1996 in Malaysia

Decades:	1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s; 2010s;
See also:	Other events of 1996; History of Malaysia • Timeline • Years

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

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.^[1]
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 Rasah 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.
February – First Le Tour de Langkawi cycling tour.
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.
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, Malaysian 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 – Malaysia's first domestically produced motorcycle, Modenas Kriss was launched.
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.^[2]
1 October – The Kuala Lumpur Tower at Bukit Nanas was officially opened by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
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.
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.