Malaysian Milestones

A brief review of all the happenings in history, education, infrastructure, health and lifestyle for the past millennium.

1957
Federal Hotel was built at Tunku Abdul Rahman’s request to house guests for the Merdeka celebration. It was the grandest hotel around, and its revolving restaurant and nightclub were oacked each night.
P. Ramlee made film history by clinching the “Best Male Lead Role” award at the 4th Asian Film Festival (AFF) for “Anakku Sazali”.
February 8, 1957
Final meeting of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Conference at Lancaster House, London. The report of the conference was signed, and Malaya was free to proclaim its independence.
August 31, 1957
The “Berita Harian” newspaper displaying the headline “Merdeka! Tepat pada tengah malam seluroh raayat bertempek ‘Malaya sudah merdeka’!” Merdeka Day! In a voice choked with emotion, Tunku Abdul Rahman called out “Merdeka” seven times and the throng of people gathered for the occasion echoed his victorious cries.
1960
L. Krishnan formed Merdeka Studios in Kuala Lumpur under Merdeka Film Productions established by Ho Ah Loke and H.M. Shah.
1961
The Education Act 1961, particularly caluse 21(b) stated that the Education Minister has the power to change the language of instruction in primary schools from English, Mandarin or Tamil to Bahasa Malaysia.
The first private nursing school in Malaysia was established at the Assunta Hospital. It was called the Tun Tan Cheng Lock College of Nursing.
1963
The Faculty of Medicine was established in Universiti Malaya. In 1969, the first batch of 61 medical students graduated from Universiti Malaya.
Radio coverage went nationwide in September. In December, Tunku Abdul Rahman launched TV Malaysia, later called RTM. It cost M$18/month to rent a television, and M$415 to buy one.
September 16, 1963
Malaysia, a new nation comprising Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, was formed after more than two years of political negotiations between the former and the three other territories.
1965
Singapore ceased to be a member of the Federation of Malaysia and became an independent state.
October 1967
Maktab Mara was renamed the Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) and in 1976 placed under the Ministry of Education.
1971
Universiti Sains Malaysia set up the first distance learning programme in Malaysia.
The Minister of Education, invoking the power vested in him by clause 21(b) of Education Act 1961, announced that all English primary schools would use Malay as their medium of instruction.
1975
The minibus was introduced. The most fascinating aspect of the minibus was its ability to weave through traffic with a full load of passengers, some hanging onto the doorway. Today, this familiar sight is no more as they were replaced with intrakota buses in 1997.
1977
National secondary schools began the language conversion process. In 1983, tertiary institutions followed suit, leaving Chinese and Tamil primary schools as anomalies.
1978
Prime Minister Datuk Hussein Onn launched the start of colour transmission on television. Finally, we got to watch “Dallas” and “Keluarga” in colour.
1981
Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister and embarked on an aggressive foreign and industrialisation policy. Among these were the “Look East Policy” and “Vision 2020”.
1982
Start of construction of East-West Highway which traverses the most rugged terrain in Peninsular Malaysia. Links northern states in the West Coast with the East Coast.
Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital in Petaling Jaya was established.
1984
Telecommunication services in the country was transferred from Jabatan Telekom Malaysia to Syarikat Telekom Malaysia Berhad. Telekom Malaysia was incorporated as a privatised company on October 12.
Malaysia’s first private station, TV3, starts transmission, bringing with it a refreshing change from RTM’s programmes.
1985
The Atur service was launched. It provided nationwide coverage through the installation of mobile telephone exchanges and radio base stations. Malaysia was the first in Asia to commission such a system.
September 14, 1985
Penang Bridge Penang Bridge was opened. The 13.5km bridge, which cost RM850million, links Penang Island to Peninsular Malaysia.
1986
The first case of AIDS was diagnosed in Malaysia.
1987
A group of parents and professionals set up the National Acoustic Society of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur - the first such centre in the country that caters specifically for autistic children. There are now eight educational centres and two vocational autistic centres in Malaysia.
1989
National Heart Institute was set up by the Government. The Institute began operations in its new building in July 1992 as a government hospital before it was corporatised in September 1992.
1990
Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation in Petaling Jaya was set up by the Kiwanis Club. Their primary purpose was to set up schools to educate children wit Down Syndrome. Currently, there are five such centres in Malaysia.
1991
The Puteri Nursing College became the first nursing school in which the first diploma nursing programme was implemented by the Health Ministry. Subsequently, in March 1992, all nursing colleges in Malaysia followed suit.
1992
Parts of the North-South Expressway from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Johor Bharu was opened. Service stations and rest stops along the way allowed travellers to break their journey.
The Malaysian AIDS Council was formed to help manage the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Malaysia and to co-ordinate HIV/AIDS related activities among the member organisations. Currently, it has more than 30 affiliates.
The Sidek brothers (Rashid, Rahman, Razif and Jalani), Cheah Soon Kit, Soo Beng Kiang, Foo Kok Keong, Kwan Yoke Meng and Wong Ewe Mun brought back the prestigious Thomas Cup to Malaysia. The last time Malaysia held the trophy for world team badminton was in 1967.
1994
Situated on Pulau Indah, West Port is Port Klang's new gateway. It was developed with specialised terminals for handling cargo.
1995
Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) begins commuter trains services. The service links destinations within and outside Klang Valley, including Sentul to Port Klang, and Rawang to Seremban.
The Malaysian AIDS Charter was published to set out rights and responsibilities of all sectors of society in relation to HIV/AIDS.
Satellite pay television station Mega TV, begin operations. A year later, another pay station, Astro, followed suit. Television is on 24 hours a day, and surfing the channels became a way of life for Malaysian subscribers.
1996
The first Penilaian Tahap Satu (PTS) aptitude test was conducted.
The Ministry of Education Act 1996 made it compulsory for all kindergartens to follow their curriculum guidelines making it part and parcel of the national education system.
Since it began, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) has helped lessen traffic woes in the capital city.
January 13, 1996
MEASAT-1MEASAT-1 was launched from Kourou in French Guyana. The launching of the satellite forms an integral oart of the country’s communication and broadcasting needs.
August 1, 1996
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Multimedia Super Corridor. The 15km-wide and 50km-long corridor wil spearhead Malaysia’s entry into the Information Age.
October 1, 1996
The official openning of Menara Kuala Lumpur. At the height of 421m, the tower was constructed to upgrade the quality of telecommunications and broadcasts.
1998
The Kuala Lumpur International Airport has world-class structures and cost RM10.5billion to built.
The year the acupuncture clinic, which is under Universiti Hospital's rehabilitation department, was first set up.
Malaysia hosted the 16th Commonwealth Games in the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil. Winning 10 gold medals, it was the best achievement for Malaysia in the history of the Games.
1999
Malaysia’s first private medical tertiary institution, the International Medical University, was established. It was previously the International Medical College, established in 1992, before it was upgraded to university status.
Malaysia hosted the fifth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP). ICAAP is a biennial event and is ones of the most important congresses on the world calendar for the gathering of ideas on HIV/AIDS.
The sixth Apec Economic Leaders Meeting and the 10th Apec Ministerial Meeting were held in Kuala Lumpur.
June 4, 1999
The unveiling of the nation’s new administrative capital, Putrajaya. The development of Putrajaya together with its twin city, Cyberjaya, will position the MSC competitively in the international arena.
August 26, 1999
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced the upgrading of ITM to UiTM.
August 31, 1999
At the height of 452m, the Petronas Twin Towers is currently the world’s tallest building. On the 41st floor, a 58.4m skybridge links the two towers. It is 170m above sea level.
February 9, 2000
Malaysia’s first virtual medical library was set up, located at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital. It is known as the Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong Virtual Medical Library.
December 31, 2000
Happy Y2K! All Malaysians celebrate the new millenium nationwide.