1979 in Malaysia

1979 in Malaysia 22 years of the nationhood

Incumbents

Federal level

• Yang di-Pertuan Agong:
  • Sultan Yahya Petra (until 29 March)
  • Sultan Ahmad Shah (from 29 March)
• Raja Permaisuri Agong:
  • Raja Perempuan Zainab (until 29 March)
  • Tengku Ampuan Afzan (from 29 March)
• Prime Minister: Tun Hussein Onn
• Deputy Prime Minister: Dato' Dr Mahathir Mohammad

State level

• Sultan of Johor: Sultan Ismail
• Sultan of Kedah: Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah
• Sultan of Kelantan:
  • Tengku Ismail Petra (Regent until 29 April)
  • Sultan Ismail Petra (from 29 March)
• Raja of Perlis: Tuanku Syed Putra
• Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Shah II
• Sultan of Pahang: Tengku Abdulah (Regent from 29 March)
• Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
• Sultan of Terengganu:
  • Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (until 20 September)
  • Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah (from 20 September)
• Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku Jaafar (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong)
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang: Tun Sardon Jubir
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Malacca: Tun Syed Zahiruddin bin Syed Hassan
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sarawak: Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah: Tun Mohd Adnan Robert

Events

• February - Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) is established.
• 29 March - Sultan Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim Petra of Kelantan and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong dies. His body was brought back to Kelantan and laid to rest at Kelantan royal mausoleum, Langgar, Kota Bharu.
• 29 March - Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang is elected as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
• April - Malaysia become the world's largest exporter of semiconductor industry.
• April - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Japan opened its factories in Shah Alam, Selangor.
• 7 May - RTM2 starts colour television broadcasts.
• 22 May - The Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad is founded
• September - Opening of the Karak Highway and Genting Sempah Tunnel.

National Day

Main theme

Bersatu Berdisiplin, meaning united and disciplined

Births

• Anand Kumar a/l Balakrishna - University of Malaya swimmer.
• Maya Karin — Malaysian singers and actress
• Siti Nurhaliza — Malaysian no.1 singers
• Shahrul Ezam Borhan — Malaysian no.1 physician
• Que Haidar — Malaysian actors
• Vince Chong — Malaysian 1st Reality TV Star
• Yu Heng — Malaysia Famous Composer Singer
• Daphne Iking — Malaysian celebrities
• Mohd Hisyam Kamaruzzaman — Malaysian, Shah Alam MetroASEA's Property Manager

Deaths

• Tun V.T Sambanthan — former MIC president and Minister of Works and Communications
• E. E. C. Thuraisingham — first local Member (Minister) for Education in the Communities Liaison Committee
• Ibrahim Hj Yaacob — Malayan politician and founder of the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) (Young Malay Union)
• Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah of Terengganu and 4th Yang di-Pertuan Agong
• Sir Gerald Templer — former British High Commissioner in Malaya

See also

• 1979
• 1978 in Malaysia | 1980 in Malaysia
• History of Malaysia