History

Muhyiddin Yassin forms government with the UMNO, the former party of Najib Razak, after the surprise collapse of Mahathir Mohamad's coalition.

Mahathir Mohamad becomes prime minister again as head of an four-party coalition, defeating his erstwhile protege Najib Razak.

Kim Jong-nam, the estranged brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is killed with a nerve agent at a Malaysian airport.

Thousands of anti-government protesters take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib over his alleged links to a corruption scandal.

The Wall Street Journal alleges that close to $700m (£490m) from the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB was deposited in Prime Minister Najib Razak's personal bank account.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is jailed for five years after failing to win an appeal against a sodomy conviction.

Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashes in eastern Ukraine after being shot down by Russian-backed separatists, with the loss of all 298 people on board.

Government and Malaysia Airlines face international criticism over handling of Flight MH370, which goes missing en route to China in unexplained circumstances.

Badawi steps down as prime minister and is replaced by his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak.

Malaysia shelves construction of controversial bridge to Singapore.

Anwar Ibrahim freed after court overturns his sodomy conviction.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi takes over as prime minister as Mahathir Mohamad steps down after 22 years in office.

Dozens arrested during worst ethnic clashes in decades between Malays and ethnic Indians.

Ibrahim is found guilty of sodomy and sentenced to nine years in prison. This is added to the six-year jail sentence he was given in 1999 after being found guilty of corruption following a controversial trial.

Mahathir Mohamad sacks his deputy and presumed successor, Anwar Ibrahim, on charges of sexual misconduct, against the background of differences between the two men over economic policy.

Local communist insurgents sign peace accord with government.

Mahathir Mohamad becomes prime minister.

Government introduces minimum quotas for Malays in business, education and the civil service.

Singapore withdraws from Malaysia, which is reduced to 13 states; communist insurgency begins in Sarawak.

British colonies of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore join Federation of Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia.

Federation of Malaya becomes independent from Britain with Tunku Abdul Rahman as prime minister.

State of emergency to counter local communist insurgency.

Japanese occupation.

British settlements of Malacca, Penang and Singapore combine to form the Colony of Straits Settlements, from where the British extend their influence by establishing protectorates over the Malay sultanates of the peninsula.

Conversion of Malays to Islam begins.