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Malaysia
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Malaysia

Malaysia
Malaysia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Malaysia, covering politics, economy, society and the Asean member-nation’s relationships with China, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries.
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Head of State
Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar
Head of Government
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Malaysia’s former economy minister Rafizi Ramli (left) with people’e Justice Party figures, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (second from right) after Anwar’s election to party president in 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysian ex-ministers resign from Anwar’s party, snap election rumoured

Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned from cabinet last year after losing leadership posts in internal party elections.

China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power

Malaysia 1MDB scandal

Malaysian police probe reports of Jho Low’s secret 1MDB meetings in Kuala Lumpur

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India

Iran war fallout triggers massive biofuel shift across Asia

Asia was first and hardest hit by fossil fuel disruptions caused by the Iran war’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

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A technician works on the top deck of a distillery at Bajaj Hindustan Sugar factory that produces ethanol in August 2023. Photo: AP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

The US delegation went to Beijing looking for deals, but a ‘super cycle’ of capital expenditures across Asia is already fuelling enormous growth.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

What did American allies make of Trump’s trip to China to meet Xi?

The meeting in Beijing was watched around the world for clues on topics ranging from trade to Taiwan and rare earths.

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Science

Top Singapore-based physicist moves to China after superconductor breakthrough

Prominent young professor becomes doctoral supervisor at leading Chinese research university amid high-level recruitment drive.

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Stephen Lin Er Chow (right), pictured with colleagues from the research team that designed the new copper-free superconducting material. Photo: NUS Faculty of Science
Anwar Ibrahim

In Malaysia, ex-ministers challenge Anwar’s attempt to project strength

Rafizi and Nik Nazmi are holding an event to announce a new ‘political direction’ on the same day as Anwar’s party meets.

Britain

Turning over a new leaf: why UK’s green mandate is a win for Asia

The Green Party’s record-breaking gains in UK council elections are a sign voters are taking climate change seriously, analysts say.

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Malaysia 1MDB scandal

Anwar says Malaysia won’t support Jho Low’s Trump pardon bid

The Malaysian businessman, indicted in the US, has denied wrongdoing but remains at large.

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American fashion model Gigi Hadid and Jho Low (centre) attend an event in New York City in 2014. Photo: Getty Images for Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation/AFP
Mahathir Mohamad

Mahathir ‘doesn’t care’ about ‘dictator’ label as he reflects on his legacy

In an interview, the former prime minister reveals that he and his ex-protege, Anwar Ibrahim, clashed over their views on corruption.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad poses for a picture outside his office in Putrajaya on May 5 last year. Photo: AFP
Malaysia 1MDB scandal

High stakes, low odds: why Trump pardon is unlikely for 1MDB’s Jho Low

The request appears unlikely to succeed because Low has never appeared in a US court, stood trial or accepted responsibility, analysts say.

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Chinese overseas

Malaysian minister rejects claims Chinese nationals ‘freely’ given citizenship

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution said the accusations were deliberately spread to confuse the public and inflame tensions.

The Philippines

A year after USAID cuts, Philippine development groups struggle as anger lingers

An investigation by several regional media outlets shows USAID was a target of misinformation after Trump froze aid from the agency.

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People protest in Washington in February last year against the administration of US President Donald Trump’s decision to virtually shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Photo: AFP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Wary mood to mark Xi-Trump summit with irritants aplenty on both sides: analysts

Observers noted the number of recent strategic and trade blows, including the war on Iran, have not derailed the meeting from going ahead.

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President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pictured in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Photo: AP
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia weighs legal action after Norway blocks missile exports

The missiles are central to Malaysia’s troubled littoral combat ship programme as Putrajaya says it will seek an explanation from Oslo.

SCMP Highlights

Chinese brands eye Europe; Geely joins Chery, BYD profit slide: 7 EV reads

From Malaysia’s import curbs to film-projecting headlights, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

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Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)

‘Low profile’ ex-judge takes over Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency

Abdul Halim Aman, 69, takes the reins at a turbulent time for the MACC. ‘He has a difficult job ahead’, one analyst says.

Malaysia’s new MACC chief commissioner Abdul Halim Aman. Photo: Handout
Malaysia 1MDB scandal

Malaysia’s Jho Low seeking Trump pardon for 1MDB fraud

The fugitive financier is accused of being the architect of a scheme to siphon at least US$4.5 billion from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.

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2026 Xi-Trump summit

US defence secretary joins Trump on China trip in rare diplomatic move

Pete Hegseth becomes first Pentagon chief to accompany a US president to Beijing since Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit.

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Indonesia

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

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Foreign nationals suspected of running an online gambling operation at an office building in Jakarta await transport after being arrested in the Indonesian capital on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

‘Tentative step’: Asean weighs bringing Myanmar back into the fold

Virtual talks may offer a ‘sensible middle ground’ for reconciliation after Myanmar’s years in the political wilderness, analysts say.

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Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing waves as he leaves after a swearing-in ceremony in Naypyidaw on April 10. Photo: AP
Corruption in Asia

Malaysia’s top anti-corruption enforcer exits with legacy in doubt

Malaysia has a new anti-corruption chief. What it doesn’t have yet is a clear answer to the questions that dogged the old one.

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Indonesia

14 Indonesians missing after boat sinks off Malaysia’s Pangkor Island

About 100,000 to 200,000 Indonesians make the risky sea journey to Malaysia in search of work each year, according to migrant activists.

SCMP Highlights

Philippine pageant debate, Chinese stealth jets in Pakistan: 7 Asia highlights

From controversy about a Philippine pageant winner to Japan’s social recluses, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Bea Millan-Windorski will represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe pageant in November. Photo: Facebook/Miss Universe Philippines
Indonesia

Malaysian landlord’s pity for broke tenant brings loan sharks to her door

The victim said the Indonesian woman used the flat address to secure loans and lenders are now threatening to burn down the house.

Lim (second from right) shows a picture of the tenant during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Photo: The Star
US, Israel war on Iran

US tells banks to flag suspected Iranian money-laundering networks

Banks are asked to look out for oil labelled ‘Malaysian blend’ to disguise its Iranian origin and missing or falsified shipping documents.

Umno (Malaysia)

Malaysia’s Umno marks 80th anniversary with show of Malay political power

The party held its celebrations in the Johor palace where it was founded, signalling it is back on track ahead of coming state polls.

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