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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 Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has warned officials that they will be “traitors to the nation” if they are involved in corrupt practices. Photo: AFP
Crime

King warns of wider corruption ‘hunt’ as military scandal rocks Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar says the army procurement scandal is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, as he warns against abuse of power in office.

Commodities

Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors rush in

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Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Saudi Arabia

‘Khalwat’: divorced couple arrested for sharing hotel room in Malaysia

The offence applies to unmarried Muslim couples found in private seclusion and is punishable by fines, jail terms or caning.

A couple lie in bed. Religious anti-vice officers in Johor caught a divorced couple in a hotel room together. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and agriculture

How a crop of young farmers is reshaping agriculture in Southeast Asia

Young people across Southeast Asia are using city spaces and new technologies to improve on traditional farming methods to grow produce.

Singapore

Most Singaporeans not upbeat on future of next generation: survey

But the city state also ranks highest in trust among people with differences in society, tied with Saudi Arabia in the Edelman global report.

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Fame and celebrity

Missing Malaysian actress Nadia Kesuma dies of heart attack in Saudi

Family and friends confirmed the death of the star, who was on a pilgrimage trip to the Gulf kingdom.

Malaysian actress Nadia Kesuma died in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Photo: Facebook/nadiahkasumawati.abdkarim
Indonesia

Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

The government is threatening to pull the plug on social media for under-16s after a spate of youth violence linked to life online.

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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

Rex Tan has resigned as a Free Malaysia Today reporter and apologised for his question, which raised an uproar for its racial overtones.

Kuala Lumpur’s skyline is seen on July 31, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Najib Razak

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

Ahmad Zahid, who has been cleared of corruption charges, says the party has ‘never wavered’ from its position of supporting its ex-leader.

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Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reacts after being acquitted of corruption on September 4, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
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.

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.

A woman in the Philippines spent four years worshipping the animated character Shrek. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/IG@thetropixs
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.

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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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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.

People take pictures next to the Merlion statue at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. Photo: AFP
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.

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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A vertical smart farm in Singapore. Photo: Hyundai Motor Group
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.

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