https://www.scmp.com/rss/324207/feed Based in Kuala Lumpur, Tashny Sukumaran reports on rights-related issues ranging from internet censorship to labour standards. She holds a postgraduate degree in human rights law. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tashny Sukumaran Tashny Sukumaran When American recording artist Brittany Porter met Sultan Muhammad V, ruler of the Malaysian state of Kelantan, she thought their fairy tale romance led to an engagement. A year later, she discovered that the Islamic nikah ceremony was in fact a religious marriage, a revelation that came only after the country’s former monarch had cut off contact. “In April 2024, we went on our first trip together to Oman. I thought we got engaged there, because in my culture the big ceremony is a wedding, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331736/us-singer-says-she-unknowingly-married-malaysian-sultan-i-deserve-proper-divorce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331736/us-singer-says-she-unknowingly-married-malaysian-sultan-i-deserve-proper-divorce?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:06:25 +0000 Malaysia’s cities are heating up – recording temperature increases of up to 6.7 degrees Celsius over the last two decades, according to a recent study – but as the nation’s leaders focus more on retaining power and battling the pandemic, the political will to update and upgrade climate change policies remains largely absent. Urban regeneration organisation ThinkCity has warned of the adverse effects of climate change and unchecked urban expansion on liveability in Malaysian cities such as Ipoh,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3125847/malaysias-getting-hotter-can-its-leaders-rise-climate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3125847/malaysias-getting-hotter-can-its-leaders-rise-climate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Mar 2021 01:00:17 +0000 A week after the launch of its national immunisation plan, Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination efforts have come under scrutiny following allegations that political aides and workers were jumping the queue. Local media reported that doctors had complained these staff were cutting ahead of medical frontliners to receive the vaccine. In a swift response, science minister Khairy Jamaluddin – who is at the helm of Malaysia’s 4 billion ringgit (US$985 million) public health plan – said he would... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3123949/malaysias-coronavirus-vaccination-efforts-dogged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3123949/malaysias-coronavirus-vaccination-efforts-dogged?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Mar 2021 12:17:14 +0000 Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday reiterated his promise to hold elections after the coronavirus pandemic was under control, saying the government’s main focus now was “to steer this country clear of the double whammy of health and economic crises”. The embattled leader, speaking in a televised address to mark his first year in power, focused on summing up the government’s achievements and pointedly avoided reference to the power struggle that had dominated his time in office.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3123473/malaysia-power-struggles-pandemic-woes-mar-muhyiddins-first-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3123473/malaysia-power-struggles-pandemic-woes-mar-muhyiddins-first-year?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:00:16 +0000 After a year of political turmoil, economic struggle and coronavirus-induced lockdowns, Malaysia is poised for the endgame of its fight against Covid-19 as it kicked off a first round of vaccinations on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin among those receiving a shot. The premier’s Perikatan Nasional coalition, which came to power via political coup, is close to the end of a first year in government that has been marked by deep internal dysfunction and threats to its hold on power,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3122828/amid-deep-political-dysfunction-how-did-malaysia-pull?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3122828/amid-deep-political-dysfunction-how-did-malaysia-pull?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:30:10 +0000 The hottest social-networking app on the block – Clubhouse – is making waves in Malaysia as politicians, celebrities, top businesspeople and ordinary folks alike mingle on the audio-chat app. While Tesla founder Elon Musk and hip-hop artist Kanye West have helped popularise Clubhouse globally, Malaysians including science minister Khairy Jamaluddin, actress Maya Karin, street artist Fahmi Reza and former banker Nazir Razak and his brother, disgraced ex-premier Najib Razak, have also climbed on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3122417/malaysians-turn-clubhouse-amid-coronavirus-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3122417/malaysians-turn-clubhouse-amid-coronavirus-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Feb 2021 01:30:07 +0000 Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be the first in line to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, along with frontline medical staff, when the country’s National Immunisation Plan starts on February 26. The country’s first tranche of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will arrive this Sunday, five days earlier than expected, and inoculations will begin next Friday. Muhyiddin’s announcement puts him among other heads of government to take the lead in getting vaccinated to allay concerns about the jabs,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121860/coronavirus-malaysia-pm-muhyiddin-yassin-will-be-first-receive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121860/coronavirus-malaysia-pm-muhyiddin-yassin-will-be-first-receive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Feb 2021 05:00:27 +0000 For psychology graduate Roshinee Mookiah, Malaysia’s first coronavirus lockdown last year was a chance to provide mental health resources for ordinary people via social media. Her Instagram page, @cukup.club, shared beautifully designed infographics on how to uplift one’s mood and sleep better, and also dispensed tips on how to adjust to working from home. “We went into the first movement control order in March 2020 under the assumption that it was only for two weeks, but people were anxious and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3121595/coronavirus-malaysia-mental-health-issues-surge-where?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3121595/coronavirus-malaysia-mental-health-issues-surge-where?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2021 13:31:07 +0000 Malaysia’s fragile Perikatan Nasional government has found itself in yet another public relations quandary of its own making following a ruling granting a quarantine waiver for travelling cabinet ministers despite a coronavirus pandemic that shows little sign of abating. The announcement of the policy was met with widespread condemnation if not outright ridicule, with many describing it as reflective of the double standards on Covid-19 protocol as ordinary people shelter in place under a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121349/coronavirus-malaysia-muhyiddins-government-takes-more-flak-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121349/coronavirus-malaysia-muhyiddins-government-takes-more-flak-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 12:13:38 +0000 The Lunar New Year is traditionally a time when communities across Southeast Asia celebrate with large family gatherings, communal meals. In other words, exactly the kind of activities that the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing measures have made difficult. It’s not just that restrictions on international travel mean visits from relatives overseas are out of the question – even small family gatherings (and over enthusiastic salad tossing) could be off the menu in countries where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3121299/lunar-new-year-coronavirus-crashes-party-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3121299/lunar-new-year-coronavirus-crashes-party-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 09:30:11 +0000 A hashtag urging Malaysia’s king to intervene in Covid-19 measures or change the government has gone viral in the country, garnering widespread support, especially from younger generations. The #KitaMintaLima (We ask for five) hashtag, reminiscent of Hong Kong protesters’ “Five demands, not one less” slogan, calls on Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to take five steps amid growing discontent over the Southeast Asian nation’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. It calls for a targeted and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121050/echo-hong-kong-protests-malaysias-five-demands-king-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121050/echo-hong-kong-protests-malaysias-five-demands-king-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Feb 2021 01:30:10 +0000 The Malaysian government’s hasty policy U-turn regarding an important Lunar New Year family dinner event has done little to mollify its ethnic Chinese citizens, who have criticised not just the measures but also the government’s policy inconsistency on the matter. The government on Sunday loosened its policy regarding the so-called reunion dinners, which are held on Lunar New Year’s eve, saying that as many as 15 people, all of whom must live within 10km of the dinner venue, could attend any... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121023/malaysian-chinese-see-red-over-lunar-new-year-reunion-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3121023/malaysian-chinese-see-red-over-lunar-new-year-reunion-dinner?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Feb 2021 10:37:20 +0000 For Syahiirah Junaidi, a Kuala Lumpur resident, the recent halal meat scandal in Malaysia is beyond her control. The country was in December rocked by reports that a cartel had for decades been allegedly bribing officials to import and sell Muslims non-certified meat, including horse and kangaroo – when the meat was neither ritually slaughtered according to Islamic custom nor derived from approved sources. While Syahiirah says she cannot do much but continue to take the word of supermarkets that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3120850/could-malaysias-fake-halal-meat-scandal-impact-its-export?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3120850/could-malaysias-fake-halal-meat-scandal-impact-its-export?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Feb 2021 04:30:06 +0000 The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia on Friday said they were seeking a special meeting of foreign ministers from Asean to discuss the situation in Myanmar, where an elected government was overthrown in a military coup earlier this week. Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement at a joint press conference in Jakarta, where the latter was on a one-day official visit. “We are concerned with the political situation in Myanmar, and we hope... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3120708/indonesia-malaysia-call-asean-meeting-discuss-myanmar-coup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3120708/indonesia-malaysia-call-asean-meeting-discuss-myanmar-coup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:29:05 +0000 Even as Malaysia struggles to contain a pandemic that has wrought significant damage on its economy, it now faces a potentially greater fiscal challenge: defending its main cash crop – the oil palm – against European Union efforts to stifle the consumption of palm oil-based biofuels. But in order to win the battle and safeguard its status as the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, Malaysia must first make a more persuasive argument for its continued use as a sustainable product, which... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3119863/malaysia-draws-battles-lines-eu-over-palm-oil-focusing-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3119863/malaysia-draws-battles-lines-eu-over-palm-oil-focusing-public?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jan 2021 06:00:11 +0000 Covid-19 numbers in Malaysia continue to soar a year to the day since the country’s first case was detected – but after more than 180,000 infections, 678 related deaths and two nationwide lockdowns, public health experts are now concerned that the nation’s contact-tracing efforts are falling dangerously short. People who have tested positive for the disease have taken to social media to complain that they had not yet been contacted by health officials, while contact-tracing applications such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3119162/year-after-its-first-coronavirus-case-malaysias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3119162/year-after-its-first-coronavirus-case-malaysias?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:00:13 +0000 Even as the coronavirus pandemic propels profits in Malaysia’s burgeoning rubber glove industry to new heights, widespread accusations of forced labour amid increasing competition from China and Thailand have left it facing an ultimatum: change or be changed. Malaysia produces about 65 per cent of the world’s supply of rubber gloves and the coronavirus-induced boom has had a transformative effect on the nation’s rubber industry – the world’s fifth or sixth largest – as a whole. Its share of GDP... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3118877/coronavirus-boom-malaysias-rubber-glove-industry-loses-shine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3118877/coronavirus-boom-malaysias-rubber-glove-industry-loses-shine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 01:00:14 +0000 The streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital city, were empty on Wednesday morning – a far cry from the previous night’s hubbub as people scrambled to make preparations for a two-week lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. Roads were packed before the order came into force at midnight on Tuesday, with Malaysians squeezing in one last dinner or drink against the backdrop of thousands of coronavirus cases. Others returned to their hometowns before a ban on interstate or even interdistrict... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117609/quiet-falls-over-malaysia-residents-lockdown-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117609/quiet-falls-over-malaysia-residents-lockdown-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jan 2021 12:30:20 +0000 Malaysia was on Tuesday rocked by the news the nation’s monarch had approved a state of national emergency to stem the spread of a third wave of coronavirus infections. The announcement came just a day after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced targeted lockdowns across the country to combat a surge of cases. For several weeks Malaysia has recorded daily cases in the four digits and its total caseload has now risen to nearly 140,000 infections and 555 deaths – depressing statistics for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117423/what-malaysias-new-coronavirus-lockdown-and-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117423/what-malaysias-new-coronavirus-lockdown-and-state?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 10:00:27 +0000 Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Tuesday approved a national emergency to stem the spread a third wave of coronavirus infections, as health care systems threatened to reach a breaking point. The declaration came as a shock as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin did not mention such a plan on Monday when he announced targeted lockdowns across the country to quell a surging third wave of infections. “This consent ... takes into account the personal safety of the people and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117334/malaysian-king-declares-state-emergency-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117334/malaysian-king-declares-state-emergency-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 02:09:32 +0000 An enigmatic Malaysian businessman with links to the rich and famous disappears, apparently fleeing the country and leaving in his wake hundreds of millions of missing ringgit, a string of angry investors and a host of questions about how this could have been allowed to happen. You could be forgiven for thinking this is Low Taek Jho, or “Jho Low”, whose alleged plundering of the Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB and links to Hollywood celebrities inspired the book ‘Billion Dollar Whale’. But... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3117283/jho-low-2-malaysia-says-tedy-teow-has-fled-thailand-after-us83?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3117283/jho-low-2-malaysia-says-tedy-teow-has-fled-thailand-after-us83?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 01:00:13 +0000 Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday imposed partial lockdowns in most parts of the country after a months-long third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic showed no sign of abating. Six regions including the wealthy states of Johor, Selangor and Penang – as well as Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capital of Putrajaya and the federal territory of Labuan – will commence a strict two-week lockdown starting midnight on Wednesday. Residents in these areas are required to shelter in place and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117269/coronavirus-malaysian-prime-minister-muhyiddin-yassin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3117269/coronavirus-malaysian-prime-minister-muhyiddin-yassin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:29:20 +0000 For many observers, the 2016 bilateral agreement between Malaysia and Singapore to construct a high-speed rail (HSR) link was a seminal moment in the neighbours’ history. The pact was a capstone of sorts to the energetic efforts of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his then-counterpart, Najib Razak, to overcome an acrimonious past that included disputes over everything from water supply to outcrops in the sea, airspace, and land that belonged to Malaysia before Singapore split off... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3116938/what-derailed-singapore-malaysia-high-speed-link-and-where-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3116938/what-derailed-singapore-malaysia-high-speed-link-and-where-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jan 2021 04:15:08 +0000 Surging Covid-19 numbers in Malaysia have alarmed public health experts, who are urging the government to take swift action amid speculation another nationwide lockdown will be instituted to throttle the spread of the disease. The country on Thursday recorded 3,027 new cases, its highest ever daily total and a sharp uptick from the single-digit increases marked in July after Malaysia emerged from a months-long movement control order. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the nation’s top health official, told a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3116991/spectre-lockdown-looms-again-malaysia-after-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3116991/spectre-lockdown-looms-again-malaysia-after-record?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jan 2021 11:05:12 +0000 Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s political troubles aren’t over yet – just weeks after he managed to survive a knife-edge parliamentary session, his key ally and the country’s largest political party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), is mulling a split from his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) ahead of potential snap elections. Umno will be discussing the motion to cut ties with Bersatu during its general assembly at the end of January, the party’s top... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3116841/muhyiddin-under-renewed-pressure-malaysia-key-ally-umno?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3116841/muhyiddin-under-renewed-pressure-malaysia-key-ally-umno?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:36:01 +0000 The extensive maritime affairs experience of China’s new ambassador to Malaysia has attracted the attention of analysts, who say Ouyang Yujing’s appointment could mean “more authoritative decisions” over the countries’ South China Sea dispute. The former director general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of China’s foreign affairs ministry, Ouyang, 55, was described by Beijing watchers as a seasoned and capable official. “He is thoroughly experienced in both land border and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114826/how-will-ouyang-yujing-beijings-new-ambassador-malaysia-handle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114826/how-will-ouyang-yujing-beijings-new-ambassador-malaysia-handle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2020 11:01:17 +0000 Malaysian politician Tengku Adnan Mansor has been found guilty of graft, two weeks after a separate corruption trial involving the member of parliament was halted following a prosecutor’s call for a discharge not amounting to acquittal. The Monday verdict came just days after Malaysia’s hotly debated 2021 budget was narrowly passed, raising questions as to whether Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s slim two-vote parliamentary majority will now be further weakened. Tengku Adnan was on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114782/malaysia-muhyiddins-razor-thin-parliamentary-majority-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114782/malaysia-muhyiddins-razor-thin-parliamentary-majority-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:14:44 +0000 He is not the first reality television star to fall from grace and is unlikely to be the last, but when the young celebrity Islamic “preacher” Syed Shah Iqmal was charged with rape, unnatural sex and outraging the modesty of one of his female followers, it seemed like half of Malaysia had an opinion. Syed Shah Iqmal Syed Mohammad Shaiful, 25, more commonly known as Da’i (a term for those who invite people into the religion), had grown immensely popular following his stint in the show Da’i... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3114478/dai-syeds-rape-and-sex-charge-test-god-malaysias?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3114478/dai-syeds-rape-and-sex-charge-test-god-malaysias?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2020 04:00:10 +0000 Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government has won a knife-edge final vote on the 2021 budget, giving the embattled leader some breathing space after the parliamentary deliberations emerged as a bellwether for his political future. The Tuesday victory disproved opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s repeated claims that a majority of MPs – including those on government benches – backed him instead of Muhyiddin. The nearly man: will Anwar Ibrahim ever lead Malaysia? However, the narrow... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114015/malaysias-pm-muhyiddin-averts-danger-slim-budget-vote-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3114015/malaysias-pm-muhyiddin-averts-danger-slim-budget-vote-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:59:13 +0000 Women and children have been hardest-hit by coronavirus restrictions in Malaysia, experts say, with domestic violence and calls to abortion helplines both increasing during lockdown. Women’s groups reported a threefold increase in distress calls over the past year, while a reproductive rights group said calls from women seeking access to safe abortions increased nearly 50 per cent over 2020 compared to 2019. The Women’s Aid Organisation reported a 150 per cent increase in calls to its hotline... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3113852/malaysian-women-children-bear-brunt-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3113852/malaysian-women-children-bear-brunt-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Dec 2020 07:30:17 +0000 Increased censorship, government proposals to revive a law against fake news and a tripling of investigations into alleged seditious activity since 2019 all point to a loss of civil liberties that could see Malaysia “slide down the democracy scale”, rights groups are warning. Observers say the Perikatan Nasional coalition government has taken a marked turn from the approach of its predecessor, the more permissive Pakatan Harapan, which was voted into power in May 2018 but unceremoniously turfed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3113203/censorship-sedition-probes-perikatan-nasionals-malaysia-sliding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3113203/censorship-sedition-probes-perikatan-nasionals-malaysia-sliding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:15:18 +0000 A corruption trial involving Malaysian politician Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was on Monday halted after the public prosecutor called for a discharge not amounting to acquittal, citing “new developments” in the case. “There have been new developments that need to be investigated properly and the prosecution does not want to waste this honourable court’s time, because we are unsure how long it will take to investigate the case,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Julia Ibrahim. The dismissal not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3112860/malaysian-corruption-trial-halted-pm-muhyiddin-faces-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3112860/malaysian-corruption-trial-halted-pm-muhyiddin-faces-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 07:45:14 +0000 There is little doubt that 2020 will go down as an annus horribilis for Malaysia. It’s been harder hit by the Covid-19 pandemic than neighbours such as Thailand and Singapore, with part of the damage self-inflicted: most of the country’s more than 70,000 cases so far occurred during a third wave of infections that began in October, after earlier outbreaks were quelled through a gruelling months-long lockdown. Like the rest of the region, the country’s economy is poised for a full-year economic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3112661/nearly-man-will-anwar-ibrahim-ever-lead-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3112661/nearly-man-will-anwar-ibrahim-ever-lead-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2020 02:00:25 +0000 Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Friday released a strenuous defence of his parliamentary support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s 2021 federal budget, in response to criticism from Malaysians who expected his Pakatan Harapan coalition to vote down the bill. Anwar acknowledged in a statement that even though members of the coalition had wanted to take a vote on the matter, “I decided as the Opposition leader and Pakatan Harapan chairman to request that the party whips not do... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3111696/malaysian-opposition-leader-anwar-assailed-backing-muhyiddins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3111696/malaysian-opposition-leader-anwar-assailed-backing-muhyiddins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:35:33 +0000 Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, under fire on multiple fronts and grappling with weak parliamentary support, on Thursday won a crucial victory as lawmakers greenlit a draft 2021 budget. The budget bill moved past the so-called policy stage following a voice vote in the 222-seat parliament, though it can still be defeated in upcoming debates in the committee stage of deliberations. Soon after the vote, a spokesman for the country’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3111478/malaysias-muhyiddin-yassin-wins-draft-budget-vote-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3111478/malaysias-muhyiddin-yassin-wins-draft-budget-vote-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2020 08:01:19 +0000 With airlines in Malaysia expected to take three years to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, observers say a major restructuring has to be on the cards for key airlines including embattled national carrier Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, the market leader by fleet size. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong this month said the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s revised projections for passenger traffic in 2020 came in at 26.6 million, plummeting more than 75 per cent from the 109.2 million passengers... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3110741/can-airasia-and-malaysia-airlines-stay-aloft-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3110741/can-airasia-and-malaysia-airlines-stay-aloft-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:00:20 +0000 The government of the Malaysian state of Melaka has terminated an agreement with the main developer of a Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure project after years of delays, raising questions about its future and the Malaysian government’s commitment to other projects under the strategy. The Melaka Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement that the agreement with KAJ Development on the Melaka Gateway mixed development had been ended after the developer failed to complete the 246.45-hectare... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3110252/did-belt-and-road-project-malaysia-just-crash-and-burn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3110252/did-belt-and-road-project-malaysia-just-crash-and-burn?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 13:15:15 +0000 Malaysia’s economy contracted less than expected in the third quarter, shrinking 2.7 per cent from the same period last year, leading Malaysia’s central bank to offer a more positive outlook for growth next year. The decline was less severe than the 3.2 per cent forecast, which the central bank attributed to the success of Covid-19 containment measures and the gradual reopening of the economy. The decline in domestic demand also slowed and net exports rebounded. Bank Negara Malaysia said on a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3109737/malaysias-latest-economic-data-offers-hope-covid-19-curbs-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3109737/malaysias-latest-economic-data-offers-hope-covid-19-curbs-could?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Nov 2020 08:27:50 +0000 The Malaysian government unveiled an expansionary 2021 budget on Friday that includes extended debt relief measures for the country‘s low-income groups but also sets the stage for a clash with the opposition after some of its key demands were not included. The government aims to spend 322.5 billion ringgit (about US$78 billion) in 2021 – which would be a 2.5 per cent increase from the 2020 budget – even though the country faces a deficit crunch. Introduced on Friday by finance minister Zafrul... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108855/malaysia-opposition-blasts-muhyiddin-budget-short-changing-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108855/malaysia-opposition-blasts-muhyiddin-budget-short-changing-key?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Nov 2020 14:23:54 +0000 Malaysia’s crucial 2021 budget bill will be officially introduced in parliament on Friday with last-minute tweaks still being made and numerous hurdles that must be overcome to push it through, despite the government’s collaborative approach. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who came to power in March through a political coup that saw the previous Pakatan Harapan ruling administration cannibalise itself, has urged all politicians to back his government’s budget for the good of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108553/muhyiddin-pleas-unity-malaysia-budget-face-potential-revolt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108553/muhyiddin-pleas-unity-malaysia-budget-face-potential-revolt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Nov 2020 04:11:21 +0000 Malaysia’s parliament opened on Monday with a glimmer of hope that a federal budget with bipartisan support could be agreed, albeit with stringent conditions, despite increasing doubts about Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s grip on power. However, the sitting was cut short when it emerged several officers had tested positive for Covid-19, raising questions over whether the rest of the year’s sittings would also be curtailed. The nation’s de facto law minister, Takiyuddin Hassan, told the lower... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108128/coronavirus-strikes-malaysian-parliament-glimmer-hope-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3108128/coronavirus-strikes-malaysian-parliament-glimmer-hope-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:00:16 +0000 Child pornography, revenge nudes and upskirt images – these are just some of the things Shalini saw when she infiltrated one of the Malaysian Telegram groups created to share and trade illegal pornographic content on the instant-messaging service. “There was so much child porn being traded openly. There was a father who secretly filmed his own daughter and sent it to the group,” said Shalini, 23, who was part of a community-driven sting operation to collect information and share it with the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3107952/malaysian-survivors-telegram-porn-scandal-abuse-and-exploitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3107952/malaysian-survivors-telegram-porn-scandal-abuse-and-exploitation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Nov 2020 04:00:34 +0000 Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has sparked an uproar by claiming that Muslims have “a right to be angry and kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past”. The comments appeared on the 95-year-old’s blog on Thursday evening as part of Mahathir’s response to calls from Muslim nations to boycott French products. Twitter has since removed one of the elder statesman’s tweets containing his latest remarks after deeming it violated its rules. Earlier, it left the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107680/muslims-have-right-kill-millions-french-malaysias-mahathir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107680/muslims-have-right-kill-millions-french-malaysias-mahathir?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:01:06 +0000 Malaysia’s political uncertainty continued on Tuesday as scandal-tainted former leader Najib Razak warned his party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), that it risks defeat at the next elections if it continues to cooperate with current prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Najib, who is appealing a 12-year jail term a court handed him in July for corruption and abuse of power, shared his concerns that the party would be criticised for collective government decisions and gaffes, despite... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107302/malaysias-political-turmoil-najib-warns-umno-preserving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107302/malaysias-political-turmoil-najib-warns-umno-preserving?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 13:43:08 +0000 Malaysia’s embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has retained the crucial backing of his ruling coalition’s biggest component party, putting an end to earlier speculation that he would be forced out of the job following disgruntlement among key allies over his now-aborted plan to suspend parliament and indefinitely rule by decree. In a statement, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the leader of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) – whose 39 MPs form the biggest bloc in Muhyiddin’s Perikatan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107142/malaysias-political-turmoil-umno-meeting-could-determine-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107142/malaysias-political-turmoil-umno-meeting-could-determine-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:53:20 +0000 Malaysia’s king on Sunday was lauded by citizens and government critics as he dismissed Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s plan for a state of emergency and urged warring politicians to find common ground amid soaring Covid-19 cases. Muhyiddin, who had been accused by the opposition of using the latest wave of coronavirus cases as an excuse to suspend parliament and insulate his turmoil-wracked government from being ousted, in a late evening statement acknowledged the decision by Sultan Abdullah... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107022/coronavirus-malaysia-king-praised-after-denying-muhyiddins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3107022/coronavirus-malaysia-king-praised-after-denying-muhyiddins?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2020 12:29:07 +0000 A series of major disruptions to the water supply in Malaysia’s richest state of Selangor has shone a spotlight on problems with the country’s water management system that have persisted for years. The most recent spate of dry taps in Selangor coincided with a fresh partial lockdown aimed at curbing a rash of Covid-19 cases – raising hackles as people complained that they could not even comply with government exhortations to frequently wash their hands. Despite having an abundance of water,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3106936/malaysia-water-disruptions-rankle-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3106936/malaysia-water-disruptions-rankle-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2020 06:00:10 +0000 Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Friday criticised a purported plan by the government to suspend parliament and rule by decree in the midst of surging coronavirus cases, saying the move would herald “dictatorship and authoritarianism”, as reports swirled that embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was manoeuvring to gain emergency powers. Other critics too slammed the ruling Perikatan Nasional alliance for seeking to suspend the legislature as an underhanded means to avoid an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3106876/malaysias-anwar-cries-foul-embattled-pm-muhyiddin-said-eye-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3106876/malaysias-anwar-cries-foul-embattled-pm-muhyiddin-said-eye-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Oct 2020 12:56:21 +0000 Strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan, Australia and India in the form of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is part of Washington’s effort to build an “Indo-Pacific Nato”, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, warning that the initiative would severely undermine regional security. The senior Chinese diplomat’s withering assessment of the so-called Quad grouping came as he spoke to the media after meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein in Kuala... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3105299/indo-pacific-nato-chinas-wang-yi-slams-us-led-quad-underlying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3105299/indo-pacific-nato-chinas-wang-yi-slams-us-led-quad-underlying?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 07:25:09 +0000 Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday urged citizens to exercise “patience and wisdom” as the king deliberates on the next steps on the veteran politician’s much-debated plan to oust Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and form a new administration through defections of government MPs. “We are not pressing him for any prompt decisions,” Anwar said after the 25-minute meeting, where he claimed to have submitted documents proving he had support for his leadership bid. The country’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3105294/malaysias-anwar-ibrahim-urges-patience-citizens-king-deliberates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3105294/malaysias-anwar-ibrahim-urges-patience-citizens-king-deliberates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 06:50:43 +0000