https://www.scmp.com/rss/324448/feed After nine years as Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Razak was driven from office in 2018 when he lost a general election to Mahathir Mohamad. The result was a political earthquake in Malaysia, where the Barisan Nasional coalition had held sway for more than 60 years. It also exposed Najib to prosecution over the vast corruption scandal engulfing state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which he established. Police seized luxury goods worth millions of dollars from Najib and his wife,... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters A Malaysian court on Tuesday ⁠ordered jailed former ⁠prime minister Najib Razak ⁠to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported. The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Najib was liable for losses incurred by ‌SRC International, a former subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad, state news agency Bernama reported. High Court judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin ruled that Najib breached his fiduciary duties, abused his position... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348554/malaysia-court-orders-ex-pm-najib-pay-us13-billion-1mdb-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:20:34 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s opposition is in open civil war, with a power struggle threatening to split the main bloc against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just two years out from the next general election. Bersatu, or the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, sits at the core of Perikatan Nasional (PN), a conservative alliance whose appeal surged in the 2022 poll to become the largest opposition group after a hung parliament produced a unity government led by Anwar. A succession fight between party chief and former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:09:45 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Takaichi sweeps election with historic win 2. ‘Dominated by non-Malays’: study on elected Kuala Lumpur mayor spurs race debate 3. ‘Not political gift’: sultan’s comment on pardons stirs debate over Najib’s case 4. Japan set to revive WWII military... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3343003/japans-takaichi-sweeps-election-kuala-lumpur-mayoral-ethnicity-debate-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3343003/japans-takaichi-sweeps-election-kuala-lumpur-mayoral-ethnicity-debate-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:30:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The sultan of Pahang in Malaysia has urged the public to view royal pardons with “calmness of emotion” and not as “a political gift”, in what analysts describe as a pointed reminder that clemency is a constitutional process, amid a furore over a decree supposedly extended to ex-prime minister Najib Razak. According to Najib, the supplementary royal decree, or “addendum”, would allow him to serve the remainder of his reduced prison sentence at home. The Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed his bid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:54:30 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words As Western brands such as Rohe and Adidas adopt stylistic elements associated with Chinese clothing, such as knotted buttons on “Tang-style” jackets, some in diasporic communities have felt discomfort with the cultural framing of these designs. It is worth acknowledging that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341782/dont-be-too-quick-call-brands-out-cultural-appropriation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3341782/dont-be-too-quick-call-brands-out-cultural-appropriation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 03:30:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The president of Malaysia’s Umno has denied abandoning disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak to save himself, as fissures emerge in the former ruling party over the mixed legal fortunes of two of its top leaders. Umno grass-roots members have urged President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to quit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government in protest after the High Court blocked Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest last month. It also handed the one-time party figurehead a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340180/malaysias-umno-chief-denies-he-sidelined-najib-secure-his-own-legal-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340180/malaysias-umno-chief-denies-he-sidelined-najib-secure-his-own-legal-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:07:42 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which for decades dominated Malaysian politics and remains a key member of the ruling coalition, is set to renew a push for the release of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak next week, even as it steps back from threats to quit the government. Resolutions pushing for a full pardon and demanding justice for Najib were the “hottest topic” submitted by the party’s 191 divisions ahead of its annual assembly, Secretary General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:23:47 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s opposition was thrown into fresh uncertainty on Tuesday by the surprise resignation of its coalition chairman, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, capping months of internal bickering over leadership with less than two years left before national polls must be held. Muhyiddin, who formed the Malay nationalist Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition in 2020 while he was still in power, made his announcement after rumours swirled overnight that he had bowed to pressure from coalition... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338170/muhyiddins-shock-resignation-leaves-malaysias-opposition-facing-fresh-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338170/muhyiddins-shock-resignation-leaves-malaysias-opposition-facing-fresh-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:57:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has filed an appeal against his conviction last week on ‌corruption charges related to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, which saw him ‍sentenced to an additional 15 years in prison, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Najib, 72, has been in jail since 2022 on corruption offences linked to allegations that about US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia ⁠Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he co-founded while serving as prime minister in 2009. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338114/malaysias-najib-razak-challenges-15-year-jail-term-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338114/malaysias-najib-razak-challenges-15-year-jail-term-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:11:48 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. How the Peranakan Chinese built one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful networks Born of trade and migration, the Peranakan community has forged a distinct identity that has bridged China and Southeast Asia for centuries. 2. Philippine court upholds murder verdict in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3338111/southeast-asias-peranakan-chinese-malaysian-ex-pm-jailed-1mdb-saga-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3338111/southeast-asias-peranakan-chinese-malaysian-ex-pm-jailed-1mdb-saga-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:02:38 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The fresh prison sentence handed to disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has sharpened tensions inside Umno, with analysts warning the legal blow to the party’s former figurehead could fuel calls for a withdrawal from the coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. On Friday, a Malaysian court sentenced Najib, 72, to a further 15 years in prison after finding him guilty on all 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338012/najibs-new-1mdb-verdict-deepens-umno-rifts-testing-malaysias-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338012/najibs-new-1mdb-verdict-deepens-umno-rifts-testing-malaysias-unity-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 08:05:03 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof From engaging with the world’s most powerful leaders, infighting within the ruling party, and cases of horrific school violence, to a murder probe involving a controversial rapper. Malaysia was a regional powerhouse that punched above its weight even as it faced pressing challenges in domestic politics this year. Here are the most widely read Malaysia stories This Week in Asia covered in 2025: Diplomatic wins In a year when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim chairs Asean, Malaysia played host to world... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337868/trumps-dance-najibs-1mdb-saga-influencer-case-malaysia-leads-asean-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337868/trumps-dance-najibs-1mdb-saga-influencer-case-malaysia-leads-asean-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 05:00:09 +0000 CNA CNA Malaysia’s smallest state, Perlis, has been plunged into political uncertainty with the resignation of Chief Minister Mohd Shukri Ramli and the sacking of three assemblymen from his party, sending ripples across the country’s political alliances. Shukri, from the Islamist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), cited health reasons for stepping down, but said he was blindsided by the withdrawal of support from state assemblymen from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition made up of PAS and Parti... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337812/malaysias-perlis-state-turmoil-after-chief-ministers-shock-resignation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337812/malaysias-perlis-state-turmoil-after-chief-ministers-shock-resignation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:50:22 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian court on Friday sentenced jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to a further 15 years in prison after convicting him on all 25 charges linked to the plundering of billions of dollars from the scandal-tainted state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The High Court found Najib, 72, guilty of four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering, after taking account of his “direct role” in the siphoning of 2.3 billion ringgit (US$568 million) from the troubled... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337795/malaysias-najib-found-guilty-abuse-power-charge-final-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337795/malaysias-najib-found-guilty-abuse-power-charge-final-1mdb-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 07:38:36 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Pentagon says Chinese aircraft carriers, 6th-gen fighters make US ‘vulnerable’ A Pentagon report contends that China’s development of its aircraft carriers, sixth-generation fighters and nuclear arsenal illustrates Beijing’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337771/chinas-reusable-rocket-failure-plas-growth-leaves-us-vulnerable-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3337771/chinas-reusable-rocket-failure-plas-growth-leaves-us-vulnerable-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:41:15 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s High Court is poised on Friday to deliver its verdict in the final criminal trial of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, bringing to a close one of Southeast Asia’s most far-reaching corruption sagas. The case centres on allegations that the disgraced 72-year-old misappropriated 2.3 billion ringgit (US$490 million) from the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib is currently in Kajang Prison, over halfway through a sentence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337730/1mdb-verdict-due-will-malaysias-najib-have-prepare-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337730/1mdb-verdict-due-will-malaysias-najib-have-prepare-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 11:12:09 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The children of ex-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak have been yearning for their father to leave prison and the family to spend the New Year together. But their hopes were dashed this week after a court ruled against Najib’s application to return home under house arrest. In a five-minute video posted online shortly after the decision on Monday, Najib’s eldest son, Mohd Nizar Najib, said the family had gone to court prepared for both outcomes, but had quietly believed the long fight – based... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337628/najibs-children-lament-malaysian-court-ruling-we-thought-he-was-coming-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337628/najibs-children-lament-malaysian-court-ruling-we-thought-he-was-coming-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:57:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A court’s decision to keep former Malaysian leader Najib Razak behind bars has reopened fault lines between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition and Umno, the country’s once-dominant ruling party. The Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday rejected Najib’s application to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, ruling that a purported addendum to a royal clemency order “had no legal effect because it was never deliberated by the Pardons Board”. The decision meant the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337482/why-malaysian-court-ruling-against-najib-dividing-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337482/why-malaysian-court-ruling-against-najib-dividing-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:46:32 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Joseph Sipalan Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Joseph Sipalan A Malaysian court on Monday dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, dealing a setback to his attempt to secure early release from jail. Najib, 72, is serving a reduced six-year sentence after receiving partial royal clemency earlier this year in the SRC International case, a former subsidiary linked to the scandal-ridden Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, in which he was convicted of abuse of power, criminal breach of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337258/malaysias-najib-razak-be-released-jail-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3337258/malaysias-najib-razak-be-released-jail-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 02:11:54 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday announced his second cabinet reshuffle in two years, reassigning senior ministers and promoting new faces as he seeks to bolster his administration ahead of the next general election. The changes follow months of mounting political pressure on Anwar’s government, triggered by his close allies’ resignations, internal party bickering and persistent cost of living concerns. “This is about fine-tuning so the cabinet works as a team and focuses on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336662/malaysias-anwar-reshuffles-cabinet-focus-stronger-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336662/malaysias-anwar-reshuffles-cabinet-focus-stronger-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:36:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian prosecutors have dropped their appeal against the acquittal of Rosmah Mansor, the wife of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak, in a case involving money laundering and tax evasion, saying they saw no prospect of success. Since 2018, the couple have been subject to multiple corruption investigations surrounding Najib’s alleged role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Both have repeatedly denied all wrongdoing. Rosmah, widely scorned in Malaysia for her extravagant lifestyle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336183/najibs-wife-cleared-malaysia-drops-money-laundering-tax-evasion-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336183/najibs-wife-cleared-malaysia-drops-money-laundering-tax-evasion-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:56:10 +0000 The Star The Star The sister of fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, whose whereabouts are still unknown, and a close associate were ordered by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to pay 11.58 billion ringgit (US$2.8 billion) to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), over “tainted proceeds” misappropriated from the state fund. Justice Mahazan Mat Taib granted the judgment in default (JID) against Low May Lin, the sister of Low – better known as Jho Low – and Eric Tan, after the court found that 1MDB had decisively... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334087/malaysia-court-orders-jho-lows-sister-and-associate-pay-us28-billion-1mdb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3334087/malaysia-court-orders-jho-lows-sister-and-associate-pay-us28-billion-1mdb?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:29:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters A Singapore court has cleared the way for a US$2.7 billion lawsuit against Standard Chartered Bank over its alleged role in 1MDB fraud, liquidators seeking to recover the funds said on Monday. Singapore High Court dismissed an application by the bank to strike out a suit filed against it by liquidators, the liquidators said in a press release, calling it “a significant legal victory” allowing the case to continue. Liquidators trying to recover money from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333965/singapore-court-approves-us27-billion-1mdb-suit-against-standard-chartered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333965/singapore-court-approves-us27-billion-1mdb-suit-against-standard-chartered?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:36:53 +0000 The Star The Star The Malaysian High Court has dismissed an appeal by former prime minister Najib Razak and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin Najib, to stay bankruptcy proceedings against them. The bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the Inland Revenue Board following Najib and Nazifuddin’s failure to settle tax arrears amounting to 1.69 billion ringgit (US$407 million) and 37.6 million ringgit, respectively. Judicial Commissioner Suhendran Sockanathan alias Saheran Abdullah made the dismissal after finding that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333043/malaysias-najib-son-face-bankruptcy-ordered-pay-over-us407-million-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3333043/malaysias-najib-son-face-bankruptcy-ordered-pay-over-us407-million-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 04:23:47 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Malaysia’s Madani government has vowed to tackle its mounting budgetary pressures by phasing out blanket petrol subsidies. But despite initial signals of bold reform in 2023, the scope of the policy has since narrowed. Today, subsidised fuel remains available to the masses, while only the “ultra-rich” and foreigners will face higher costs. This retreat reflects the political and practical challenges of reforming a system deeply embedded in Malaysian society. Fuel subsidies have long been an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3330253/why-malaysias-fuel-subsidy-reform-stuck-slow-lane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3330253/why-malaysias-fuel-subsidy-reform-stuck-slow-lane?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore’s High Court has dismissed a bid by foreign liquidators to sue Standard Chartered Bank and BSI Bank in the city state over transactions alleged to be linked to the scandal-hit Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, according to a judgment on Wednesday. Representatives of the liquidators did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Standard Chartered said the bank welcomed the court’s decision. Liquidators began legal proceedings against the London-headquartered bank in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327481/singapore-court-rejects-us27-billion-1mdb-linked-suit-against-standard-chartered-bsi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327481/singapore-court-rejects-us27-billion-1mdb-linked-suit-against-standard-chartered-bsi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:54:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Depending on who you ask, Anwar Ibrahim is either on a mission to liberate Malaysia from decades of corruption or settling old political scores under the guise of reform. The latest target of the prime minister’s anti-graft investigators? His 100-year-old arch rival and former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission recently disclosed that British authorities were assisting with its more than year-long investigation into assets allegedly linked to Mahathir, who twice... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326155/anwar-vs-mahathir-malaysias-corruption-showdown-comes-full-circle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326155/anwar-vs-mahathir-malaysias-corruption-showdown-comes-full-circle?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The father of Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was murdered in 2006 by two bodyguards of the detail for officials including former Malaysian premier Najib Razak, has petitioned the courts to order a further investigation into her death. Shaariibuu Setev, 76, has applied for a judicial review to compel Malaysian authorities to investigate the contents of a sworn affidavit made from death row in 2019 by one of the men convicted of killing the Mongolian woman, Shaariibuu’s lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323432/altantuya-shaariibuu-murder-case-linked-malaysias-najib-takes-fresh-twist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323432/altantuya-shaariibuu-murder-case-linked-malaysias-najib-takes-fresh-twist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 04:15:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Malaysian children as young as four will be given comics on the evils of corruption, as the country’s anti-corruption commission turns to live-streamed court cases, films of scandals and other media outreach to expunge a scourge that is rooted deep in the nation’s society and politics. Corruption dogs the reputation of the Southeast Asian nation, which has seen a succession of former prime ministers implicated in the theft of public funds running into billions of dollars. Perhaps the most... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322745/malaysias-new-anti-corruption-drive-takes-comic-turn-battle-young-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322745/malaysias-new-anti-corruption-drive-takes-comic-turn-battle-young-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:59:04 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi No drugs or poison have been found in the blood of the 12-year-old son of Malaysian ex-minister Rafizi Ramli, who was attacked with a syringe at a shopping centre, as Rafizi warned on Thursday of fresh threats made against his family since the shocking assault. The boy, who was out with his mother at the shopping centre in Putrajaya, was attacked in a car park on Wednesday afternoon by two men on a motorbike who were dressed in black with full-face helmets. He was stabbed with a syringe before... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321827/malaysia-threats-follow-syringe-attack-rafizi-ramlis-son-shut-or-else-aids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321827/malaysia-threats-follow-syringe-attack-rafizi-ramlis-son-shut-or-else-aids?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:34:17 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s highest court on Wednesday threw disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak a lifeline in his bid to trade prison for house arrest for his role in the 1MDB corruption scandal. The Federal Court dismissed a government bid to block Najib from seeking access to a purported royal order that he claims would permit him to serve the remainder of his six-year sentence at home rather than in Kajang prison, where he has been held since August 2022. Najib, 72, was convicted in 2020 of criminal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321672/malaysias-najib-gets-legal-lifeline-house-arrest-bid-over-1mdb-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321672/malaysias-najib-gets-legal-lifeline-house-arrest-bid-over-1mdb-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 05:01:12 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi As the gavel passes to Malaysia’s new chief justice, old questions echo through Putrajaya. Can a judiciary led by a former Umno party insider truly deliver impartial justice, or will the shadows of political allegiance darken the bench? Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, previously a Court of Appeal judge and once deputy home minister under prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is set to assume the judiciary’s highest seat on Monday. But his past life as an Umno politician, and personal associations... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319633/anwars-chief-justice-pick-tests-malaysias-faith-courts-why-one-exposed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319633/anwars-chief-justice-pick-tests-malaysias-faith-courts-why-one-exposed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 04:00:07 +0000 The Star The Star There is no “credible proof” supporting a report that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, is in China or using an Australian passport, according to Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He stated that the report about Low’s location and the passport he allegedly used was not backed by credible evidence or facts. “The home ministry, through the police, is cooperating closely and continuously with our foreign counterparts and international authorities to track... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3319394/malaysia-says-no-credible-proof-jho-low-living-china-fake-passport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3319394/malaysia-says-no-credible-proof-jho-low-living-china-fake-passport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:46:06 +0000 Tricia Yeoh,Francis E. Hutchinson Tricia Yeoh,Francis E. Hutchinson Mahathir Mohamad, the spry two-time prime minister of Malaysia, turned 100 on July 10. Visionary but detail-oriented, charismatic yet divisive, Mahathir has profoundly shaped the country’s politics, economy and society over the past six decades. His entry into electoral politics was a turning point. In 1964, Mahathir contested his first parliamentary seat for Umno in Kedah. Unlike the United Malays National Organisation’s urbane, first-generation leaders, Mahathir came from a rural background... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318810/malaysias-mahathir-mohamad-100-year-mixed-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318810/malaysias-mahathir-mohamad-100-year-mixed-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia has named Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as its new chief justice, a move Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said should put to rest weeks of public criticism and accusations that his government was meddling in the judiciary. However, the new top judge’s past political ties – including to former prime minister Najib Razak – have prompted concern among critics and legal observers that his appointment could undermine public confidence in the judiciary’s independence. Wan Ahmad Farid’s appointment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318674/malaysia-appoints-new-chief-justice-judicial-crisis-not-over-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318674/malaysia-appoints-new-chief-justice-judicial-crisis-not-over-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 03:19:05 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A cryptic promise from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become the latest lightning rod for Malaysia’s restless public, whose patience is wearing thin after months of new taxes, political scandals and economic anxiety. Late on Monday, Anwar posted a stylised silhouette and the words Akan Datang (Coming Soon) across his social media accounts, promising a special gesture of “extraordinary” appreciation for all Malaysians. The post, which was met with widespread derision, appeared just hours after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318244/whats-anwars-big-surprise-malaysians-dread-more-taxes-or-pardon-najib?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318244/whats-anwars-big-surprise-malaysians-dread-more-taxes-or-pardon-najib?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 05:26:34 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Former Malaysian first lady Rosmah Mansor has won 100,000 ringgit (US$23,600) in damages in a defamation case against a TikTokker who uploaded a video claiming that she had dabbled in black magic. The Kuala Lumpur High Court said on Tuesday that Rosmah had proven her claim against 35-year-old Ku Muhammad Hilmie Ku Din. “This global award … comprises general and aggravated damages,” Justice Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh said during the damages assessment hearing, according to a report by local daily... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317359/malaysias-rosmah-wins-us23600-damages-over-black-magic-claims-tiktokker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317359/malaysias-rosmah-wins-us23600-damages-over-black-magic-claims-tiktokker?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:24:36 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The bankruptcy of high-profile fashion designer Jovian Mandagie, the former son-in-law of Malaysia’s ex-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has brought renewed attention to the growing scandals surrounding the former leader’s family. Jovian, once a household name in Malaysian and Indonesian fashion circles, was declared bankrupt by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Thursday for failing to repay a US$1.25 million loan to an engineering firm. The court ruling comes amid ongoing investigations by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317023/ex-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabris-family-hit-scandal-former-son-law-declared-bankrupt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317023/ex-malaysian-pm-ismail-sabris-family-hit-scandal-former-son-law-declared-bankrupt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 12:29:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Liquidators for Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB have sued Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, alleging it enabled fraud that led to more than US$2.7 billion in financial losses more than 10 years ago. Standard Chartered, the UK-headquartered bank in Singapore, on Tuesday said that it emphatically rejected the claims. The move is the latest in a wide-ranging effort to recover money belonging to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), from which US investigators say about US$4.5 billion was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316517/malaysian-liquidators-sue-standard-chartered-singapore-alleging-its-role-1mdb-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3316517/malaysian-liquidators-sue-standard-chartered-singapore-alleging-its-role-1mdb-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 09:41:10 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A judge on Friday discharged disgraced former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak from a US$6.3 million money laundering case after ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide relevant documents to the defence. The ruling marks the second time a case involving Najib has been dismissed due to prosecutorial inaction, raising fresh questions about the conduct and priorities of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). Najib, who led the country for nine years until his defeat in the 2018... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315182/malaysias-najib-discharged-over-us63-million-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315182/malaysias-najib-discharged-over-us63-million-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 06:13:41 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms. Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3313628/malaysian-cartoonist-vows-sue-anwars-government-over-his-travel-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3313628/malaysian-cartoonist-vows-sue-anwars-government-over-his-travel-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 06:31:12 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The abrupt resignation of two key members of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet has thrown his government into a tailspin, with analysts warning that the former ruling party, Umno, may gain greater leverage over ministerial appointments and could even stage a comeback in the next general election. Umno, which was ousted in the 2018 election under corruption-tainted former prime minister Najib Razak after six decades in power, is a key minority partner in Anwar’s unity government.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312788/anwars-cabinet-chaos-raises-prospect-umnos-return-power-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312788/anwars-cabinet-chaos-raises-prospect-umnos-return-power-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 03:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, who pleaded guilty to helping loot the Malaysian investment fund 1MDB, was sentenced to two years in prison over his role in the massive fraud. US District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn, New York, sentenced him at a hearing Thursday. Leissner had asked not to go to prison, arguing that his cooperation had resulted in the conviction of a former colleague and billions of dollars in global fines against Goldman. Leissner, 53, had faced as long as 25 years... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312360/ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-gets-2-years-1mdb-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312360/ex-goldman-banker-tim-leissner-gets-2-years-1mdb-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 18:01:53 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Anwar Ibrahim’s decades-long struggle for reform once inspired a generation to take to the streets, railing against corruption and cronyism. But two years into his tenure as prime minister, the political realities of governance have begun to erode his once-revered “Reformasi” brand. Critics accuse him of compromising principles for political survival, settling old scores and devising a dynastic succession through his daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar. These are not qualities likely to inspire... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3311601/anwar-ibrahim-mints-dynasty-malaysias-youth-arent-buying-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3311601/anwar-ibrahim-mints-dynasty-malaysias-youth-arent-buying-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2025 00:00:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Acrimony deepened over the weekend inside Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling party as his deputy, Rafizi Ramli, prepared to defend his No 2 post against Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, whose candidacy has spurred claims of nepotism. Rafizi, who is economy minister and deputy president in the People’s Justice Party (PKR), has been on a cross-country campaign for the past two weeks warning of the risks of the party losing the next federal election – with Anwar’s clean reputation at... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310883/malaysia-pkrs-rafizi-steps-poll-campaign-anwars-daughter-contests-no-2-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310883/malaysia-pkrs-rafizi-steps-poll-campaign-anwars-daughter-contests-no-2-post?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 07:00:41 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim risks losing the next general election if his focus drifts from the anti-corruption crusade that got him elected, a senior cabinet member has warned, as a rift widens inside the ruling party caused by allegations of nepotism linked to moves to promote Anwar’s eldest daughter. Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) had squandered its clean image and warned that the prime minister risked facing a single term as he shed support... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310001/no-confirmed-second-term-malaysian-pm-anwar-minister-warns-party-rift-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310001/no-confirmed-second-term-malaysian-pm-anwar-minister-warns-party-rift-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 09:00:22 +0000 Malaysian whistle-blowers need stronger legal protections, a watchdog said on Friday, following a controversy in which a businessman who exposed alleged corruption in Sabah state was publicly admonished by the country’s anti-graft body for going public with his claims. Whistle-blowing is risky in Malaysia, owing to restrictive information laws, tight government control over the media, and the threat of criminal or civil charges being levelled against those who come forward with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3306207/protect-not-punish-whistle-blowers-malaysian-corruption-watchdog-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3306207/protect-not-punish-whistle-blowers-malaysian-corruption-watchdog-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:02:29 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Jho Low, the flamboyant financier behind one of the world’s largest financial scandals, vanished years ago, leaving behind a trail of opulence, deceit and unanswered questions. But two journalists are determined to bring his shadowy story back into the light – with a satirical website, a memecoin and some blockchain bounties. Low, accused of orchestrating Malaysia’s multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, once partied with Hollywood elites and brokered billion-dollar deals, but has since become a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3304351/chasing-jho-low-blockchain-bounty-breathes-new-life-hunt-malaysias-1mdb-fugitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3304351/chasing-jho-low-blockchain-bounty-breathes-new-life-hunt-malaysias-1mdb-fugitive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 02:00:19 +0000 A proposal to limit the tenure of the Malaysian prime minister’s office to two five-year terms has reignited debate over who can be the country’s leader, with the largest opposition party pushing to restrict it to Malay Muslims to safeguard Islam’s position as the state religion. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered the cabinet to study a two-term limit after agreeing to the proposal from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), his coalition government’s largest party, which relies on support... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303125/call-malaysias-dap-two-term-limit-prime-minister-draws-pas-rebuke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303125/call-malaysias-dap-two-term-limit-prime-minister-draws-pas-rebuke?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 06:06:53 +0000 Malaysia’s Democratic Action Party (DAP), the largest party in government, has sidelined one of its key figures, pugnacious grandee Lim Guan Eng – leaving experts to warn that it risks losing ground with its base of Chinese and Indian minorities as it cosies up to a bitter political enemy from the Malay majority. The DAP, long seen as the bridgehead into power for Indian and Chinese minorities, elected Anthony Loke for a second term as secretary general on Sunday. The vote was taken to be an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302839/malaysias-dap-sidelines-lim-guan-eng-move-risks-alienating-minority-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3302839/malaysias-dap-sidelines-lim-guan-eng-move-risks-alienating-minority-base?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 08:50:52 +0000