This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2009, together with the deaths of notable Malaysians. Malaysia hosted the
2009 ASEAN Para Games between 15 and 19 August. Malaysia recorded more than 2,000 confirmed cases of
influenza A(H1N1) ("swine flu") and 76 deaths during a world pandemic of the disease.
12 January – A rock slide at the
Perak Caves Buddhist temple, which is built into a cave, kills one person and traps more than a dozen others for hours near
Ipoh,
Perak.[6]
4 February – The
Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak
collapses after three of that party's legislators defect.
Barisan Nasional claims the right to form a new government.[10]
3 March – Three Malaysians are among seven people who are killed in a hotel blaze in
Taipei,
Taiwan.[19]
3 March – Thousands of people are left trapped and stranded in buildings, bus stations and light rail transit stations in
Kuala Lumpur after
flash floods following a heavy downpour at 3:00 pm.[20]
16 March –
Brunei is said to have dropped its long-standing claim over
Sarawak's
Limbang District when the two countries resolved various land and maritime territory disputes.[23] However, a Bruneian official claims the issue was never discussed.[24]
16 April – Penang Deputy Chief Minister and state assemblyperson
Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigns the state assembly seat of
Penanti regarding allegations over his non-performance in public office and corruption allegations.[35]
26 May – Hunger strike in Perak: 19
Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen and supporters are arrested then released on police bail about five hours later after having had their statements recorded.[45]
17 June – 2009 flu pandemic: The first local infection of influenza A (H1N1) is reported, as the infected person had no history of having traveled to a country that had the flu.[52]
18 June – 2009 flu pandemic: Following the pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin declares that all visitors and Malaysians returning from abroad would be required to fill in a health declaration form.[53]
1 July – The
KedahDAP decides to leave the
Pakatan Rakyat, citing "undelivered promises" by the state government as one of the reasons.[57]
8 July – The Cabinet decides that all national primary and secondary schools would teach
science and
mathematics in
Malay and mother tongue for national-type primary schools beginning in 2012.[58]
14 July – It is announced that, beginning 1 September, the 20 per cent expressway toll rebate given to motorists who paid toll charges more than 80 times a month will be able to be saved for up to six months. The rebate will be redeemable at 126 locations which have yet to be announced.[60]
14 July – Malaysia's second micro satellite,
Razak SAT, is launched into orbit.[61]
23 July – 2009 flu pandemic: A 30-year-old Indonesian man becomes the first death from influenza A (H1N1). However, the
Health Minister, Datuk
Liow Tiong Lai reveals that the flu was not the direct cause of the victim's death since he suffered from multiple medical conditions, including
obesity and
enlarged heart.[63]
1 August – Riot police fire water cannons and tear gas and arrest dozens of demonstrators during a rally against the
Internal Security Act in
Kuala Lumpur.[67]
9 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll from the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 26 people. The government considers drastic measures to contain the situation.[68]
9 August – The teaching of mathematics and science in English is extended to 2014. The current cohort of students studying mathematics and science in English is allowed to continue to do so until they finished secondary school.
11 August – 2009 flu pandemic: Total confirmed cases of the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 2,253.[69]
14 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll of the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 56 people.
Around 980 athletes from ten nations participate in the Games, which feature 409 events in eleven sports.[70]
16 August – A British pilot is killed when his plane crashes during takeoff on a test flight in
Tekah Airfield,
Taiping, Perak.[71]
17 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll from influenza A (H1N1) reaches 64. The government considers declaring a national health emergency.[72]
19 August – Nine Chinese crew members of
Liberian-registered tanker MT Formosa Product Brick are lost when the ship catches fire after a collision with a bulk carrier in the
Straits of Malacca near
Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan.[73]
31 August – An express train from
Kuala Lumpur to
Singapore, carrying 243 passengers, derails in
Batu Enam near
Segamat,
Johor, injuring 17 passengers including three Singaporeans.[79]
1 September – "French
Spider-Man"
Alain Robert is arrested after he successfully scales
Petronas Towers in his third attempt to climb the nation's tallest structure.[80]
26 October – About 22 schoolchildren plunge into a river when a
suspension bridge they were crossing collapses in
Kuala Dipang near
Kampar,
Perak. 19 of them are rescued and three die.[95]
4 November –
Kelantan is awarded the "
Wang Ehsan" compassionate payment from the federal government from the state's offshore oil production revenue starting 2010.[101]
18 November – Former
Perlis mufti
Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin is tried at the Gombak Timur Lower Syariah Court,
Selangor on a charge of teaching aspects related to Islam without certification.[104]
25 November – The
Selangor state government issues a ban prohibiting state civil servants, employees of state subsidiaries, and students at state-owned institutions from attending the courses of the controversial
National Civics Bureau.[108]
30 November – A powerful explosion rips through a mamak restaurant in
Stulang, near
Johor Bahru,
Johor, jolting dozens of nearby residents from their sleep. No one is injured in the incident, which is believed to have been caused by a powerful bomb made of plastic explosives.[109]
December
Picture of the gas explosion at AEON Bandaraya Melaka Shopping Centre in
Melaka.
6 December – Two nursing students at a private college are killed and four others injured when a car plunges from the third-floor car park of the
KB Mall shopping complex and lands on the shopping area in
Kota Bharu,
Kelantan.[112]
14 December – A gas explosion at the soon-to-be-opened RM288 million AEON Bandaraya Melaka Shopping Centre in Jalan Lagenda, in
Bachang,
Melaka, kills a contractor and injures more than 20 others, six of whom are injured critically.[116]
24 December – The missing fighter jet engines are found in
Argentina.[120]
26 December – Ten passengers are killed and two are injured after a northboundu double-decker
Sani Express bus skids and hits the road divider at Km 272.8 of the
North–South Expressway, about 8 km from the Ipoh South toll plaza near
Ipoh,
Perak.[121]
27 December – The Control of Tobacco Products Regulation (Amendment) (No.2) 2009, which sets the minimum price of
cigarettes at RM6.40 for a 20-stick pack, is set by the
Health Ministry to take effect on January 1, 2010.[122]
31 December – The High Court declared that the
Herald can use "
Allah" in its Catholic weekly publication and that the Home Minister order banning its use was illegal, null and void.[124]
^Hock, Teh Eng; Noordin, Zalinah; Ho, Shaun; Shyamala, R. k.
"Archives | The Star Online". Archived from
the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
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.
This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2009, together with the deaths of notable Malaysians. Malaysia hosted the
2009 ASEAN Para Games between 15 and 19 August. Malaysia recorded more than 2,000 confirmed cases of
influenza A(H1N1) ("swine flu") and 76 deaths during a world pandemic of the disease.
12 January – A rock slide at the
Perak Caves Buddhist temple, which is built into a cave, kills one person and traps more than a dozen others for hours near
Ipoh,
Perak.[6]
4 February – The
Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak
collapses after three of that party's legislators defect.
Barisan Nasional claims the right to form a new government.[10]
3 March – Three Malaysians are among seven people who are killed in a hotel blaze in
Taipei,
Taiwan.[19]
3 March – Thousands of people are left trapped and stranded in buildings, bus stations and light rail transit stations in
Kuala Lumpur after
flash floods following a heavy downpour at 3:00 pm.[20]
16 March –
Brunei is said to have dropped its long-standing claim over
Sarawak's
Limbang District when the two countries resolved various land and maritime territory disputes.[23] However, a Bruneian official claims the issue was never discussed.[24]
16 April – Penang Deputy Chief Minister and state assemblyperson
Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigns the state assembly seat of
Penanti regarding allegations over his non-performance in public office and corruption allegations.[35]
26 May – Hunger strike in Perak: 19
Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen and supporters are arrested then released on police bail about five hours later after having had their statements recorded.[45]
17 June – 2009 flu pandemic: The first local infection of influenza A (H1N1) is reported, as the infected person had no history of having traveled to a country that had the flu.[52]
18 June – 2009 flu pandemic: Following the pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin declares that all visitors and Malaysians returning from abroad would be required to fill in a health declaration form.[53]
1 July – The
KedahDAP decides to leave the
Pakatan Rakyat, citing "undelivered promises" by the state government as one of the reasons.[57]
8 July – The Cabinet decides that all national primary and secondary schools would teach
science and
mathematics in
Malay and mother tongue for national-type primary schools beginning in 2012.[58]
14 July – It is announced that, beginning 1 September, the 20 per cent expressway toll rebate given to motorists who paid toll charges more than 80 times a month will be able to be saved for up to six months. The rebate will be redeemable at 126 locations which have yet to be announced.[60]
14 July – Malaysia's second micro satellite,
Razak SAT, is launched into orbit.[61]
23 July – 2009 flu pandemic: A 30-year-old Indonesian man becomes the first death from influenza A (H1N1). However, the
Health Minister, Datuk
Liow Tiong Lai reveals that the flu was not the direct cause of the victim's death since he suffered from multiple medical conditions, including
obesity and
enlarged heart.[63]
1 August – Riot police fire water cannons and tear gas and arrest dozens of demonstrators during a rally against the
Internal Security Act in
Kuala Lumpur.[67]
9 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll from the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 26 people. The government considers drastic measures to contain the situation.[68]
9 August – The teaching of mathematics and science in English is extended to 2014. The current cohort of students studying mathematics and science in English is allowed to continue to do so until they finished secondary school.
11 August – 2009 flu pandemic: Total confirmed cases of the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 2,253.[69]
14 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll of the influenza A (H1N1) reaches 56 people.
Around 980 athletes from ten nations participate in the Games, which feature 409 events in eleven sports.[70]
16 August – A British pilot is killed when his plane crashes during takeoff on a test flight in
Tekah Airfield,
Taiping, Perak.[71]
17 August – 2009 flu pandemic: The death toll from influenza A (H1N1) reaches 64. The government considers declaring a national health emergency.[72]
19 August – Nine Chinese crew members of
Liberian-registered tanker MT Formosa Product Brick are lost when the ship catches fire after a collision with a bulk carrier in the
Straits of Malacca near
Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan.[73]
31 August – An express train from
Kuala Lumpur to
Singapore, carrying 243 passengers, derails in
Batu Enam near
Segamat,
Johor, injuring 17 passengers including three Singaporeans.[79]
1 September – "French
Spider-Man"
Alain Robert is arrested after he successfully scales
Petronas Towers in his third attempt to climb the nation's tallest structure.[80]
26 October – About 22 schoolchildren plunge into a river when a
suspension bridge they were crossing collapses in
Kuala Dipang near
Kampar,
Perak. 19 of them are rescued and three die.[95]
4 November –
Kelantan is awarded the "
Wang Ehsan" compassionate payment from the federal government from the state's offshore oil production revenue starting 2010.[101]
18 November – Former
Perlis mufti
Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin is tried at the Gombak Timur Lower Syariah Court,
Selangor on a charge of teaching aspects related to Islam without certification.[104]
25 November – The
Selangor state government issues a ban prohibiting state civil servants, employees of state subsidiaries, and students at state-owned institutions from attending the courses of the controversial
National Civics Bureau.[108]
30 November – A powerful explosion rips through a mamak restaurant in
Stulang, near
Johor Bahru,
Johor, jolting dozens of nearby residents from their sleep. No one is injured in the incident, which is believed to have been caused by a powerful bomb made of plastic explosives.[109]
December
Picture of the gas explosion at AEON Bandaraya Melaka Shopping Centre in
Melaka.
6 December – Two nursing students at a private college are killed and four others injured when a car plunges from the third-floor car park of the
KB Mall shopping complex and lands on the shopping area in
Kota Bharu,
Kelantan.[112]
14 December – A gas explosion at the soon-to-be-opened RM288 million AEON Bandaraya Melaka Shopping Centre in Jalan Lagenda, in
Bachang,
Melaka, kills a contractor and injures more than 20 others, six of whom are injured critically.[116]
24 December – The missing fighter jet engines are found in
Argentina.[120]
26 December – Ten passengers are killed and two are injured after a northboundu double-decker
Sani Express bus skids and hits the road divider at Km 272.8 of the
North–South Expressway, about 8 km from the Ipoh South toll plaza near
Ipoh,
Perak.[121]
27 December – The Control of Tobacco Products Regulation (Amendment) (No.2) 2009, which sets the minimum price of
cigarettes at RM6.40 for a 20-stick pack, is set by the
Health Ministry to take effect on January 1, 2010.[122]
31 December – The High Court declared that the
Herald can use "
Allah" in its Catholic weekly publication and that the Home Minister order banning its use was illegal, null and void.[124]
^Hock, Teh Eng; Noordin, Zalinah; Ho, Shaun; Shyamala, R. k.
"Archives | The Star Online". Archived from
the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
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.