https://www.scmp.com/rss/510766/feed Hadi Azmi is the Post's Malaysia Correspondent. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he covers Malaysian politics and current affairs. He has written for Bloomberg, The New York Times, and CNN. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s government on Friday pledged to build more hospitals, upgrade airports, expand rural digital access and help youth boost their income, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled a record budget with an eye on coming state elections. Anwar’s administration plans to spend a total of 470 billion ringgit (US$111.4 billion) next year – up nearly 4 per cent from this year – part of which will go towards upgrading rural infrastructure, helping start-ups and encouraging entrepreneurship among... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328565/new-schools-hospitals-and-help-youth-malaysia-unveils-record-budget https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328565/new-schools-hospitals-and-help-youth-malaysia-unveils-record-budget Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:54:26 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A Hebrew-language bumper sticker on a Malaysian retiree’s pickup truck has triggered a police investigation and online backlash, reflecting how symbols associated with Israel can quickly ignite tensions in a country known for its strong pro-Palestinian stance. The controversy erupted after a photo showing the sticker – which translates to “Malaysia is our home” – on the back of the truck began circulating widely on social media earlier this week. The photo quickly went viral, with some online... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328507/hebrew-bumper-sticker-reading-malaysia-our-home-sparks-probe-and-online-uproar https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328507/hebrew-bumper-sticker-reading-malaysia-our-home-sparks-probe-and-online-uproar Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:08:52 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Seven footballers playing for Malaysia at the centre of an eligibility scandal were naturalised citizens, the home minister told parliament on Thursday, in a speech to address accusations of cheating involving local authorities made by the football governing body Fifa. On Monday, Fifa alleged that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had deliberately falsified documents to misrepresent the players as having Malaysian heritage, allowing them to play for the national team in an Asian Cup... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328343/fifa-claims-malaysia-cheated-players-are-citizens-minister-says https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328343/fifa-claims-malaysia-cheated-players-are-citizens-minister-says Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:00:57 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysians who joined a multinational flotilla seeking to break Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza have returned home with disturbing allegations of mistreatment in Israeli custody, including the confiscation of hijabs and being forced to drink toilet water. The group of 34 Malaysians, ranging from musicians and actors to rappers and influencers, had joined hundreds of international activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail this summer on a humanitarian mission to the besieged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328204/toilet-water-snatched-hijabs-malaysian-gaza-activists-recount-israeli-detention https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328204/toilet-water-snatched-hijabs-malaysian-gaza-activists-recount-israeli-detention Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:38:17 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian paramilitary police and drones have joined the search for a Chinese couple who have been missing for over 48 hours at a popular dive island in Sabah. Yu Xiaopeng, 25, and his girlfriend Fan Qin, 28, checked into the Sutera Mantanani Resort on Saturday and were scheduled to check out the following day. But the couple failed to reappear, leaving their belongings in the room. Kota Belud District Police Chief Superintendent Shahrudin Mat Husain said the resort’s security team only noticed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328133/search-couple-china-missing-malaysias-sabah-enters-second-day https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328133/search-couple-china-missing-malaysias-sabah-enters-second-day Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:15:40 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Fifa has launched a scathing rebuke of Malaysia, accusing the country of “cheating, pure and simple” by forging citizenship documents for seven footballers who played in an Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam, despite the national football association’s denials. The scandal erupted late last month when the sport’s world governing body imposed fines and bans on the Football Association of Malaysia and the implicated players, alleging falsification of citizenship documents. The seven players –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328096/fifa-accuses-malaysia-falsifying-players-citizenships-cheating-pure-and-simple https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328096/fifa-accuses-malaysia-falsifying-players-citizenships-cheating-pure-and-simple Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:47:06 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi At least 12 Malaysians on a humanitarian aid trip to Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces who stopped their flotilla outside the blockaded Palestinian enclave early on Thursday morning, triggering condemnation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail in August, is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and spotlight the siege of a territory where 65,400 people have been killed according to the United Nations, which last month called Israel’s actions a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327581/israel-detains-12-malaysians-board-gaza-aid-flotilla-anwar-vows-legal-action https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327581/israel-detains-12-malaysians-board-gaza-aid-flotilla-anwar-vows-legal-action Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:39:48 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Celebrity sisters, a rapper and an actress are among the 34 Malaysians sailing with a seaborne mission seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver urgent aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail in August, aims to spotlight conditions in a territory where more than 65,000 people have been killed according to United Nations estimates. Last month, the UN described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. The civilian-led convoy, comprising hundreds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327504/malaysian-celebrities-risk-it-all-sail-gaza-keep-us-your-prayers https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327504/malaysian-celebrities-risk-it-all-sail-gaza-keep-us-your-prayers Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:17:01 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia has rolled out a targeted fuel subsidy scheme that limits each citizen to 300 litres of discounted petrol per month, replacing a decades-old blanket subsidy that had become a political flashpoint and a fiscal drain. The new measure, launched on Tuesday, marks a significant policy shift by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, which hopes it will curb rampant fuel smuggling to neighbouring countries, misuse by foreigners and excessive consumption by wealthy Malaysians with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327363/licence-fill-malaysias-new-fuel-subsidy-scheme-limits-access-national-id-holders https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327363/licence-fill-malaysias-new-fuel-subsidy-scheme-limits-access-national-id-holders Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:12:53 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The world football governing body Fifa has ignited public outrage in Malaysia after imposing a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (US$440,000) and a one-year ban on seven footballers for the alleged falsification of nationality documents, with pundits fuelling speculation of the involvement of regional rivals in making the complaint. The sanctions were levied against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) last Friday after Fifa claimed the association submitted doctored documents to field seven... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3327218/fifas-ban-malaysian-players-over-documents-ignites-outrage-and-conspiracy-rumours https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3327218/fifas-ban-malaysian-players-over-documents-ignites-outrage-and-conspiracy-rumours Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:02:44 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A crude map drawn from memory marking a mosque, train station and warren of small Jakarta lanes that lead to her home finally reconnected Ani Anggraeni with a family who had feared she had already been executed in a Malaysian jail for drug trafficking. Like more than a million other Indonesians, Ani left for economic opportunities in neighbouring Malaysia, where many work – legally and illegally – to send money back to their families. It was 2011, and the then 51-year-old had never left... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327034/indonesian-jailed-malaysia-reunited-family-using-map-drawn-memory https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327034/indonesian-jailed-malaysia-reunited-family-using-map-drawn-memory Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A prank known as “Happy Corner” that originated in China has made its way to Malaysia, triggering student suspensions in schools determined to show they are getting tough on bullying after a string of scandals. Happy Corner, also called aluba in Taiwan, is a prank or form of hazing common among boys in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan that started in the 1980s. It typically involves several boys lifting up an unsuspecting victim and bumping his groin against a pole-like object. A... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326944/malaysian-students-taught-painful-lesson-happy-corner-prank-amid-bullying-crackdown https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326944/malaysian-students-taught-painful-lesson-happy-corner-prank-amid-bullying-crackdown Fri, 26 Sep 2025 05:39:02 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia lost US$8.5 million in unpaid road tax after politicians and VIPs skipped payments on their Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, a revelation that has triggered public anger over double standards and elite impunity. Across Asia, anger at elite privilege is boiling, with resentment over the perceived excesses of “nepo babies” toppling the government in Nepal and sparking protests in the Philippines. Indonesians are pushing back against the owners of luxury vehicles abusing sirens to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326805/malaysia-puts-brakes-luxury-car-owners-skipping-out-us85-million-road-tax https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326805/malaysia-puts-brakes-luxury-car-owners-skipping-out-us85-million-road-tax Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:32:16 +0000 Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Storms uprooted trees and ripped roofs across Malaysia’s capital of Kuala Lumpur on Monday night, as forecasters warned of a potentially dangerous collision between the seasonal monsoon and La Nina climate phenomenon that could dump more rain over the coming weeks. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rains and strong winds to Malaysia all the way through March, while La Nina – a Pacific Ocean climate pattern – amplifies rainfall, compounding the power of storms that hit the region. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326548/la-nina-monsoon-brew-perfect-storm-southeast-asia https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326548/la-nina-monsoon-brew-perfect-storm-southeast-asia Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:03:01 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysians will be able to buy even cheaper petrol – but only up to 300 litres (79 gallons) per month – from next Tuesday under a sweeping new fuel subsidy scheme announced on Monday, aimed at reducing the country’s bloated subsidy expenditure. Fuel subsidies have long strained the budget, with nearly 20 billion ringgit (US$4.7 billion) spent annually in recent years – about 8 per cent of total expenditure. Under the old system, all motorists enjoyed unlimited RON95 petrol at 2.05 ringgit (49 US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326338/malaysian-drivers-get-cheaper-petrol-new-monthly-limit https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326338/malaysian-drivers-get-cheaper-petrol-new-monthly-limit Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:39:29 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi At least 13 people – including seven children – have died in an unprecedented spate of landslides across Malaysia’s Sabah as heavy rain batters its western coast in the deadliest storms to hit the state in nearly 30 years. Nearly 90 incidents of landslides, flash flooding and road collapses have been reported over the past week, according to state authorities, as residents brace for worse to come after the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a fresh storm warning on Tuesday. The death... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325696/13-dead-including-7-children-malaysias-sabah-storms-trigger-more-landslides https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3325696/13-dead-including-7-children-malaysias-sabah-storms-trigger-more-landslides Tue, 16 Sep 2025 06:21:44 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s university admissions system is facing scrutiny after an ethnic Chinese student with a “near-perfect” academic record was denied entry into six accounting courses, reigniting debate over race-based preferential policies in the country’s higher education system. Edward Wong, a 20-year-old from Penang, had achieved a perfect cumulative grade point average of 4.0, top marks in all subjects, and scored 9.9 out of 10 for co-curricular activities in the national Malaysian Higher School... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325575/ethnic-chinese-top-scorer-rejected-malaysian-universities-reignites-quota-debate https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325575/ethnic-chinese-top-scorer-rejected-malaysian-universities-reignites-quota-debate Mon, 15 Sep 2025 07:14:57 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s most famous shopping centre edged closer to a damaging boycott after threatening to throw out a second group of pro-Palestinian protesters carrying flags, prompting calls for a mass gathering inside the plaza after Friday prayers. The management of Suria KLCC shopping arcade – at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur – made headlines after a scuffle broke out on Sunday between security and pro-Palestinian supporters who entered the venue at the end of a rally. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325283/malaysias-top-mall-rolls-dice-flag-ban-over-gaza-protests-do-you-want-boycott https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325283/malaysias-top-mall-rolls-dice-flag-ban-over-gaza-protests-do-you-want-boycott Fri, 12 Sep 2025 04:21:48 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian mothers are being pressed into acting as “personal debt collectors” as fathers refuse or fail to pay child maintenance, a study published this week has found, with weak enforcement in the country’s sharia courts identified as an aggravating factor. The 2024 Telenisa Report by women’s rights group SIS Forum, released on Tuesday, is based on findings from cases handled by its free legal aid clinic throughout last year, which largely helps low-income Muslim women seeking advice on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325150/malaysian-fathers-sloppy-child-support-mothers-become-debt-collectors-study https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325150/malaysian-fathers-sloppy-child-support-mothers-become-debt-collectors-study Thu, 11 Sep 2025 06:10:17 +0000 Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan Hadi Azmi,Joseph Sipalan Five months after she was snatched from a car in broad daylight in Malaysia, little is known about the disappearance of Pamela Ling, with a “chilling” lack of clarity in the case sparking calls for a wider investigation. Ling, 42, was kidnapped on April 9 by three people believed to have impersonated police, forcing her into their vehicle after stopping her private hire car on the highway not far from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters. The victim was on her way to the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325128/where-malaysias-pamela-ling-few-clues-5-months-after-kidnap-drama https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325128/where-malaysias-pamela-ling-few-clues-5-months-after-kidnap-drama Thu, 11 Sep 2025 04:19:31 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A dramatic video of a 16-year-old driver in Malaysia defying an order to stop his car by police officers pointing their submachine guns at him has gone viral, with the incident raising concerns about reckless underage drivers in the country. The teenager was arrested after the high-speed pursuit on a road in Kuala Terengganu on Monday afternoon, according to district police chief Wan Mohd Zaki Wan Ismail. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon during a routine patrol, when policemen became... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325060/video-boy-malaysia-defying-guns-wielding-police-car-chase-sparks-debate https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325060/video-boy-malaysia-defying-guns-wielding-police-car-chase-sparks-debate Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:13:28 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s National Security Council has ordered a temporary tightening of security at Petronas’ massive gas facility in Borneo and launched an immediate investigation into what it described as a “threat” to the critical energy infrastructure. The NSC on Monday said it was taking “proactive measures” in response to security threats targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities nationwide, with a particular focus on the complex in Bintulu, a town in the Bornean state of Sarawak. “The Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324853/malaysia-tightens-security-petronas-bintulu-lng-hub-investigate-threat https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324853/malaysia-tightens-security-petronas-bintulu-lng-hub-investigate-threat Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:28:06 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi The operators of the shopping centre at the base of Malaysia’s Petronas Twin Towers faced backlash on Monday after pro-Palestine protesters were forcibly removed by security as they entered the building at the end of a rally. Malaysia has long taken pride in being Southeast Asia’s most vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, meaning actions taken against those protesting against Israel’s assault on Gaza can quickly whip up public outrage. Former member of parliament Chua Tian Chang was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3324698/malaysian-mall-faces-backlash-after-security-clashes-pro-palestine-protesters https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3324698/malaysian-mall-faces-backlash-after-security-clashes-pro-palestine-protesters Mon, 08 Sep 2025 04:32:57 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi The guilt hangs heavily over Jerry* whenever his mind drifts back to his school days in Kota Kinabalu and that quiet “awkward kid” he once tormented. Sitting at the back of the classroom, the boy was an easy target for Jerry and his friends, who delighted in humiliating him by stealing his shoes, tugging down his trousers or meting out the occasional beating. They were only 12, behaving as children do, he once thought. But more than two decades later, Jerry feels the weight of what those moments... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3324538/malaysia-forced-confront-its-fatal-school-bullying-problem-after-zaras-death https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3324538/malaysia-forced-confront-its-fatal-school-bullying-problem-after-zaras-death Sat, 06 Sep 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Jean Iau,Sam Beltran,Hadi Azmi Jean Iau,Sam Beltran,Hadi Azmi In the struggle to keep the Chinese resistance movement supplied against the Japanese invasion, a dangerous, winding route was carved through the jungles and hills of eastern Myanmar into Yunnan province. The Burma Road, a 1,200km-long lifeline as it became known, allowed goods to be shipped from Yangon (then Rangoon) and driven across the country into the interior of China, while its ports were blockaded by Japanese ships. But the convoys needed drivers, mechanics and guides to make the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323782/80-years-southeast-asias-chinese-diaspora-remember-wartime-sacrifices https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323782/80-years-southeast-asias-chinese-diaspora-remember-wartime-sacrifices Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysian police have arrested more than 400 people in Kuala Lumpur following a raid on an office linked to a Singaporean fintech company that sponsors Manchester United. The operation unfolded on Tuesday, when officers swept through the company’s five-storey premises, detaining hundreds of suspects and transporting them in a convoy of police vans to the Travers Police Station in Bangsar for processing. “Investigations are ongoing since it involves a large number of arrests. A special press... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323586/malaysian-police-raid-singapore-firm-ties-man-united-amid-scam-crackdown https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323586/malaysian-police-raid-singapore-firm-ties-man-united-amid-scam-crackdown Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:31:52 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A Malaysian court on Thursday ordered 12 minors to indefinite juvenile detention and sentenced a 20-year-old man to life in jail over the murder of a 17-year-old student at a vocational college. Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan was found dead on the floor of his dormitory in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah on March 22 last year after being beaten up by the 13 assailants, allegedly over missing money. The case is one of several fatal bullying cases in Malaysian schools and colleges that have shocked... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323512/bullying-malaysia-13-face-life-behind-bars-over-brutal-dormitory-murder-schoolboy https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323512/bullying-malaysia-13-face-life-behind-bars-over-brutal-dormitory-murder-schoolboy Thu, 28 Aug 2025 10:13:11 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A third earthquake in four days rattled Malaysia’s Johor state on Wednesday morning, unsettling assumptions that the country is shielded from seismic activity and prompting calls for greater disaster preparedness. Wednesday’s tremor, a magnitude 3.2 earthquake, struck at 8.59am. Its epicentre was located 18km (11 miles) south of Segamat town at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia). Tremors were felt across Johor and the southern part of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3323298/third-earthquake-4-days-hits-malaysias-johor https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3323298/third-earthquake-4-days-hits-malaysias-johor Wed, 27 Aug 2025 05:14:28 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s 1,000km north-south electric train service (ETS), which was belatedly relaunched on Saturday, halves cross-country travel time and could open remote rural towns to tourism in a country famously dependent on its cars. But to unlock its real potential, the travel industry says more of the line’s Chinese-made trains need to be deployed, while the route – which runs along west Malaysia from the Thai border down to Singapore – needs a major publicity campaign to capture the imagination of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323108/malaysia-eyes-travel-boom-launch-new-electric-train-service https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323108/malaysia-eyes-travel-boom-launch-new-electric-train-service Tue, 26 Aug 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia is once again confronting uncomfortable questions about entrenched impunity after police detained the son of a former prime minister with drugs in his car in an upmarket suburb of Kuala Lumpur. Selangor police confirmed late on Sunday that they had detained a man in his twenties, who was found with three grams (0.1 ounces) of heroin and drug paraphernalia in his car. The suspect is the son of a former prime minister, according to state police chief Shazeli Kahar as reported by national... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323015/malaysia-arrest-ex-pms-son-heroin-deepens-impunity-debate https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323015/malaysia-arrest-ex-pms-son-heroin-deepens-impunity-debate Mon, 25 Aug 2025 04:05:03 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi When two helicopters collided in Malaysia last year, killing 10 naval officers, it served as a wake-up call for a military that for too long has been dependent on ageing equipment. Though the aircraft involved in that crash were relatively new, many others are not. Now, the king himself has intervened, calling out “nonsensical and unacceptable” procurement practices and forcing the cancellation of a deal for a fleet of 35-year-old Black Hawks. At an event last Sunday, Sultan Ibrahim, Malaysia’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322860/malaysias-king-blasts-nonsensical-defence-deals-military-reform-next https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322860/malaysias-king-blasts-nonsensical-defence-deals-military-reform-next Sun, 24 Aug 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Beaming, Malaysia’s king welcomed passengers on a special train from the capital of Kuala Lumpur to the historical railway town of Kluang – and back – marking the launch of the long-delayed southern stretch of the electric train service (ETS). Saturday’s ride was a royal treat for the guests who sat back while the king, an avid train aficionado, took the controls, driving the six-car train for the entire six-and-a-half-hour return journey. “Hi everybody! Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Sultan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322914/malaysian-king-takes-control-launch-new-electric-rail-service https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322914/malaysian-king-takes-control-launch-new-electric-rail-service Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:58:40 +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 https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322745/malaysias-new-anti-corruption-drive-takes-comic-turn-battle-young-minds Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:59:04 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Footage of a Malaysian air force jet bursting into flames during take-off has prompted renewed debate over the military’s ageing fleet – an issue recently thrust into the spotlight by the king, who lambasted defence officials over “nonsensical” military purchases earlier this week. The incident in Pahang state capital Kuantan on Thursday night saw an F/A-18D Hornet consumed by a ball of flames as it took off from the Kuantan Air Base, followed by two flashes as the pilots ejected before the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322742/malaysia-jet-explosion-reignites-debate-over-ageing-air-force-arsenal https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322742/malaysia-jet-explosion-reignites-debate-over-ageing-air-force-arsenal Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:49:06 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia aims to reduce its dependence on cheap migrant workers by reducing their proportion of the overall workforce from next year, a move that the government believes will raise the wages of citizens and productivity, but employers warn could jack up their costs. Foreign workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nepal have helped power Malaysia’s industrialisation since the 1980s. But critics say their influx has also stirred resentment among Malaysians, fuelled a black market for illegal work... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322475/malaysian-employers-warn-cutting-number-foreign-workers-may-backfire https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322475/malaysian-employers-warn-cutting-number-foreign-workers-may-backfire Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:00:45 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s Terengganu state has warned it will start fully enforcing a sharia law enabling the imprisonment of Muslim men for up to two years if they skip Friday prayers without a valid reason – a move widely seen as emblematic of the multicultural country’s tilt towards religious conservatism. Terengganu, governed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), declared on Monday that first-time offenders could now face not only imprisonment but also a fine of up to 3,000 ringgit (US$710), or both,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322314/malaysian-state-jail-muslims-who-skip-friday-prayers-well-be-taliban-soon-enough https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322314/malaysian-state-jail-muslims-who-skip-friday-prayers-well-be-taliban-soon-enough Tue, 19 Aug 2025 04:03:05 +0000 Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Malaysia’s top prosecutor on Monday said bullying charges would be brought against five people under the age of 18 following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, whose case was closed and then reopened by police. Her death on July 17, a day after she was found on the ground outside her dormitory at an Islamic school in Sabah’s Papar district, has sparked nationwide protests as many Malaysians demand an end to a culture of bullying in the education system. Police initially closed the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3322222/malaysia-prosecutes-several-suspects-over-zaras-death-file-bullying-charges https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3322222/malaysia-prosecutes-several-suspects-over-zaras-death-file-bullying-charges Mon, 18 Aug 2025 08:54:29 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi As plastic waste chokes oceans, poisons wildlife and infiltrates human bodies, the world’s governments met in Geneva this week to hammer out a landmark United Nations treaty. But the summit was thrown into disarray as a coalition of oil‑producing states determined to block binding limits on plastic output – with which Malaysia was controversially aligned – saw negotiations stretched into an unscheduled eleventh day without agreement. The Geneva talks, billed as the “Paris Agreement for plastics”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322046/malaysia-accused-blocking-progress-plastics-it-sides-oil-giants-un https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3322046/malaysia-accused-blocking-progress-plastics-it-sides-oil-giants-un Sat, 16 Aug 2025 06:00:15 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi,Hai Dang,Aidan Jones Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi,Hai Dang,Aidan Jones As he neared his 40th birthday, Hafiz Sujang took a quick inventory of his life – a loving family, a steady job as an IT consultant in Malaysia’s largest city – and found just one missing piece: a home of his own. But as he took the plunge into Kuala Lumpur’s property market, the dream of escaping the endless cycle of renting quickly receded from view. “Most of the units I see are small and the finishes feel very ‘developer budget’,” Hafiz told This Week in Asia, reflecting on his so-far... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322043/southeast-asias-middle-class-gives-home-ownership-wealth-gap-widens https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322043/southeast-asias-middle-class-gives-home-ownership-wealth-gap-widens Sat, 16 Aug 2025 04:00:15 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Almost 3,000 Malaysian government employees had been caught taking bribes over the last decade, lawmakers heard on Friday, topping the list of receivers of under the table payments over the past decade and nearly three times more than in the private sector. Bribery remains entrenched in Malaysian society despite strong public sentiments for its eradication. High-profile corruption scandals, including those involving several former prime ministers, has done little to dampen the public appetite... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321986/nearly-3000-malaysian-government-employees-caught-taking-bribes-decade https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321986/nearly-3000-malaysian-government-employees-caught-taking-bribes-decade Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:52:17 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A foreign national who injured six people in a Malaysian town in Selangor during a knife attack while yelling “I hate Malaysia” was identified by the police on Thursday as a student at a local university who was experiencing stress. A video of the incident on Wednesday morning has spread on social media, showing the 24-year-old woman from China driving a car recklessly before ramming into three motorcycles at a traffic junction and stepping out of the car to attack people at a nearby shopping... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321907/i-hate-malaysia-yells-knife-wielding-foreign-student-attacking-6-selangor https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321907/i-hate-malaysia-yells-knife-wielding-foreign-student-attacking-6-selangor Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:21:35 +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 https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321827/malaysia-threats-follow-syringe-attack-rafizi-ramlis-son-shut-or-else-aids Thu, 14 Aug 2025 06:34:17 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysians call for prosecutors to press charges over the case of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, after police said they found evidence of bullying in the reopened investigation into her death. Zara died on July 17 after she fell from the third floor of her Islamic school dormitory in the Papar district in the east Malaysian state of Sabah. Her death sparked an uproar, with rumours of foul play and cover ups fanning existing anger at a perceived culture of impunity and a justice system bent... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321815/malaysians-call-zaras-bullies-be-charged-after-new-evidence-uncovered https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321815/malaysians-call-zaras-bullies-be-charged-after-new-evidence-uncovered Thu, 14 Aug 2025 05:27:05 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysians have rallied to the defence of an ethnic Chinese shop owner who mistakenly hoisted the national flag upside down in front of his premises – an error that Malay hardliners claim is an insult to national pride. Deliberate improper display of the flag – called the Jalur Gemilang or Glorious Stripes – often upside down, is a criminal offence, but accidental displays have in recent months been inflated into a national issue in Malaysia. Critics say Malay nationalist groups often patrol the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321648/row-erupts-malaysia-over-upside-down-flag-blunder https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321648/row-erupts-malaysia-over-upside-down-flag-blunder Wed, 13 Aug 2025 01:43:42 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Talks to resume the hiring of workers from Bangladesh in Malaysia gathered pace on Tuesday, as migrant rights groups warned of the continued risk of labour cartels operating in both countries. Malaysia imposed a freeze on migrant workers from Bangladesh – its largest source country for manual labourers – in June last year after the discovery of syndicates charging workers up to US$5,000 each for non-existent jobs that left thousands stranded with no work and vulnerable to exploitation. On... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321551/malaysia-bangladesh-labour-migration-talks-resume-amid-job-scam-fears https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321551/malaysia-bangladesh-labour-migration-talks-resume-amid-job-scam-fears Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:34 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Intel’s Malaysian-born CEO was thrust into the international spotlight this week as the latest subject of US President Donald Trump’s scatter-gun targeting, calling for him to “resign immediately” over alleged links to Chinese military contractors and surveillance companies. Lip-Bu Tan, 65, born in the riverine town of Muar on Malaysia’s Malacca Strait coast in 1959, grew up in Singapore and studied at Nanyang University, which later merged with the University of Singapore to become the National... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321303/malaysians-singaporeans-brush-trump-attack-intel-ceo https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321303/malaysians-singaporeans-brush-trump-attack-intel-ceo Sat, 09 Aug 2025 05:21:36 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s attorney general late on Friday ordered police to exhume the remains of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir as hundreds gathered across three cities in Sabah demanding justice. Zara died on July 17 after she was found outside a dormitory at her Islamic school in Sabah’s Papar district. Police initially said she was believed to have fallen from the third floor of the building. But her family have raised doubts over the cause of death, alleging police failed to thoroughly collect... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321277/malaysia-orders-zaras-body-be-exhumed-questions-mount-over-students-death https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321277/malaysia-orders-zaras-body-be-exhumed-questions-mount-over-students-death Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:43:41 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3321848/sanitary-pad-protest-elicits-outrage-malaysia https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3321848/sanitary-pad-protest-elicits-outrage-malaysia Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi A Malaysian police officer was killed after being rammed by a getaway vehicle driven by suspected burglars during a robbery in the state of Kedah, prompting a murder investigation and fresh public concern over safety amid a rise in property crime nationwide. Corporal Mohd Hafizul Izham Mazlan, 35, died on Thursday afternoon in Alor Setar after stepping out of his patrol car and being struck by a Lexus SUV as four suspects attempted to flee the scene of a house break-in in the Taman Golf... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321180/malaysia-opens-murder-probe-after-officer-run-down-suv-during-robbery-escape https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321180/malaysia-opens-murder-probe-after-officer-run-down-suv-during-robbery-escape Fri, 08 Aug 2025 04:57:52 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi An Indian national was arrested at Kuala Lumpur’s main airport for trying to smuggle more than 2,500 live turtles, Malaysia’s border agency said on Thursday, in another case highlighting criminals using the country’s key international gateway as a transit point for illegal wildlife trade. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has made headlines in recent months due to incidents of individuals smuggling endangered primates and rare reptiles, including tortoises and iguanas. The suspect... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321108/malaysia-arrests-indian-national-caught-2500-turtles-airport https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321108/malaysia-arrests-indian-national-caught-2500-turtles-airport Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:58:31 +0000