https://www.scmp.com/rss/522819/feed The latest news and top stories on Mohamad Hasan, a prominent Malaysian politician. He currently serves as Foreign Minister, having previously held the Defence portfolio and served as Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan for nearly two decades. With a background in international relations and extensive experience in finance and state administration, he has been instrumental in fostering diplomatic ties and economic cooperation. His work involves advancing Malaysia’s role in regional and global... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The bust of an illegal transfer of oil between tankers in Malaysian waters has returned the spotlight to the shadow fleet trade in fuel – much of it from sanctioned nations – in Southeast Asia, which continues despite the paralysis of legitimate shipping routes triggered by the Iran war. Two tankers were intercepted in waters off Bagan Ajam, off the coast of Penang, on Saturday during an alleged illegal transfer of more than 700,000 litres of diesel worth an estimated 5.43 million ringgit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349950/malaysian-bust-spotlights-shadow-fleet-oil-trade-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349950/malaysian-bust-spotlights-shadow-fleet-oil-trade-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:30:20 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Tehran’s decision to let Malaysia-linked vessels through the Strait of Hormuz highlighted Iran’s growing use of access to the strategic waterway as leverage, analysts said, with only a limited number of ships now able to pass and access increasingly determined by political ties rather than treated as a neutral commercial right. For Malaysia, the move drew attention not only to Tehran’s close ties with Putrajaya but also to scrutiny surrounding sanction-sensitive oil trade and ship-to-ship... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349284/iran-does-not-forget-its-friends-malaysia-ships-pass-hormuz-amid-selective-access?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349284/iran-does-not-forget-its-friends-malaysia-ships-pass-hormuz-amid-selective-access?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:52:57 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof As Washington redraws the global map for critical minerals, Malaysia is pitching itself to the United States as a “trusted” link in the supply chain while making clear it will not serve as a quarry shipping out unprocessed resources. Analysts say the stance reflects a careful balancing act: Kuala Lumpur wants US capital and technology to build downstream industries at home but is wary of being seen as taking sides in an intensifying US–China contest over strategic resources. A ban on raw rare... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343222/malaysia-courts-us-climb-critical-minerals-value-chain-while-keeping-raw-export-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343222/malaysia-courts-us-climb-critical-minerals-value-chain-while-keeping-raw-export-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:16:17 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As foreign ministers from Asean member states gathered in the Philippine city of Cebu this week, the bloc faced a familiar dilemma: how to keep pushing for peace in Myanmar without sliding into what critics warn could become “de facto acceptance” of its military regime. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on Wednesday and Thursday, is the first major gathering hosted by the Philippines since it assumed the bloc’s chairship this year. Much of its... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341678/asean-cautioned-against-legitimising-myanmar-junta-ministers-meet-peace-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341678/asean-cautioned-against-legitimising-myanmar-junta-ministers-meet-peace-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:33:17 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The Sabah-Kalimantan border issue on the island of Borneo is still under discussion, Malaysia has said, following media reports of a land trade with Indonesia. “Negotiations are still ongoing. The areas on the map and on the ground are different. Discussions are carried out according to the law, but no decision has been made yet,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Monday, as quoted by Bernama news agency. “We will instruct our technical committee and surveyors to carry out the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341384/malaysia-disputes-indonesian-media-reports-sabah-border-says-talks-ongoing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341384/malaysia-disputes-indonesian-media-reports-sabah-border-says-talks-ongoing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:44:03 +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 The Star The Star A group of 31 Malaysians, victims of a job scam syndicate in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been successfully repatriated following a high-level diplomatic operation, the Malay language daily Sinar Harian reported. They arrived at the Bukit Kayu Hitam immigration complex near the Thai-Malaysian border at 6.50pm on Saturday. Upon arrival, they were immediately handed over to the Royal Malaysia Police for further investigation into the syndicate’s operations. While the victims’ identities were confirmed... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337196/31-malaysians-rescued-myanmar-job-scam-centre-return-home-thai-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337196/31-malaysians-rescued-myanmar-job-scam-centre-return-home-thai-border?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:52:45 +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 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 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words As Dutch officials prepare to meet their Chinese counterparts in Beijing to discuss the Nexperia dispute, Europe faces a larger question. How did a routine investment review turn into a diplomatic incident between trading partners who once championed the “rules-based... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3332456/europe-must-separate-legitimate-security-concerns-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3332456/europe-must-separate-legitimate-security-concerns-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 03:30:11 +0000 Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan Aidan Jones,Joseph Sipalan The camouflage-clad soldiers who patrol the rice fields around Wichien’s village are a daily reminder that peace along Thailand’s border with Cambodia is perilous, despite the recent truce. For the Thai farmer, the prospect of a lasting settlement is welcome. But US President Donald Trump’s involvement is not. “Trump isn’t here seeking peace, he’s only after recognition … a Nobel Prize. It’s about serving his own ambitions, not helping us,” said Wichien, who asked to be identified by only one... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329432/trumps-thailand-cambodia-peace-prize-play-puts-asean-precarious-position?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329432/trumps-thailand-cambodia-peace-prize-play-puts-asean-precarious-position?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 05:30:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump will visit Malaysia on October 26, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday, adding that he was “looking forward” to witnessing a ceasefire deal between Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand and Cambodia. Malaysia and the United States will facilitate the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, which will require both sides to remove all mines and heavy artillery from their borders, Mohamad said. He said he hopes the agreement will be signed during the coming... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3328917/malaysia-says-trump-witness-thailand-cambodia-peace-deal-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3328917/malaysia-says-trump-witness-thailand-cambodia-peace-deal-asean-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 05:51:35 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328204/toilet-water-snatched-hijabs-malaysian-gaza-activists-recount-israeli-detention?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:38:17 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Myanmar and Asean leaders are locked in a “diplomatic impasse” with the military junta determined to prevent the bloc from interfering with its plans for a general election later this year, according to observers. Four foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last week postponed their planned trip to Myanmar to discuss the election, which is set to begin in December, and other matters. The diplomats from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines were originally... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326361/aseans-failure-meet-myanmar-junta-over-election-shows-its-limited-leverage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326361/aseans-failure-meet-myanmar-junta-over-election-shows-its-limited-leverage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:01:42 +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?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324853/malaysia-tightens-security-petronas-bintulu-lng-hub-investigate-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 06:28:06 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Two Malaysian tourists were doused with paint thinner and set alight outside one of Bangkok’s busiest shopping centres earlier this week. The victims are receiving medical treatment and are in a critical but stable condition, according to the Bernama news agency, which cited Chargé d’Affaires ad interim to Thailand, Bong Yik Jui. Police have arrested a suspect, identified as Varakorn Pubthaisong, 30, who reportedly targeted the pair out of frustration over unemployment. The suspect told police... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321306/2-malaysian-tourists-set-fire-bangkok-frustrated-jobless-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321306/2-malaysian-tourists-set-fire-bangkok-frustrated-jobless-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:08:30 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Myanmar has capitalised on a tariff letter from United States President Donald Trump that could have unintentionally legitimised its junta, according to observers, who warn that the “huge diplomatic gift” risks undermining Washington’s existing policy ahead of the Southeast Asian country’s key election. While the election is not viewed by Asean as a priority, Naypyidaw is not expected to further delay the polls, particularly given pressure from China. Trump had earlier informed the junta’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319110/trumps-diplomatic-gift-myanmar-junta-letter-sparks-us-policy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319110/trumps-diplomatic-gift-myanmar-junta-letter-sparks-us-policy-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:57 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Tensions could worsen between Beijing and Manila over the disputed South China Sea with “more provocations” expected after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr shored up support in the midterm election, a Chinese maritime analyst says. Wu Shicun, founder of the government-sponsored think tank the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, also said Beijing and Hanoi could be heading for confrontation over Vietnam’s increasing land reclamation activities in the contested Spratly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317820/south-china-sea-expect-more-provocations-manila-and-hanoi-could-be-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317820/south-china-sea-expect-more-provocations-manila-and-hanoi-could-be-next?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:00:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Southeast Asia’s plan of presenting a united front on US tariffs appears to have fallen apart, after the region’s diplomatic bloc admitted that its members will have to pursue their own talks with Washington to bring down punishing levies that threaten to sink demand for their vital exports. All but two members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) were served with letters from US President Donald Trump earlier this week, announcing tariffs of between 20 and 40 per cent that will... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317827/asean-accuses-israel-openly-committing-genocide-demands-end-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317827/asean-accuses-israel-openly-committing-genocide-demands-end-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:31:21 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia will have “about a month” to negotiate a better tariff deal with the United States, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said, as the Southeast Asian nation scrambles to bring down punishing levies that threaten to cut growth and ruin businesses reliant on American demand. US President Donald Trump earlier this week revealed he had sent letters to 14 nations announcing tariffs of between 25 and 40 per cent that would take effect from August 1, much of it focused on members of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317639/asean-calls-wisdom-and-prudence-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317639/asean-calls-wisdom-and-prudence-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:21:46 +0000