None (de jure) Singapore (de facto, 1942–1944) Taiping (de facto, 1944–1945)
Common languages
Japanese English Malay Chinese Tamil
Emperor
• 1942–1945
Shōwa
Historical era
World War II
• Pacific War begins
8 December 1941a
• Japanese troops land on Kota Bharu
8 December 1942
• British troops retreat to Singapore
31 January 1942
• Surrender of British forces in Malaya
15 February 1942
• Four states to Thailand
18 October 1943
• Japanese surrender
2 September 1945
• British Military Administration set up
12 September 1945
• Formation of Malayan Union
1 April 1946
Currency
Japanese-issued dollar ("Banana money")
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Federated Malay States
Straits Settlements
Unfederated Malay States
Si Rat Malai
British Military Administration (Malaya)
Today part of
Malaysia
The Pacific War started on 8 December 1941 in Asian time zones, but is often referred to as starting on 7 December, as that was the date in European and American time zones (such as for the attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States' Territory of Hawaii).
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History of Malaysia
Prehistoric Malaysia
Paleolithic
Lenggong Valley
c. 2.000.0000 BCE
Mansuli Valley
235,000 BCE
Mesolithic
Niah cultures
65,000–40,000 BCE
Neolithic
Bewah man/woman
16,000 BCE
Perak man/woman
11,000–200 BCE
Neolithic Klang
500 – 200 BCE
Early kingdoms
Ancient Kedah
<100 BCE
Chi Tu
100 BCE–642 CE
Langkasuka
100 BCE–1474 CE
Gangga Negara
c. 100 CE–1025
Pan Pan
424–775
Old Kedah
170–1135
Old Pahang
449–1454
Srivijaya
700s–1025
Majapahit
1300s
Rise of Muslim states
Kedah Sultanate
1136–present
Samudera Pasai Sultanate
1267–1521
Brunei Sultanate
1368–present
Malacca Sultanate
1402–1511
Sulu Sultanate
1450–1899
Pahang Sultanate
1470–1623
Aceh Sultanate
1496–1903
Pattani Sultanate
1516– 1902
Johor Sultanate
1528–present
Sarawak Sultanate
1599–1641
Selangor Sultanate
1766–present
Besut Kingdom
1780–1899
Setul Kingdom
1808–1916
Reman Kingdom
1810–1902
Kubang Pasu Kingdom
1839–1864
Colonial era
Portuguese Malacca
1511–1641
Dutch–Portuguese War
1601–1661
Acehnese conquest of Perak
1620
Dutch Malacca
1641–1824
Pahang Kingdom
1770–1881
Straits Settlements
1786–1946
Siamese invasion of Kedah
1821–1826
Anglo-Dutch Treaty
1824
Burney Treaty
1826
Naning War
1831–1832
Kingdom of Sarawak
1841–1946
Separation of Perlis from Kedah
1843
Crown Colony of Labuan
1848–1946
Pahang Civil War
1857–1863
Larut Wars
1861–1874
Klang War
1867–1874
Pangkor Treaty
1874
Perak War
1875–1876
British Malaya / Borneo
1874–1946
Jementah Civil War
1879
North Borneo
1882–1946
Pahang Uprising
1891–1895
Mat Salleh Rebellion
1894–1905
Federated Malay States
1895–1946
Anglo-Siamese Treaty
1909
Unfederated Malay States
1909–1946
Battle of Penang
1914
Kelantan rebellion
1915
World War II
Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo
1941–1945
Malayan campaign
1941–1942
Bornean Campaign
1941–1942
Battle of Muar
1942
Parit Sulong Massacre
1942
Battle of Singapore
1942
Sook Ching
1942
Syburi
1942
Sandakan Death Marches
1942–1945
Si Rat Malai
1943–1945
Jesselton revolt
1943–1944
Formative era
BMA of Malaya/Borneo
1945–1946
Crown Colony of N. Borneo
1946–1963
Crown Colony of Sarawak
1946–1963
Anti-cession movement
1946–1963
Malayan Union
1946–1948
Federation of Malaya
1948–1963
Sungai Siput incident
1948
Malayan Emergency
1948–1960
Batang Kali massacre
1948
Bukit Kepong incident
1950
Baling Talks
1955
Malayan Independence
1957
Singapore Self-governance
1959
ISA 1960
1960–2012
Communist insurgency in Sarawak
1962–1990
North Borneo Self-governance
1963
Konfrontasi
1963–1966
Sarawak Self-governance
1963
Formation of Malaysia
1963
Singapore in Malaysia
1963–1965
ASEAN Declaration
1967
Second communist insurgency
1968–1989
13 May incident
1969
National Operations Council
1969–1971
Declaration of Rukun Negara
1970
New Economic Policy
1971–1990
Peace Agreement of Hat Yai
1989
Barisan Nasional era
Federal Territory of KL
1974
1977 Kelantan Emergency
1977
Pedra Branca dispute
1979–2008
South China Sea dispute (Spratly)
1980–present
Federal Territory of Labuan
1984
Memali incident
1985
Operation Lalang
1987
Constitutional crisis
1987–1988
Royal Immunity Amendments
1993
Financial crisis
1997–1998
Reformasi Movement
1998–2022
1MDB scandal
2015–present
Multi-party era
Pakatan Harapan takeover
2018
COVID-19 pandemic
2020–present
Political crisis
2020–2022
Bornean Amendment
2021–2023
Green Wave
2022–present
Incidents
Brunei revolt
1962–1966
North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks)
1962–present
Singapore race riots
1964
Brunei's Limbang claim
1967–2009
Penang Hartal riot
1967
13 May Incident
1969
Ligitan and Sipadan dispute
1969–2002
Kuala Lumpur flash floods
1971
Malaysian haze crisis
1972–present
AIA building hostage crisis
1975
National Monument bombing
1975
Campbell Shopping Complex fire
1976
Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash
1976
Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident
1977
MH653 incident
1977
Dawn Raid
1981
1985 Lahad Datu ambush
1985
Memali Incident
1985
Sabah Emergency
1986
Ming Court Affair
1987
Penang terminal bridge collapse
1988
Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire
1989
Bright Sparklers disaster
1991
Highland Towers collapse
1993
Genting landslide
1995
MH2133 incident
1995
Pos Dipang mudflow
1996
Tropical Storm Greg
1996
1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak
1998–1999
Al-Ma'unah incident
2000
Sauk Siege
2000
2001 Kampung Medan riots
2001
2002 Taman Hillview landslide
2002
Tsunami in Malaysia
2004
2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods
2006–2007
Bukit Gantang bus crash
2007
Bukit Antarabangsa landslide
2008
2009 swine flu pandemic in Malaysia
2009
Attacks against places of worship
2010
Cameron Highlands bus crash
2010
Hulu Langat landslide
2011
Genting Highlands bus crash
2013
MH370 incident
2014
MH17 incident
2014
2014–15 Malaysia floods
2014–2015
Sabah earthquake
2015
2015 Plaza Low Yat riot
2015
Movida Bar grenade attack
2016
Kim Jong-nam's Assassination
2017
Darul Quran madrasa fire
2017
2018 Subang Temple riot
2018
2020-21 Malaysia floods
2021
LRT train collision
2021
2021-22 Malaysia floods
2021–2022
2022 Batang Kali landslide
2022
2023 Elmina plane crash
2023
2024 Lumut helicopters crash
2024
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Malaya, then under British administration, was gradually occupied by Japanese forces between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. The first Japanese garrison in Malaya to lay down their arms was in Penang on 2 September 1945 aboard HMS Nelson.
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