Malaysian Politics

The palace and the players
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Malaysia has been rocked by political upheaval since Muhyiddin Yassin became prime minister without a parliamentary vote in March 2020. The country's constitutional monarch has taken a more active role in politics while a power tussle involving veteran politicians Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim continues.

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Southeast Asia
A pro-Palestinian supporter paints her face with the Palestinian flag during a march to the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on March 13. Photo: Reuters
Southeast Asia
US summons Malaysian envoy over ban on Israeli citizens
The ambassador told the State Department that Malaysia’s policy of not recognising Israel was not new, the foreign minister said.
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Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 is set to unveil the top 50 list on July 28. Photo: Handout
100 Top Tables
The best guest shifts in Hong Kong and Macau amid Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026
As the top 50 list is unveiled in Macau next Tuesday, rare guest shifts bring the region’s finest mixologists to the Four Seasons’ Argo, Green Room at Upper House and more.
A woman walks past a logo of Maxis at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. A bill leak involving an influencer has raised concerns about data protection. Photo: Reuters
Economics
‘Privacy lost so easily’: influencer’s bill leak rattles Malaysia’s telcos
Screenshots of an overdue bill have stirred outrage over how easily authorised staff can expose personal data.
Malaysia’s bourse will be the fourth in Asia recognised by HKEX, after Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Banking & Finance
Hong Kong exchange clears path for listings by Malaysian firms
Malaysia’s Capital A Berhad, which runs travel app AirAsia Move and food brand Santan, is eyeing a dual listing in the city, government says.
Workers process durians for export to China in Lam Dong, Vietnam, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the pungent, spiky fruit, sparking a drop in prices. Photo: Xinhua
Global Economy
China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers
Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends a meeting at the federal government office in Putrajaya on June 22. Photo: Reuters
Politics
Malaysia’s Anwar rejects ‘totally absurd’ US military aid threat over Israel ban
Eight lawmakers have sent a letter to Marco Rubio accusing Anwar of singling out Israelis solely because of their nationality.
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A farmer harvests rice crop in a paddy field on the outskirts of Guwahati, India. Experts warn El Nino may disrupt the global rice market. Photo: AP/File photo
Banking & Finance
What are ‘climate black swan’ events, and why are global investors so worried?
As the threat of a super El Nino disrupts Asia’s food market, global banks warn investors to prepare for sudden, unexpected climate shifts.
An American flag flies near a container ship at the Port of Los Angeles in California on May 28. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Global Economy
China braces as new US global tariffs loom: fresh trade war or managed friction?
With US expected to pivot to more durable tariffs under Section 301, analysts expect bilateral guard rails to keep tensions from spiralling.
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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech at the Nikkei Forum in Tokyo in June. Photo: AFP
Southeast Asia
Malaysia won’t be intimidated over Israelis’ entry ban, Anwar tells US lawmakers
The lawmakers have criticised Anwar’s remarks to deport Israeli nationals in Malaysia holding dual citizenship.
The nomination of Nick Adams as US ambassador to Malaysia was returned to President Donald Trump in January and was no longer eligible for confirmation. Photo: X/NickAdamsinUSA
Politics
Trump proposes seasoned diplomat as Malaysia envoy instead of ‘alpha male’
Joshua Harris has been chosen for the post after Trump’s previous pick, Nick Adams, rankled Malaysians for his hardline support of Israel.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) takes part in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on Wednesday. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Diplomacy
Wang and Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash
America’s top diplomat describes dispute between Beijing and Manila over Second Thomas Shoal as very negative and benefiting no one.
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An aerial drone photo shows a view of Daqing oilfield in Daqing, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, on December 4, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
China Economy
China broke oil and gas output records in 2025 – but Beijing is staying cautious
Beijing’s energy regulator has set more modest production targets this year after a record 2025 as mature fields deplete and extraction challenges mount.
A Chinese coastguard vessel sails through the North Natuna Sea in this photo released by Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency in 2024. Photo: Bakamla/EPA-EFE
Politics
Indonesia restarts South China Sea gas project Beijing opposed
A low profile restart of the US$3 billion Tuna field with a Russian partner looks set to test Jakarta’s sovereign resolve.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto (left), who represented the country at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Thursday, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Photo: Xinhua
Politics
Indonesia’s AI ambitions test US-China balancing act
Analysts warn joining the new body could limit Indonesia’s access to US-made AI models and proprietary technology.
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Malaysia’s Cybercrimes Bill 2026 aims to give authorities long-sought tools to pursue online fraud, digital impersonation and AI-generated abuse. Photo: Shutterstock
Politics
Malaysia set for ‘timely’ overhaul of old law to fight new cyber threats
The Cybercrimes Bill will close critical legal gaps and give authorities greater reach against criminals operating overseas, analysts say.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press conference at the federal government office in Putrajaya on July 9. Photo: AFP
Politics
Fall in line or resign: Malaysia’s Anwar reins in partners ahead of state poll
The prime minister has threatened to remove ministers and senior officers attacking fellow federal partners during the Negeri Sembilan poll.
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A screengrab shows a robber holding up a security guard outside a bank in Klang on Monday. Photo: Instagram/suaramalaysiabaru
Southeast Asia
In Malaysia, robber flees empty-handed after guard locks cash inside van
Police set up roadblocks in Klang after a man threatens security guards transferring cash into a van with what appears to be a gun.
A French Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel, of the design on which Malaysia’s littoral combat vessel is based. Photo: AFP
Asia
Malaysia’s US$500m warship, Philippines’ Pax Silica AI hub: 7 Asia highlights
From Bali’s bid to become a financial hub to Japan’s bind over US’ ICC campaign, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.
This aerial photo shows a tanker unloading imported crude oil at a port in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province on June 25, 2026. Photo: CN-STR/AFP
China Economy
China’s June Gulf crude imports plunge amid slump in demand, higher prices
Chinese imports of liquefied natural gas rose 8.3 per cent year on year in June, while the country purchased nearly 30 per cent more coal in the month.
A still from a video shared by Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin showing one of Malaysia’s newly acquired Turkish-built Anka drones. Photo: Facebook/MohamedKhaledNordin
Politics
Malaysia adds South China Sea eyes in the sky amid Sabah row with Philippines
Long-range radar at Swallow Reef and new drones in Labuan aim to give Malaysia better oversight of its eastern waters.
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Senior BN politican Bung Moktar Radin. Photo: Umno
Politics
Malaysian court acquits BN politician’s widow Zizie Izette after 7-year legal battle
The former actress had been accused of abetting her late husband, BN politician Bung Moktar Radin, in an alleged US$685,000 bribery case.
The sun sets behind the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has seen average temperatures climb since the 1980s. Photo: AP
Southeast Asia
Malaysia braces for record high temperatures under ‘super’ El Nino
Malaysia’s Meteorological Department says it expects maximum temperatures to exceed the local record set nearly 30 years ago.
Customers eat Musang King durian desserts in Karak, Pahang, on June 27. Photo: AFP
Southeast Asia
Durians, hidden gems form Malaysia’s new pitch to South Koreans
Last year, about 558,000 South Koreans visited Malaysia, making it the country’s eighth-largest source market for international visitors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese pose for a picture in the stands at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 10. Photo: Reuters
Politics
How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security
New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.
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Workers install solar panels on the roof of a warehouse near Jurong Island in Singapore last year. Photo: AFP
Economics
Why investors are upbeat on the long-delayed Asean power grid
Investors and policymakers at the Nusa Dua Forum say that AI-driven demand is boosting optimism for cross-border power trade.
A man watching a footage of a woman being exorcised, in Makati, Metro Manila. Photo: AFP
Southeast Asia
‘Something beyond science’: Philippine school for exorcists draws Asia’s priests
A priest from the Michael Centre for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism says he can tell if cases are possessed by ‘a change in behaviour’.
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Gibran Huzaifah, founder of eFishery, was jailed nine years in Indonesia in April. Photo: Handout
Southeast Asia
Malaysia investigates state pension’s failed eFishery investment
The agritech start-up collapsed over a US$300 million fraud, with its jailed CEO revealing that he had falsified the company’s accounts.
Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer, Danantara Indonesia, speaks at a closing fireside chat at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali on Friday. Photo: Nora Tam
Economics
Indonesia’s Danantara must ‘outlast’ presidencies to prove worth: top official
Addressing the Nusa Dua Forum, Pandu Sjahrir said the fund should build investor confidence through ‘quick wins’ and stock market reforms.
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(From left) Zuraidah Ibrahim, executive editor, South China Morning Post; Tengku Zafrul Aziz, chairman, Malaysia Investment Development Authority; Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer, Danantara Indonesia; Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, minister of tourism, Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia; Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, CEO, Danantara Indonesia; Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, chairman, National Economic Council, Indonesia; Tammy Tam, publisher, South China Morning Post; Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, deputy secretary for justice, Department of Justice, government of Hong Kong; and Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, member of Executive Council, government of Hong Kong, pose for a group photo at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali on Friday. Photo: Nora Tam
Economics
Bali’s ‘big leap’: from holiday paradise to international financial centre
Indonesian and Hong Kong officials, as well as investors across the region, converge at the Nusa Dua Forum to discuss the island’s potential.
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Illustration: Huy Truong
Health & Environment
Asia’s AI boom has a dirty secret: the coal that powers it
In the rush to build the digital future, regional tech hubs are digging up the past.
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Opinion
Asian Angle|Why a second ‘China shock’ is good for Southeast Asia
Fear of Chinese imports is misplaced. Roughly 90 per cent of what the region buys is inputs and machinery driving local manufacturing.
Roland Rajah
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Macroscope|Don’t expect the rising tide of AI to lift all boats
While economies linked to hi-tech supply chains may perform well, unequal outcomes and economic instability still loom for much of the world.
Anthony Rowley
My Take|Putting the social media genie back in the bottle will not be easy to do
The determination around the world to crack down on the use of these platforms by children is a response to the mounting evidence of the harm it can do.
SCMP ColumnistCliff Buddle
Asian Angle|Asean’s side deals in Myanmar risk missing where the power truly lies
Trading collective leverage for isolated bargains blinds the bloc to changing realities on the ground.
Yuyun WahyuningrumSarah Teitt
The View|What retail apocalypse? Southeast Asia’s malls are sitting pretty
Unlike in other markets, Southeast Asia’s malls are in a good situation as they embrace experiential retail and adapt to consumer tastes.
Nicholas Spiro
Asian Angle|Where Southeast Asians really want to live, work and travel
While Thailand leads for tourism, Singapore and Japan are the top draws for work, revealing uneven regional soft power dynamics.
Irna Nurlina
Asian Angle|Malaysia’s 3R catch-all risks turning every grievance into a threat
Conflating local governance concerns with racial and religious slights threatens pluralism and stifles legitimate public policy debate.
Syaza Shukri
Editorial|Hong Kong should spare no effort in fight against financial crime
The recent crackdown by law enforcement agencies from 10 jurisdictions on international scams shows the benefit of regional cooperation.
SCMP Editorial
Asian Angle|Asia’s silver dividend can offset ageing’s economic toll
Research shows demographic decline hits productivity, not workforce size. Keeping older workers active through technology is the solution.
Donghyun ParkKwanho Shin
Asian Angle|What the China-US stability pact means for Southeast Asia
The real test of Beijing and Washington’s adoption of ‘constructive strategic stability’ will be how words translate into action.
Hoang Thi Ha
Asian Angle|China offers Southeast Asia clear advantages in nuclear power
With its experience in exporting nuclear reactors, China can offer long-term energy security and technological upgrades.
Zha Daojiong
Reflections|Succession struggles in China’s past echoed in Malaysia’s 2026 royal crisis
Disputes over Negeri Sembilan’s next royal ruler recall how succession in China often fused dynastic legitimacy with aristocratic elections.
Wee Kek Koon
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