https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/324393/feed Ushar Daniele is the Post’s Kuala Lumpur–based correspondent covering Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the wider region. She focuses on current affairs, geopolitics, the economy, climate change and the environment. Her work has appeared in Al Jazeera English, CNN and VICE News, and she has earned two awards for excellence in digital and television reporting. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Roziah Jelali has a tip or two on catching a turtle poacher: carrying a pair of binoculars and having patience in spades are key to doing the job well. The 36-year-old Malaysian volunteer ranger once spent three months in Sabah tracking a man whom she suspected of illegally capturing protected turtles. Once thriving off the azure seas of Omadal Island in the Malaysian state, many turtles had been hunted down, killed and sold for their meat, according to conservation experts. Recounting the 2023... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370466/unsung-turtle-conservation-heroes-malaysias-sabah-unite-fight-poachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370466/unsung-turtle-conservation-heroes-malaysias-sabah-unite-fight-poachers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:28 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele As dawn breaks on Mataking Island off Sabah’s east coast, a tiny green turtle crawls across the sand, driven by instinct towards the surf before disappearing into the ocean on a journey that could cover thousands of kilometres. Where it goes is impossible to know, but with a huge dose of luck on its epic travels, it may return to the same Malaysian beach decades later to lay eggs of its own. The hatchling is one of tens of thousands that emerge from Sabah’s beaches each year, as the species... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370371/how-dna-fingerprinting-keeping-malaysias-green-turtles-safe-poachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370371/how-dna-fingerprinting-keeping-malaysias-green-turtles-safe-poachers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:00:51 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia is facing renewed pressure to clamp down on its companies over their alleged links to forest fires abroad, as recurring haze from Indonesia continues to disrupt schools and daily life despite years of regional efforts to tackle the problem. On Thursday, Malaysia ordered schools to close across several states, including Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and the Rompin district in Pahang, while sporting events scheduled for the weekend were cancelled. The latest... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370388/malaysia-urged-police-its-firms-indonesia-haze-shuts-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3370388/malaysia-urged-police-its-firms-indonesia-haze-shuts-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Oct 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Chew Kin Wah spent seven seasons gracing Malaysian television screens as “Kee Tat” in the hit sitcom Kopitiam in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now 61, the Malaysian actor is still working, albeit more selectively, taking projects when the right offers land on his table. “There is no thought of retiring when you are doing something you enjoy,” he told This Week in Asia, adding: “Money helps. Never fight with money.” For Chew, working beyond 60 is a choice. But for many Malaysians, the question... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3370171/retire-or-not-retire-malaysia-divided-over-working-past-60?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3370171/retire-or-not-retire-malaysia-divided-over-working-past-60?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:00:04 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Despite Malaysia’s insistence that its long-standing non-alignment policy extends to cyberspace, analysts say the country’s reliance on American and Chinese technology could make such a stance difficult to sustain amid the rivalry between the two superpowers. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Monday that Malaysia would “always remain neutral” in cyberspace, arguing that cyber threats could come from non-state actors and should not be viewed solely through the lens of geopolitical... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3370087/can-neutral-malaysia-stay-above-fray-us-china-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3370087/can-neutral-malaysia-stay-above-fray-us-china-tech-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:25:59 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s long-standing strategy of non-alignment amid US-China rivalry in the South China Sea could soon be tested, with the eastern state of Sabah sitting near a potential flashpoint involving Philippine territory. Observers pointed to comments by Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin, who last week voiced concern that a conflict or “unexpected incident” in the maritime region could spill over into Malaysia. Khaled, who singled out Sabah, added that Malaysia was looking to strengthen its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369554/why-sabah-has-malaysia-watching-south-china-sea-tensions-more-closely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369554/why-sabah-has-malaysia-watching-south-china-sea-tensions-more-closely?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:30:11 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The death of a 14-year-old student at a Malaysian boarding school has renewed scrutiny over student safety, raising questions over whether reforms introduced after the high-profile death of Zara Qairina Mahathir last year have changed what happens behind dormitory doors. Police in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, have detained two 16-year-old students as they investigate the death of Muhammad Idlan Fareeq Shahril. They said Idlan was caught vaping by a hostel warden on September 23. Two days later,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369315/behind-closed-doors-fatal-beating-exposes-malaysias-parallel-boarding-school-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3369315/behind-closed-doors-fatal-beating-exposes-malaysias-parallel-boarding-school-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:44:20 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, died on Monday aged 100. Her family confirmed her death after she was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. The cause of death was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose decades-long feud with Mahathir defined modern Malaysia’s politics, said on Monday that Siti Hasmah would be granted a state funeral. “The nation will always remember her maternal presence and cherish... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368993/siti-hasmah-wife-malaysias-mahathir-mohamad-dies-aged-100?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368993/siti-hasmah-wife-malaysias-mahathir-mohamad-dies-aged-100?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 02:36:00 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Kuala Lumpur is making it easier and cheaper to bring international music stars to the city, hoping that a bigger concert calendar can help Malaysia capture more of Southeast Asia’s booming live-music economy. But as more global acts come to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian musicians are asking whether the concert boom is creating more opportunities for local artists too. Fuad Alhabshi of Malaysian rock band Kyoto Protocol said local bands once routinely benefited when major international acts came... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368456/malaysias-local-acts-feel-left-out-live-music-boom-missing-middle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3368456/malaysias-local-acts-feel-left-out-live-music-boom-missing-middle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:03:02 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan Ushar Daniele,Joseph Sipalan A senior ally of Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim announced his resignation from cabinet on Saturday – a day after confidence in the prime minister’s administration took a severe hit when disgraced former leader Najib Razak was allowed to serve out his jail term under house arrest. Anthony Loke, the secretary general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said that the party could not accept the decision to allow Najib to complete his sentence in the comfort of his own home. The former prime minister is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368113/malaysias-loke-resigns-transport-minister-following-najibs-house-arrest-approval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368113/malaysias-loke-resigns-transport-minister-following-najibs-house-arrest-approval?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:56:45 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Joseph Sipalan,Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s Pardons Board on Friday agreed to allow disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to serve out the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, where the former leader is required to settle his 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine before he can be transferred to his home to complete his sentence, due to end on August 23, 2028. “He must abide by these conditions, and should he fail to fulfil any of these... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3367950/malaysias-najib-razak-granted-house-arrest-pardons-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3367950/malaysias-najib-razak-granted-house-arrest-pardons-board?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:23:51 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The mother of Malaysian schoolgirl Yap Shing Xuen has shared a moving tribute to her late daughter, who was stabbed to death nearly a year ago in a school toilet. On Monday, the Shah Alam High Court found Yap’s attacker, who was 14 at the time, not guilty of her murder on the grounds of insanity. Medical testimony accepted by the court established that the boy had severe undiagnosed schizophrenia since the age of nine. He was ordered into psychiatric confinement, where he will remain... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3367547/malaysian-mother-honours-slain-daughter-yap-shing-xuens-memory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3367547/malaysian-mother-honours-slain-daughter-yap-shing-xuens-memory?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:25:22 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan royal crisis escalated on Monday after the state’s customary council said six men behind the latest attempt to remove ruler Tuanku Muhriz Munawir could be regarded as having committed grave disloyalty to the monarch. The ruling deepens a months-long struggle over Malaysia’s only elective monarchy, where a rival group of traditional chiefs has sought to depose Muhriz and install another royal in his place. The dispute helped bring down the previous state government and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367479/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-deepens-amid-claims-grave-disloyalty-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367479/malaysias-negeri-sembilan-royal-crisis-deepens-amid-claims-grave-disloyalty-ruler?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:00:55 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Anthropic’s discovery of an AI-powered election manipulation platform targeting Malaysia offers a glimpse into how the technology can exploit a country’s political vulnerabilities for sophisticated influence operations. The operation’s use of millions of voter records, fake social media accounts, a synthetic news site and fabricated dossiers pointed to a deeper risk, analysts said: weak data safeguards and entrenched ethnic and religious fault lines could allow political actors to target voters... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367440/how-ai-plot-targeted-malaysias-elections-and-exposed-deep-data-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3367440/how-ai-plot-targeted-malaysias-elections-and-exposed-deep-data-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Aidan Jones,Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Kolette Lim,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Kolette Lim,Ushar Daniele Dr Asma Zafirah doesn’t need satellite images to know when Kalimantan is burning. She sees it in the watery eyes and laboured breaths of the patients at her clinic in Sarawak, and the children who are kept home from school to protect them from the toxic air. Southeast Asia’s transboundary haze crisis was meant to have been brought under control six years ago. But Borneo is once again belching out dangerous emissions, as fires in the peatlands and forests of Kalimantan – Indonesia’s section of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3367217/smoke-how-southeast-asia-bungled-its-haze-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3367217/smoke-how-southeast-asia-bungled-its-haze-response?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Yap Yee Lin has been serving espresso at a Starbucks in Malaysia since 2012, longer than many of his colleagues have worked anywhere. But it was only last year, after 13 years with the company, that he was promoted to shift manager at a branch in Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar Village II. The wait says less about Yap, who is deaf, than it does about how rare that kind of promotion still is for deaf workers in the Southeast Asian nation – and how much has had to change around him to make it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3366408/hired-then-what-malaysias-deaf-workers-push-past-entry-level-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3366408/hired-then-what-malaysias-deaf-workers-push-past-entry-level-jobs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A former Malaysian minister has been remanded for five days as part of an anti-corruption inquiry into the management of the country’s state haj fund. The suspect, who is in his sixties, was detained at about 4.30pm on Tuesday after he went to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya to have his statement recorded. MACC confirmed the arrest in a statement on social media but did not release the former minister’s identity. “The arrest was made around 4.30pm and it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3366086/former-malaysian-minister-arrested-state-haj-fund-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3366086/former-malaysian-minister-arrested-state-haj-fund-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:37:05 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Air pollution in Malaysia’s Bornean state of Sarawak has surged into hazardous territory, with the air pollutant index (API) topping 400 in the worst-hit district, as forest fires raging in Indonesia continue to send thick smoke drifting across the border. Serian in Sarawak, closest to the frontier with Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, recorded the highest reading of 476 as of Monday morning. Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman all logged readings above 300 as of 10am, according to Malaysia’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365818/malaysias-air-quality-turns-hazardous-indonesian-wildfires-burn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365818/malaysias-air-quality-turns-hazardous-indonesian-wildfires-burn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:10:04 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A yellowing receipt, framed behind glass near the entrance of Abdul Razak Gold House, records an address that no longer officially exists: “63 Ampang Street, Kuala Lumpur (Malaya)”. The shop’s modern glass frontage, polished counters and gleaming bullion cases give little away about its history. But step inside and that simple receipt serves as a small window onto pre-independence Malaysia. For six decades, this family business has reinvented itself in step with the city around it. What began as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365625/reviving-kuala-lumpur-can-malaysia-modernise-without-pricing-out-its-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365625/reviving-kuala-lumpur-can-malaysia-modernise-without-pricing-out-its-past?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2026 03:00:18 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A 48-year-old Malaysian man is believed to have killed his wife and their two young children before taking his life at a Kuala Lumpur flat, in a case police said might have been linked to losses from an alleged online love scam purportedly involving the woman. Initial police investigations found a note left by the man, blaming his actions on the scam, which had left the family with US$61,000 in losses and debt, police said on Friday. The 48-year-old father wrote that he was distraught over his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365592/malaysian-man-kills-wife-2-children-and-self-over-love-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365592/malaysian-man-kills-wife-2-children-and-self-over-love-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:56:00 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to share the skies amid a haze crisis that has closed nearly 600 Malaysian schools and erased much of the Kuala Lumpur skyline from view. The Petronas Twin Towers, usually visible for miles around, have been swallowed by a grey shroud as wildfires that continue to rage across Indonesia’s Sumatra and Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Authorities from both countries are coordinating operations along their shared Bornean border, with Malaysia’s environment... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365303/indonesia-opens-its-skies-malaysian-rainmakers-haze-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3365303/indonesia-opens-its-skies-malaysian-rainmakers-haze-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:45:48 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A Malaysian Islamic university has formally distanced itself from an academic whose viral claims about ancient Malay civilisation – including that Malays could fly and taught the Chinese “flying kung fu” – have drawn ridicule from historians. In a statement on Sunday, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said Solehah Yaacob, a former linguistics professor, had been terminated from academic service on April 27 and was no longer entitled to claim any affiliation with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365036/professor-who-said-malays-could-fly-sacked-malaysian-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365036/professor-who-said-malays-could-fly-sacked-malaysian-university?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:44:49 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian politics runs on grudges and few illustrate that better than the one nursed by Rafizi Ramli. A year after losing the deputy presidency of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), he has built a vehicle for the disaffected, aimed squarely at the coalition of which he was once part. Parti Bersama Malaysia – or Bersama, meaning “together” – is barely three months old under its new leadership, yet it has already rattled Malaysia’s governing alliance. Taken over in May... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364866/malaysia-voter-anger-fuels-third-force-against-anwar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364866/malaysia-voter-anger-fuels-third-force-against-anwar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Transboundary haze has again disrupted daily life on Malaysian Borneo, forcing nearly 600 schools in Sarawak to shut on Friday as air pollution in parts of the state reached “very unhealthy” levels. The closures affecting almost 200,000 pupils were the latest disruptions caused by Southeast Asia’s persistent haze problem, which flares during dry spells when forest and peatland fires – often linked to land clearing for agriculture and plantations – send harmful smoke across national borders. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3364829/malaysias-sarawak-shuts-almost-600-schools-haze-hits-very-unhealthy-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3364829/malaysias-sarawak-shuts-almost-600-schools-haze-hits-very-unhealthy-level?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:26:40 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysians have launched a humorous appeal to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fix their potholes, sparking a meme fest praising his responsiveness and highlighting local government inaction. The campaign began after a social media user posted a video of a battered road he frequently uses that caused him to crash, urging Mamdani to help make the thoroughfare passable. “Mamdani, please help me. There used to be a pothole over there and because of the pothole I was involved in a road... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364645/malaysians-ask-zohran-mamdani-fix-potholes-viral-meme-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364645/malaysians-ask-zohran-mamdani-fix-potholes-viral-meme-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:50:24 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A father and his two daughters died after an Immigration Department truck allegedly ran a red light and triggered a series of crashes in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur early on Wednesday. Preliminary investigations found that the empty truck, driven by a 43-year-old man, was headed to Chow Kit district at about 1am to pick up undocumented migrants detained in an operation, said Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zamzuri Mohd... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364507/father-and-2-daughters-killed-malaysian-immigration-truck-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3364507/father-and-2-daughters-killed-malaysian-immigration-truck-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:30:16 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A preacher and prominent conservative commentator has drawn backlash in Malaysia after questioning why a banner for a traditional Chinese festival was not written in Malay, the country’s national language. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, an ethnic Chinese Muslim convert known for provocative commentary on race and religion, was criticised by social media users and a Selangor politician for casting a routine notice about the Hungry Ghost Festival as an issue of language and national identity. In a post on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364389/malaysian-preacher-faces-backlash-over-chinese-festival-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364389/malaysian-preacher-faces-backlash-over-chinese-festival-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 06:06:23 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian Formula One (F1) fans hoping to catch the sport’s one-off return to Sepang International Circuit (SIC) after almost a decade are facing a frustrating race of their own, with many complaining of confusing ticketing arrangements and broken links. Tickets for the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, to be held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from October 2 to 4, went on sale on Thursday, triggering a scramble among local fans eager to attend the country’s first F1 race... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364005/malaysian-f1-fans-vent-fury-over-sales-process-organisers-cite-high-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3364005/malaysian-f1-fans-vent-fury-over-sales-process-organisers-cite-high-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:54:55 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia is taking palm oil from the frying pan to server racks, as it banks on its biggest agricultural commodity to crack a code plaguing its data centre boom – keeping servers cool. Researchers at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) are developing a palm-based liquid to cool computer servers without relying on copious volumes of water, as the country grapples with high resource demands to support its rapidly expanding digital infrastructure. The new approach – termed the Sawit EcoTherm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363811/palm-oil-cool-data-centres-malaysia-explores-option-water-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363811/palm-oil-cool-data-centres-malaysia-explores-option-water-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 12:10:48 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Young Malaysians are reporting worsening illnesses, heat-related health problems and disruptions to basic services as climate change intensifies, raising questions over whether the country’s adaptation policies can protect future generations. Unicef Malaysia’s National Youth Climate Change Survey 2025, released in July, found that climate change was no longer only an environmental challenge but an immediate public health and economic issue. The survey gathered responses from 1,420 young people... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363303/climate-crisis-leaves-malaysia-hot-headed-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363303/climate-crisis-leaves-malaysia-hot-headed-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Malaysian artist Darwisy Mustafani received a commission to paint the country’s king and queen, he did not reach for an ordinary canvas. Instead, the 25-year-old from the northeastern city of Kota Bharu transformed songket – the lustrous handwoven fabric once reserved for Malay courts and ceremonial dress – into a portrait of the sultan and his wife before a golden-domed palace. The portrait, commissioned in 2024 by Malaysia’s police force as a gift for Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and Queen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363339/malaysias-monarchy-charts-new-course-amid-political-flux?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363339/malaysias-monarchy-charts-new-course-amid-political-flux?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has stepped back from the deputy presidency of his ruling People’s Justice Party (PKR), raising questions over his ability to hold together the political movement he built after a bruising run of electoral setbacks and defections by former allies. PKR’s leadership has sought to frame the move by Nurul Izzah, one of the party’s most recognisable reformist figures, not as a resignation but as a temporary break – exposing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363294/malaysia-nurul-izzahs-pkr-exit-deepens-questions-over-anwars-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363294/malaysia-nurul-izzahs-pkr-exit-deepens-questions-over-anwars-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:36:19 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A pilot allegedly caught with tens of thousands of Ecstasy pills in Jakarta is the most high-profile case in a recent string of arrests that police and criminologists say points to a growing problem: transnational syndicates are using Malaysia to move drugs and recruit couriers. The case was followed within days by other arrests involving Malaysians in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore, suggesting a pattern of criminal organisations exploiting the country’s transport links, porous borders and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363188/pilots-arrest-spotlights-malaysias-growing-status-regional-drug-transit-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363188/pilots-arrest-spotlights-malaysias-growing-status-regional-drug-transit-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:03:47 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s call for major powers to apply international law “consistently, not selectively” could signal growing regional unease with how big players are seen to invoke rules only when convenient. Defence Minister Khaled Nordin delivered the message on Monday at the 37th International Military Law and Operations Conference in Kuala Lumpur, where he said major powers had a special responsibility to uphold global stability without bending the rules to suit their interests. “Malaysia sees you as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362806/malaysias-call-big-powers-uphold-international-law-consistently-marks-regional-unease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362806/malaysias-call-big-powers-uphold-international-law-consistently-marks-regional-unease?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:50:41 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele The Malaysian ruling coalition’s poor showing in the Negeri Sembilan poll on Saturday marks its third straight defeat in eight months – an embarrassing run that is forcing its largest party to confront the cost of governing with former rivals. Pakatan Harapan (PH) won 11 of the state’s 36 seats on Saturday, down from 17 in 2023, while Barisan Nasional (BN) secured 18 and its electoral partner, Perikatan Nasional (PN), took seven. The setback followed PH’s near-wipeout in Sabah last November,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362709/three-strikes-daps-out-loss-malaysias-negeri-sembilan-puts-coalition-notice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362709/three-strikes-daps-out-loss-malaysias-negeri-sembilan-puts-coalition-notice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 01:00:31 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The crushing defeat of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in the Negeri Sembilan polls has raised doubts about his political strategy, as state rival but federal ally Barisan Nasional (BN) grows in dominance. Analysts say BN’s effective cooperation with opposition party Perikatan Nasional (PN) could reshape Malaysia’s political landscape ahead of the next national election, due by February 2028. BN won 18 of the 36 assembly seats in Negeri Sembilan on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362659/what-negeri-sembilan-loss-means-malaysian-pm-anwars-political-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362659/what-negeri-sembilan-loss-means-malaysian-pm-anwars-political-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suffered a second election setback within weeks on Saturday after his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition lost to rivals in the Negeri Sembilan polls. Official results at midnight showed Barisan Nasional (BN) winning 18 seats, coupled with Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) seven for a supermajority of 25 over PH’s 11 in the 36-seat assembly. The country’s second state election in under a month was a test of the stability of Anwar’s coalition government, as PH locked... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362591/negeri-sembilan-votes-malaysias-political-allies-lock-horns-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362591/negeri-sembilan-votes-malaysias-political-allies-lock-horns-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:30:16 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has seized on the release of a long-delayed inquiry into the country’s Islamic pilgrimage fund to revive his anti-corruption message just days before the state of Negeri Sembilan holds an election. The move is seen as a calculated bid by Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to turn a governance issue against state rival Umno, although observers are divided on whether it would be damaging enough to hurt Malaysia’s oldest Malay nationalist party. Anwar’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362397/malaysias-anwar-seizes-haj-fund-report-ahead-negeri-sembilan-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362397/malaysias-anwar-seizes-haj-fund-report-ahead-negeri-sembilan-election?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:35:04 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan state heads to the polls on Saturday, but a growing portion of its young workers – and their votes – are based elsewhere. Leaving home was never Ammar Idlan Hassan’s long-term plan, but better pay and stronger career prospects eventually drew the 27-year-old project engineer away from Seremban, the state capital. He now lives in Gelang Patah, a border town in Johor, from which he commutes to Singapore for work. “The pay is the most obvious reason for the majority of us... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362120/malaysias-mobile-electorate-could-swing-negeri-sembilan-state-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362120/malaysias-mobile-electorate-could-swing-negeri-sembilan-state-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:51:06 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia once decided Formula One was too expensive to keep, but Bahrain’s displaced Grand Prix has given it an unexpected route back to the calendar, as well as a chance to test whether the sport can still deliver value without the full financial burden of a long-term comeback. Analysts say the one-off race, made possible by the war in Iran and the cancellation of April’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, offers Malaysia more than a nostalgic return to Sepang: it provides a timely tourism lift... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3362060/how-displaced-f1-race-could-be-malaysias-blessing-disguise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3362060/how-displaced-f1-race-could-be-malaysias-blessing-disguise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:38:41 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele US criticism of Malaysia’s entry ban on Israeli nationals is unlikely to force a major shift in the country’s foreign policy, analysts have said, after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejected accusations that the move was antisemitic. The remarks escalated a dispute that has drawn in members of the US Congress, Malaysia’s long-standing refusal to recognise Israel and the widening international debate over where criticism of Israel ends and hostility towards Jewish people begins. “We are not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362021/us-criticism-malaysias-israel-stance-spotlights-growing-disconnect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3362021/us-criticism-malaysias-israel-stance-spotlights-growing-disconnect?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:58:36 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia is close to overhauling its nearly 30-year-old cybercrime law and giving authorities long-sought tools to pursue online fraud, digital impersonation and AI-generated abuse, but experts say the bill’s impact will depend on whether investigators can enforce it effectively and prevent misuse of its powers. The Cybercrimes Bill 2026 was first tabled in parliament on June 22 and passed by the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s lower house, on July 1. The Dewan Negara, the upper house, approved it on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361336/malaysia-cracks-down-cybercrime-new-rules-digital-space-necessary-reset?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361336/malaysia-cracks-down-cybercrime-new-rules-digital-space-necessary-reset?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:55:38 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Former Malaysian actress Zizie Izette Abdul Samad walked free on Monday after a Kuala Lumpur court acquitted her of abetting her late husband, senior Barisan Nasional (BN) politician Bung Moktar Radin, in an alleged 2.8 million ringgit (US$685,000) bribery case linked to a government investment. Sessions Court judge Rosli Ahmad ruled that the defence had successfully raised reasonable doubt over all three charges faced by Bung’s 48-year-old widow. Following her acquittal, Zizie said she felt... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361169/malaysian-court-acquits-bn-politicians-widow-zizie-izette-after-7-year-legal-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361169/malaysian-court-acquits-bn-politicians-widow-zizie-izette-after-7-year-legal-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:24:47 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A controversy in Malaysia over a foreign tech community in Johor state has raised questions on whether immigration scrutiny and political sensitivities could slow the country’s push to attract digital nomads and other global talent. Johor authorities are investigating Network School, a private co-living and co-working community based in Forest City and founded by American tech investor and former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan, following online allegations that Israelis were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3360963/malaysias-network-school-probe-raises-questions-over-openness-tech-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3360963/malaysias-network-school-probe-raises-questions-over-openness-tech-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:42:54 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A man suspected of repeatedly stalking a 22-year-old university student has been arrested in Malaysia after CCTV footage showing him sniffing her shoes outside her flat went viral on social media. The footage shows a man in a black T-shirt loitering in a corridor outside what is believed to be the victim’s home in Shah Alam, before reaching through a grille to grab her footwear and sniff it. The victim lodged a police report on Sunday after the post drew widespread attention, claiming to have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3360464/malaysia-viral-shoe-sniffing-video-sparks-stalking-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3360464/malaysia-viral-shoe-sniffing-video-sparks-stalking-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:35:52 +0000 Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Ushar Daniele,Iman Muttaqin Yusof As Malaysian political coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) basks in the afterglow of its landslide win in the Johor state election, the soul-searching within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s defeated Pakatan Harapan (PH) bloc could run deepest within its largest group – the Chinese-majority Democratic Action Party (DAP). BN improved its grip on the country’s southernmost state, securing 48 out of 56 seats. PH managed to win only eight seats, and within the coalition, DAP lost 11 of the 17 seats it... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360393/daps-election-loss-malaysias-johor-prompts-soul-searching-ahead-next-key-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360393/daps-election-loss-malaysias-johor-prompts-soul-searching-ahead-next-key-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:01:43 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele For regular anglers in the Malaysian coastal town of Port Dickson, the sighting of a crocodile in the water while fishing near the jetties is nothing new. “I have seen three crocodiles while fishing there,” said Razman Fozi, 33, who has fished in the area for over two years. Most anglers knew the reptiles were there, but it did not deter them, he said. “I’ve never seen a crocodile bother the anglers.” Not everyone has been so fortunate. On May 25, a 62-year-old fisherman survived a crocodile... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3360168/malaysia-reaches-snapping-point-crocodile-encounters-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3360168/malaysia-reaches-snapping-point-crocodile-encounters-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jul 2026 02:00:24 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele,Vincent Tan Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele,Vincent Tan Barisan Nasional’s (BN) sweeping win in Johor is expected to embolden it within Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government while forcing his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition into a difficult postmortem over its waning appeal on the ground. BN, which ruled the country for six decades before losing power in 2018 and later joining Anwar’s bloc in 2022, retained its Johor stronghold with 48 seats out of 56 on Saturday night – an improvement from the 40 it won in the 2022 polls. PH... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360250/malaysia-bns-johor-blue-wave-leaves-anwars-ph-facing-hard-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360250/malaysia-bns-johor-blue-wave-leaves-anwars-ph-facing-hard-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:22 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele,Vincent Tan Iman Muttaqin Yusof,Ushar Daniele,Vincent Tan The coalition of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was dealt a blow on Saturday after state rival Barisan Nasional (BN) trounced Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Johor election. BN cruised to victory with 48 seats out of 56 up for grabs, while Anwar’s PH managed only eight. BN’s result was better than the 40 seats it secured in the 2022 race. The two-thirds majority it retains gives it absolute power to pass constitutional amendments and redraw electoral boundaries in Johor. The state was turned... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360186/malaysias-johor-votes-government-allies-turn-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360186/malaysias-johor-votes-government-allies-turn-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jul 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele Aidan Jones,Ushar Daniele After a rendition of My Way and a saxophone accompaniment that felt closer to crooning uncles at a wedding party than high-stakes diplomacy, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul announced the serious business of squashing a damaging trade row and bringing greater security to the porous border between the nations. The pair, long-standing friends, also share a love for public spectacle, with Anutin playing the classic song popularised by Frank Sinatra... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360175/anwar-anutin-hit-diplomatic-high-notes-mask-malaysia-thailand-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360175/anwar-anutin-hit-diplomatic-high-notes-mask-malaysia-thailand-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:39:34 +0000