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SCMP

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts

2. PM’s suspension reignites debate on ‘judicial activism’ of Thailand’s courts

3. Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind

4. Chinese ambassador’s ‘grandstanding’ advice for Australia raises eyebrows

5. Kuala Lumpur’s Aerotrain suffers double trouble after US$100 million relaunch

6. China-funded smelter fires up Indonesian defence concerns

7. Why Singapore refused to be a ‘Third China’ – and how Lee Kuan Yew made it clear



China reveals more about mid-air stand-off, consumer prices edge up: SCMP daily highlights

Tesla’s confidence in China; Chinese carmakers post stellar sales in November: 7 EV reads

Tokyo ‘monitoring’ Beijing backlash; Taiwan’s RedNote ban: SCMP daily highlights

Philippines cyclones, Singaporean Chinese dubbed ‘least attractive’: 7 Asia highlights

SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s ‘luxury’ tax; Singapore’s identity explored in new memoir: 7 Asia highlights

A nickel smelter in Indonesia. The proposed bauxite smelter would occupy about 400 hectares of land currently used by the Indonesian Navy on Singkep island. Photo: Reuters

A Malaysian woman shops for fruit at a market in Kuala Lumpur. New taxes on apples and oranges were rolled back soon after their introduction. Photo: AFP

Avocados being harvested at a farm in California. The “expensive, imported” fruits are subject to higher levies under Malaysia’s new tax regime. Photo: Los Angeles Times/TNS

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s former prime minister, greets his supporters next to his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra (right) in August 2023. Photo: AFP

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is in custody at The Hague. Photo: AFP

China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian has criticised the heavy defence spending of some countries in an opinion article in The Australian newspaper. Photo: EPA-EFE

Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s new Aerotrain. Photo: Ministry of Transport Malaysia

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew delivers a speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Press Union conference on October 15, 1990 in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

Malaysian police link Ipoh murder to international gang amid surge in public shootings

A man holds a gun in a car park. A series of gun attacks in the past few weeks have made Malaysians jittery. Photo: Shutterstock

Police officers at the scene of the shooting in Klang on June 20. Photos: Facebook/Meru Klang Resident Official

Two men were shot dead outside the lobby of a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur on June 17. Photo: The Star

South China Sea: US aircraft carrier marks American commitment but also ‘crowded’ region

The USS George Washington is seen berthing at Manila Bay on Thursday. Photo: AFP

US Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington is pictured during trilateral exercise with Japan and South Korea in the East China Sea in  November 2024. Photo: Reuters

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

South Asia

From Duterte ending his womanising era to defence concerns over an Indonesia mine, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting


From Duterte ending his womanising era to defence concerns over an Indonesia mine, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.


Malaysia’s ‘luxury’ tax; Singapore’s identity explored in new memoir: 7 Asia highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Duterte ending his womanising era to defence concerns over an Indonesia mine, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting

1. Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts

2. PM’s suspension reignites debate on ‘judicial activism’ of Thailand’s courts

3. Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind

From Duterte ending his womanising era to defence concerns over an Indonesia mine, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting