https://www.scmp.com/rss/522547/feed The latest news and top stories on the Malaysian government. A federal representative democratic constitutional monarchy, the Malaysian government is primarily based in Putrajaya, serving as the administrative centre, while its legislative branch is located in Kuala Lumpur. It functions as the executive authority, responsible for national security, public administration and comprehensive socio-economic development. Key areas of focus include economic planning, social restructuring, and enhancing... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Families of those aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 ⁠on Sunday urged ⁠the Malaysian government to extend a ⁠contract it signed with deep-sea exploration firm Ocean Infinity to continue a search for the aircraft that disappeared 12 years ago. The Boeing 777 was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished en route from Kuala ‌Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, becoming one of the world’s enduring aviation mysteries. Multiple search operations for the plane have been conducted in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345881/families-mh370-passengers-urge-malaysia-extend-ocean-search?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345881/families-mh370-passengers-urge-malaysia-extend-ocean-search?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:06:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A defamation case by Malaysia’s telecoms regulator against an Australian resident in Thailand was formally withdrawn from a Thai court on Monday after mediation, the sued man and his lawyer said. The case has caused concern among free speech advocates because it was seen as a form of cross-border repression. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, or MCMC, had already acknowledged in a statement earlier this month that it had reached a settlement agreement on January 12, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343768/thai-court-clears-australian-writer-after-malaysian-defamation-case-withdrawn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343768/thai-court-clears-australian-writer-after-malaysian-defamation-case-withdrawn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:34:45 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Malaysian police recently engaged in a dramatic confrontation with a Singapore-registered car that was driving against the flow of traffic at the Johor Bahru land checkpoint, with an officer drawing his gun to stop the errant motorist from fleeing. Dashcam footage related to the incident, which occurred on January 10, circulating on social media showed the vehicle travelling the wrong way through the Sultan Iskandar Building immigration complex near Malaysia’s border with the city state. A... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343044/malaysian-police-draw-gun-stand-singapore-car-driving-wrong-way-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343044/malaysian-police-draw-gun-stand-singapore-car-driving-wrong-way-checkpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:30 +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 CNA CNA Malaysia’s top judge has warned that the country does not have enough judges to deal with a growing workload, stressing that this has placed an “immense and growing pressure on the justice system”. In his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2026 on Monday, Chief Justice of Malaysia Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that the number of court cases in Malaysia had surged in the past few years by about 60 per cent. He cited how criminal case registrations had risen from 1,522,005 cases in 2021 to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339735/malaysias-judiciary-faces-immense-pressure-court-cases-surge-60-chief-justice-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339735/malaysias-judiciary-faces-immense-pressure-court-cases-surge-60-chief-justice-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:48:43 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China turns mega-project failure into defining moment in modern engineering China has pulled off a daring underground feat, using a multimillion-dollar tunnel boring machine (TBM) to recover its stranded twin beneath the country’s largest river. 2. System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339536/chinas-daring-engineering-feat-malaysia-border-chaos-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3339536/chinas-daring-engineering-feat-malaysia-border-chaos-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:31:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Nearly 12 years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished with 239 people on board, the search for answers to one of aviation’s most haunting riddles resumed on Tuesday in the remote southern Indian Ocean. Armed with cutting-edge deep-sea robots and smarter data, US investigators are scouring the seabed for clues that have eluded governments, experts and grieving families for more than a decade. MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on March 8, 2014, bound for Beijing on what... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338232/will-ocean-infinity-finally-solve-flight-mh370-mystery-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338232/will-ocean-infinity-finally-solve-flight-mh370-mystery-indian-ocean?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 02:30:13 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang China recently announced it would impose an export licensing regime on around 300 steel products starting January 1. The move, while seemingly technical, sends a clear signal Beijing is attempting to address a key source of trade friction with its emerging market partners. To understand the policy’s intent, it needs to be placed in the broader context of China’s trade position this year. As global trade protectionism intensifies, China’s exports have shown remarkable resilience. Even as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336824/chinas-steel-export-licensing-plan-shows-will-curb-trade-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336824/chinas-steel-export-licensing-plan-shows-will-curb-trade-frictions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon The Albatross file is a top-secret collection of papers compiled by Goh Keng Swee, one of the chief architects of modern Singapore and the right-hand man of the country’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. In it are lesser-known details of the immediate run-up to Singapore’s dramatic separation from Malaysia on August 9, 1965. While the file’s contents have been known and studied for some years, a new book and exhibition are generating interest and raising questions about the popular... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336910/how-malaysias-unusual-creation-still-affects-it-today-and-chinas-idea-doing-similar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3336910/how-malaysias-unusual-creation-still-affects-it-today-and-chinas-idea-doing-similar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysians hit back online this week after Indonesia’s home affairs minister appeared to play down the significance of flood relief Malaysia sent to the neighbouring nation’s disaster-hit Aceh province, where catastrophic floods and landslides on Sumatra’s northern tip have killed more than 1,000 people. The backlash followed remarks by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian in a podcast clip published on Saturday, which later went viral, in which he said that the medical supplies delivered from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336584/malaysians-fume-indonesian-minister-belittles-flood-aid-just-say-thank-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336584/malaysians-fume-indonesian-minister-belittles-flood-aid-just-say-thank-you?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:03:51 +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. Thailand launches air strikes on Cambodia after soldier killed Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military positions on Monday after a Thai soldier was killed, pushing a shaky US-brokered truce to the brink of collapse as it vowed to cripple its neighbour’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3335681/philippines-cyclones-singaporean-chinese-dubbed-least-attractive-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3335681/philippines-cyclones-singaporean-chinese-dubbed-least-attractive-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 04:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iraq will remove Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis from an asset-freeze list, officials said on Thursday, after the Iran-aligned groups were mistakenly included in an earlier government publication, prompting confusion and criticism. The Justice Ministry’s official gazette last month published a list of groups and entities whose funds would be blocked, naming both militant groups, a move that would likely have been welcomed in Washington and increased pressure on Tehran. A letter from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335239/iraq-removes-iran-aligned-hezbollah-and-houthis-asset-freeze-list-after-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335239/iraq-removes-iran-aligned-hezbollah-and-houthis-asset-freeze-list-after-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:07:43 +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 Elina Noor Elina Noor The dust has yet to settle despite the conclusion of the 47th Asean Summit under Malaysia, which remains the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the remainder of the year. There are two main takeaways from the Kuala Lumpur meetings. First, by most objective measures, Malaysia has successfully pulled off not only the summit but its year-long chairmanship, steering several initiatives long in the making past the finish line. One of the most consequential is the formal admission... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334072/its-year-under-malaysia-asean-tried-set-systemic-reform-motion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3334072/its-year-under-malaysia-asean-tried-set-systemic-reform-motion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump called Thailand and Cambodia on Friday to bolster the peace deal he brokered after fresh clashes erupted between the Southeast Asian neighbours, the White House said. Trump co-signed a truce between the two countries on October 26 during a tour of Asia, touting it as one of several peace deals around the world that he believes should win him the Nobel Prize. But Thailand suspended the deal on Monday after a landmine blast, and the two sides traded accusations of new... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332897/trump-calls-thailand-and-cambodia-after-new-clashes-upend-his-ceasefire-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332897/trump-calls-thailand-and-cambodia-after-new-clashes-upend-his-ceasefire-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:50:36 +0000 The Star The Star Roblox has pledged to improve safety through the use of artificial intelligence technology and human monitoring after a Malaysian boy allegedly stabbed his brother over a dispute linked to the online gaming platform. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the company expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Malaysian government, particularly on data sharing and compliance with regulations. In a social media post on Monday, Yeoh raised her concerns over child safety on the popular... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3331283/roblox-vows-step-monitoring-after-malaysian-boy-stabs-brother-game-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3331283/roblox-vows-step-monitoring-after-malaysian-boy-stabs-brother-game-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 04:37:27 +0000 Don Pathan Don Pathan A million-dollar gold heist in Thailand’s far south by armed robbers who blocked roads with spikes and set explosives to seal their escape across the Malaysian border has rattled the Thai security establishment, as efforts to reignite peace talks in an area roiled by insurgency continue to fall flat. Around 20 men working in three teams carried out the October 5 theft from a gold shop in Sungai Kolok, bordering Malaysia’s Kelantan State. The theft of hundreds of gold ornaments and jewellery... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331015/thailands-million-dollar-gold-heist-reveals-costly-price-peace-insurgency-hit-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331015/thailands-million-dollar-gold-heist-reveals-costly-price-peace-insurgency-hit-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:55:14 +0000 Haining Gao,Junjie Wang Haining Gao,Junjie Wang - https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330704/preview-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3330704/preview-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 02:10:55 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim When Christine Li first moved into her flat in Singapore’s northeastern estate of Punggol in 2021, she noticed a strong acrid odour in the air. “Sometimes the smell lingers for weeks and months, it actually made me feel nauseous when we first moved in,” said Li, 42. “At times it smells acidic, and sometimes it smells like something is burning. “We subsequently installed an air conditioner and fan in our living room for ventilation because our windows are always shut to keep the bad air out,” she... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3330615/singapores-residents-complain-smell-malaysian-factories-johor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3330615/singapores-residents-complain-smell-malaysian-factories-johor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Southeast Asia’s children are among the world’s most exposed to online risks – and among the least protected. That is the warning from Dr Yuhyun Park, founder of the Singapore-based DQ Institute, a global think tank that develops international standards and research frameworks for digital intelligence and child online safety. She said uneven progress in cyber protection between advanced and developing economies was leaving millions of children in poorer regions vulnerable to abuse, exploitation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3329300/southeast-asia-lags-child-online-safety-protection-amid-rising-risks-new-index-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3329300/southeast-asia-lags-child-online-safety-protection-amid-rising-risks-new-index-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan First it was alcohol, now it is beef facing calls for a ban from Malaysian government functions, out of respect for the country’s Buddhists and Hindus, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration is asked to adjudicate over culture wars to appease the multiracial country’s different religions. The government came under fire over the weekend after complaints that beer and wine were served in front of Muslim guests at a gala dinner that was part of the Global Travel Meet 2025, organised by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3328256/first-booze-now-beef-malaysia-called-extend-menu-ban-government-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3328256/first-booze-now-beef-malaysia-called-extend-menu-ban-government-events?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:52:26 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327363/licence-fill-malaysias-new-fuel-subsidy-scheme-limits-access-national-id-holders?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:12:53 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Malaysia’s famously pungent durian was a highlight at a gala dinner for Southeast Asian economic ministers this week, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim describing the divisive fruit as a symbol of regional unity. “Some of you are not yet familiar with durian, but I would strongly suggest that you try it,” Anwar told attendees of the 57th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting gala in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday evening, as quoted by Bernama. “It is like blue cheese – you either like it or you hate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326822/durian-diplomacy-malaysias-anwar-offers-asean-ministers-king-fruits-gala-treat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3326822/durian-diplomacy-malaysias-anwar-offers-asean-ministers-king-fruits-gala-treat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:18:56 +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. Why Kim Jong-un’s daughter is closer to becoming North Korea’s next ruler The daughter of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un could present a softer image for Pyongyang, away from her father’s sabre-rattling reputation as he continues to hint at his choice of successor by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3324789/kim-jong-uns-daughter-filipino-gen-zs-lose-hope-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3324789/kim-jong-uns-daughter-filipino-gen-zs-lose-hope-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 04:32:01 +0000 The Star The Star Popular Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, who has been conferred the Darjah Pangkuan Seri Melaka (DPSM), has pledged to continue promoting the historic Malaysian city to global tourists. “I will be here in Melaka next month to promote tourism and will travel here frequently,” she said after receiving the honorary award, which carries the title “datuk”, similar to a knighthood, during the investiture ceremony in conjunction with the birthday of Melaka Governor Mohd Ali Rustam on Sunday. Fan said she... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322969/malaysias-melaka-bestows-honorary-title-fan-bingbing-wooing-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3322969/malaysias-melaka-bestows-honorary-title-fan-bingbing-wooing-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 07:02:08 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321986/nearly-3000-malaysian-government-employees-caught-taking-bribes-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:52:17 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Scrolling through TikTok one evening, I came across a short clip of American comedian Ron Funches asking an audience member why they believed the government had a perfect track record. “Our government is placed in charge of all of its people. I’m a father placed in charge of just one son. And I lie to that … all the time,” he said, using a term from African-American vernacular that he can say but I cannot. Funches’ delivery was biting, but his point resonated – particularly for those of us in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318512/can-anwar-restore-trust-amid-malaysias-judicial-upheaval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3318512/can-anwar-restore-trust-amid-malaysias-judicial-upheaval?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 02:30:08 +0000