https://www.scmp.com/rss/323048/feed The events affecting bottom lines in Asia’s business environment ­– analysed and explained en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia has so far been spared the worst of the regional energy crunch, but experts say the government needs to move quickly and take more aggressive measures to prevent a worsening economic crisis if the Iran war becomes a drawn-out conflict. Much of Southeast Asia has been hit hard by the energy crisis, with thousands of motorists ditching their vehicles over the lack of fuel and governments burning through billions of dollars and scrambling to find alternative fuel sources to rein in prices... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The Iran war is rattling Asian chipmakers as damage to Qatar’s gas facilities chokes off supplies of helium, an essential ingredient in manufacturing products ranging from smartphones to medical scanners. Analysts warn that the supply disruption is expected to trigger ripple effects across the global economy for some time. Pradeep Philip, head of Deloitte Access Economics, said that while there had been considerable focus on the energy shock arising from the conflict, the crisis over helium... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348954/helium-supply-shock-threatens-asian-chipmakers-economic-slowdown-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348954/helium-supply-shock-threatens-asian-chipmakers-economic-slowdown-fears-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:01 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Indonesia and Malaysia have ordered civil servants to work from home to save fuel amid the Iran war but with digital surveillance measures far stricter than those used during the pandemic. Civil servants in Indonesia must activate location tracking and respond to work communications within five minutes. Their Malaysian counterparts must log into a geolocation monitoring system every hour. Those who fail to comply face escalating sanctions. The work-from-home policies, announced within days of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348946/work-home-were-watching-indonesia-malaysia-geo-track-remote-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348946/work-home-were-watching-indonesia-malaysia-geo-track-remote-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:44:40 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is accelerating the transition to clean and renewable energy while pushing for more investments in oil and gas projects, critical minerals and rare earth mining, amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict. In the past week, Jakarta signed a raft of deals with international partners to develop renewable and fossil fuel projects, aimed at achieving energy security as an insurance against the impact of heightened geopolitical tensions. Green energy could also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:20:59 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Asean’s neutrality in the Iran conflict is key to granting access to the coveted Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran likely seeking to win global opinion amid its war with the United States and Israel. Amid boiling tensions in the Gulf, Iran has wielded its control of the strategic channel to choke global oil supplies, especially to the US and its allies. Many countries – including those from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – have turned to diplomatic efforts to secure safe passage for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348759/why-asean-neutrality-iran-war-key-unlocking-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:41:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Perched on top of a shoe shelf at the entrance of Veriff’s headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia, is a sign of a cartoon unicorn that reads “Welcome to Unicorn Land!”, serving as a reminder of the identity verification company’s rise from a local start-up to a valuation of US$1.5 billion in seven years. Veriff, which boasts clients including PayPal, Bumble and Visa, was founded by Kaarel Kotkas in 2015. It is one of at least 10 unicorn companies – privately held start-ups valued at more than US$1... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348736/estonian-start-ups-eye-singapore-natural-gateway-build-digital-trust-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348736/estonian-start-ups-eye-singapore-natural-gateway-build-digital-trust-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 03:13:35 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Manila is following its Southeast Asian neighbours’ lead by seeking talks with Iran to secure safe passage for Philippine-bound tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a move observers have called “a matter of survival”. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro posted on social media that she and energy secretary Sharon Garin had met Iran’s envoy Yousef Esmaeilzadeh on Wednesday to discuss energy cooperation and the advancement of bilateral ties. “Pleased to meet Iranian Ambassador to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348701/philippines-seeks-iran-talks-safe-passage-vessels-through-hormuz-amid-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348701/philippines-seeks-iran-talks-safe-passage-vessels-through-hormuz-amid-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:55:31 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The Malaysian government has entered “crisis mode” in response to the ongoing global energy supply disruption, its transport minister has warned. “This is not a laughing or joking matter. It is a very, very serious matter,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday, as quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper. “For the past month, energy costs have risen by more than 100 per cent.” According to news website Free Malaysia Today, Loke said: “Even though at this moment our lights are still... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348624/malaysian-minister-warns-very-very-serious-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348624/malaysian-minister-warns-very-very-serious-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:54:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East conflict could push more Filipinos deeper into debt, analysts have warned, with one regional study describing the Philippines’ credit card burden reaching a “critical” risk level. Although credit card ownership in the Philippines remains relatively low, data indicates that cardholders appear to be using them far more intensively as living costs outpace income growth. Credit card receivables in the Philippines have been growing consistently at more than... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348579/will-surging-fuel-prices-push-filipinos-deeper-credit-card-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348579/will-surging-fuel-prices-push-filipinos-deeper-credit-card-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s central bank has raised its 2026 growth outlook, saying the economy is on track to expand between 4 and 5 per cent despite mounting risks from the Iran war. The revised forecast from Bank Negara Malaysia marks an upgrade from the government’s earlier target of 4 to 4.5 per cent, reflecting stronger-than-expected momentum in the second half of last year and resilient domestic demand. “Malaysia enters 2026 from a position of strength to navigate the challenges,” BNM Governor Abdul... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong In Seoul last week, South Koreans were stripping shop shelves of plastic bin bags. Not food, not medicine. Bin bags. Nearly 2.7 million of the city’s mandatory “pay-as-you-throw” bags were sold each day, almost five times the normal volume, as residents scrambled to stockpile what they feared might soon become scarce. City by-laws mandate that the prepaid bags – made from naphtha, a petroleum derivative – be used to throw away household waste. But with oil supplies under strain amid the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348485/bin-bag-panic-grips-south-korea-huge-iran-war-crisis-budget-agreed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:33:37 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran After a seven-hour drive to a trading post in northern Philippines, 35-year-old farmer Elmer Ullani took home nothing but an empty petrol tank even after selling 10 tonnes of cabbage. Ullani, who hails from the northern town of Tinoc in Ifugao province, said he only managed to sell his produce – yielded over three harvest rounds – at a paltry rate of 8 to 9 pesos (15 US cents) per kilogram, earning him a total of 90,000 pesos (US$1,482). All of his earnings went towards covering his fuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348448/filipino-farmer-pleads-stop-us-iran-war-after-soaring-fuel-prices-wipe-out-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348448/filipino-farmer-pleads-stop-us-iran-war-after-soaring-fuel-prices-wipe-out-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:28 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The energy crisis caused by the Iran war could push food prices up by as much as 50 per cent in Malaysia, trade associations have warned, as soaring fuel costs threaten to wipe out already narrow margins for roadside stalls and restaurants feeding the country’s outsize appetite for eating out. Malaysia’s government coffers have already taken a hit due to fallout from the conflict, with local fuel subsidy costs estimated to spike by more than fourfold to about 3.2 billion ringgit (US$795 million)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:30:23 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Planning to update your wardrobe this summer? Industry insiders have some advice: do it soon. By the time autumn collections hit the racks, the aftershocks of war on Iran may have quietly picked your pocket. Clothing manufacturers and industry analysts are warning consumers to budget for price increases of 10 to 15 per cent as South Asia’s US$50 billion garment export industry reels from a cascade of war-driven shocks. Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has choked natural gas supplies to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348195/war-iran-about-make-clothes-more-expensive-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348195/war-iran-about-make-clothes-more-expensive-heres-why?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele For a few weeks after the bombs started falling on Iran, Southeast Asian governments told their people not to worry. Emergency funds would cushion the blow. Subsidies would hold. Prices would stabilise. A month on, with oil well above US$100 a barrel, long queues for fuel forming at petrol stations across the region and Thailand restarting coal plants it had mothballed years ago, the reassurances have worn thin. Against this backdrop, an old question has resurfaced with fresh urgency: why does a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones A cornucopia of bargains is lighting up booking sites for Thailand, where five-star luxury hotel rooms are going for huge discounts during the peak holiday season – the unplanned spin-off from the Iran war which threatens to hit international tourist arrivals at a crucial time of the year. At the same time, the surge in diesel costs caused by the choking of the Strait of Hormuz has forced many Thais to pause or scrap domestic travel plans, fearing such expenses will continue to rise during the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348162/thai-luxury-hotels-offer-huge-discounts-save-tourist-season-battered-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348162/thai-luxury-hotels-offer-huge-discounts-save-tourist-season-battered-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:42:29 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Four weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, the crisis is beginning to bite in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has cut the monthly quota for subsidised petrol and food manufacturers are warning that surging diesel costs could force them to close or raise prices. The move reflects how a distant geopolitical shock is beginning to feed directly into Malaysia’s fuel bill, food supply chain and inflation outlook, analysts note. In a special televised address on Thursday, Anwar said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:51:02 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Vietnam is among Southeast Asian countries most hard-hit by the global energy crisis, with Hanoi’s bid to forge deals with Russia this week laying bare its urgency to stem the bleed that may threaten its objective of double-digit economic growth. Observers also say the fallout in fuel supply caused by the Iran war could even chip away at the legitimacy of Hanoi’s new leadership. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Russia this week reportedly saw the signing of several... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347735/why-vietnam-leaning-russia-weather-energy-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347735/why-vietnam-leaning-russia-weather-energy-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:12:37 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has vowed to crack down on fuel subsidy abuse after a viral video showed a woman illicitly buying 71 litres (18 gallons) of RON95 petrol in a single transaction, as regional supply concerns persist amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The finance ministry said late on Monday that investigators identified the customer as a Malaysian citizen. Both the identity card used in the purchase and the vehicle owner will be blocked from the inflation-easing fuel subsidy scheme. This programme allows... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347665/malaysia-battles-fuel-subsidy-misuse-after-viral-71-litre-petrol-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347665/malaysia-battles-fuel-subsidy-misuse-after-viral-71-litre-petrol-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:33:28 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Daniel Gech looks at prices on a board at a Sokimex petrol station in Phnom Penh and winces. Four weeks into the war in the Middle East, the ripple effects of a faraway conflict are beginning to threaten the Cambodian teenager’s ability to earn and learn. The 16-year-old uses his moped to travel between his home and school, and for his work in the evening. It now costs him an extra US$2 a day to fill up his tank – or US$14 a week – and the price is rising, a significant surge in a country where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347608/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-vulnerable-fuel-crisis-iran-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:14:21 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Julia had a plan: spring break, Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, then a long-overdue reunion in the jungles of Sarawak. What she got instead was a travel booking screen showing €3,000 (US$3,440) flights and a cascade of cancellation alerts. “I just can’t afford that,” the 22-year-old Romanian told This Week in Asia. Her original Emirates itinerary had her transiting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but the US-Israel war on Iran upended her plans after the carrier warned of disruptions and two-week... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347358/visit-malaysia-2026-meets-iran-war-crisis-it-never-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347358/visit-malaysia-2026-meets-iran-war-crisis-it-never-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Mario Orain used to earn his living on the road. Now, the 51-year-old driver spends most of his time parked up, waiting for bookings that rarely come. “It’s really bad,” he told This Week in Asia. “There are very few bookings. And fuel prices have gone up a lot. It’s very expensive now.” With diesel prices in the Philippines shattering record highs amid the war on Iran, transport workers like Orain are being forced off the road as they face a stark choice between filling their tanks or feeding... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347356/philippine-fuel-prices-hit-record-highs-food-inflation-fears-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347356/philippine-fuel-prices-hit-record-highs-food-inflation-fears-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s move to supply Bangladesh with diesel as fuel prices soar amid the Iran war reflects its “first responder” role in the region and clout through the use of its critical commodities to deepen ties with neighbouring states. If the fuel shortages were to persist, however, India would have to balance between its own energy demand and that of its neighbours, according to observers. Bangladesh will be importing 45,000 tonnes of diesel from India by April, with 5,000 tonnes having been delivered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347372/india-steps-regional-energy-diplomacy-supplies-bangladesh-diesel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:52:25 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As the Philippines forms partnerships with several countries to harness its potentially huge wealth of critical minerals, analysts have called for a coherent road map to develop the country’s mining industry to globally competitive standards. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration has signed multiple agreements over the past months, including a memorandum of understanding with the United States to cooperate on diversifying global critical mineral supply chains. The accord, signed during... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347369/why-philippines-struggles-tap-its-us1-trillion-mineral-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347369/why-philippines-struggles-tap-its-us1-trillion-mineral-wealth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:30:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea finds itself boxed in as Tehran moves to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a bargaining chip amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, leaving Seoul caught between its dependence on Middle East oil and its unwillingness to antagonise Washington. Economists note that South Korea relies on Washington’s security umbrella to deter threats from nuclear-armed North Korea and that its oil trade is settled in US dollars – two realities that sit awkwardly alongside Iran’s push for yuan-based energy... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347201/south-korea-risks-us-rift-over-irans-hormuz-strait-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347201/south-korea-risks-us-rift-over-irans-hormuz-strait-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The United States’ inclusion of Southeast Asian countries among economic partners it intends to investigate for unfair trade practices is expected to push the region further from Washington’s orbit. The probes, announced last week, could lead to new levies imposed on countries, based on allegations of forced labour and trade surpluses, even as the Donald Trump administration rails against a Supreme Court ruling that shot down sweeping tariffs imposed earlier. Seven countries from the Association... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347044/us-trade-probes-risk-alienating-asean-casting-doubt-future-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:28:55 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore sits just one degree north of the equator, where the air rarely drops below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity clings year round. It is, by most measures, one of the worst places on Earth to cool a data centre. Yet the city state crams more into its small footprint than almost anywhere else. Home to more than 70 facilities and over 1.4 gigawatts of capacity, Singapore has one of the highest densities of data-centre infrastructure per capita on the planet – a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346999/southeast-asias-ai-data-centre-gold-rush-tests-power-grids-tropical-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346999/southeast-asias-ai-data-centre-gold-rush-tests-power-grids-tropical-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Every year, roughly half of Indonesia’s 288 million people pack into trains, buses, ferries and cars and head home. The mudik, as the great Eid ul-Fitr exodus is known, is one of the largest annual human migrations on Earth and a ritual of return that defines the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. This year, the Ministry of Transportation estimates that 143.9 million journeys will be made. But it could hardly arrive at a worse time for the government’s finances. Oil prices have surged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia will wait for Washington to submit updated terms before deciding its next steps on their tariff deal, the country’s trade minister has said – just days after he declared the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling. The government began the week on the back foot as allies and critics demanded clarity on the status of the multibillion-dollar deal with the United States, after Trade Minister Johari Abdul Ghani was reported on Sunday to have said it was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346834/fate-us-malaysia-trade-pact-rests-washingtons-next-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346834/fate-us-malaysia-trade-pact-rests-washingtons-next-move?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:40:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Settling in Japan as a foreign national is about to become much more expensive after the government passed legislation to sharply increase visa application fees. Critics argue the policy is short-sighted amid a worsening labour shortage, but conservatives have dismissed such concerns, insisting that robots and artificial intelligence will soon replace workers in low-paid, service-sector roles. Detractors also contend the legislation is designed to deter less affluent migrants from developing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346825/japan-raise-residency-fees-2900-despite-deepening-labour-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346825/japan-raise-residency-fees-2900-despite-deepening-labour-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:47:17 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Malaysia’s government has been forced onto the defensive over its much-touted tariff deal with the United States, after a minister walked back an earlier claim that the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration signed the deal in October, promising US$240 billion in investments and purchases of American goods, including beef and aircraft, in exchange for continued access to the world’s largest consumer market at a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:14:40 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As trade tensions and new US tariff investigations rattle global supply chains, Southeast Asian economies are looking to broaden their options. But analysts say that the region’s deep links with the United States and China mean any shift will be gradual rather than a clean break – and may yet work in Asean’s favour. The disruption could accelerate supply-chain diversification, drawing more manufacturing to the region from markets such as Europe, India and the Middle East. For now, however, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346594/how-asean-can-loosen-dependence-us-china-amid-trade-war-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Since the Iran war began late last month, it has threatened shipping across the Middle East’s two most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb – through which much of Asia’s energy imports and manufactured exports flow. For Gulf states and their major trading partners in Asia, the conflict is forcing a hard question: what, if anything, can protect supply chains if US security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted? Analysts say the usual answers –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Hands knotted by a lifetime of hard work, Supon Haochareon says Thai farmers in his position do not get to retire. Instead, the 81-year-old and his wife Lamduan, 74, must tend more than 300 trees in Samut Sakhon, an hour west of Bangkok, agonising each year as prices slump and their coconuts grow smaller in the withering heat. This month brought the lowest prices on record: two baht (six US cents) per coconut – less than a stick of chewing gum – virtually wiping out all profit from their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346531/inside-coconut-cartel-how-chinese-money-squeezes-thai-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346531/inside-coconut-cartel-how-chinese-money-squeezes-thai-farmers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Scam syndicates allegedly from Malaysia are increasingly relying on couriers and physical handovers when targeting victims in Singapore, as tighter banking safeguards make fraudulent online transfers harder for them to pull off, according to police and crime experts. Recent police cases suggest some criminals are turning to cross-border transfers in which victims are pressured into handing over cash or valuables in Singapore before the proceeds are passed through “mules” working for scam... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346543/more-malaysian-scammers-target-singapore-based-victims-pass-cash-gold-mules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346543/more-malaysian-scammers-target-singapore-based-victims-pass-cash-gold-mules?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow For years, the West’s answer to Chinese dominance of critical minerals was to rally around Washington. Now, some of its most important allies are reaching a different conclusion: that depending too heavily on the United States carries its own risks. Japan, France and Canada have all been exploring how to build supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals that answer to neither Beijing nor Washington. Senior officials from the three Group of Seven economies are working on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346530/beyond-pax-silica-japan-france-and-canada-seek-rare-earth-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346530/beyond-pax-silica-japan-france-and-canada-seek-rare-earth-autonomy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The cost of Malaysia’s subsidies for fuel at the pump is projected to rise by more than four times in the short term, the government has said, as it rushed to assure the public the country’s energy supply will not be disrupted even as the Iran war chokes global oil and gas shipments. Fear of an energy crisis has engulfed much of Southeast Asia since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, pushing Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway that handles about a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346520/malaysias-fuel-subsidy-bill-rise-more-fourfold-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346520/malaysias-fuel-subsidy-bill-rise-more-fourfold-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:30:26 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof As soaring copper prices make the metal highly sought after, more cable thieves are targeting some of Malaysia’s busiest urban rail lines, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and headaches for authorities aiming to combat the scourge. Thefts of copper-embedded cables have led to disruption in train services linking Kuala Lumpur’s northern suburbs to the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya in recent weeks. Among the services affected are the high-speed MRT Putrajaya and Kajang... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:01:29 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Southeast Asia is facing a growing cyber spillover risk from the widening US-Israel war with Iran, with security experts warning that state-linked hackers and criminal groups are seeking to exploit turmoil around energy, shipping and banking networks to hit targets far beyond the Middle East. The assessment comes as Iran said it would target economic and banking interests linked to the United States and Israel in the region after an attack on an Iranian bank, while the United Arab Emirates said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore pizza shop owner Roy Chan has ridden out more than one business shock – from the Covid-19 pandemic to US tariff pressures – but he now sees another looming threat. Suppliers for ingredients used at his Goldenroy Sourdough Pizza restaurant had warned prices could soon rise by up to 30 per cent following a surge in oil prices due to the escalating Iran war, Chan said. “Delivery providers have not increased prices yet, but it may come in the next few weeks or months,” he added. Like Chan,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346282/why-southeast-asias-small-firms-could-bear-brunt-latest-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346282/why-southeast-asias-small-firms-could-bear-brunt-latest-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asian economies reliant on energy imports are bracing themselves not just for a spike in oil prices but for the possibility that the Iran war could trigger a prolonged period of energy market disruption. While markets have already priced in the initial disruption to shipping and energy infrastructure linked to the conflict, economists warn that a war lasting several weeks could leave Asian importers facing persistently higher fuel costs, widening trade deficits and slower economic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346262/asias-energy-reliant-economies-face-existential-threat-prolonged-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346262/asias-energy-reliant-economies-face-existential-threat-prolonged-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:45:45 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia will tighten border enforcement to curb fuel smuggling and keep subsidised petrol prices unchanged as the widening US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz and rattles global oil markets. The move comes amid concern that rising fuel prices abroad could make smuggling subsidised fuel out of Malaysia more profitable. “The most worrying aspect is that this conflict has an impact on the global economy, Asia and Malaysia,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346245/malaysia-tightens-borders-fight-fuel-smuggling-amid-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346245/malaysia-tightens-borders-fight-fuel-smuggling-amid-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:25:45 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thai police have broken up a web of Chinese companies allegedly using Thai fronts to control the kingdom’s coconut supply, squeezing prices to record lows of 2 baht (6 US cents) per fruit and allowing wide profit margins on sales into China. The probe, launched across western agricultural provinces where the nam hom coconut farms are based, reflects broader concerns about the exploitation of Thai fruit farmers by foreign businessmen who set prices and dictate market terms. Raids on eight... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346192/thailand-smashes-coconut-profiteering-web-led-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346192/thailand-smashes-coconut-profiteering-web-led-chinese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:24:16 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines was hit by a sharp fuel-price shock on Tuesday, with pump costs surging after the escalating conflict involving Iran pushed global oil prices higher, in what could become one of the country’s steepest weekly increases in years. Consumer groups say the surge is exposing a deeper problem: a deregulated oil industry introduced in the late 1990s that allows companies to set pump prices in line with global markets, leaving the government with fewer tools to intervene than many of its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346130/philippines-fuel-shock-exposes-limits-deregulated-oil-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346130/philippines-fuel-shock-exposes-limits-deregulated-oil-market?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:36:03 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran An investigation into allegedly corrupt flood-control projects worth billions of pesos is beginning to ripple through the Philippines’ public finances, slowing infrastructure spending and adding uncertainty to the government’s investment-driven growth strategy. The budget deficit widened 4.68 per cent to 1.58 trillion pesos (US$26.5 billion) in 2025, Treasury Bureau data showed, surpassing 2024’s record of 1.51 trillion pesos. Despite slowing disbursements amid tighter scrutiny of public works... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346029/philippines-budget-deficit-hits-record-us265-billion-corruption-probe-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346029/philippines-budget-deficit-hits-record-us265-billion-corruption-probe-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong For the first time in over three decades, South Korea is doing something it hoped it would never do again: telling the market what it can charge for fuel. President Lee Jae Myung’s order is more than a mere policy reversal, however. For a country that imports nearly every barrel it consumes, it is an act of pre-emptive self-defence – the reflex of an economy watching the Middle East burn and knowing exactly what that means. Fuel prices have already surpassed 1,900 won (US$1.28) per litre at some... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345985/south-korea-enacts-historic-fuel-price-cap-fight-iran-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345985/south-korea-enacts-historic-fuel-price-cap-fight-iran-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India received some welcome news last week about its energy supply: it had been granted permission, by the United States, to take delivery of oil it had already bought. The tankers were already at sea – Russian crude, loaded and paid for, stranded in limbo by the disruptions sweeping out of the war on Iran. They needed a waiver, which US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Thursday: a 30-day exemption allowing Indian refiners to receive the cargoes before American sanctions... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345954/indias-30-day-russian-oil-waiver-tied-us-crude-demands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345954/indias-30-day-russian-oil-waiver-tied-us-crude-demands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof By late afternoon in Putrajaya, the smell of smoke fills the air. Charcoal pits glow along the side of the road as office workers and families with school-aged children in tow move through the haze with the deliberate purpose of people who have not eaten since dawn. This is a Ramadan bazaar in full bloom: rows of bright pink drinks in plastic cups, towers of kueh – bite-sized sweet and savoury snacks – in every colour, and, at one particularly busy stall, rows of whole chickens turning slowly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345746/1-holy-month-1-years-income-malaysias-ramadan-bazaar-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345746/1-holy-month-1-years-income-malaysias-ramadan-bazaar-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau When Joshua Tan turned up to Chinese New Year dinner last month, he hadn’t expected to spend the evening defending his career. He was 27 and freshly employed as a junior software engineer in Singapore. The questions from relatives were pointed: is your job safe? Can’t the computer just do it? It was an awkward conversation, equal parts interrogation and familial concern. But Tan knew the anxiety behind the questions was real. Not so long ago, he and his classmates had been so sought-after by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345747/singapores-workers-brace-ai-disruption-its-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345747/singapores-workers-brace-ai-disruption-its-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia went to Washington to negotiate a trade deal and came home with more than 200 obligations to America’s nine. A day after the signing, the US Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for the tariff threat that had driven the whole exercise – for a time, at least. Detractors have likened this “agreement on reciprocal trade” to a blank cheque and a surrender of Indonesia’s sovereignty. The government, for its part, calls it a win-win. The deal was signed by President Prabowo Subianto on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:33 +0000