize and make jokes over the new logo of the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 campaign after it was presented at the launch of a promotion in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz defend the logo and says criticism is normal, cannot get the consensus of the whole of Malaysia. Film Censorship Board of Malaysia banned Hindi film, Padmaavat because of elements sensitivity to the Muslim.
February 1 February – Five individuals including two Nepali nationals, aged between 19 and 62 were rushed to Penang General Hospital after experiencing weakness, fatigue and unconsciousness as a result of consuming a kind of durian-flavoured premix coffee believed to have mixed with drug. 9–25 February – Malaysia at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. 13 February – An Employees Provident Fund (EPF) building in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, Selangor was nearly destroyed by a fire at 12 noon. 22 February – Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak mentioned that he had switched from rice to quinoa because it was better for his health. This had attracted torrents of criticisms and a flurry of Google searches on what exactly was quinoa. 23 February – The Prime Minister's Office has clarified that Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak does not rely exclusively on quinoa for his daily nutrition. It said that quinoa was part of Najib's dietary regime because it was recommended by doctors.
March 6 March – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has rejected an emergency motion which was filed to urge Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak to explain attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali's statement that the government will not claim businessperson Jho Low's luxury yacht Equanimity. 8 March – The weekly magazine Economist featured an article titled "Stop, thief! Malaysia's PM is about to steal an election". 11 March – The 1MDB scandal has made to the front page of leading Indonesian current affairs magazine Tempo. 16 March – Former MCA president Ling Liong Sik has failed to strike out the suit filed by Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak. 21 March – Sand dredging vessel JBB Rong Chang 8 is reported to have capsized off Malaysia's southern state of Johor in the waters of Parit Jawa, Muar in which 14 crewmen were missing. Two crewmen were rescued barely alive from the engine room of the vessel by the Civil Defence personnel 50 hours after being trapped in the vessel.Two rescued after 50 hoursChinese dredger sinks in Malaysian waters, 14 missingChinese sand-dredger capsizes off Muar; 1 dead, 14 believed alive in sunken hull
April 7 April – 2018 Malaysian general election (GE14): The 13th session of the Parliament of Malaysia was dissolved to make way for the 14th general election.Speaker confirms dissolution 10 April – The Jakarta Post said caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak is reminiscent of former Indonesian president Suharto with his similar “manipulative” tactics. An editorial, the Indonesian daily said: "For Indonesians, the manipulative tactics being used by Malaysian leader Najib Razak to win the upcoming general election is a strong reminder of former president Suharto’s tricks during his 32-year rule." 28 April – 2018 Malaysian general election (GE14): Candidate nominations for Parliament seats and state assembly seats were held on this day.
May
9 May – 2018 Malaysian general election (GE14): The 14th general election was held on this day. For the first time in the country's history, the Barisan Nasional coalition was defeated by the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan, only winning 79 seats against Pakatan Harapan's 121. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party won 18 seats while independents won 3 seats. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who led Pakatan Harapan to victory, manage to defeat his protege Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak. 10 May – Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as the 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia at 9:30 pm (GMT+8), as he becomes the world's oldest elected state leader at the age of 92. This marks his return to the position after holding the post previously for 22 years, from 16 July 1981 until 30 October 2003. 12 May A Council of Eminent Persons is formed as government's advisory board, board members are Tun Daim Zainuddin, former Finance Minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Tan Sri Hassan Marican, former president and CEO of Petronas Robert Kuok, Hong-Kong based Malaysian billionaire tycoon Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram, prominent economist Lim Guan Eng, Mohamad Sabu and Muhyiddin Yassin are named for three top cabinet posts Former prime minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor are barred from leaving the country Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak has resigns as UMNO and Barisan Nasional chief. 13 May – Mahathir instructs Inland Revenue Board to return taxes collected 'illegally'. 14 May Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali goes on unrecorded leave, duties taken over by solicitor-general. MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad has resigns. Treasurer general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah's contract shortened, transferred to Public Service Department. Mahathir says laws on fake news will be clearly defined. Mahathir says political appointments in government-linked companies will be reviewed. 15 May Audit Department declassifies its 1MDB report. Council of Eminent Persons sets up a committee on institutional reforms, committee includes: Retired judge of Court of Appeal Datuk KC Vohrah; Retired judge of the Court of Appeal and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai; National Patriot Association president Brigadier General (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji; University Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman Professor of Law Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi; Hakam President and Bar Council former president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. Apandi Ali, Irwan Serigar, Dzulkifli and former IGP Khalid Abu Bakar barred from leaving the country. 16 May Pakatan Harapan de facto leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is released from prison after being pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He had served three years of his prison sentence. 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy is also barred from leaving the country. Police search Najib's house and seize handbags and clothes. Government announces GST will be zero-rated effective, 1 June 2018. Mahathir to sack 17,000 political appointees from civil service. Registrar of Societies approves Pakatan Harapan's registration. Ministries instructed to cease use of 1Malaysia slogan. Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia 2.0 (KR1M) programme ceased. Board meetings of the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia and committees which have political appointees to be postponed. 17 May Police search at Najib's house continues. Finance Ministry initiates fiscal reforms. 20 May – Former executive of PetroSaudi whistleblower Swiss national Xavier Justo meets Mahathir. 21 May Special task force formed to investigate the 1MDB scandal as well as to prosecute wrongdoers and retrieve related assets. Task force would be jointly headed by former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former MACC head Abu Kassim Mohamed, current MACC head Mohd Shukri Abdull and former special branch head Abdul Hamid Bador. Deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and several federal ministers officially sworn in as members of cabinet. 22 May – Former prime minister Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak is brought in for questioning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC).
June