https://www.scmp.com/rss/522769/feed The latest news and top stories on Fahmi Fadzil. He served as the Minister of Communications since December 2023, also acting as the government spokesperson. Previously, he held the portfolio of Minister of Communications and Digital. He has been the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai since 2018 and held key roles within the People’s Justice Party, including Information Chief and Communications Director. With a background in chemical engineering, he was also a writer, actor and theatre... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia said on Wednesday it was weighing legal action after Norway blocked the export of missiles ordered for its navy, in a last-minute decision that has dealt a fresh blow to one of the country’s most troubled defence projects. The row centres on the Naval Strike Missile, ordered from Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace for Malaysia’s long-delayed littoral combat ship programme. Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had raised the matter with his Norwegian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353441/malaysia-weighs-legal-action-after-norway-blocks-missile-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353441/malaysia-weighs-legal-action-after-norway-blocks-missile-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:03:14 +0000 The Star The Star Former Malaysian transport minister Ling Liong Sik died on Saturday. He was 82. Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president Wee Ka Siong confirmed the news to Bernama when contacted on Saturday. “We received the sad news of Tun Dr Ling’s passing today. Further details will be announced from time to time,” he said. Ling’s death was also conveyed in a message sent to the trustees of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, where he served as chancellor. In a statement to The Star on Saturday, Wee said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349030/malaysia-mourns-death-former-transport-minister-ling-liong-sik-82?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349030/malaysia-mourns-death-former-transport-minister-ling-liong-sik-82?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 07:49:22 +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 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,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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is weighing new legal measures to curb LGBTQ dating platforms, widening concern among rights groups that the country is pushing deeper into morality-driven internet regulation, even as its control of global app stores remains limited. Authorities have already blocked access to the websites of Grindr and Blued – two internationally used dating apps popular among gay, bisexual and queer men – Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a written parliamentary reply. But while their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344737/malaysias-push-curb-lgbtq-dating-apps-grindr-tests-limits-internet-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344737/malaysias-push-curb-lgbtq-dating-apps-grindr-tests-limits-internet-control?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:51:32 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia’s Communications Ministry has ordered an investigation and immediate action following a social media post showing the desecration of the Koran. Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government strongly condemned the act, describing it as disrespectful, insulting to Islam and a challenge to the sensitivities of Malaysia’s multiracial society. He said enforcement action had been directed under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. “The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344564/malaysian-police-arrest-student-desecrating-koran-viral-social-media-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344564/malaysian-police-arrest-student-desecrating-koran-viral-social-media-post?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:50:30 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has formed a special committee to investigate allegations that the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency owned shares beyond the limits for public officials, as calls mount for him to step aside after a damaging wave of accusations. The controversy erupted after Bloomberg news agency, citing corporate filings, alleged on Tuesday that Azam Baki, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), held shares in an investment holding company that far exceeded the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343510/malaysia-orders-probe-anti-corruption-chief-calls-resignation-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343510/malaysia-orders-probe-anti-corruption-chief-calls-resignation-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:53:03 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia on Thursday moved to bring some of the world’s biggest social media and messaging platforms under its licensing regime, closing a year-long gap in which several tech giants had operated without formal approval. From January 1, platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia are automatically treated as licensed under local law, even if they had not applied, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The shift coincides with the Online Safety Act... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338411/malaysia-tightens-grip-major-social-media-platforms-will-it-make-internet-safer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338411/malaysia-tightens-grip-major-social-media-platforms-will-it-make-internet-safer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:50:05 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As Australia’s new restrictions on social media use by children under 16 take effect this month, governments across Southeast Asia are rolling out or weighing their own measures aimed at protecting young users online. From platform licensing rules in Malaysia to age-based access limits in Indonesia, the moves reflect a broader global push to rein in tech companies over child safety, cyberbullying and harmful content. But analysts say such policies can also open the door to wider regulatory... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:24 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian journalist investigating a high-profile football document-forgery scandal was assaulted by three men in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday in an attack that has raised fresh alarm over media intimidation in the country. Haresh Deol, co-founder and editor of independent news site Twentytwo13, was attacked at about 3.30pm in Bangsar, a busy commercial district south of central Kuala Lumpur, shortly after leaving a meeting. As he walked towards his car, two men confronted him while a third knocked... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334173/journalist-probing-malaysias-football-scandal-beaten-attack-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3334173/journalist-probing-malaysias-football-scandal-beaten-attack-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:08:12 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s plan to bar children aged 16 and under from having social media accounts from next year has sparked a public backlash, as experts warn that enforcement gaps, privacy risks and vague guidelines could blunt the policy’s impact. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that social media platforms would be required to implement electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) identity checks in 2026 under the Online Safety Act, which comes into force on January 1. Users will have to verify... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333904/malaysias-bid-bar-under-16s-social-media-using-id-checks-stokes-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3333904/malaysias-bid-bar-under-16s-social-media-using-id-checks-stokes-privacy-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:02:51 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Meta, the tech firm behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it continues to disagree with Malaysia’s social media licensing rules despite criticisms that its platforms carry content damaging to children and young people, and wants to hold talks with the government on the matter. Malaysia imposed the framework for all social media and online messaging platforms in January that have at least 8 million local users each to curtail surging scam cases, online gambling and the spread of child... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330740/meta-wont-join-malaysias-social-media-licensing-framework-says-it-has-safeguards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330740/meta-wont-join-malaysias-social-media-licensing-framework-says-it-has-safeguards?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 06:49:50 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s scramble to tighten school rules after a disturbing wave of violent and sexual assaults among pupils is a short-term fix for deeper social and institutional decay, experts and teachers say, warning of a “systemic collapse” that has exposed students to grave dangers. Several brutal incidents this month – including the alleged murder of a girl and two gang-rape cases inside schools – have prodded the government to introduce new measures like installing surveillance cameras in schools,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330163/can-new-rules-save-malaysias-violence-plagued-schools-systemic-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330163/can-new-rules-save-malaysias-violence-plagued-schools-systemic-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 04:38:13 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Authorities in Malaysia are hunting the suspect behind a blackmail attempt on at least 10 lawmakers who received emails demanding US$100,000 payments to avoid the release of deepfake sex videos using their likenesses. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the members of parliament were sent similar emails over the weekend demanding that they pay the ransom via a QR code or the clips would be released to the public. The emails included screenshots of videos that the government believes were... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325539/malaysian-mps-targeted-deepfake-sex-video-blackmail-demanding-us100000-payments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3325539/malaysian-mps-targeted-deepfake-sex-video-blackmail-demanding-us100000-payments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 03:53:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Malaysian authorities have summoned TikTok’s top management over the social media company’s alleged delays in tackling fake news on its platform, state news agency Bernama reported on Tuesday, citing Malaysia’s communications minister. Minister Fahmi Fadzil said TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, had been too slow in responding to requests for help in police investigations, prompting him to ask the firm’s chief executive for help, Bernama reported. Fahmi cited a recent case where a man had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324075/malaysia-summons-tiktok-meta-over-slow-response-fake-news-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324075/malaysia-summons-tiktok-meta-over-slow-response-fake-news-immoral-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:56:33 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321277/malaysia-orders-zaras-body-be-exhumed-questions-mount-over-students-death?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:43:41 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepened over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed serious allegations against Federal Court Judge Terrirudin Salleh, as lawyers marched to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office on Monday to protest against alleged executive interference in the judiciary. Anwar has come under mounting pressure over the scandal, with lawmakers from his own party breaking ranks to demand that he “clear the air”, warning that judicial integrity is now “the biggest issue” facing the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318121/malaysias-judicial-crisis-escalates-leaked-memo-claims-against-top-judge-candidate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3318121/malaysias-judicial-crisis-escalates-leaked-memo-claims-against-top-judge-candidate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:30:07 +0000