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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
Lunar New Year celebrations are seen in a shopping centre in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, last year. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Malaysia’s stronger ringgit fails to deter Singapore shoppers

The currency gap may have narrowed from last year’s highs, but the Singapore dollar’s purchasing power is keeping the retail buzz alive.

Artificial intelligence

‘I can’t get fresh air in my home’: Malaysia’s data centre boom chokes locals

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Gender

Woman ejected from Malaysia biker event over ‘too revealing’ dress

Wellness

How people like 70-year-old Chow Yun-fat keep pushing their endurance limits

Chow ran a half-marathon last year, while silver stars like Natalie Grabow, Jeannie Rice and Hiromu Inada are breaking records. Here’s how.

Actor Chow Yun-fat (middle) runs in the 10km event at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2026. The 70-year-old is part of a growing number of older people competing in endurance races. Photo: Eugene Lee
Malaysian politics

Malaysian minister’s use of ‘Alhamdulillah’ sparks PAS’ objections

Nga Kor Ming’s use of the Arabic phrase in parliament prompted a warning by a PAS MP that it could ‘confuse Muslims’.

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia denies granting US exclusive rare earth access in Trump trade deal

Signed at the Asean Summit with the US president, the deal remains under negotiation as Malaysian PM Anwar seeks further written assurances.

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Singapore

Ex-actor Ian Fang to be deported from Singapore over underage sex offences

The Shanghai-born 35-year-old was jailed for 40 months after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually penetrating a girl, then 15.

Shanghai-born former actor Ian Fang met a 15-year-old girl at an entertainment event in Singapore in 2024 and proceeded to have underage sex with her on nine occasions. Photo: YouTube/The Celebrity Agency
Malaysian politics

‘Dominated by non-Malays’: study on elected Kuala Lumpur mayor spurs race debate

Critics slam the study as a ‘naive and misguided’ move by Minister Hannah Yeoh that would worsen the country’s ‘cultural war’.

Environment

Malaysia bans e-waste imports: ‘not world’s dumping ground’

Authorities have intercepted hundreds of containers of suspected e-waste at Malaysian ports in recent years and returned them to exporters.

Singapore

Malaysia plans new insurance scheme for Singapore cross-border workers

The scheme will cover the nearly 400,000 Malaysian commuters who cross the causeway daily for work, minister says.

A traffic police officer guides a motorcyclist as vehicles queue to enter the Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore. Photo: AFP
US-China trade war

US pitches critical minerals plan to allies to halt Beijing’s dominance

More than 50 countries encouraged to back US-led framework using price floors and financing to blunt Beijing’s control of hi-tech materials.

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United States Vice-President J.D. Vance has proposed creating a new critical mineral trading bloc and coordinating pricing floors as Washington tries to loosen China’s control over rare earth mineral manufacturing. Photo: Reuters
United States

Opinion | Chilling effect of US outbound investment rules will extend beyond China

Outbound investment rules introduced last year are expanding and hardening into law, chilling US investment across Asia’s tech ecosystems.

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Russia

Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

A crackdown against two vessels off Penang was the first disruption of such a ship-to-ship oil transfer in the state for over 10 years.

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IPO

‘Vibrant’ Hong Kong market seen drawing more listings from abroad

But other markets like South Korea could offer stronger near-term returns for international investors, J.P. Morgan Private Bank says.

Softcare chairman Shen Yanchang (left) and CEO Luo Jichao take part in a listing ceremony at the Hong Kong stock exchange on November 10, 2025. Photo: Yulu Ao
Mainland China

Chinese buyers top the list in Malaysia’s MM2H golden visa scheme

While Chinese nationals lead the pack, Malaysia’s tourism minister also cites interest from the US, UK, Australia and Bangladesh.

Commercial buildings and residential housing in Kuala Lumpur. MM2H homeowners tend to cluster around prime districts in the Malaysian capital. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Malaysia did not cede any land to Indonesia, PM Anwar insists

Claims of a 5,200-hectare territorial handover to Indonesia are ‘a lie’, Malaysia’s prime minister tells lawmakers.

Qatar

Malaysia’s Petronas to tap Qatar for gas as local reserves dwindle

QatarEnergy has also signed a 27-year deal to sell LNG to Japan’s JERA, the first long-term pact between the two nations in over a decade.

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Crime

Malaysia police press murder charges after 6 skeletons found in burnt house

The victims, including three young children, were found by a man searching for his estranged family in a remote Johor oil palm plantation.

The location where human remains were found in a palm oil plantation in Kangkar, Pulai. Photo: Handout
Malaysian politics

‘Not political gift’: sultan’s comment on pardons stirs debate over Najib’s case

The former prime minister claims that a decree has been issued allowing him to serve his reduced prison sentence at home.

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SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong-Singapore contrasts, Philippines’ EV race lag: 7 Asia highlights

From a Malaysian minister linking stress and gay people to US-Iran tensions, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

China airliners

China’s C919 is a hit at home. Will it be a ‘hard sell’ in Singapore?

China’s C919 could be the only single-aisle jet to feature in a fly-by at this year’s Singapore Airshow, one source says.

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China’s Comac C919 plane, top, and six Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, down, perform during a preview of the 2024 Singapore Airshow in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong courts

Mainland Chinese student jailed for 3 months for cheating in TOEFL test

Huang Xinyi paid someone else to take test on her behalf in Cambodia and submitted results to Hong Kong’s Lingnan University so she could graduate.

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Student Huang Xinyi has been sentenced to jail for submitting a fraudulent TOEFL test result in order to graduate from Hong Kong’s Lingnan University. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s PM brushes off Epstein speculation with queasy emoji post

Anwar Ibrahim has rubbished an old email describing him as a potential ‘gold mine’, insisting he had no connection to the US sex offender.

The Philippines

Malaysia rushes to plug leaks as Sabah’s subsidised fuel flows to Philippines

The Malaysian state’s proximity to southern islands in the Philippines has made enforcement against fuel smugglers difficult.

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Strong export numbers underscore Hong Kong’s strengths as a trade hub

In an uncertain global economic environment, the strategy of exploring new overseas markets has paid off. But there is no room for complacency.

A container terminal in Kwai Chung on April 9. Photo: Eugene Lee
Singapore

A tale of two cities: Singapore, Hong Kong and their contrasting paths

Historian Wang Gungwu reflects on how political legacies have shaped Hong Kong and Singapore, two of Asia’s economic ‘tigers’.

People gather around the Merlion statue at Marina Bay in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Anwar Ibrahim

Will young Malaysians play a key role in next election through swing votes?

Gen Z voters are more concerned about practical policies than party ideology, analysts say.

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Fashion

Letters | Don’t be too quick to call brands out on cultural appropriation

Readers discuss the use of Chinese stylistic elements in fashion, a Malaysian corruption trial, and a new trade pact.

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