1 January - Smoking ban was planned to take effect, however the grace period was extended twice throughout the year and the ban will only be implemented the following year.[1][2][3]
28 January - Former prime minister Najib Razak was charged in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on three additional charges involving money laundering totalling RM47 million five years ago.[6]
29 January - Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah proclaimed as Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, a title reserved for the consort of the current ruler or sultan, of noble birth, as enshrined in the Pahang State Constitution. Her second son, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim proclaimed as Tengku Mahkota (Crown prince) of Pahang.[7][8]
18 February - The Billion Dollar Whale, which chronicles the 1MDB scandal, is billionaire Bill Gates' book of choice.[9]
March
2 March - 2019 Semenyih by-election. It was won by Zakaria Hanafi, Barisan Nasional's candidate from component party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The result meant that the political coalition got its seat back from the Pakatan Harapan coalition whose original member of parliament, Bakhtiar Mohd Nor died on 11 January 2019 at the age of 57 due to heart attack.
28 March - The High Court set April 3 at 2pm for the trial of former prime minister Najib Razak’s SRC case.[10]
April
1 April - Former prime minister Najib Razak filed another bid (a judicial review application) against the Federal Court’s refusal to grant him an order to stay the trial of his SRC case.[11]
10 April - A White Paper on FELDA is tabled in Parliament. It revealed losses and questionable deals, with cash assistance from the Government to help settlers.[13]
13 April - Rantau by-election. It was won by incumbent United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) state assemblyman, Mohamad Hasan representing Barisan Nasional after his original result was declared null and void, allowed him to retain his seat.
17 April - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been listed as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.[14][15]
18 April - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says Malaysia should be able to leverage on 5G technology within the next three years and catapult the national economy towards strong and sustainable growth.[16]
19 April - Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra marries Swedish citizen, Sofie Louise Johansson.
5 May - Fortune magazine has ranked Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad the world’s 47th greatest leader.[17]
10 May - State awards conferred upon former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor by Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah have been suspended. Selangor state secretary Mohd Amin Ahmad Ahya said in a statement that the suspension follows the graft, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges brought against both Najib and Rosmah.[18]
14 May - The Court of Appeal dismissed former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s appeal to have his impounded passport returned to perform umrah.[19][20]
17 June - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in London said Malaysia seeks investments in the high-technology sector in line with the country’s goals of providing high income for its people.[21]
July
1 July - The police will conduct investigations into two dubious transactions found in the FELDA White Paper, with follow-up actions planned for the other six transactions.[22]
25 July - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been conferred an honorary doctorate by the Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University (AYBU) at the Council of Higher Education.[23]
29 July - A lawyer told the High Court that former prime minister Najib Razak, in a defamation suit against former MCA president Ling Liong Sik admitted that RM42mil from SRC International Sdn Bhd went into his personal bank accounts.[24]
7 August – Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was conferred an honorary doctorate by the International University of Japan (IUJ) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Malaysia and Japan relationships.[25]
9 August – Visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya for a four-eyed meeting with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.[26]
13 August – British-Irish Nora Anne Quoirin was missing 9 days ago and found dead later at a resort in Negeri Sembilan.
6 September - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was conferred an honorary degree by Japan’s Doshisha University. He was conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his devotion to education and the rule of law.
20 September - Luqman Hakim Shamsudin became the first and youngest Malaysian football player to formally sign for Belgian club K.V. Kortrijk with a 5-year contract.[27]
October
5 October - Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 which aimed at increase the incomes of all ethnic groups, particularly the Bumiputera comprising the B40 (lower income group), the hardcore poor, the economically poor, those in economic transition, Orang Asli, Sabah and Sarawak bumiputeras, the disabled, youths, women, children and senior citizens was launched by Mahathir Mohamad.
31 October - Malaysia completely switched its television broadcast format from analogue to digital with the last of the analogue switch over (ASO) took place in East Malaysia after 3 phases on 21 July in Langkawi, 19 August in Central and South Peninsular and 14 October in North and East Peninsular.
November
11 November – Former prime minister Najib Razak was ordered by the High Court to enter his defence on all seven charges of abusing his position for gratification, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s funds. Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said the prosecution had successfully adduced credible evidence proving each and every essential ingredient of the offences.[29]
30 November – 11 December - Malaysia participated at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games with 773 athletes in 52 sports. It ranked 5th among the participating nations with 55 gold medals, 58 silver medals and 71 bronze medals. Its achievement was 15 golds short of its intended 70-gold target. The contingent was affected by the Rhythmic Gymnastics gold-medal issue during the event.
3 December – Former prime minister Najib Razak takes the witness stand at the High Court as the first defence witness to answer charges against him.[30]
16 December – Convicted killer Azilah Hadri has made an explosive allegation from death row in Kajang Prison - the order to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu came from former Prime Minister Najib Razak and the latter's close associate, Abdul Razak Baginda.[31]
20 December – Former prime minister Najib Razak uttered the sumpah laknat (swearing in the face of divine retribution) to deny former police commando Azilah Hadri's statutory declaration (SD) that he gave him the order to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu.[33]
National Day and Malaysia Day
National Day theme
Sayangi Malaysiaku, Malaysia Bersih (Love My Malaysia, A Clean Malaysia)
22 May – Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah - the fifth and former modern Sultan of Pahang, the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1979 to 25 April 1984 (born 1930)
28 May – Khoo Kay Kim - Professor Emeritus and renowned historian.
Malaysia was only formed on September 16, 1963. Prior to that date, Peninsular Malaysia was known as Malaya, Sarawak under Crown Colony of Sarawak and Kingdom of Sarawak and Sabah under North Borneo.
