Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Malaysia
TOPIC
 / location

Malaysia

Malaysia
Malaysia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Malaysia, covering politics, economy, society and the Asean member-nation’s relationships with China, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries.
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Head of State
Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar
Head of Government
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to members of the media on December 17, 2025. Photo: EPA
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s Anwar risks reformist image as Daim family sues over ‘Zionist’ claims

The prime minister said that a group of Malaysians were working with foreign media and a ‘prominent Zionist group’ to topple the government.

videocam
Weather

A heatwave is coming to Southeast Asia. So is an energy shock

Azerbaijan

Malaysia vows to hold petrol prices as Iran war pushes oil past US$100

videocam
History

A forgotten theatre lane in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown gets a new lease on life

The restored lane, once home to an early theatre scene, is part of Kuala Lumpur’s broader effort to revive its historic Chinatown.

videocam
Pedestrians now walk through Jalan Sang Guna to access Chinatown. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Health & Fitness

Malaysia slashes gym licence fees by 80% to fight urban obesity

Faced with some of Southeast Asia’s highest obesity rates, officials are dangling a regulatory ‘carrot’ to gym operators – but will it work?

US-China trade war

US firms face ‘economic bind’ as China mineral truce fails to ease shortages

Businesses hope US President Donald Trump’s visit to China in late March will ease bottlenecks.

videocam
17
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong society

Hongkonger forks out HK$11,000 to flee Dubai after 8 failed attempts

Shirley Sung secured flight to Kuala Lumpur for HK$6,000, spent HK$2,000 in hotel fees for two nights, before catching an AirAsia flight to Hong Kong for HK$3,000.

6
Dubai’s airport has been attacked by Iranian drones. Photo: AP
Malaysia Airlines flight 370

Families of MH370 passengers urge Malaysia to extend ocean search

Families of those aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 urged ⁠the government to extend a ⁠contract with deep-sea exploration firm Ocean Infinity.

Two Sessions 2025

Beijing signals high hopes for South China Sea ‘golden rules’ by end of year

Wang Yi voices ‘determination’ to work with rival claimants yet urges Manila to ‘be aware of its responsibility’.

videocam
5
Ramadan

1 holy month, 1 year’s income: Malaysia’s Ramadan bazaar boom

Rents have doubled, ingredient costs keep climbing, yet for the stallholders at Malaysia’s bazaars, no other month comes close.

Asyraf Ahmad (left) sells drinks at his Ramadan stall after switching his business model from food. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Vietnam

Why Vietnam’s new AI law makes it proving ground for Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s first law on AI could raise the bar from voluntary guidelines to binding legal frameworks across the region, analysts say.

videocam
A girl checks her phone next to Communist Party and Vietnamese flags in Hanoi on February 27. Vietnam’s new artificial intelligence law went into effect on March 1. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Iran war oil shock accelerates Southeast Asia’s EV revolution

Southeast Asia was already going electric. Then war broke out in the Middle East and it started going faster.

videocam
5
Indonesia

Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

Minister Meutya Hafid said the restrictions would protect children from online harms, but experts warned enforcement might prove difficult.

videocam

Malaysian mother fined US$379 over underage son’s triple-death crash

The woman’s negligence led to the tragedy in Seremban, and she faces three months’ jail if the fine is left unpaid.

A Malaysian teenager ran a red light and then crashed his mother’s car into two motorcycles in Seremban, killing three people. Photo: Shutterstock
US, Israel war on Iran

‘Crises are not new to tourism’: Malaysia confident of weathering Mideast storm

Industry groups say a diversified visitor base and strong halal tourism appeal offer resilience for Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

videocam
A tourist takes a selfie at the decorated Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last month. Photo: Reuters
Anwar Ibrahim

‘I am not Jho Low 2.0’: Malaysia Arm chip deal probe turns political

The probe into a flagship chip-design deal has sparked criticism, with Prime Minister Anwar’s allies questioning the investigation.

videocam
Asean

‘We will go to war’: why #SEAblings became a Southeast Asian rallying cry

The hashtag went viral following a row over a South Korean band’s concert in Kuala Lumpur in January and protests in Indonesia last year.

4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Singapore

How Southeast Asia’s coffee chains are brewing cross-border success

Home-grown brands such as Zus Coffee are betting on cultural fluency, halal positioning and digital tools to make further inroads.

A Kenangan Coffee outlet at a shopping centre in eastern Singapore. The Indonesian chain has opened about 10 outlets in the city state. Photo: Kenangan Coffee
Anwar Ibrahim

Reality check for Anwar’s reform push after Malaysian parliamentary setback

The failure to pass key reforms reflects ‘looser’ discipline in the ruling bloc and complex political negotiations facing Anwar, analysts say.

videocam
China trade

Not just oil: Iran war disrupts China’s imports of key industrial material

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking off China’s imports of methanol – a vital input for the country’s industrial sector.

videocam
14
Infrastructure

Villagers’ ‘swift action’ stops runaway train in Malaysia’s Sabah

The train had suffered a brake failure during a morning commute in southwest Sabah, prompting calls from officials for a full investigation.

Quick-thinking villagers in Malaysia’s Sabah state sacrificed a vital motorised rail trolley to force the runaway train to stop. The train had suffered a brake failure. Photo: handout
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysian student charged with desecrating Koran in viral video

The viral post showing a man stepping on the Koran and mocking the Prophet Mohammed has triggered 82 police reports and a national outcry.

videocam
A pupil learns to read Arabic during a Koran memorisation lesson. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

Malaysian, Filipino killed in helicopter crash southeast of Manila

The Bell 505 helicopter was en route to Quezon when it crashed in a grassy area in Pililla town at about 7.30am.

SCMP Highlights

Southeast Asian navy strategies, Japan video sparks outrage: 7 Asia highlights

From predictions on Iranian leadership to North Korea’s nuclear vindication, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

South China Sea

South China Sea expert warns 2026 code of conduct is ‘simply not achievable’

The agreement ‘cannot be successfully negotiated’ while rival claimant Philippines holds Asean chair, Chinese analyst Wu Shicun says.

videocam
12
The Chinese coastguard recovers Philippine fishing nets near a disputed area of the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua
Social media

Viral clip of Malaysian man clinging to ex-wife’s moving car leads to arrest

Police said the man clung to the car for around 2km and that he tested positive for ketamine use.

Screenshots from a viral video show a man clinging to a moving car before falling onto the road. Photo: Facebook
Iran

Death of Iran’s Khamenei sparks outrage and calls for restraint in Asia

Protesters stormed the US consulate in Karachi as leaders, including Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, condemned the killing and appealed for dialogue.

videocam
6
Music

‘Time for us’: the Malaysian rapper putting her country on the SXSW map

Zamaera is taking five Malaysian artists to Texas next month after asking herself a simple question: why doesn’t Malaysia have a stage yet?

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement