1981: Dr Mahathir Mohamad begins tenure as prime minister in which economy is diversified and grows at rate of eight percent each year.
1998: Mahathir sacks his deputy Anwar Ibrahim for alleged sexual misconduct amid differences over economic policy in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Before he is arrested on charges of sodomy and corruption, Anwar mobilises thousands of people to rally against the government.
2000: Anwar is found guilty of sodomising a former male aide and jailed for nine years. A year earlier, he was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption.
2003: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is named prime minister as Mahathir resigns after 22 years in power, making him Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister.