1981 in Malaysia

Incumbent political figures

Federal level

• Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Sultan Ahmad Shah
• Raja Permaisuri Agong: Tengku Ampuan Afzan
• Prime Minister:
• *Tun Hussein Onn
• *Dato' Sri Dr Mahathir Mohamad
• Deputy Prime Minister: Dato' Musa Hitam
• Lord President: Mohamed Suffian Mohamed Hashim

  State level

• Sultan of Johor:
• *Sultan Ismail
• *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 Idris Shah II
• Sultan of Pahang: Tengku Abdulah
• Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
• Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah
• Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku Jaafar
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang:
• * Tun Sardon Jubir
• * Tun Dr Awang Hassan
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca: Tun Syed Zahiruddin bin Syed Hassan
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak:
• * Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin
• * Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub
• Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah: Tun Mohd Adnan Robert

  Events

• 20 April – The Amanah Saham Nasional scheme was launched.
• 10 May – Sultan Ismail Al-Khalidi of Johor died at the age of 86. He was buried at the Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum in Johor Bahru. His son, Tengku Mahmood Iskandar was proclaimed as the 24th Sultan of Johor and 4th in the modern Sultan of Johor.
• 3 June – Soldier Kanang anak Langkau was awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang for his bravery and sacrifice for fighting against Communist terrorists during the Insurgency.
• June – The new Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad building at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur was officially opened.
• 11 June – Wong Swee Chin, known as Botak Chin was executed by hanging at Pudu Prison, Kuala Lumpur.
• 16 July – Tun Hussein Onn resigned as prime minister due to ill health.
• 17 July – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became the fourth Malaysian prime minister.
• 18 July – Tun Musa Hitam was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
• 23 July – Work Minister S. Samy Vellu announced that the Penang Bridge, Penang would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder method of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• 9 August – Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang visited Malaysia and met with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
• 17 September – The new Rajang Area Security Command headquarters was officially opened in Sibu, Sarawak.
• 11 October – A Malay rubber tapper named Jaafar Patola killed six people and wounded 25 others in Parit Setan, a village near Benut, Johor before being shot dead by police.

  Births

• 24 January – Lynn Leong – Squash player
• 25 August – Mawi – Singer
• 2 September – Indra Putra Mahayuddin – Footballer
• 11 November – Wong Pei Tty – Badminton player
• 29 November – Nicholas Teo – Malaysian Chinese singer
• 12 December – Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli – Footballer
• Unknown date – Anita and Aniza – First Malaysian siamese twins

  Deaths

• 10 May – Sultan Ismail of Johor
• 8 July – Temenggong Jugah Anak Barieng – first Sarawak minister in federal cabinet