This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1996, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
Incumbent political figures
Federal level Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Tuanku Jaafar Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tuanku Najihah Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohamad Deputy Prime Minister: Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim Chief Justice: Eusoff Chin
State level Sultan of Johor: Sultan Iskandar Sultan of Kedah: Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Sultan of Kelantan: Sultan Ismail Petra Raja of Perlis: Tuanku Syed Putra Sultan of Perak: Sultan Azlan Shah Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad Shah Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong) Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tunku Naquiyuddin (Regent) Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Penang: Tun Dr Hamdan Sheikh Tahir Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Malacca: Tun Syed Ahmad Al-Haj bin Syed Mahmud Shahabuddin Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sarawak: Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Mohammed Noor Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah: Tun Sakaran Dandai
Events 6 January – A landslide blocked the North–South Expressway (NSE) near Gua Tempurung, Perak. 12 January – The first Malaysian satellite MEASAT 1 was launched by the Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. 12 January – Seven year-old Tin Song Sheng reported missing while waiting for the bus at the Taman Rashna Chinese Primary School in Taman Melawati, Shah Alam, Selangor returned home. 17 January – Twenty-four people, seven of them policemen, were injured in rioting at the Sungai Besi camp for Vietnamese illegal immigrants. 6 February – The ground-breaking ceremony of the PUTRA-LRT underground rail tunnel from Pasar Seni to Ampang Park. 12 February – The Multimedia Super Corridor was established. 29 February–9 March – First Le Tour de Langkawi cycling tour. 2 March – The body of the Malay Sarawakian nationalist Rosli Dhobie was brought back from Kuching Central Prison to Sibu. 6 March – The Perodua Rusa, the first domestically manufactured van was launched. 29–31 March – 1996 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix 18 April – The Sungai Besi camp for Vietnamese illegal immigrants is officially closed. May – The construction of the Bakun Dam projects began. 2 July – A new version of Malaysian Ringgit RM 2 notes was introduced. 16 July – A bus ferrying a group of factory workers and their families on a holiday excursion plunged into a 120m-deep ravine at km 1 of the Genting Sempah–Genting Highlands Highway near the Genting Highlands Resort, killing 17. Six were children. 3 August – A widespread power outage in Peninsular Malaysia began at 5:17pm. The states of Peninsular Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya, Johor, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan lost power for several hours. A transmission line near Sultan Ismail Power Station in Paka, Terengganu tripped at 5:17pm causing all power stations in Peninsular Malaysia to collapse resulting in a massive power failure. Supply was back to normal by 11:00pm. After this blackout, utility giant Tenaga Nasional's stock fell considerably. 29 August – A mud avalanche near Pos Dipang Orang Asli settlement in Kampar, Perak killed 44 people. 8 September – Official opening of the Light Rail Transit System (Sistem Transit Aliran Ringan) (STAR LRT) Phase 1 from Sultan Ismail to Ampang. 10 September – Westport was launched. 1 October – The Kuala Lumpur Tower at Bukit Nanas was officially opened by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. 3 October – Malaysia's first domestically produced motorcycle, Modenas Kriss was launched. 8 October – The Malay political party, Semangat 46 was officially dissolved. 27 October – Michael Jackson held his first concert in Malaysia at Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur. 29 October – Michael Jackson performed for the second time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2 November – The Sungai Buloh Prison in Sungai Buloh, Selangor became the federal prison, replacing Pudu Prison in Kuala Lumpur. 28 November – Opening of Technology Park Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. 29 November – Official opening of the new Pusat Sains Negara (National Science Centre) building in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. 18 December – The Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Terengganu, Tengku Mizan Zainal Abidin married Nur Zahirah. 26 December – Several parts of Sabah were hit by the Tropical Depression Greg. More than 120 people were killed.
Births 5 January – Adam Nor Azlin – Footballer 14 June – Muhammad Ariff Farhan Mohd Isa – Footballer 3 July – Kumaahran Sathasivam – Footballer 4 August – Syazwan Andik – Footballer 10 August – Ifwat Akmal – Footballer 2 October – Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed – Footballer 25 November – Ahmad Zaidyansjah Ruddyansjah – Actor, Singer, Dancer 3 December – Muhammad Farhan Roslan – Footballer
Deaths 13 January — Nik Abdullah Arshad, former PAS Member of Parliament for Pengkalan Chepa (b. 1935). 19 February — P. P. Narayanan, former President of the Malaysian Workers Union (b. 1923). 17 May — Ali Shah of Terengganu, 15th Sultan of Terengganu (b. 1914). 22 May — Wong Peng Soon, former badminton player (b. 1917). 27 July — Yen Yuen Chang, Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese educator (b. 1909). 14 October — Tan Chee Khoon, 2nd Leader of the Opposition and founder of GERAKAN (b. 1919).
See also 1996 1995 in Malaysia | 1997 in Malaysia Years in Malaysia
References