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Malaysia
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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
Bangladeshi national Zobaidul Amin is escorted to an aircraft by FBI agents. Photo: X / FBI Director Kash Patel
Bangladesh

Malaysia had him on bail for child abuse. The US had other plans

Zobaidul Amin allegedly told victims the police would never find him. He was living in Malaysia, after all. Then the FBI put him on a plane.

Anwar Ibrahim

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

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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

Malaysia’s prime minister guarantees citizens that RON95 petrol will remain at 1.99 ringgit despite the US-Israel war on Iran.

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Fuel pump nozzles are seen at a petrol station in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Photo: AFP
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.

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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?

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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.

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China currently mines about 70 per cent of the world’s rare earth metals, a subset of critical minerals, and holds 90 per cent of the global processing capacity. The US relies heavily on these materials for defence manufacturing and throughout the hi-tech hardware supply chain. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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’.

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Chinese coastguard personnel patrol the waters around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing claims as Huangyan Island, in November 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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.

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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.

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A student uses a mobile phone for online learning in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in 2020. Photo: EPA

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.

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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.

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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.

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A social media post using #SEAblings and an illustration over a row following South Korean rock band Day6’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: X/Boju
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.

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.

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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.

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Smoke rises over Tehran after US and Israeli strikes on March 1. The growing conflict in the Middle East is disrupting shipping flows, affecting China’s imports of key materials. Photo: Getty Images
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.

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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.

Screenshots from a viral video posted by an social media user on Wednesday showing her daughter being shoved while attempting to take a photo at Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya Crossing. Photo: Instagram/peipeilin527
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.

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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.

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.

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