https://www.scmp.com/rss/512633/feed Joseph Sipalan has done extensive reporting of Malaysia, specialising in politics and more recently macro-economics. An alumnus of Reuters and several major Malaysian news organisations. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia and Australia pledged on Thursday to keep oil and gas flowing between them as the Iran war’s continuous squeeze on global fuel supplies compels regional countries to deepen energy trade cooperation. Across Asia, governments have been scrambling for alternatives after crude oil and gas shipments from the Middle East were disrupted following Tehran’s move to choke access to the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28. The disruption has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:32:50 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government has urged the public to be ready to tighten their belts over an extended period, with the full effects of the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war expected to kick in as soon as June after the country’s economic buffers run their course. Domestic gas production and costly fuel subsidies have so far shielded the country’s population of 34 million from most of the fallout from the war, which has choked supply for 25 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and nearly a fifth... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350078/malaysians-urged-tighten-their-belts-iran-war-fallout-starts-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350078/malaysians-urged-tighten-their-belts-iran-war-fallout-starts-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:38:51 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia is doubling down on renewables to secure its energy future, its deputy prime minister has said, as the government scrambles to mitigate the fallout from an escalating energy crisis triggered by the Iran war. Tehran all but shut access to the Strait of Hormuz last month in retaliation for the US and Israel’s attacks, disrupting a key energy chokepoint through which about 25 per cent of global seaborne oil trade and nearly a fifth of global liquefied natural gas exports pass – much of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350025/malaysia-races-go-green-iran-war-squeezes-oil-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350025/malaysia-races-go-green-iran-war-squeezes-oil-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:13:21 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia ended last week with one oil tanker making it through the Strait of Hormuz and six others waiting their turn, as the government promised that supplies would last through May. Then US President Donald Trump announced a blockade. Analysts say the escalation in the US-Israel war on Iran puts Malaysia on a collision course with an energy crisis sooner than expected. “Putrajaya has already flagged June as a critical pressure point,” said geopolitical risk consultant Asrul Sani, associate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349918/malaysia-faces-energy-emergency-amid-trumps-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349918/malaysia-faces-energy-emergency-amid-trumps-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:56:03 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Singapore’s pushback against negotiating with Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a backlash from Malaysian politicians, who saw its statements as “lecturing” them on how best to secure safe passage through the vital waterway. For the past month, Tehran had all but shut access to the strait – which handles about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, bound mostly for Asia – in retaliation for deadly strikes by the US and Israel since they launched a war on Iran on February... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349464/malaysia-wont-be-lectured-singapores-refusal-negotiate-over-hormuz-creates-waves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349464/malaysia-wont-be-lectured-singapores-refusal-negotiate-over-hormuz-creates-waves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:23:33 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A Malaysian court has granted an application by anti-corruption officials to issue an arrest warrant for two sons of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, after they failed to comply with repeated requests to turn up for questioning over their family’s wealth. Daim and his clan have been at the centre of a years-long probe into alleged abuse of power and corruption by the country’s elites, who critics have accused of colluding with two-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to enrich themselves... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349326/malaysian-corruption-watchdog-secures-arrest-warrant-tycoon-daims-sons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349326/malaysian-corruption-watchdog-secures-arrest-warrant-tycoon-daims-sons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:16:14 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia has so far been spared the worst of the regional energy crunch, but experts say the government needs to move quickly and take more aggressive measures to prevent a worsening economic crisis if the Iran war becomes a drawn-out conflict. Much of Southeast Asia has been hit hard by the energy crisis, with thousands of motorists ditching their vehicles over the lack of fuel and governments burning through billions of dollars and scrambling to find alternative fuel sources to rein in prices... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government has said it “strongly denies” a claim made in a news report that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sought to delay the release of findings from an investigation into the country’s anti-corruption chief, and will take legal action over the allegation. The latest claim has sharpened scrutiny of Anwar, whose reformist image and anti-corruption credentials have come under strain amid a series of allegations involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and its chief... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348661/malaysia-denies-anwar-delayed-disclosure-probe-macc-chief-threatens-legal-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348661/malaysia-denies-anwar-delayed-disclosure-probe-macc-chief-threatens-legal-action?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:45:54 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency on Wednesday offered to pay for the flight of a London-based key witness to help with its investigation into possible corruption linked to a US$250 million deal signed last year between the government and British chip design firm Arm Holdings. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has for the past month been on the hunt for former government aide James Chai, whom it said was a key witness in its probe on possible abuse of power, fraud and governance... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348631/malaysian-anti-corruption-body-offers-pay-key-witness-flight-chips-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348631/malaysian-anti-corruption-body-offers-pay-key-witness-flight-chips-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:45:39 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s central bank has raised its 2026 growth outlook, saying the economy is on track to expand between 4 and 5 per cent despite mounting risks from the Iran war. The revised forecast from Bank Negara Malaysia marks an upgrade from the government’s earlier target of 4 to 4.5 per cent, reflecting stronger-than-expected momentum in the second half of last year and resilient domestic demand. “Malaysia enters 2026 from a position of strength to navigate the challenges,” BNM Governor Abdul... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The energy crisis caused by the Iran war could push food prices up by as much as 50 per cent in Malaysia, trade associations have warned, as soaring fuel costs threaten to wipe out already narrow margins for roadside stalls and restaurants feeding the country’s outsize appetite for eating out. Malaysia’s government coffers have already taken a hit due to fallout from the conflict, with local fuel subsidy costs estimated to spike by more than fourfold to about 3.2 billion ringgit (US$795 million)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:30:23 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele For a few weeks after the bombs started falling on Iran, Southeast Asian governments told their people not to worry. Emergency funds would cushion the blow. Subsidies would hold. Prices would stabilise. A month on, with oil well above US$100 a barrel, long queues for fuel forming at petrol stations across the region and Thailand restarting coal plants it had mothballed years ago, the reassurances have worn thin. Against this backdrop, an old question has resurfaced with fresh urgency: why does a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348186/iran-war-energy-shock-revives-aseans-power-grid-plans-its-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian police are on a hunt for thieves who stole 30 urns from a funeral home in the southern state of Negeri Sembilan, in a bizarre case with possible links to a cross-border criminal group holding the ashes of deceased for ransom. The Xiao En memorial park reported the incident in late February, when it discovered that at least 15 urns had gone missing from a columbarium. Police later revised the figure to 30. The cemetery groundsmen received a WhatsApp call from a foreign-registered number... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347126/funeral-urns-stolen-ransom-malaysia-trigger-police-hunt-cross-border-gang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347126/funeral-urns-stolen-ransom-malaysia-trigger-police-hunt-cross-border-gang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:10:04 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A bakery in Malaysia’s Sarawak state has set tongues wagging with its premium cake offerings sold at eye-watering prices, as Muslims countrywide this week stock up on sweets and delectable treats to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Cakes, chocolates and sweet biscuits are must-haves in the homes of the nation’s 20 million Muslims to host family and friends during the festival. Among the favoured snacks are the colourful kek lapis or layered cake, a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346966/us460-cake-testing-malaysias-sweet-tooth-and-wallet-even-sultan-would-think-twice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346966/us460-cake-testing-malaysias-sweet-tooth-and-wallet-even-sultan-would-think-twice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:34:55 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia will wait for Washington to submit updated terms before deciding its next steps on their tariff deal, the country’s trade minister has said – just days after he declared the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling. The government began the week on the back foot as allies and critics demanded clarity on the status of the multibillion-dollar deal with the United States, after Trade Minister Johari Abdul Ghani was reported on Sunday to have said it was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346834/fate-us-malaysia-trade-pact-rests-washingtons-next-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346834/fate-us-malaysia-trade-pact-rests-washingtons-next-move?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:40:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Malaysia’s government has been forced onto the defensive over its much-touted tariff deal with the United States, after a minister walked back an earlier claim that the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration signed the deal in October, promising US$240 billion in investments and purchases of American goods, including beef and aircraft, in exchange for continued access to the world’s largest consumer market at a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:14:40 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Two votes. That was the margin by which Malaysia’s prime minister, a man with a supermajority in the 222-seat lower house, failed to pass a bill his own coalition had spent weeks publicly championing. After the numbers were read out, the cameras cut to Anwar Ibrahim. He was mid-laugh, chatting with his deputy. The bill, defeated on March 2, was supposed to be a quick win – a term-limit proposal capping any prime minister at two terms or 10 years in office, chosen precisely because it was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346522/graft-and-gridlock-anwars-malaysia-reformist-cracks-widen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346522/graft-and-gridlock-anwars-malaysia-reformist-cracks-widen?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 02:30:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The cost of Malaysia’s subsidies for fuel at the pump is projected to rise by more than four times in the short term, the government has said, as it rushed to assure the public the country’s energy supply will not be disrupted even as the Iran war chokes global oil and gas shipments. Fear of an energy crisis has engulfed much of Southeast Asia since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, pushing Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway that handles about a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346520/malaysias-fuel-subsidy-bill-rise-more-fourfold-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346520/malaysias-fuel-subsidy-bill-rise-more-fourfold-iran-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:30:26 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may face growing difficulty pushing through major reforms as Malaysia edges closer to its next general election, analysts have said, after a parliamentary setback exposed strains within his broad but fragile ruling coalition. The warning signs emerged when lawmakers failed to pass a constitutional amendment to limit the prime minister’s tenure to two terms – a reform widely expected to succeed given the government’s commanding majority. Anwar’s administration fell... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345410/malaysias-anwar-under-pressure-after-parliamentary-setback-complicates-reform-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345410/malaysias-anwar-under-pressure-after-parliamentary-setback-complicates-reform-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:39 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A group of quick-thinking villagers swooped to the rescue of a runaway train in the East Malaysian state of Sabah on Tuesday, sacrificing a vital motorised rail trolley to force the carriage to stop. The incident unfolded at about 7.30am as the train was carrying passengers – including teachers and families with young children – on their regular morning commute from Tenom to the Pangi subdistrict in southwest Sabah, on the island of Borneo. The train suffered a brake failure, according to local... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345302/quick-thinking-villagers-malaysias-sabah-stop-runaway-train-rail-trolley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345302/quick-thinking-villagers-malaysias-sabah-stop-runaway-train-rail-trolley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:40:37 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s government said on Friday it would consider calls for a royal commission to investigate alleged abuses of power within the country’s anti-corruption agency, as pressure grew for the immediate removal of its chief commissioner. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has faced growing pressure from critics and allies alike since news reports earlier this month alleged that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki had bought corporate shares exceeding the limit permitted for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344908/malaysia-considers-high-powered-commission-probe-anti-corruption-agency-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344908/malaysia-considers-high-powered-commission-probe-anti-corruption-agency-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:24:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency on Friday asked the public for help in locating the four children of the late tycoon and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, as it widened an investigation into the family’s wealth. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it was seeking information on the whereabouts of Asnida Abdul Daim, 63, Md Wira Dani Abdul Daim, 46, Muhammed Amir Zainuddin Daim, 29 and Muhammed Amin Zainuddin Daim, 26, “to assist in investigations”. The statement, however, did not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344865/malaysians-asked-help-find-daims-4-children-corruption-probe-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344865/malaysians-asked-help-find-daims-4-children-corruption-probe-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:52:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing mounting pressure from within his own ruling coalition after a key partner called for an independent inquiry into allegations that a “corporate mafia” is operating within the country’s anti-corruption agency, placing his reform agenda under renewed scrutiny. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) – the largest party in Anwar’s uneasy alliance – said it would insist on a royal commission to investigate claims that senior figures in the Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344621/pressure-mounts-malaysias-anwar-allies-seeks-new-inquiry-macc-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344621/pressure-mounts-malaysias-anwar-allies-seeks-new-inquiry-macc-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:05:56 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A mermaid-themed sales gimmick has landed two drinks traders in hot water in Malaysia’s conservative east coast state of Kelantan, after religious authorities launched an investigation into a viral video that drew outrage during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The 25-second clip, which shows one of the traders prancing about in front of their drinks stall dressed in a rainbow-coloured mermaid costume complete with a bikini top, triggered a wave of online condemnation. Widely described as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344341/bikini-clad-mermaid-sales-stunt-malaysia-triggers-religious-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344341/bikini-clad-mermaid-sales-stunt-malaysia-triggers-religious-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:14:56 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Twelve police officers have been arrested in Malaysia for allegedly extorting about 200,000 ringgit (US$51,000) in cryptocurrency from a group of Chinese nationals during a midnight raid on a house in Selangor, the country’s wealthiest state. The arrests, announced on Thursday, came just days after Malaysia’s king had issued a blunt warning about corruption within the civil service and police ranks, cautioning that such practices were on his “radar”. Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344085/12-malaysian-police-arrested-over-chinese-nationals-missing-crypto?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344085/12-malaysian-police-arrested-over-chinese-nationals-missing-crypto?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:58:46 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A Malaysian minister has become the butt of jokes for claiming that work stress can turn people gay, as continued government intervention of what it describes as sexually deviant behaviour piles pressure on the country’s LGBTQ community. The enforcement spotlight fell on Malaysia’s sexual minorities two weeks ago after religious authorities and police acted on complaints from a sultan and Islamist politicians that a camping retreat was promoting the LGBTQ lifestyle. The community came under... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341504/malaysians-lampoon-minister-over-stress-gay-link-they-never-work-hard-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341504/malaysians-lampoon-minister-over-stress-gay-link-they-never-work-hard-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:37:29 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s next general election may well be decided by the country’s millions of young voters and its biggest conservative Islamist party is determined to win them over. For the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), winning young people’s support means dominating the online spaces they inhabit. “Whoever controls [online] media will gain their votes,” said the party’s deputy president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, in an interview with This Week in Asia. Founded by religious scholars in 1951 amid the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341035/malaysias-pas-preaches-racial-domination-woo-young-voters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341035/malaysias-pas-preaches-racial-domination-woo-young-voters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Media groups have urged Malaysia’s government to clamp down on acts of intimidation and violence by its officials, after a journalist was allegedly assaulted by the chief executive of a government-linked company over a question asked at a news conference. The incident has sharpened scrutiny of press freedom in the country, coming days after another journalist was detained under a colonial-era Sedition Act for asking a “sensitive question” at a public forum. In the latest case, the chief... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340668/malaysia-media-groups-urge-action-after-reporter-allegedly-assaulted-over-question?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340668/malaysia-media-groups-urge-action-after-reporter-allegedly-assaulted-over-question?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 07:15:44 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s king has issued a blunt warning to officials, saying his “hunt for the corrupt” will reach all levels as the country reels from a corruption scandal inside the armed forces that has implicated senior ranks. A former army chief and dozens of other officers and civilians have been arrested in recent weeks as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seized 52 million ringgit (US$12.8 million) in cash, gold, cars and luxury watches. The anti-corruption body also froze 80 bank... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340423/malaysias-king-vows-wider-hunt-corrupt-military-scandal-engulfs-top-ranks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340423/malaysias-king-vows-wider-hunt-corrupt-military-scandal-engulfs-top-ranks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Eric Wong is only 20, but his life online is so consuming that he struggles to draw a line between his digital presence and the physical world. A member of Malaysia’s Gen Z – those aged 13 to 29 this year – Wong belongs to the first generation of true digital natives, raised on a steady stream of social media, online gaming and endless internet connectivity. “If there’s time in between classes, me and my friends will gather in the cafeteria or the nearby mamak (food stall) to play PUBG or Mobile... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340200/impulse-control-malaysias-social-media-ban-targets-teen-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340200/impulse-control-malaysias-social-media-ban-targets-teen-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:12 +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 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia is amenable to lifting its ban on Grok – but only if Elon Musk’s microblogging site X proves that its AI chatbot can no longer be used to generate sexualised images of women and minors, according to its communications minister. “X must prove that there will no longer be incidents of videos or images that can be misused by users. If that is settled, we can release the temporary ban,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Thursday. Over the weekend, Malaysia and Indonesia became... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340001/malaysia-says-x-must-prove-grok-safe-ban-lifted-abuse-not-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340001/malaysia-says-x-must-prove-grok-safe-ban-lifted-abuse-not-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:56:35 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s football governing body on Thursday reinstated its secretary general Noor Azman Rahman with immediate effect, after finding that he had no role in the forgery of documents used to enable seven foreign-born players to represent the country. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was plunged into an embarrassing crisis in September after Fifa, the sport’s global ruling body, ruled that FAM had submitted forged documents to claim Malaysian ancestry for seven “heritage” players of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339206/malaysian-football-body-reinstates-its-chief-says-he-has-no-role-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339206/malaysian-football-body-reinstates-its-chief-says-he-has-no-role-forgery-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 11:11:42 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s latest outreach to Turkey indicates a growing urgency among developing nations to close ranks with like-minded partners, experts say, amid uncertainty caused by US tariffs and mounting military aggression. Malaysia and Turkey on Wednesday agreed to elevate diplomatic and economic ties by establishing a High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Chaired by the leaders of both nations, the council will oversee development across trade and investments in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339145/malaysia-turns-honest-reliable-turkey-stability-amid-rising-us-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339145/malaysia-turns-honest-reliable-turkey-stability-amid-rising-us-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Two-time former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to hospital on Tuesday to treat a fracture in his right hip after suffering from a fall in his home in Kuala Lumpur, his aide said. The centenarian fell around 7.30am while walking from the balcony to his living room, after which he was rushed to the National Heart Institute. “Tun is expected to be admitted for the next few weeks for treatment and observation,” Mahathir’s long-time press secretary Sufi Yusoff told the media,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3338860/malaysias-ex-pm-mahathir-hospital-after-fall-home-he-was-conscious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3338860/malaysias-ex-pm-mahathir-hospital-after-fall-home-he-was-conscious?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:15:43 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim on Monday said his government would seek parliament’s nod to impose a term limit on the country’s prime minister tenure, in a move seen as an attempt to regain the support of his core voter base ahead of the national polls in two years. Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has been battered politically since he took power in 2022, as supporters censured his administration for failing to live up to its reform pledges by accommodating corruption-tainted former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338795/anwar-limit-malaysia-pm-term-reform-push-re-energise-supporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338795/anwar-limit-malaysia-pm-term-reform-push-re-energise-supporters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:55:39 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Janice, a Kuala Lumpur-based food entrepreneur and chef, is in a foul mood as she laments the inferior quality and taste of US-produced chicken and eggs. Yet she concedes that she may have to stomach this unwelcome change in the local poultry market, at least for now. Malaysia is bracing itself for a surge in American poultry shipments under an “agreement on reciprocal trade” signed with Washington in October. The deal opens the Southeast Asian nation to more US exports of food, cars and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338562/fair-or-foul-malaysia-struggles-stomach-its-us-trade-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338562/fair-or-foul-malaysia-struggles-stomach-its-us-trade-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:14 +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 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Fresh allegations of violence threatened to derail peace efforts on Monday as Cambodia claimed Thai F-16s bombarded Siem Reap and Preah Vihear, undercutting an earlier announcement by Malaysia that the two sides had agreed to a Christmas Eve ceasefire meeting. Cambodia’s defence ministry said the Thai military shelled areas of Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces. “At 4.18pm, the Thai military deployed F-16 fighter jets to bombard further deep into the Cambodian sovereign territory in the area... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337327/malaysia-says-asean-must-do-whatever-necessary-ease-thailand-cambodia-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337327/malaysia-says-asean-must-do-whatever-necessary-ease-thailand-cambodia-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:28:07 +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 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration swings from one setback to another, his ruling coalition has turned to familiar talking points to regain the support of the country’s ethnic minorities. In the wake of a devastating defeat in the Sabah state election last month, members of Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition have renewed a push for government recognition of school leaving certificates issued by private Chinese high schools. The call, however, has driven a wedge... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337123/anwars-coalition-revives-malaysian-chinese-school-certification-debate-sparking-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337123/anwars-coalition-revives-malaysian-chinese-school-certification-debate-sparking-row?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 13:08:06 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia said on Thursday that it would consider a proposal by Singapore to jointly develop water infrastructure in southern Johor, signalling the intention of both sides to move beyond decades of rancour over the vital resource. The two countries have for years disagreed over various issues related to water supply, ranging from prices to the interpretation of the 1962 water agreement signed by them. Malaysia has argued that Johor’s water is sold too cheaply to Singapore. With Johor experiencing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335228/malaysia-weigh-singapores-water-project-plan-anwar-says-no-longer-contentious-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3335228/malaysia-weigh-singapores-water-project-plan-anwar-says-no-longer-contentious-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:40:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday vowed not to interfere in corruption investigations into his own political appointees, after a slew of allegations were levelled at close government aides. Last week, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, a senior political secretary to the Prime Minister, was implicated in a mining scandal in the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. Shamsul, who resigned from his post just hours after the revelation last Tuesday, is currently being held on remand by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334880/malaysias-anwar-vows-no-protection-close-aides-corruption-investigations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334880/malaysias-anwar-vows-no-protection-close-aides-corruption-investigations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal coalition was dealt a disastrous blow in Malaysia’s Sabah state, where a key partner was completely wiped out in a state election seen as a referendum on his leadership. Saturday’s polls were widely seen as a decisive contest that could set the political trajectory for Anwar’s federal administration with just two years before a national election must be called by early 2028 at the latest. Early on Sunday, the Election Commission... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334597/malaysias-sabah-begins-voting-anwar-faces-test-over-coalitions-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334597/malaysias-sabah-begins-voting-anwar-faces-test-over-coalitions-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 02:18:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan As fears over the artificial intelligence bubble bursting linger in global markets, one Southeast Asian tech founder thinks it could be a much-needed reset to a crowded space. Dylan Tan, founder of replyr.ai, a Singapore-based start-up that creates AI WhatsApp sales agents for its clients, said there was a disconnect between the investor hype driving up tech stocks and an understanding of how AI would transform the future of businesses. Replyr.ai was founded with venture capitalist funds in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334451/singapore-malaysia-tech-firms-double-down-ai-despite-bubble-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334451/singapore-malaysia-tech-firms-double-down-ai-despite-bubble-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:00:22 +0000 Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan Floodwaters began to recede on Thursday in parts of southern Thailand including Hat Yai, a major city entirely submerged for five days, revealing grim finds of bodies and unprecedented damage to homes and farmland. The death toll of more than 80 appears certain to rise from a week of flooding that has hit well over 2.5 million people across the entire southernmost provinces of the country. Images shared on social media by stranded residents in Hat Yai alone, showing bodies tied to lamp posts to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334345/floods-ease-thailand-first-time-1-week-malaysia-braces-new-deluge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3334345/floods-ease-thailand-first-time-1-week-malaysia-braces-new-deluge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:25:01 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s anti-graft drive has suffered a setback after a senior aide resigned over corruption claims, piling pressure on a leader already accused of abusing power and putting his ruling party at risk of rupture. Anti-corruption authorities previously mounted a high-profile crackdown against two-time former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, his family and close associates – long seen as untouchables – as part of Anwar’s pledge to dismantle top-level corruption under... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334186/malaysian-pms-war-corruption-hits-snag-top-political-secretary-quits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334186/malaysian-pms-war-corruption-hits-snag-top-political-secretary-quits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:25:06 +0000 Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by deadly floods sweeping across Thailand and Vietnam, a crisis that has killed scores and stranded entire communities as meteorologists and climate analysts warn of heavier rains driven by La Nina and long-term warming. The scale of the inundation has highlighted how a late-season monsoon surge, layered onto fragile flood-management systems, is overwhelming towns and cities from southern Thailand to Vietnam’s central coast, with Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333960/flood-after-flood-hits-thailand-and-vietnam-malaysia-next-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3333960/flood-after-flood-hits-thailand-and-vietnam-malaysia-next-line?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:30:17 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan When activist Sudirman Arshad walked into a Kota Kinabalu police station last month, the 22-year-old expected to file a routine report after a minor traffic accident. Instead, he was held for hours and questioned under Malaysia’s Sedition Act over a rally he had helped organise. The experience left him shaken, but also confirmed a nagging suspicion: Sabah’s political establishment has finally realised that Gen Z is no longer content to sit quietly on the sidelines. His brush with the law came as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333730/malaysias-sabah-state-poll-its-gen-z-vs-old-guard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333730/malaysias-sabah-state-poll-its-gen-z-vs-old-guard?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan A gentle breeze stirs the wooden houses of Sarang, a sleepy fishing village on Sabah’s northern coast, its tranquillity seemingly at odds with the mounting troubles facing the resource-rich yet persistently impoverished Malaysian state. For years, Sabahans have endured water shortages, power cuts and some of the lowest wages in the country. Each time the taps run dry or the lights flicker out, local fisherman Johan Toikin is reminded of the central government’s failure to fulfil the commitments... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333731/malaysias-poorest-state-prepares-poll-shock-pm-anwar-sabahs-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333731/malaysias-poorest-state-prepares-poll-shock-pm-anwar-sabahs-right?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:20 +0000