Chronology
While it has been 50 years since Malaysia gained independence,
the struggle for a land its people can call its own has been
going on long before border lines were drawn.
The make up of Malaysia's people, and its diverse culture is
what it is today due to its past influences. Here's looking
back to the past for inspiration, with an eye towards a better
future.
|
| c. 40000 BC |
Earliest known habitation at Niah Caves, Sarawak.
Remains of a palaeolithic stone-tool workshop at Kota Tampan,
Perak, could be even older. |
| c. 2500 BC |
Proto-Malays spread south from Yunan area in China. |
| c. 300 BC |
Earliest signs of Bronze and Iron Age cultures
in Malaysia. |
| c. 200 BC |
Start of trade with India and China. |
| 100 BC - AD 200 |
Emergence of trading kingdoms in the Isthmus of
Kra |
| AD 500-1000 |
Development of Hindu-Buddhist trading kingdoms
in Kedah's Bujang Valley, northern Perak and Santubong, Sarawak. |
| 1303 |
Terengganu Stone records introduction of Islam
to the Malay Peninsula. |
 |
| c. 1400 |
Founding of Malacca by Parameswara. |
| 1409 |
Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho arrives in Malacca. |
| 1411 |
Parameswara converts to Islam and meets Ming Emperor
of China. |
| 1446 |
Malacca expands under Sultan Muzaffar Shah. |
| c. 1456-98 |
Tun Perak serves as prime minister under four
sultans and Malacca becomes biggest empire in Southeast Asia.
|
| 1511 |
Malacca falls to the Portuguese. |
| 1512 |
Malacca's deposed sultan sets up new capital in
Riau-Lingga which later becomes Sultanate of Johor. |
| 1528 |
Sultan Muzaffar Shah starts the Perak Kingdom. |
| 1641 |
The Dutch take Malacca from the Portuguese; start
of Dutch dominance in the area. |
| 1699 |
Assassination of Sultan Mahmud of Johor. |
| 1699-1819 |
Empire of Johor, mostly at Riau, under Bendahara
line. |
| 1699-1784 |
Period of Minangkabau-Bugis struggle for domination
of the Straits of Malacca. |
| 1726 |
First sultan of Terengganu Kingdom installed. |
| 1784 |
Death of Raja Haji at Malacca; Dutch break Bugis
power in area. |
| 1786 |
The British occupy Penang. |
| 1812 |
Death of Sultan Mahmud Shah, last ruler of united
Johor-Riau Kingdom. |
|
| 1819 |
British occupy Singapore. |
| 1824 |
Anglo-Dutch Treaty carves up Malay world into
colonial spheres: Dutch cede Malacca to British and keeps Riau. |
| 1826 |
Singapore, Malacca Penang and Province Wellesley
become Straits Settlements under British control. |
| 1831-32 |
Malacca Malays rebel against British in Naning
War. |
| 1840s |
The importance of tin increases, bringing an influx
of Chinese tin miners to the western coast. |
| 1841 |
James Brooke established as Rajah of Sarawak. |
| 1846 |
British annex the island of Labuan. |
| 1858-68 |
Civil war in Pahang. |
| 1867-74 |
Selangor civil war. |
| 1874 |
Pangkor Treaty signals start of British intervention
in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. |
| 1875-76 |
Perak War signals uprising against British after
introduction of controversial tax and subsequent murder of British
Resident. |
| 1881 |
British North Borneo Chartered Company establishes
a centre in North Borneo, now Sabah. |
| 1891-95 |
Pahang Rebellion. |
| 1895-1905 |
Mat Salleh Rebellion. The introduction of new
taxes had earlier created general discontent, and Mat Salleh
gathers many supporters in his revolt against the North Borneo
Company. |
| 1896 |
Federated Malay States (FMS) are created. |
| 1909 |
Treaty of Bangkok transfers four northern Malay
states from Thai sovereignty to British control. |
| 1914 |
Johor brought under British control. |
| 1914-18 |
World War I. |
| 1920-41 |
British adopt decentralisation policy in FMS;
early signs of a Malay nationalism against British rule begin
to surface. |
| 1941-45 |
Japanese conquest and occupation. |
| 1945 |
British reoccupy Malaya. |
| 1946 |
Malayan Union scheme introduced but is opposed,
formation of United Malay National Organisation (Umno); Sarawak
and British North Borneo become Crown colonies. |
| 1948 |
Malayan Union scheme abandoned; Federation of
Malaya inaugurated. |
| 1948-60 |
Communist uprising - The Emergency. |
| 1952 |
Municipal elections in Kuala Lumpur; Umno and
Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) parties cooperate. |
| 1953 |
Alliance coalition comprising Umno, MCA and Malayan
Indian Congress (MIC) formed. |
| 1955 |
First general elections in the peninsula; landslide
win for the Alliance. |
| 1956 |
Tunku Abdul Rahman leads Merdeka Mission to London
to negotiate for independence. |
| 1957 |
Malaya becomes independent, and the Union Jack
is lowered for the last time. The Tunku, named the Father of
Independence, becomes the first prime minister of the Federation
of Malaya. |
| 1960 |
The state of emergency ends. |
|
| 1961 |
The Tunku proposes a political association called
Malaysia that would include Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo,
Sarawak and Brunei. |
| 1963 |
Creation of Malaysia without Brunei. |
| 1963-66 |
Confrontation with Indonesia. In 1966, Indonesia's
Sukarno is ousted; new Indonesian Government led by Suharto
ends confrontation. The Philippines drops its claim on Sabah
and recognises Malaysia. |
| 1965 |
Singapore leaves Malaysia and becomes an independent
nation. |
| 1969 |
Riots on May 13 in the wake of the general elections. |
| 1970 |
Tun Abdul Razak takes office as the second Prime
Minister of Malaysia, succeeding Abdul Rahman. |
| 1971 |
New Economic Policy (NEP) established to encourage
fairer distribution of wealth among races. |
| 1973 |
Abdul Razak sets up the National Front on Jan
1 to replace the ruling Alliance Party. |
| 1976 |
Tun Hussein Onn appointed as the third Prime Minister
of Malaysia on Jan 15, a day after the passing of Abdul Razak.
|
| 1981 |
Hussein Onn launches the National Unit Trust (Amanah
Saham Nasional) Scheme. Due to ill health, he relinquishes the
premiership to his deputy, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on July 15. |
| 1983 |
Constitutional crisis involving the position of
Malaysia's hereditary rulers. |
| 1985 |
Roll-out of first national car, Proton Saga. The
project was mooted to serve as a catalyst to transform Malaysia
into a fully developed nation. |
| 1987 |
Umno racked by power struggle between Mahathir
and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah; "Operation Lalang" carried out
by the Mahathir administration results in detention of prominent
opposition politicians, trade unionists, educators and community
leaders. |
| 1988 |
Umno Baru (New Umno) is formed by Mahathir after
Umno is declared "an unlawful society". |
| 1989 |
Semangat '46, led by Tengku Razaleigh, registered
as a new political party. The Communist Party of Malaya abandons
its 41-year armed struggle to overthrow the Malaysian Government. |
| 1990 |
General elections - the ruling coalition retains
its two-thirds majority in Parliament. |
| 1997 |
Petronas Towers, the world's tallest twin buildings,
open. Economic downturn as ringgit plummets in regional currency
crisis. |
| 1998 |
Govt imposes currency control laws on Sept 1 to
stop free fall of the Ringgit. Kuala Lumpur becomes the first
Asian city to host the Commonwealth Games. Dismissal of Deputy
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim from office and his subsequent
arrest creates a political crisis. Reformasi movement begins
with mass demonstrations in support of Anwar. |
| 1999 |
Snap general elections sees ruling coalition retain
two-thirds majority, but some northern states see an opposition
swing with PAS (Islamic Party) winning Terengganu and Kelantan. |
| 2003 |
Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister Dr Mahathir
retires. He is succeeded by his deputy Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi. |
| 2004 |
In a ringing endorsement for the moderate and
consensus-seeking Abdullah, the ruling coalition wins the general
election by a landslide victory, with PAS-controlled Terengganu
returning to the Barisan Nasional. |
| 2006 |
Malaysia celebrates its 49th year of independence,
with a keen eye on the 50th. |
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Reference: Insight Guides: Malaysia
(18th Edition, Langenscheidt Publishing Group) |
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