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
A semiconductor chip with “Made in Malaysia” on it. Electrical and electronics now account for 40 per cent of Malaysia’s exports. Photo: Shutterstock
Asean

Asian Angle | To win the future, Southeast Asia must rewrite its industrial rule book

Success relies on five key pillars, including deeper regional coordination and targeted industrial upgrading.

Israel-Gaza war

Malaysian police arrest reporter following controversial question at Gaza forum

Najib Razak

Malaysia’s Umno chief denies he ‘sidelined’ Najib to save himself

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Crime

Malaysia rules 15-year-old fit to stand trial in 2025 murder of Yap Shing Xuen

Following a psychiatric review, a teen faces trial for the stabbing of schoolmate Yap Shing Xuen, who suffered over 200 wounds.

Yap Shing Xiuen, 16, was found dead in a school toilet in Malaysia on October 14, stabbed more than 200 times from her neck to thigh, according to her mother. Photo: Facebook
Crime

Malaysian man arrested for forcing son, 10, to shoplift regularly

The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media and cast the spotlight on causes of child abuse.

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SCMP Highlights

Chinese ‘rising star’ leaves MIT, woman prays to Shrek for 4 years: 7 highlights

From Chinese solar makers facing monopoly probe to woman praying to Shrek for four years, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

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Crime

Horrified Malaysian mum disowns daughter after loan sharks’ mutilation threats

‘I don’t care how she’s raising the money but I expect her to settle the debts,’ the woman says.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong (left) during a press conference on the loan shark cases in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star
Social media

FMT apologises for racial query tying Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ to Palestine

During a George Galloway lecture, a Free Malaysia Today reporter asked if the ‘Palestine problem’ parallels Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’.

Elon Musk

X marks the bot: Malaysia says Grok ban may be lifted if it is proven to be safe

Though X has deactivated several prompts, more changes need to be made to ensure the site’s safety, Malaysia’s communications minister says.

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s super-rich get cold feet as Langkawi luxury car tax perks vanish

Supercar dealers report cancellations as the tax exemption removal threatens the local economy, tourism and jobs.

Experts say the tax-free incentive made Langkawi an attractive venue for luxury car brands to hold global product launches on the island. Photo: Shutterstock
BTS

‘I know I’ll cry’: BTS frenzy grips Malaysia as fans worry about scalpers

The K-pop band is returning to Malaysia for two shows in Kuala Lumpur after over a decade, sparking fan frenzy and ticket battles.

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Members of BTS perform during the 2022 Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, US. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Musk’s Grok barred from undressing AI images after global backlash

‘Spicy Mode’ feature had allowed users to create sexualised deepfakes of women and children.

Singapore

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

Hong Kong economy

73% of Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area firms ramping up expansion into Asean: survey

Survey by Hong Kong Trade Development Council and United Overseas Bank also shows 98 per cent of companies plan to keep or expand Asean operations.

The Asean flag alongside those of its member countries ahead of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia, in January 2025. Photo: Reuters
Myanmar

Philippine minister’s ‘premature’ Myanmar visit casts doubts over Asean’s role

Critics say the visit may be viewed as the bloc’s new chair endorsing a controversial junta-led election in Myanmar.

A woman casts a ballot during the second phase of Myanmar’s election in Yangon on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Singapore

Johor fines man US$2,200 for masking Singapore plate to buy subsidised fuel

A judge said Long Sa Kow will be required to serve nine months’ imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.

Singapore

Can Singapore’s farming future grow in Malaysia’s US$123 million food hub?

The city state’s farmers eye the Johor-Singapore SEZ for cheaper land and labour to boost food security amid high local costs.

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Singapore

Singapore urged to expand Johor SEZ to Indonesia to deepen Asean integration

The city state’s business federation and accounting firm PwC Singapore say such a move will ramp up the region’s allure to global investors.

Vehicles travel across the causeway linking Malaysia’s southern Johor state to Singapore on Friday. Photo: AFP
Donald Trump

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

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Japan

Japan’s Princess Kako targeted in viral Grok AI deepfakes trend

Images of the princess in a blue dress during a recent event were used to generate deepfakes, including of her naked and covered in tattoos.

Malaysian politics

‘Urgently needed’: Malaysia’s chief justice demands more judges as caseloads soar

Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid warns court backlogs expose judicial shortages and urgent calls for reform in Malaysia’s legal system.

Malaysia’s Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. Photo: Handout
Singapore

Malaysian petrol station operators fume as foreign fuel cheats go unpunished

Foreign cars exploiting Malaysia’s subsidised RON95 fuel spark calls for stricter penalties on vehicle owners, not just petrol stations.

A fuel station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Social media

Fast and furious: Malaysian streetwear boss suspended after road rage video

The Stoned & Co co-founder, seen on camera tailgating and blocking a car after being honked at, has apologised for his ‘poor judgment’.

SCMP Highlights

Matricide in Indonesia, Philippine Airlines’ viral video: 7 Asia highlights

From India becoming the world’s fourth largest economy to Philippine Airlines’ viral safety video, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Baby formula

‘Who can we trust?’: Nestle formula recall rattles Malaysian parents

Despite assurances that local stocks are safe, wary parents are scouring ingredient lists and doing their own ‘due diligence’.

Health warnings related to baby milk formula recall have been issued by dozens of governments, from Europe and Australia to Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock
Crime

Malaysian man posing as security guard robbed couple, abused woman: police

The suspect took the couple’s identity cards and forced the 19-year-old woman to perform an indecent act with him, police said.

Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock
Asia housing and property

The View | 3 factors Asia’s real estate investors must watch in 2026

Asia might have sidestepped the worst of Trump’s tariffs, but investors should focus on price growth, Japan’s resilience and the sustainability of the data centre boom.

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Drugs

Malaysian man who used home labs to brew drug drinks worth US$246,000 arrested

The suspect was using residences to process and store drug-laced soft drinks with a street value of up to US$75 per bottle, police say.

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