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Free Malaysia Today apologises after a reporter’s question at a Gaza lecture drew criticism for insensitive racial overtones. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

FMT apologises for racial query tying Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ to Palestine

During a George Galloway lecture, a Free Malaysia Today reporter asked if the ‘Palestine problem’ parallels Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’.

Asean

Asean urged to rethink stance as Myanmar election risks normalising junta rule

Singapore

Singapore’s PM Lawrence Wong removes Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition

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2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Token gesture? Why US is spending US$45 million on Thai-Cambodian border war

Washington is looking to reposition itself as the main peacemaker in Southeast Asia following Beijing’s mediation successes, analysts say.

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Cambodian soldiers repatriated from Thailand receive roses following their release on December 31, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Cambodian soldiers repatriated from Thailand receive roses following their release on December 31, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

X marks the bot: Malaysia says Grok ban may be lifted if it is proven to be safe

Though X has deactivated several prompts, more changes need to be made to ensure the site’s safety, Malaysia’s communications minister says.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s super-rich get cold feet as Langkawi luxury car tax perks vanish

Supercar dealers report cancellations as the tax exemption removal threatens the local economy, tourism and jobs.

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Thailand

Thai PM moves to strip scandal-hit firm of contracts after second deadly accident

Amid public anger, PM Anutin issued an order to end two contracts and blacklist Italian-Thai Development after two crane disasters killed 34 people.

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A crushed car sits among the debris after a crane collapses at the under-construction Rama II Expressway on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
A crushed car sits among the debris after a crane collapses at the under-construction Rama II Expressway on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

New deal eases logistics for Japan-Philippines drills amid China tensions

The agreement removes taxes on military supplies, including weapons and fuel used in joint exercises.

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Malaysia

‘I know I’ll cry’: BTS frenzy grips Malaysia as fans worry about scalpers

The K-pop band is returning to Malaysia for two shows in Kuala Lumpur after over a decade, sparking fan frenzy and ticket battles.

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Cambodia

‘Not the end’: Cambodia keeps up scam crackdown after Chen Zhi sent to China

Phnom Penh signals zero tolerance for scam centres following the deportation of the Prince Group tycoon.

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Guards escort accused scam boss Chen Zhi off a China Southern plane in Beijing on January 8, after his extradition from Cambodia. Photo: China’s Ministry of Public Security/AFP
Singapore

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

People take pictures next to the Merlion statue at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. Photo: AFP
People take pictures next to the Merlion statue at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Singapore

Singapore MPs back motion deeming Pritam Singh unfit to be opposition leader

The 11 WP MPs present opposed the motion, while the rest of the House, mainly PAP MPs, voted to deem Singh unsuitable for his role.

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Indonesia

Indonesian comedian hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

Pandji Pragiwaksono’s unfiltered set took aim at the president, but it was a quip about religious groups that triggered police reports.

The Philippines

Philippines ‘comfort women’ demand apology during Japan foreign minister visit

Analysts say Manila is unlikely to back the surviving victims of sex slavery, fearing it could jeopardise billions in infrastructure funding.

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Protesters display placards and portraits of former Filipino “comfort women” during a rally in Manila last year. Photo: AFP
Myanmar

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

Critics say the visit may be viewed as the bloc’s new chair endorsing a controversial junta-led election in Myanmar.

A woman casts a ballot during the second phase of Myanmar’s election in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA
A woman casts a ballot during the second phase of Myanmar’s election in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA
China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

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Malaysia

Johor fines man US$2,200 for masking Singapore plate to buy subsidised fuel

A judge said Long Sa Kow will be required to serve nine months’ imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.

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Thailand

Crane collapses on moving train in Thailand, killing at least 32

The equipment at a China-backed railway project hit the passing train, causing it to derail in Nakhon ‌Ratchasima province.

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The train accident took place on ‍Wednesday in the Sikhio district of Thailand’s Nakhon ‌Ratchasima province. Photo: Facebook/DDPMNews
The train accident took place on ‍Wednesday in the Sikhio district of Thailand’s Nakhon ‌Ratchasima province. Photo: Facebook/DDPMNews
Singapore

Can Singapore’s farming future grow in Malaysia’s US$123 million food hub?

The city state’s farmers eye the Johor-Singapore SEZ for cheaper land and labour to boost food security amid high local costs.

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Singapore

Singapore urged to expand Johor SEZ to Indonesia to deepen Asean integration

The city state’s business federation and accounting firm PwC Singapore say such a move will ramp up the region’s allure to global investors.

Indonesia

Indonesia hails ‘99.9% successful’ free meals scheme amid food safety concerns

Critics have called for a ‘temporary halt’ to the programme to allow for further evaluation as food poisoning cases continue to grow.

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Indonesian students eat free meals at a school in Keutapang, Aceh Besar in September. Photo: EPA
Thailand

Suspected scam boss linked to South Korean student’s death arrested in Thailand

The arrest follows international outrage over the killing of the university student, which led to a joint Thai–South Korean investigation.

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South Korean police escort detainees at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh on October 18, 2025, after a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation targeting scam networks linked to the trafficking of foreign nationals. Photo: EPA
South Korean police escort detainees at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh on October 18, 2025, after a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation targeting scam networks linked to the trafficking of foreign nationals. Photo: EPA
Vietnam

As Vietnam’s US trade surplus outpaces China, Trump tries to fix ‘imbalance’

Jennifer Wicks McNamara is set to replace Marc Knapper as US ambassador to Vietnam as Hanoi’s trade surplus with US surpasses Beijing for first time.

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Malaysia

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

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Malaysia

‘Urgently needed’: Malaysia’s chief justice demands more judges as caseloads soar

Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid warns court backlogs expose judicial shortages and urgent calls for reform in Malaysia’s legal system.

Malaysia’s Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. Photo: Handout
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