The country’s multicultural identity becomes a cause for celebration every August as Malaysia gears up for its national day party, but democratisation is now pushing politicians to exploit ethnic differences for electoral gain.

Minister-counsellor Chen Chen said supportive young people in Malaysia have been swayed by ‘other people’s opinions’ and urged Malaysians to view the events more rationally.

Local firm DreamEDGE will collaborate with Japan’s Daihatsu to develop a third national car.

The country’s finance minister teased a new system designed to attract investors from China at a forum on economic cooperation held on Thursday.

Critics had complained the move represented the ‘Islamisation’ of education and would not help students improve their language skills.

Najib’s relationship manager at a local bank discussed where to bank the scandal-tainted premier’s money with Low, who remains in hiding.

Economic pressures mean Kuantan project is expected to proceed despite protests by environmentalists.

Born last January after being conceived in mid-October 2017, Yi Yi is the second offspring of giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang, who were sent to Malaysia by China in May 2014 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties.

Installation of Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah marks a new chapter for the monarchy, which has been troubled by scandals and public spats with the government.

Statement from economic affairs minister Azmin Ali adds further strain to relationship with prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim following accusations over viral sex tape.

The government was ‘entitled’ to the money, the prime minister told reporters, as the funds were meant to pay for a pipeline project that had only been 13 per cent completed.

Apandi Ali cleared now-deposed leader Najib Razak of any wrondoing before he himself was investigated. He claims Lim, a veteran politician, defamed him.

Members of Barisan Nasional, the coalition in power when the deal with China was first signed, have hit out at changes to the project brought in to bring down costs.

The Malaysian leader says his aim is to help the ethnic group economically. Analysts spot other motives: hollowing out the opposition and thwarting his rival Anwar Ibrahim.

Political economist Terence Gomez called for tighter monitoring of projects linked to local corporations with a history of receiving political patronage.

During his keynote address, Bai Tian claimed a stable US-China relationship would benefit not only the two countries but also the rest of the world.

First proposed in 2011, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership would span territories home to 3.5 billion people, with a GDP of US$22.6 trillion – if only its prospective members could agree on its terms.

Riza Aziz, co-founder of US production company that made the blockbuster Wolf of Wall Street, faced court after being detained by Malaysia’s anti-corruption watchdog.

The Mahathir administration says it stopped exporting sea sand to any countries last year over environmental concerns, and is trying to downplay a report saying the embargo was in response to Singapore’s reclamation plans.

The Education Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it would not allow ‘indoctrination’ that tarnishes the image and name of the country.

The former deputy to disgraced ex-PM Najib Razak faces 87 corruption charges and his return could signal more race and religious rhetoric by the embattled party. Observers say this could backfire and alienate non-Malay voters in the long run.

While there has been resistance against a future merger on grounds of national pride, some analysts say such an alliance makes good business sense.

The prime minister has defended Huawei and suggested Western nations were hypocritical in their espionage concerns, but that stance overlooks a bigger risk – whoever builds a network has the power to take it over or shut it down.

However, Gao encountered resistance from participants, who referenced the protests in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uygurs to criticise Beijing’s approach to governing.

Citizenship and basic rights are key to ensuring the safe repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Bangladesh.

Young people across Southeast Asia are leading the charge to bring about political change using social media – but rising digital authoritarianism to tackle fake news could affect whether these movements flourish, analysts say.

The ongoing debate over how the region should style itself has come into sharp focus as Asean adopted the US-style “Indo Pacific” at its recent summit.

Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak stands accused of playing a key role in the 1MDB scandal and faces more than 40 charges of corruption, as officials intensify their efforts to recover the siphoned funds.

Malaysia’s agriculture minister says more Malaysian companies are hoping to obtain permission to export to China; its advantage, according to an expert, is that the flavours of fully ripened durian are more in line with Chinese tastes.

At a forum on Malaysia-China relations, deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong says Beijing must prove its rise is peaceful, while Chinese Minister Counselor Chen Chen says ties are ‘soaring through the roof’.