https://www.scmp.com/rss/522851/feed The latest news and top stories on Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. Known for his military background, including training with US Special Forces and as a helicopter pilot, he ascended to the Malaysian throne in January 2024. Formerly the Sultan of Johor, he is recognised for his outspoken stance against corruption and his commitment to political stability. His responsibilities include serving as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He has a background in international law and strategic studies, and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The vapes used to be obvious. Bright displays of flavoured liquid, a shop just down the road, a transaction as unremarkable as buying shampoo. Batrisyia, 28, remembers how easy it was. Those days are gone. Or rather, in Malaysia at least, the trade has moved under the table. “It’s definitely less open now,” said Batrisyia, a Johor native who asked to be identified by a pseudonym for fear of backlash. “You don’t see big vape displays like before, and we can’t buy online any more. But it hasn’t... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:09 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof In Malaysia, one question about corruption keeps being asked by the public no matter who is in power: who investigates the investigators? Fresh allegations over the investments of the country’s top anti-corruption official have brought that conundrum back into sharp focus, with critics warning that trust in key institutions – and in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s reform promises – is on the line. The controversy centres on Azam Baki, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343734/who-watches-malaysias-watchdog-controversy-over-anti-corruption-chief-strains-reform-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343734/who-watches-malaysias-watchdog-controversy-over-anti-corruption-chief-strains-reform-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:50:43 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The sultan of Pahang in Malaysia has urged the public to view royal pardons with “calmness of emotion” and not as “a political gift”, in what analysts describe as a pointed reminder that clemency is a constitutional process, amid a furore over a decree supposedly extended to ex-prime minister Najib Razak. According to Najib, the supplementary royal decree, or “addendum”, would allow him to serve the remainder of his reduced prison sentence at home. The Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed his bid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342205/najibs-house-arrest-row-malaysian-sultans-comment-royal-pardons-stirs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:54:30 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s former army chief and one of his wives pleaded not guilty on Thursday to money-laundering charges involving about 2.2 million ringgit (US$544,000) amid a widening investigation into alleged bribery and abuse of power linked to military procurement. Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, 58, and his wife Salwani Anuar, 27, were each charged with four counts under Malaysia’s anti-money-laundering law in separate proceedings at the special corruption high court in Kuala Lumpur. Prosecutors allege... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340780/malaysian-ex-army-chief-wife-deny-laundering-us544000-military-procurement-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340780/malaysian-ex-army-chief-wife-deny-laundering-us544000-military-procurement-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:48:25 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s record on legal reforms has come under scrutiny after a journalist was detained under a colonial-era Sedition Act for asking a “sensitive question” linking the Gaza crisis to the treatment of ethnic Chinese in the Malay-majority country. Rex Tan, 31, a journalist for local news site Free Malaysia Today (FMT), was arrested early on Saturday morning after he asked the question at a public debate five days earlier in Kuala Lumpur. Tan is being investigated... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340390/malaysian-reporters-sedition-arrest-casts-doubts-anwars-reform-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3340390/malaysian-reporters-sedition-arrest-casts-doubts-anwars-reform-record?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:04:18 +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 Bloomberg Bloomberg The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which for decades dominated Malaysian politics and remains a key member of the ruling coalition, is set to renew a push for the release of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak next week, even as it steps back from threats to quit the government. Resolutions pushing for a full pardon and demanding justice for Najib were the “hottest topic” submitted by the party’s 191 divisions ahead of its annual assembly, Secretary General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339387/malaysias-umno-seeks-najibs-pardon-amid-1mdb-scandal-while-staying-pm-anwars-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:23:47 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is pushing deeper into one of the country’s most opaque corners, the defence procurement system, in a widening investigation into allegations of cartel-like tender fixing, bribery and unexplained cash movements. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has in recent weeks expanded its investigation into the Defence Ministry following a whistle-blower’s claim that documents showed large monthly deposits into accounts linked to a senior military officer and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339190/how-malaysias-military-tender-scandal-bringing-opaque-defence-deals-light?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339190/how-malaysias-military-tender-scandal-bringing-opaque-defence-deals-light?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:30:09 +0000 The Star The Star Wong Lee Ping, the grieving mother of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, whose brutal murder on October 14 shocked Malaysia, has expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of community support, describing it as a beacon of light in our darkest hour. “We are truly touched and humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and presence from all of you during this painful period. Your care has been a light in our darkest days,” Wong expressed in a touching message shared on social media following her... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3329796/grieving-mum-malaysian-teen-murder-victim-thanks-king-and-queen-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3329796/grieving-mum-malaysian-teen-murder-victim-thanks-king-and-queen-support?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:56:33 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s 1,000km north-south electric train service (ETS), which was belatedly relaunched on Saturday, halves cross-country travel time and could open remote rural towns to tourism in a country famously dependent on its cars. But to unlock its real potential, the travel industry says more of the line’s Chinese-made trains need to be deployed, while the route – which runs along west Malaysia from the Thai border down to Singapore – needs a major publicity campaign to capture the imagination of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323108/malaysia-eyes-travel-boom-launch-new-electric-train-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3323108/malaysia-eyes-travel-boom-launch-new-electric-train-service?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Beaming, Malaysia’s king welcomed passengers on a special train from the capital of Kuala Lumpur to the historical railway town of Kluang – and back – marking the launch of the long-delayed southern stretch of the electric train service (ETS). Saturday’s ride was a royal treat for the guests who sat back while the king, an avid train aficionado, took the controls, driving the six-car train for the entire six-and-a-half-hour return journey. “Hi everybody! Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Sultan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322914/malaysian-king-takes-control-launch-new-electric-rail-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322914/malaysian-king-takes-control-launch-new-electric-rail-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:58:40 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Footage of a Malaysian air force jet bursting into flames during take-off has prompted renewed debate over the military’s ageing fleet – an issue recently thrust into the spotlight by the king, who lambasted defence officials over “nonsensical” military purchases earlier this week. The incident in Pahang state capital Kuantan on Thursday night saw an F/A-18D Hornet consumed by a ball of flames as it took off from the Kuantan Air Base, followed by two flashes as the pilots ejected before the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322742/malaysia-jet-explosion-reignites-debate-over-ageing-air-force-arsenal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322742/malaysia-jet-explosion-reignites-debate-over-ageing-air-force-arsenal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 03:49:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, will make the first state visit of a monarch from the country to Russia, in a trip at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin that runs from Tuesday to August 10, the palace said on Saturday. “This visit also reflects the important role of the Malaysian monarchy in driving the nation’s diplomacy,” the palace said in a statement. The visit would strengthen ties and enhance cooperation in sectors including trade, education and technology, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320524/malaysias-king-sultan-ibrahim-make-historic-russia-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320524/malaysias-king-sultan-ibrahim-make-historic-russia-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 04:07:20 +0000