https://www.scmp.com/rss/518691/feed Aminah is a reporter from Kuala Lumpur who likes challenging mainstream views, good reads and freediving. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aminah Farid Aminah Farid https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312224/malaysian-woman-historic-motorbike-quest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3312224/malaysian-woman-historic-motorbike-quest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Aminah Farid Aminah Farid Malaysian adventurer Anita Yusof has crisscrossed the globe on two epic solo motorcycle journeys, braving bears in North America, anacondas in the Amazon and the freezing cold of Antarctica – feats that made her the first Muslim woman to ride solo around the world and earned her a place in the Asian Book of Records. The first solo adventure in 2015 took her to four continents. Now the 57-year-old is on a new mission: to conquer all seven on her trusty Yamaha motorbike. Her bike is currently en... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3310736/malaysian-womans-epic-solo-motorcycle-quest-takes-her-asia-antarctica?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3310736/malaysian-womans-epic-solo-motorcycle-quest-takes-her-asia-antarctica?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 07:00:14 +0000 In Malaysia, a home-cooked meal has long been the ultimate expression of love, a ritual shared by millions of families each day around the dining table. But now, in the age of ring lights and TikTok, that tradition has taken on a new dimension. For a growing number of enterprising Malaysian housewives, the kitchen is no longer just a place for culinary creations – it is a digital stage where family recipes meet social media fame. These women have taken what started as a hobby and turned it into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3301550/malaysian-housewives-cook-digital-gold-love-labour-and-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3301550/malaysian-housewives-cook-digital-gold-love-labour-and-live-streams?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 08:00:14 +0000 When the bass dropped at Selangor’s Pinkfish Festival on New Year’s Eve, the crowd erupted in euphoria. But by sunrise, celebration had turned to tragedy – with four attendees dead, three hospitalised, and Malaysia’s festival culture thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The deaths have revived a debate over drug use in a Muslim-majority nation with some of the harshest narcotics laws in Southeast Asia. This punitive framework leaves little room for harm-reduction strategies like... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3294315/drug-deaths-malaysias-pinkfish-festival-spur-calls-testing-kits-raves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3294315/drug-deaths-malaysias-pinkfish-festival-spur-calls-testing-kits-raves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 09:30:08 +0000 When a jet ski crash left Nurul Azlifah Mohd Ismail fighting for her life in 2000, her relationship with the sea was shattered. “For years, I couldn’t go near the water without feeling afraid,” she told This Week in Asia, recounting her injuries: broken ribs, a torn liver, and a punctured stomach, leading to a gruelling recovery that saw her spend months in intensive care. Nearly a decade later, determined to confront her fears, the Kuala Lumpur-based mother embraced a daunting challenge. With... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3285757/she-escaped-death-malaysias-seas-now-shes-warrior-worlds-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3285757/she-escaped-death-malaysias-seas-now-shes-warrior-worlds-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Nov 2024 08:00:08 +0000 Australia’s mining sector continues to grow as a pillar of the country’s economy, driven by a diverse and skilled workforce that includes an increasing number of Malaysians. Drawn by the lure of high wages and new adventures, these workers must navigate both the harsh realities and unique rewards of one of the world’s most demanding industries. The most challenging mining jobs are taken up by FIFO (fly-in fly-out) workers, who travel to remote work sites for extended periods, often staying in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3270258/adventure-calling-malaysians-seeking-better-pay-mine-benefits-australias-fifo-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3270258/adventure-calling-malaysians-seeking-better-pay-mine-benefits-australias-fifo-work?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2024 03:30:09 +0000 Aidan Jones,Kimberly Lim,Aminah Farid Aidan Jones,Kimberly Lim,Aminah Farid Santokh Singh has crossed Malaysia’s minimum retirement threshold of 60 yet continues to work, harbouring hopes of reclaiming his freedom, finding happiness, and making new connections as he ages. Lorraine, an only child caring for elderly parents in Singapore, watches her youth slip away as she juggles family obligations with other responsibilities. For ageing Asians who are both financially and socially disadvantaged, like 76-year-old Gaysorn Chobtham – who lives alone in rural Thailand on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3269348/singapore-malaysia-and-thailand-ageing-asias-demographic-reckoning-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3269348/singapore-malaysia-and-thailand-ageing-asias-demographic-reckoning-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 01:00:21 +0000 Malaysian officials agreed Friday to redesign some of the country’s kit for next month’s Paris Olympics after the outfits were widely panned as “cheap-looking” and “embarrassing”. Chef de mission Hamidin Mohamad Amin said they have “decided to improve the existing design”. “After taking into consideration and feedback from all parties, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Council and national sports fans, the Olympic council acknowledges that the design of the official... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3268374/paris-olympics-2024-malaysian-designers-ex-athlete-join-backlash-over-sports-day-kit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3268374/paris-olympics-2024-malaysian-designers-ex-athlete-join-backlash-over-sports-day-kit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 02:00:12 +0000 It was the seductive call of the wind and the waves that first lured Syasya Syahirah Nor Azmi to give up her life in the bustling capital of Malaysia’s Penang Island for the gentle sway of a sailing boat more than 18,000km (11,000 miles) away from home. Through her Instagram account, “Syasya Syahirah Adventure Life”, the 28-year-old adventurer offers followers a window into her life aboard a Beneteau 57 sailing boat, living in harmony with the rhythm of the sea off the coasts of Costa Rica,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3260553/she-left-malaysia-sail-world-seeking-freedom-adventure-and-soft-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3260553/she-left-malaysia-sail-world-seeking-freedom-adventure-and-soft-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Apr 2024 08:00:19 +0000