This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1997, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.
12 March – Seeking to prevent a serious rift in relations with Malaysia, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's senior minister, apologized "unreservedly" for remarks that brought a storm of protest from Malaysians.[3]
18 March – The Touch 'n Go Electronic Payment System (EPS) was launched.
14 June – Lim Kit Siang lodged a police report with the Anti-Corruption Agency headquarters, Jalan Duta, asking for full investigations as to how Ling Hee Leong, son of MCA President and Transport Minister, Ling Liong Sik, could at the age of 27 embark on corporate acquisitions exceeding RM1.2 billion in a matter of months and whether there had been improper use and influence of his father’s political and Ministerial position.
14 June – A Bell 206L-4 helicopter broke up and crashed at the Bandar Sri Damansara light industrial area, Selangor killing three on board the aircraft and two on the ground.
11 October – The national IT (information technology) campaign, themed "IT As A Culture", was launched by prime minister Mahathir Mohamad[8] and aired live at 8:30 pm on all television and radio stations in the country.[9]
14 October – Former president of the Architect Malaysia Association (PAM), Henry Lee Inn Seong, told the Kuala Lumpur Coronary Court that the planner of the collapsed Highland Towers apartment block had no qualification for a 12-storey building. He said the planner, Wong Tin Sang, only had the qualifications to build a building not more than 300 square meters or 3,000 square feet and not more than two floors.[10]
28 October – The Seventh Non-Aligned Summit Meeting G15 was held in Kuala Lumpur.
14 November – Coroner Mohd Radhi Abas of the Kuala Lumpur Coronary Court ruled that the Highland Towers tragedy was not due to any crime and natural disaster, but was a series of crashes and multiple injuries that hit them after the apartment collapsed. It "is not a natural disaster".[10]
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.
