2023 in Malaysia

Events in the year 2023 in Malaysia.

Federal level

Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Al-Sultan Abdullah of Pahang
Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tunku Azizah of Pahang
Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak
Prime Minister: Anwar Ibrahim
[Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister of Malaysia|Deputy Prime Ministers]: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi & Fadillah Yusof
Chief Justice: Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat

State level

Events

January

January 1 –
*All gaming premises and lottery shops in Kedah ceased operations and were closed following the decision of the state government not to renew their licenses that expired on 31 December 2022.
*Juhar Mahiruddin was officially reappointed and sworn in as the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah for his fourth term from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024.
*Wisma Jakel in Shah Alam caught on fire, burning most of the building.
January 5 –
*Former prime minister Najib Razak, who has been imprisoned for more than four months now, filed a petition with the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to seek his release from prison or a retrial of his SRC International Sdn Bhd case.
*The High Court acquitted Shahrir Abdul Samad from a money-laundering case over his alleged failure to include an RM1 million cheque from Najib Razak in his income tax declaration, after the prosecution decided to discontinue the case.
January 8 –
* Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin stepped down as the president of the Sabah Football Association.
* PKR fired Tian Chua and 4 others.
January 9 –
* The MCMC announced Muhammad Azmi Muhammad Zain as their new interim chairman.
* Maqis seized 160 tonnes of pest-infested copra from Indonesia.
* Ex-Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng was granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal pending the outcome of his US trial of Pakatan Harapan into the cabinet and removing Barisan Nasional MLAs from the cabinet, except for those who declared support for him as Chief Minister.
January 12 –
*Two Pan-Borneo Highway packages completed.

March

March 12 –
* Michelle Yeoh wins the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards, becoming the first Asian woman to win in that category.
March 31 –
*Member of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly for Tanjung Bidara Ab Rauf Yusoh was sworn in and appointed as the new and 13th Chief Minister of Melaka.

April

April 7 –
*Authorities detained a 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man after a video of them appearing to have sex in a Pasir Gudang car park went viral.
April 21 –
*Noor Hisham Abdullah retired as the Director-General of Health after serving for 10 years and from the career after 35 years - Deputy Director-General of Health Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan promoted to replace him.

May

May 8 – Serdang Hospital was renamed to Sultan Idris Shah Serdang Hospital after the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

June

June 25 – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came under fire for a comment he made against a Form 6 student at a Q&A event at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said Anwar's controversial remark became an issue because it was "misconstrued".

July

July 11 - Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin urged Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over the ownership of his personal residence in Kajang, Selangor.
July 22 - The Good Vibes Festival in Sepang is cancelled by the government after the 1975 member Matty Healy condemned the country's anti-LGBT laws and kissed bandmate Ross MacDonald during the band's performance the day before.

August

August 1 – Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad admitted to the National Heart Institute for an infection. He would be discharged 3 days later.
August 12 – State elections held in Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, [2023 2023 Terengganu state election|Terengganu state election|Terengganu], and Kedah.
August 17 - A private jet crashed onto the Elmina interchange of the Guthrie Corridor Expressway, killing 10 people.

October

October 27 - Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail has been elected as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, effective Jan 31, 2024.

November

November 26 - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announces at a People's Justice Party congress that citizens of China and India will have visa-free travel from December 1, allowing stays of up to 30 days in a bid to boost tourism.

December

December 5 –
*The 2023 Men's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup begins.
* 6-year old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin, a non-verbal autistic boy, is reported missing from the Idaman Apartment complex in Damansara Damai, Sungai Buloh; he would later be found dead the following day around 200 metres from the apartments. His case has been classified as murder and is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
December 12 –
*Cabinet reshuffle.
December 15 –
*18-year-old Muhammad Zaharif Affendi was killed when he was struck by a police officer's car in Ipoh, Perak.
December 20 – Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim announces that Israel-registered ships, and all foreign vessels heading to Israel, are banned from docking within their ports or receiving cargo.

National Day and Malaysia Day

Theme

'''Malaysia Madani, Tekad Perpaduan Penuhi Harapan '''

National Day parade

'''Putrajaya Square, Putrajaya'''

Malaysia Day celebration

'''Unity Stadium, Kuching, Sarawak'''

Deaths

January

January 12 – Azlan Zainol, Chairman of Malaysia Building Society Bhd
January 22 – Mahani Idris, wife of former Minister of Finance, Daim Zainuddin.
January 23 – Abd Rani Osman, former Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly for Meru.
January 29 – Gopal Sri Ram, former Senior Deputy Public Prosecutor.

February

February 6 – Bong Kee Chok, one of the leaders of the North Kalimantan Communist Party.
February 7 – Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, former Senator.
February 10 – Yunus Rahmat, former Member of Parliament for Jelebu.
February 23 – Mohd Kamal Hassan, former Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia.

March

March 3 – Lee San Choon, former President of the Malaysian Chinese Association.
March 8 – Syed Razak Syed Zain Barakbah, former Menteri Besar of Kedah.

April

April 1 – Ahmad Zaini Japar, former Member of the Kedah State Legislative Assembly for Bukit Kayu Hitam.
April 5 – Onn Ismail, former Speaker of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly.
April 22 – James Chan Soon Cheong, former Bishop of the Melaka-Johor diocese.
April 23 – Ramly Abu Bakar, former newscaster and voiceover artist.
April 26 – Fatimah Hamid Don, first Malay female professor.

May

May 12 – Naim Mohamad, former Deputy President of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation & Firdaus Muhammad Rom Harun, former Member of Parliament for Rembau and former Member of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly for Chembong.
May 18 – Razali Nawawi, the founder and 1st President of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement.
May 22 – Ismail Kassim, former Member of Parliament for Arau and former Member of the Perlis State Legislative Assembly for Tambun Tulang.

July

July 4 – Tengku Norhana, sister of Sultan of Terengganu.
July 4 – Abdul Ghapur Salleh, former Member of Parliament for Kalabakan and former Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah.
July 8 – Pahamin Rajab, businessman and former AirAsia chairman.
July 23 – Salahuddin Ayub, Member of Parliament for Pulai, Minister of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living.

August

August 3 – Fatimah @ Sharifah Nong Alsagoff Abdillah, mother of the 18th Sultan of Terengganu.
August 5 – Gan Teik Chai, former badminton player.
August 17 – Johari Harun, member of the Pahang State Executive Council and Pahang State Legislative Assembly for Pelangai.

September

September 8 – Tunku Ampuan Najihah, 10th Raja Permaisuri Agong and former queen consort of Negeri Sembilan.

November

November 2 – Natrah Ismail, former Member of Parliament for Sekijang.
November 28 – Queenzy Cheng, actress and singer.

December

December 3 – Chua Jui Meng, former Minister of Health.
December 28 – Rosemary Chow Poh Kheng, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and first Women Chief of the Malaysian Chinese Association.
December 31 – Stephen Sutton, Sabah butterfly conservationist and entomologist.