https://www.scmp.com/rss/523853/feed Iman Muttaqin Yusof is a Kuala Lumpur-based journalist covering Malaysia and Southeast Asia, whose work has previously appeared in international news outlets. His reporting focuses on politics, business, regional affairs, and humanitarian issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is facing renewed pressure to expand the use of palm-based biodiesel as the Iran war drives up fuel costs, but industry and academic observers say high infrastructure costs and slow roll-out make it an unlikely source of quick relief. That tension has sharpened as the government confronts a swelling fuel subsidy bill and greater exposure to imported supply shocks. The finance ministry last month said petrol and diesel subsidies could reach 4 billion ringgit (US$903 million) a month with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349159/can-palm-biodiesel-provide-quick-relief-malaysia-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349159/can-palm-biodiesel-provide-quick-relief-malaysia-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:00:33 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof “You don’t even have to look for it,” nine-year-old Anaqi said of the short videos he watches online. “It just shows up automatically, and it’s super interesting.” That instinctive pull is familiar to his father, Firdaus Omar. The 39-year-old Malaysian civil servant said his two children – Anaqi and his six-year-old brother – could spend hours watching the kind of short, noisy, endlessly recommended clips now commonly dismissed online as “brain rot”. He is worried about the effect of such... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348957/malaysian-bookshop-hits-novel-idea-bring-back-readers-addicted-brain-rot-clips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348957/malaysian-bookshop-hits-novel-idea-bring-back-readers-addicted-brain-rot-clips?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:00:11 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof An Indonesian woman who spent nearly 15 years on death row in a Malaysian prison for drug trafficking has returned home after receiving clemency, in a case rights groups say highlights the exploitation of poor migrant women in cross-border drug operations. Ani Anggraeni, also known as Asih, boarded a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta late on Thursday after being freed from custody. In a video message shared with This Week in Asia while en route, the 66-year-old said she was still struggling to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348886/indonesian-grandmother-freed-malaysian-death-row-returns-home-feels-unreal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348886/indonesian-grandmother-freed-malaysian-death-row-returns-home-feels-unreal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:49:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A parking dispute in Kuala Lumpur has expanded into a wider debate over entitlement, public humiliation and online bullying in Malaysia, after a woman who damaged a car blocking her own issued a public apology that many said looked coerced. The row began on Tuesday in Wangsa Maju, a densely populated suburb of the Malaysian capital, where videos shared on Threads showed a woman unable to reverse out of her parking spot after a red Perodua Ativa was left double-parked behind her car for about an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348751/malaysian-womans-apology-damaging-double-parked-car-triggers-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348751/malaysian-womans-apology-damaging-double-parked-car-triggers-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:16:48 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof For years, Malaysians watched singer-actress Bella Astillah’s heartbreak unfold in public. Her tribulations – a troubled marriage, cheating scandal and very public split – struck a chord with many, underscoring the stigma that divorced women face in a conservative Muslim-majority society. When lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 33, proposed to her – first on Mount Kinabalu and later at a formal engagement ceremony in Kuala Lumpur – it resonated with many Malaysians who felt Bella was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348466/bella-astillah-and-syed-saddiqs-new-chapter-captivates-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348466/bella-astillah-and-syed-saddiqs-new-chapter-captivates-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:16:59 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A horrific road crash in Malaysia’s port city of Klang that left a motorcyclist dead on Sunday has spiralled into racially charged commentary after initially being treated as a drink-driving case. Police said the crash happened at about 11.40am on Jalan Raya Barat, when an allegedly speeding Honda City driven by a local man in his twenties overtook several vehicles, crossed into the opposite lane and struck a motorcycle coming from the other direction. The rider, a local man in his thirties, was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348378/drink-driving-death-malaysia-spirals-race-baiting-inflames-ethnic-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3348378/drink-driving-death-malaysia-spirals-race-baiting-inflames-ethnic-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:30:26 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Four weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, the crisis is beginning to bite in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has cut the monthly quota for subsidised petrol and food manufacturers are warning that surging diesel costs could force them to close or raise prices. The move reflects how a distant geopolitical shock is beginning to feed directly into Malaysia’s fuel bill, food supply chain and inflation outlook, analysts note. In a special televised address on Thursday, Anwar said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348106/iran-crisis-bites-malaysias-supply-chain-fuel-subsidy-cap-falls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:51:02 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian minister on Wednesday denied he was the unnamed politician at the centre of fresh allegations in the country’s so-called corporate mafia controversy, amid wide speculation over the individual’s identity. Ramanan Ramakrishnan, human resource minister, and vice-president of the ruling People’s Justice Party (PKR), rejected claims he had taken 9.5 million ringgit (US$2.4 million) in exchange for “helping resolve” the alleged matter. The controversy gained traction following news reports... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347884/minister-caught-malaysias-corporate-mafia-saga-denies-us24-million-bribe-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3347884/minister-caught-malaysias-corporate-mafia-saga-denies-us24-million-bribe-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:15:52 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Across peninsular Malaysia, the heat is getting unbearable and posing health risks for many, and nowhere is this felt more sharply than in Kedah and Perlis, two northern states at the centre of Malaysia’s food-growing belt. Over the start of the Eid period last weekend, the scorching sun dampened the holiday mood during the festival marking the end of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Families are timing visits to avoid the fierce afternoon sun, farmers are watching paddy fields – known... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347822/malaysias-weather-so-hot-it-can-warp-payment-card?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347822/malaysias-weather-so-hot-it-can-warp-payment-card?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:34:50 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has vowed to crack down on fuel subsidy abuse after a viral video showed a woman illicitly buying 71 litres (18 gallons) of RON95 petrol in a single transaction, as regional supply concerns persist amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The finance ministry said late on Monday that investigators identified the customer as a Malaysian citizen. Both the identity card used in the purchase and the vehicle owner will be blocked from the inflation-easing fuel subsidy scheme. This programme allows... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347665/malaysia-battles-fuel-subsidy-misuse-after-viral-71-litre-petrol-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347665/malaysia-battles-fuel-subsidy-misuse-after-viral-71-litre-petrol-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 04:33:28 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Julia had a plan: spring break, Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, then a long-overdue reunion in the jungles of Sarawak. What she got instead was a travel booking screen showing €3,000 (US$3,440) flights and a cascade of cancellation alerts. “I just can’t afford that,” the 22-year-old Romanian told This Week in Asia. Her original Emirates itinerary had her transiting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but the US-Israel war on Iran upended her plans after the carrier warned of disruptions and two-week... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347358/visit-malaysia-2026-meets-iran-war-crisis-it-never-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3347358/visit-malaysia-2026-meets-iran-war-crisis-it-never-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia charged two men on Tuesday and was aiming to bring back another from abroad as authorities sought to contain a wave of religiously charged provocations that had sharpened tensions in the multicultural country. Controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth, 41, and activist Arun Dorasamy, 56, both pleaded not guilty in separate magistrates’ courts to charges linked to social media posts that prosecutors said were capable of “causing public alarm”. The cases come as conservative groups push for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346845/malaysia-tackles-religious-racial-tensions-2-charged-over-provocative-posts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346845/malaysia-tackles-religious-racial-tensions-2-charged-over-provocative-posts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 05:45:03 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Several Malaysian civil society groups on Monday accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government of using a harsh criminal law provision to intimidate critics after police questioned activists, academics and political researchers over an alleged plot to topple the government. The backlash follows an announcement in late February that police were investigating allegations of a conspiracy to “topple the government and sabotage national stability” involving “a local influential figure” and an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346706/malaysias-government-accused-using-law-silence-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346706/malaysias-government-accused-using-law-silence-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:52:23 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof As soaring copper prices make the metal highly sought after, more cable thieves are targeting some of Malaysia’s busiest urban rail lines, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and headaches for authorities aiming to combat the scourge. Thefts of copper-embedded cables have led to disruption in train services linking Kuala Lumpur’s northern suburbs to the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya in recent weeks. Among the services affected are the high-speed MRT Putrajaya and Kajang... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:01:29 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Southeast Asia is facing a growing cyber spillover risk from the widening US-Israel war with Iran, with security experts warning that state-linked hackers and criminal groups are seeking to exploit turmoil around energy, shipping and banking networks to hit targets far beyond the Middle East. The assessment comes as Iran said it would target economic and banking interests linked to the United States and Israel in the region after an attack on an Iranian bank, while the United Arab Emirates said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346342/southeast-asia-faces-spillover-cyber-risk-iran-war-blast-radius-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia will tighten border enforcement to curb fuel smuggling and keep subsidised petrol prices unchanged as the widening US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz and rattles global oil markets. The move comes amid concern that rising fuel prices abroad could make smuggling subsidised fuel out of Malaysia more profitable. “The most worrying aspect is that this conflict has an impact on the global economy, Asia and Malaysia,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346245/malaysia-tightens-borders-fight-fuel-smuggling-amid-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346245/malaysia-tightens-borders-fight-fuel-smuggling-amid-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:25:45 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s corruption trial opened in Kuala Lumpur on Monday with a courtroom fight over the admissibility of TikTok videos, which prosecutors hope will link millions of ringgit in illicit funds to his Bersatu party. Among the most keenly observed cases involving Malaysia’s political elite in years, the proceedings come three years after Muhyiddin was first charged in connection with projects under his administration’s Covid-19 recovery efforts. Malaysian... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346110/muhyiddins-corruption-trial-opens-fight-over-tiktok-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346110/muhyiddins-corruption-trial-opens-fight-over-tiktok-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:49:38 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing a fresh political test after the family of late former finance minister Daim Zainuddin sued his government over claims they were involved in a plot to topple the administration. The legal challenge is turning what began as a police investigation into a wider debate over whether Anwar’s reformist government is applying its principles consistently or selectively. Critics say the controversy risks complicating one of Anwar’s central claims since... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345982/malaysia-anwars-reformist-image-risk-daim-family-sues-over-zionist-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345982/malaysia-anwars-reformist-image-risk-daim-family-sues-over-zionist-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:29:58 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has slashed operating licence fees for gyms in Kuala Lumpur by 80 per cent, offering a regulatory “carrot” as the government tries to push residents in one of Southeast Asia’s heaviest nations to exercise more. The move comes as Malaysia grapples with some of the region’s highest obesity rates – a problem health officials say is especially pronounced in sedentary urban centres such as the capital. Under the new rate, effective from January 1, gyms in Kuala Lumpur now pay 10 ringgit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3345861/malaysias-new-plan-beat-obesity-slash-gym-licence-fees-kuala-lumpur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3345861/malaysias-new-plan-beat-obesity-slash-gym-licence-fees-kuala-lumpur?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 02:30:11 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof By late afternoon in Putrajaya, the smell of smoke fills the air. Charcoal pits glow along the side of the road as office workers and families with school-aged children in tow move through the haze with the deliberate purpose of people who have not eaten since dawn. This is a Ramadan bazaar in full bloom: rows of bright pink drinks in plastic cups, towers of kueh – bite-sized sweet and savoury snacks – in every colour, and, at one particularly busy stall, rows of whole chickens turning slowly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345746/1-holy-month-1-years-income-malaysias-ramadan-bazaar-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345746/1-holy-month-1-years-income-malaysias-ramadan-bazaar-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s anti-corruption investigation into a flagship chip-design deal with Britain’s Arm Holdings took a more combustible turn on Thursday after a former government aide declared: “I am not Jho Low 2.0.” The remark – invoking the fugitive financier at the centre of Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal – came as the country’s anti-corruption agency pushed back against his claims, while allies of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned the investigation risked appearing heavy-handed. The dispute has dragged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345514/malaysias-arm-chip-deal-probe-turns-political-ex-aide-says-i-am-not-jho-low-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345514/malaysias-arm-chip-deal-probe-turns-political-ex-aide-says-i-am-not-jho-low-20?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 04:34:15 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A Malaysian student has pleaded not guilty to desecrating the Koran and posting offensive content online, in a case that has stirred widespread anger in the Muslim-majority country during the holy month of Ramadan. Vikneswaran K. Selvanathan, 21, appeared before the Sessions Court in Kuantan, Pahang, on Tuesday to face two charges: defiling a sacred object and transmitting “grossly offensive” material on social media in violation of Malaysia’s communications law. He is accused of stepping on a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345255/malaysian-student-charged-desecrating-koran-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345255/malaysian-student-charged-desecrating-koran-viral-video?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:30:09 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A man has been arrested in Johor after an 11-second viral clip showed him clinging to the front of his ex-wife’s moving car before tumbling onto the road in full view of onlookers. Police said the suspect had clung to the car for around 2km (1.2 miles) and that he had tested positive for ketamine. The incident unfolded at about 3.30pm on Saturday outside a supermarket in Bandar Seri Alam, a township in Johor, the southern Malaysian state bordering Singapore, after an argument between the pair... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345085/viral-clip-malaysian-man-clinging-ex-wifes-moving-car-leads-arrest-johor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345085/viral-clip-malaysian-man-clinging-ex-wifes-moving-car-leads-arrest-johor?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:19:33 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Malaysian rapper Zamaera hit send on an email to South by Southwest’s (SXSW) music team in mid-December, she had already been told she was returning to Austin as a showcasing artist. What she wanted was bigger: a stage for Malaysia, the kind Japan, Taiwan and Britain already had at the US music festival. “They have a stage … for Japan. Taiwan already has a stage … even the UK and Germany,” the 31-year-old rapper, born Sharifah Zamaera, told This Week in Asia in an exclusive interview. She... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344913/malaysia-has-music-zamaera-wants-world-hear-it-sxsw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344913/malaysia-has-music-zamaera-wants-world-hear-it-sxsw?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 06:00:18 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The news rippled through Malaysian social media with something close to glee. Nick Adams, the Australian-born, self-described “alpha male” whom US President Donald Trump had nominated as ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, was not coming after all. “They do listen sometimes,” said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a youth leader from the People’s Justice Party who had been among the dozens who marched to the US embassy last July demanding Washington reconsider the appointment. Adams himself offered a very... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344540/malaysians-cheer-us-drops-alpha-male-ambassador-pick-nick-adams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344540/malaysians-cheer-us-drops-alpha-male-ambassador-pick-nick-adams?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:15:51 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A constitutional battle for control over Malaysian Borneo’s energy wealth has moved to the country’s highest court, delivering a fresh test of whether Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can hold together a ruling coalition of disparate interests. The state of Sarawak, whose governing coalition is a key ally in Anwar’s federal unity government, announced on Monday it had filed a petition in the Federal Court challenging the constitutional validity of three federal petroleum laws that provide the legal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344448/sarawaks-energy-feud-petronas-gives-malaysias-anwar-legal-headache?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344448/sarawaks-energy-feud-petronas-gives-malaysias-anwar-legal-headache?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:13:48 +0000 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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof At the halfway point of his term, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces trouble brewing inside his own camp as his long-time lieutenant Rafizi Ramli seizes the banner of reform and clean government that was once his own. Malaysia must hold its next general election by February 2028, but with both the governing coalition and the opposition facing internal power struggles, swathes of the electorate remain unconvinced by either side’s case to govern. For Anwar, who spent decades vying to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343921/rafizi-ramli-now-conscience-malaysias-reformasi-movement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343921/rafizi-ramli-now-conscience-malaysias-reformasi-movement?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:38:19 +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 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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has brushed aside calls to suspend or remove Malaysia’s anti-corruption chief, asking critics to “read his explanation”, after fresh reports about his shareholdings reignited public anger against the official. Citing corporate filings, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Azam Baki, chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), was a key shareholder in an investment holding company. Azam told local media on Wednesday that the report was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343303/malaysias-anwar-defends-anti-corruption-chief-over-new-share-row-read-his-explanation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343303/malaysias-anwar-defends-anti-corruption-chief-over-new-share-row-read-his-explanation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 07:54:53 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s opposition is in open civil war, with a power struggle threatening to split the main bloc against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim just two years out from the next general election. Bersatu, or the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, sits at the core of Perikatan Nasional (PN), a conservative alliance whose appeal surged in the 2022 poll to become the largest opposition group after a hung parliament produced a unity government led by Anwar. A succession fight between party chief and former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343160/malaysian-key-opposition-partys-power-struggle-threatens-dent-election-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:09:45 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is moving to revamp its navy’s ageing strike capacity as it seeks to restore credible deterrence after years of procurement delays amid mounting pressures in the South China Sea. The modernisation push follows repeated Malaysian protests about Chinese coastguard vessels patrolling near offshore oil and gas assets. Malaysia’s navy is set to receive Norwegian-made anti-ship and land-attack missiles next month, according to the defence ministry, with deliveries of Turkey’s Atmaca anti-ship... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343027/malaysias-missile-upgrades-target-south-china-sea-deterrence-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343027/malaysias-missile-upgrades-target-south-china-sea-deterrence-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:35:59 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday warned against allowing disputes over “illegal” houses of worship to spill into communal confrontation, after police detained 19 people linked to a planned rally in central Kuala Lumpur that authorities said risked inflaming racial and religious tensions. The “Anti-Illegal Houses of Worship” rally had been scheduled for around 8pm on Saturday near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, close to the Sogo shopping complex. Police denied permission on security... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342883/malaysias-illegal-temple-row-pm-slams-vigilantism-after-rally-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342883/malaysias-illegal-temple-row-pm-slams-vigilantism-after-rally-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 05:05:29 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A dispute over a familiar Arabic phrase has erupted in Malaysia’s parliament this week after an opposition MP challenged a Malaysian Chinese minister over his repeated use of “Alhamdulillah” (“praise be to God”) in a debate. The row flared during Nga Kor Ming’s speech in response to the king’s address for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, when Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, an MP from the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), took issue with his use of phrases associated with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342618/malaysian-ministers-use-alhamdulillah-triggers-pas-objections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342618/malaysian-ministers-use-alhamdulillah-triggers-pas-objections?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:07:57 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A government proposal to study whether Kuala Lumpur’s mayor should be elected rather than appointed has triggered what observers describe as a familiar “cultural war” over race, power and who gets to govern Malaysia’s capital. The feasibility study announced by Hannah Yeoh – a minister from the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) – has also drawn criticism that it is a political project pushed by her party. Yeoh, a minister in the prime minister’s department, told local Chinese daily... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342498/malaysia-study-elected-kuala-lumpur-mayor-triggers-another-race-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342498/malaysia-study-elected-kuala-lumpur-mayor-triggers-another-race-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:51:49 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament on Wednesday that his government had not agreed to hand over any land to neighbouring Indonesia, calling claims of a large territorial concession “not true” and “a lie”. The row erupted after Indonesian officials were quoted in local media as saying that parts of three villages in Nunukan regency, North Kalimantan, had been designated Malaysian territory and that Jakarta would receive 5,207 hectares (12,866 acres) “in compensation” to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342342/malaysia-did-not-cede-any-land-indonesia-pm-anwar-insists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342342/malaysia-did-not-cede-any-land-indonesia-pm-anwar-insists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:00:30 +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 Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has sought to douse public speculation after his name appeared in a newly released email exchange involving Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted US sex offender whose web of connections to the rich and powerful remains a source of scandal years after his death. Anwar was among several world figures – including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, billionaire Bill Gates and Britain’s disgraced former prince Andrew – mentioned in a tranche of Epstein-related... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342056/malaysias-anwar-brushes-epstein-speculation-queasy-emoji-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342056/malaysias-anwar-brushes-epstein-speculation-queasy-emoji-post?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 05:40:14 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Muhammad Syafiq, a 25-year-old banker from Kuala Lumpur, has started noticing something recently that felt like “real politics” compared with the soft sell of an election campaign poster at train stations in the Malaysian capital. “One government programme I think is pretty solid is the People’s Income Initiative, or IPR [Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat], where small vendors use vending machines to sell food and drinks,” he told This Week in Asia, pointing to what he described as affordable... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341878/will-young-malaysians-play-key-role-next-election-through-swing-votes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341878/will-young-malaysians-play-key-role-next-election-through-swing-votes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:30:09 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s football leadership resigned en masse this week in what it called a governance move to protect the sport, but critics say any “reset” will count only if the association explains how allegedly forged eligibility documents were submitted and who will be held responsible. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) late on Thursday said it had formally informed Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that all members of its executive committee for the 2025–2029 term had... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341821/can-malaysian-football-reset-mass-resignations-kick-debate-about-possible-reboot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341821/can-malaysian-football-reset-mass-resignations-kick-debate-about-possible-reboot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:08:46 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has given Malaysia’s top enforcement officials a week to prove they are serious about stamping out corruption and smuggling, warning that those who feel they are unable to deliver should step aside. “My patience is wearing thin,” Anwar said, urging the officials to declare within seven days whether they were “not yet ready” to carry the responsibility entrusted to them. “If you don’t think you can do it, step aside so others can.” The warning, delivered in a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341648/malaysias-anwar-orders-officials-file-anti-corruption-report-within-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341648/malaysias-anwar-orders-officials-file-anti-corruption-report-within-week?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:38:47 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Hong Kong-based EcoCeres opened Malaysia’s first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel plant in Johor on Monday, officials pitched it as a new export segment positioned for strong growth, backed by the country’s ports, processing capacity and palm-adjacent supply chains. The problem is that the largest buyers are still not in Asia, EcoCeres says. “The major part of the demand is in Europe,” EcoCeres CEO Matti Lievonen told reporters at a press conference, adding that “absolutely much... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341370/malaysia-aims-be-sustainable-aviation-fuel-hub-what-about-low-asian-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341370/malaysia-aims-be-sustainable-aviation-fuel-hub-what-about-low-asian-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:57:39 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s parliament has introduced new media-centre rules that ban doorstop interviews without permission and restrict access to key premises where lawmakers typically brief reporters, fuelling fears of a narrowing media space. Under the guidelines, journalists “are not allowed” to conduct such interviews – also known as doorstepping – “without permission”, facing written warnings, access restrictions, or referrals to parliamentary security for serious breaches. The same notice, dated Monday,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340945/malaysias-parliament-tightens-access-rules-media-interviews-sparking-criticisms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340945/malaysias-parliament-tightens-access-rules-media-interviews-sparking-criticisms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:13:39 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A sweeping shake-up on when Malaysian children can start school and how they are assessed has sparked fresh anxiety among parents, many of whom fear an “optional” earlier entry would fuel a de facto race, while schools may struggle with space and staffing. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that children would be allowed to enter Year One of primary school at age six from 2027, a year earlier than the current norm, alongside a new standardised assessment framework known as the Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340662/malaysias-primary-school-early-entry-option-spurs-fears-herd-effect-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340662/malaysias-primary-school-early-entry-option-spurs-fears-herd-effect-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A “back to school”-themed Zumba session in Malaysia is being investigated by police and Islamic authorities after viral footage showing headscarf-wearing instructors dressed in revealing attire piqued conservatives’ anger. The aerobics session, live-streamed on Saturday morning, quickly triggered a social media pile-on, with critics accusing the organisers of violating religious and public decency norms in the Muslim-majority country. On Sunday, Selangor’s Islamic Religious Department (JAIS)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340504/viral-zumba-video-triggers-police-probe-malaysia-over-revealing-attire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3340504/viral-zumba-video-triggers-police-probe-malaysia-over-revealing-attire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:37:44 +0000