https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/523282/feed The latest news and top stories on Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a public research university dedicated to promoting Bahasa Melayu and internationalising knowledge rooted in national culture. Established in 1970, UKM is based in Bandar Baru Bangi in Selangor state with campuses in Kuala Lumpur and Doha. It is recognised as one of Malaysia's largest universities. 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 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 Azmil Tayeb Azmil Tayeb A string of electoral victories in recent years has inspired the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) to go for more urbanised and developed states in the run-up to Malaysia’s next general election. PAS’ strategy is straightforward: besides leveraging its religious credentials, it also seeks to underscore its ability to govern well. The problem here, however, is that PAS might not have a solid technocratic record to sell to voters. PAS was established by the ulama (religious scholars) wing of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3369597/pas-wants-urban-malaysias-vote-can-it-win-over-urban-malays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3369597/pas-wants-urban-malaysias-vote-can-it-win-over-urban-malays?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:00:14 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik When chemical engineer Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah joined Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 22 years ago, Western institutions dominated the field, from global research infrastructure and high-impact publications to the greatest breakthroughs. Two decades later, the centre of gravity has moved eastward, says Zuhairi, now a professor with the USM school of chemical engineering in Penang. “[Not much was known] about China at that time when I joined the university. I knew that they had quite a number of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369619/malaysia-building-new-research-corridor-across-asia-meet-chinas-rise-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/science/article/3369619/malaysia-building-new-research-corridor-across-asia-meet-chinas-rise-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 02:00:13 +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 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s haze crisis has flared again just weeks after emergency measures and cloud-seeding operations brought temporary relief, with experts warning that smoke from Indonesian fires could continue drifting across the country until monsoon winds change. All 108 schools in Serian, a district in the state of Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo, were ordered to close on Thursday after the air pollutant index (API) breached 200 on Wednesday night, forcing pupils back to home-based learning. By noon,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368641/open-close-reopen-return-choking-haze-traps-malaysian-schools-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368641/open-close-reopen-return-choking-haze-traps-malaysian-schools-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:53:37 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan A series of small earthquakes beneath Keningau, an inland district of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, is drawing attention to a part of the state where scientists say the fault lines are poorly understood and the consequences of a larger quake could be devastating. The latest, a magnitude 3.4 tremor on September 3, was felt in several parts of Keningau, prompting staff at the district office to suspend a meeting and move to a designated safe area. No serious damage was reported. The tremor was one of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368423/why-small-quakes-malaysias-sabah-could-be-sounding-seismic-alarms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3368423/why-small-quakes-malaysias-sabah-could-be-sounding-seismic-alarms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asia remains comparatively confident in international cooperation even as scepticism grows over whether the United States or China should take a leading global role, a new survey has found. Analysts said the findings reflected a long-standing regional preference for keeping strategic options open, particularly among smaller and middle powers wary of an international order dominated by either Washington or Beijing. “Seeking Security and Opportunity in a Stormy World”, released this... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368278/southeast-asia-supports-multilateralism-wary-us-or-china-leadership-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368278/southeast-asia-supports-multilateralism-wary-us-or-china-leadership-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:41:49 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia may finally scrap the university law that generations of students have blamed for stifling campus dissent, but activists and academics say the harder fight will be over what comes next. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has promised to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, better known by its Malay acronym AUKU, a law that has long sat at the centre of arguments over how much freedom Malaysian students should have to protest, organise and challenge university... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364293/malaysia-scrap-55-year-old-university-law-will-campus-reform-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364293/malaysia-scrap-55-year-old-university-law-will-campus-reform-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:12:10 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan When Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah recently stripped his daughter-in-law of a royal title, the move drew attention for its unusually public glimpse into discipline inside one of the world’s few remaining absolute monarchies. But it also offered a small example of what analysts who study Southeast Asia’s royal families describe as a wider challenge for the region’s monarchies: how to preserve authority through tradition and adaptation as public expectations change. An official announcement... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363319/how-southeast-asias-monarchies-stay-relevant-volatile-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363319/how-southeast-asias-monarchies-stay-relevant-volatile-region?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 02:00:32 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s foremost Islamist party has set an early pace ahead of national polls, calling on the country’s Malay-Muslim majority to endorse its renewed efforts to broaden the reach of sharia law. On Wednesday, the Kelantan state assembly – which is dominated by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) – unanimously passed amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Offences Enactment Bill, in a bid to circumvent constitutional barriers that have prevented the criminalisation of certain acts under Islamic... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363933/pas-latest-sharia-law-push-signals-its-malaysian-federal-power-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363933/pas-latest-sharia-law-push-signals-its-malaysian-federal-power-ambition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:10:37 +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 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 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The door is fast closing on Malaysia’s reform experiment after nearly a decade of false starts and political intrigue, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition facing the real possibility of being booted out of office as the country’s ethnic majority seeks the return of strong Malay leadership. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) suffered bruising losses in three state elections since last November, most significantly losing control of Negeri Sembilan on Saturday after nearly eight years in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363025/malaysian-politics-heads-reset-malay-nationalism-surge-threatens-reform-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363025/malaysian-politics-heads-reset-malay-nationalism-surge-threatens-reform-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:54:16 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Malaysia is stepping up scrutiny of foreign-run businesses amid concerns from local operators over competition from China. The government wants to retain Chinese investment, technology and affordable consumer goods, while assuring local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that foreign competitors are not subject to different rules. Former trade and investment minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, now chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, said government social media analysis had... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3362204/malaysia-moves-protect-local-firms-cheap-chinese-goods-fill-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3362204/malaysia-moves-protect-local-firms-cheap-chinese-goods-fill-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Southeast Asia’s governments have spent months trying to blunt the effects of war-driven energy shocks from the Middle East, but renewed fighting between the United States and Iran has exposed how limited those defences are, analysts have warned. The latest flare-up has revived fears of a second round of fuel disruption across the region, where many economies remain heavily dependent on imported oil and shipping routes linked to the Gulf. Southeast Asian leaders expressed “grave concern” over... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361765/can-southeast-asia-survive-more-iran-war-fuel-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3361765/can-southeast-asia-survive-more-iran-war-fuel-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:31:18 +0000 Vincent Tan Vincent Tan Malaysia’s largest Islamist party was wiped out in Johor’s state election last weekend, but PAS is now trying to turn that defeat into bargaining power. Its argument is that supporters who had no PAS candidate to vote for helped deliver a landslide victory to Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition led by Umno, its long-time rival for Malay-Muslim voters. The two parties have spent years competing for influence among Malaysia’s Malay majority, but they have also explored cooperation when it serves... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360835/can-malaysias-pas-deliver-votes-negeri-sembilan-despite-johor-wipeout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360835/can-malaysias-pas-deliver-votes-negeri-sembilan-despite-johor-wipeout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:35:46 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s unity government is holding firm in Putrajaya, but its uneasy alliance is fraying at the state level after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) moved into opposition in Melaka, even as it reels from a rout by federal partner Barisan Nasional (BN) in Johor. The split followed a constitutional amendment allowing Melaka’s government to appoint up to seven unelected assembly members with voting rights. PH’s five lawmakers opposed the bill, which passed 23-5 on Tuesday. Four... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360642/malaysias-anwar-deals-another-split-bn-melaka-after-johor-poll-rout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3360642/malaysias-anwar-deals-another-split-bn-melaka-after-johor-poll-rout?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:07 +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 Knife-edge state polls in Johor and Negeri Sembilan may reconfigure Malaysian politics, as a regrouped Malay nationalist right seeks big wins to pressure Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim into calling an early election. Barisan Nasional (BN), the Malay-led bloc, is going head-to-head against Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the ballots to be held this month and next, in a move by a key government coalition member that could destabilise the prime minister’s fragile administration from within. Analysts... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3359204/can-malaysias-unity-government-survive-major-bn-win-state-polls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3359204/can-malaysias-unity-government-survive-major-bn-win-state-polls?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:58:15 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim A potentially dangerous haze season looms for Southeast Asia, as rising energy and fertiliser costs threaten to weaken fire-prevention efforts just as extreme weather patterns raise the risk of forest and land blazes. Analysts warn that agricultural companies facing pressure from higher production costs may cut corners on sustainable land-clearing practices, including by using fire instead of machinery. The warning comes as the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) issued a rare... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3358548/southeast-asias-red-alert-haze-fight-faces-economic-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3358548/southeast-asias-red-alert-haze-fight-faces-economic-test?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:40:52 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As Southeast Asia grapples with energy supply uncertainty, fallout from the Iran conflict and intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, Russia appears to be presenting itself as a viable “third power” option for the region, analysts say. Moscow’s pitch was on display at the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on Thursday, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin met regional counterparts, and the two sides agreed to bolster political and economic ties, alongside several... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357738/can-russia-secure-third-power-status-southeast-asia-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357738/can-russia-secure-third-power-status-southeast-asia-energy-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2026 05:30:06 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The US-Iran peace deal is likely to bring immediate relief but not yet reassurance for Asia, as leaders across the region watch whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens, oil prices ease and the agreement can withstand the nuclear talks and geopolitical distrust still ahead, analysts say. The agreement, mediated by Pakistan and scheduled to be signed on Friday in Switzerland, is intended to end more than three months of war in the Gulf, halt the US blockade of Iran and reopen one of the world’s most... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357206/relief-and-wariness-asia-watches-us-iran-deal-real-impact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357206/relief-and-wariness-asia-watches-us-iran-deal-real-impact?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:35:49 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Asia’s fuel needs may take priority over the strategic risks of relying on oil from heavily sanctioned Russia, according to experts. Currently, there is little political appetite to treat the surge of Moscow’s crude flowing eastward through a “dark fleet” of tankers as a potential security issue. The US-Israeli war on Iran has caused the price of Brent crude – the benchmark measure – to spike to above US$100 since March, although talks with Washington have seen the price soften in recent days to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3355618/why-oil-hungry-asia-ignores-risks-linked-russias-dark-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3355618/why-oil-hungry-asia-ignores-risks-linked-russias-dark-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 02:03:12 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Recent moves by companies such as Gardenia and H&M to shift some operations from Singapore across the Causeway have put the spotlight on Malaysia’s growing appeal as a more affordable base for businesses facing high costs and a tight labour market in the city state. But while the trend may look like an easy win for its neighbour – bringing investment, jobs and spillover opportunities – analysts say the gains could come with trade-offs, as an influx of firms drives up competition for skilled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3355378/rising-costs-singapore-spur-business-migration-regional-alternatives-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3355378/rising-costs-singapore-spur-business-migration-regional-alternatives-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s religious authorities can ban teachings they consider deviant, send followers to rehabilitation classes and take group leaders to court. But they have not stopped banned or fringe Islamic movements from finding new followers online, according to officials, as some groups move abroad, rebrand or use social media to keep reaching Malaysians beyond the immediate reach of state enforcement. The concern has been raised most recently in Selangor, Malaysia’s richest and most populous state,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3355304/beyond-bans-why-fringe-islamic-movements-still-find-followers-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3355304/beyond-bans-why-fringe-islamic-movements-still-find-followers-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 08:24:19 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Former Malaysian economy minister Rafizi Ramli’s breakaway gamble is unlikely to bring down Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on its own, analysts say, but it could still wound the ruling coalition by peeling away reformist voters who helped Pakatan Harapan (PH) take power in 2022. Rafizi and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced on Sunday that they would quit Anwar’s People Justice Party (PKR), vacate their parliamentary seats and take over... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3354510/why-rafizis-party-bigger-threat-malaysias-anwar-opposition-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3354510/why-rafizis-party-bigger-threat-malaysias-anwar-opposition-coalition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 08:16:18 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Viral “zombie vape” videos of young Malaysian men appearing dazed and disoriented after vaping have intensified concern that drug-laced liquids are spreading through the country’s booming e-cigarette market. The clips, shared widely on social media over the past month, showed local men slumped on the ground or behaving erratically after allegedly inhaling piu-piu or piao-piao (online slang for drug-laced vape liquids). At least two viral cases triggered arrests and fresh police warnings... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354205/malaysia-drug-laced-vape-seizures-stoke-us-zombie-epidemic-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3354205/malaysia-drug-laced-vape-seizures-stoke-us-zombie-epidemic-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 06:57:49 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency got a new chief on Wednesday with the arrival of Abdul Halim Aman, a former High Court judge handed the task of steadying an institution that has spent years chasing political heavyweights while struggling to shake questions over its own independence. The 69-year-old took over as chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after Azam Baki ended a six-year tenure marked by headline arrests, asset recoveries and repeated political... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3353365/who-abdul-halim-aman-malaysias-new-anti-corruption-enforcer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3353365/who-abdul-halim-aman-malaysias-new-anti-corruption-enforcer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:30:25 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The sounds of passing cars and birds chirping broke the morning stillness at Penang’s Northam Road Protestant Cemetery as visitors began filtering in after 8am. Tour guide Zul Harris arrived in a purple shirt, grey trousers and a black flat cap to greet seven tourists waiting at the gate. Inside, a narrow laterite path ran through the cemetery beneath old frangipani trees, whose dense canopy cast a muted green light over weathered headstones tilting at uneven angles. Zul was leading a cemetery... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352393/penangs-cemetery-tours-spur-interest-pioneers-colonial-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352393/penangs-cemetery-tours-spur-interest-pioneers-colonial-history?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:21 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof Joseph Sipalan,Iman Muttaqin Yusof When Malaysia’s government announced a ban on two books in mid-April, the move raised eyebrows, with some questioning the intent of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration and his reformist credentials. The home affairs ministry on April 16 declared that the books – one of which was a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Anwar – were a danger to national security for containing communist elements and ideologies. The decision triggered immediate pushback, predictably from civil society... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352174/malaysias-book-bans-iran-war-anwars-reform-agenda-faces-sternest-test?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:15 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Malaysian NGO is demanding more accountability in project approvals in Cameron Highlands after a two-hour downpour on Monday resulted in a “river of mud” gushing through the main road of a town in the popular hill resort. A 15-second clip shows waist-high muddy waters, which social media users likened to teh tarik, surging through Ringlet, swallowing the main road and pushing against cars. Cameron Highlands police chief Azri Ramli said the flood was caused by a heavy downpour that began at 2pm... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350880/river-mud-malaysias-cameron-highlands-prompts-accountability-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350880/river-mud-malaysias-cameron-highlands-prompts-accountability-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:24:02 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Malaysia’s busiest container port has started refusing Middle East-bound cargo unless shipping lines can guarantee prompt pickup, in one of the clearest signs yet that the Gulf crisis is working its way past oil and into the everyday trade that moves across Asia. Longer transit times, missed sailings and sharply higher insurance premiums are now rippling across the region’s logistics chain, with wine, spirits and other time-sensitive goods acting as an early indicator of disruption that analysts... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3350711/delays-rising-costs-hit-asias-trade-gulf-crisis-spills-beyond-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3350711/delays-rising-costs-hit-asias-trade-gulf-crisis-spills-beyond-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:36:22 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Iran’s threat to impose tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is stirring concern far beyond the Gulf, sharpening fears that one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints could be used as political leverage rather than governed by international rules. The concern is especially acute in Asia, which remains heavily reliant on Middle East energy supplies and exposed to any disruption in the waterway, through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Analysts warn that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3349686/irans-hormuz-toll-threat-lays-bare-asias-energy-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3349686/irans-hormuz-toll-threat-lays-bare-asias-energy-vulnerability?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:23:36 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The risks of environmental calamity in the Strait of Hormuz are mounting with each passing week of the Iran conflict, conservationists have warned, as giant tankers filled with fuel are trapped in a small area and Iran continues to fire missiles and drones at Gulf oil assets. The potential for catastrophe in the waterway was sharpened on Monday when a Kuwaiti crude tanker was set ablaze at Dubai Port in an Iranian attack that damaged its hull, sparking warnings of a possible oil spill. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim In recent weeks, Singaporean Cindy has been troubled by an odour lingering in the air during her evening walks to the gym. “It’s the same situation every year, but I would say that the fogginess and burning smell have been getting stronger for the last year or so,” said the 33-year-old resident who lives in the southern estate of Telok Blangah. “I have a baby, so it concerns me a lot, and I know many other families feel the same,” she said. “I always keep our windows closed, which is not very... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348070/haze-returns-singapore-crisis-quietly-accepted-asean-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348070/haze-returns-singapore-crisis-quietly-accepted-asean-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Several Malaysian civil society groups on Monday accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government of using a harsh criminal law provision to intimidate critics after police questioned activists, academics and political researchers over an alleged plot to topple the government. The backlash follows an announcement in late February that police were investigating allegations of a conspiracy to “topple the government and sabotage national stability” involving “a local influential figure” and an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3346706/malaysias-government-accused-using-law-silence-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3346706/malaysias-government-accused-using-law-silence-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:52:23 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof As soaring copper prices make the metal highly sought after, more cable thieves are targeting some of Malaysia’s busiest urban rail lines, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and headaches for authorities aiming to combat the scourge. Thefts of copper-embedded cables have led to disruption in train services linking Kuala Lumpur’s northern suburbs to the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya in recent weeks. Among the services affected are the high-speed MRT Putrajaya and Kajang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3346489/cable-thefts-key-malaysian-train-lines-soar-amid-coppers-red-hot-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 08:01:29 +0000 David Lam David Lam In late December, Grok – the AI model developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI – released a feature that allowed users to generate non-consensual sexualised images of women and children. Within a few weeks, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines took the unusual step of banning Grok after they deemed xAI’s initial mitigations insufficient. The ban was lifted only after xAI placed new restrictions on Grok’s image-generation capabilities. While this episode was resolved, it underscores the risk that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3344912/southeast-asia-needs-ai-sovereignty-grok-scandal-proved-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/opinion/article/3344912/southeast-asia-needs-ai-sovereignty-grok-scandal-proved-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 04:00:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing mounting pressure from within his own ruling coalition after a key partner called for an independent inquiry into allegations that a “corporate mafia” is operating within the country’s anti-corruption agency, placing his reform agenda under renewed scrutiny. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) – the largest party in Anwar’s uneasy alliance – said it would insist on a royal commission to investigate claims that senior figures in the Malaysian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3344621/pressure-mounts-malaysias-anwar-allies-seeks-new-inquiry-macc-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3344621/pressure-mounts-malaysias-anwar-allies-seeks-new-inquiry-macc-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:05:56 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The vapes used to be obvious. Bright displays of flavoured liquid, a shop just down the road, a transaction as unremarkable as buying shampoo. Batrisyia, 28, remembers how easy it was. Those days are gone. Or rather, in Malaysia at least, the trade has moved under the table. “It’s definitely less open now,” said Batrisyia, a Johor native who asked to be identified by a pseudonym for fear of backlash. “You don’t see big vape displays like before, and we can’t buy online any more. But it hasn’t... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof A government proposal to study whether Kuala Lumpur’s mayor should be elected rather than appointed has triggered what observers describe as a familiar “cultural war” over race, power and who gets to govern Malaysia’s capital. The feasibility study announced by Hannah Yeoh – a minister from the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) – has also drawn criticism that it is a political project pushed by her party. Yeoh, a minister in the prime minister’s department, told local Chinese daily... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3342498/malaysia-study-elected-kuala-lumpur-mayor-triggers-another-race-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3342498/malaysia-study-elected-kuala-lumpur-mayor-triggers-another-race-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:51:49 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A typical day for Aizat Halim begins at 5am, as he sets out on a drive to his fruit farm in Janda Baik, about 50km (30 miles) from his home in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur – a distance that reflects the gap between his current and former lives. Farming, the 31-year-old said, was always his first career choice, despite graduating in marketing from colleges in the US and the United Kingdom. In 2020, he started a pineapple farm on family land, leaving a cushy air-conditioned job as a marketing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3340192/southeast-asias-young-farmers-dig-future-call-return-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3340192/southeast-asias-young-farmers-dig-future-call-return-land?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Malaysian man previously convicted of child abuse has been arrested again on suspicion of forcing his son, 10, to shoplift daily necessities. Police in Bahau, in Negeri Sembilan state’s Jempol district, were alerted to what initially appeared to be a simple case of theft on Wednesday, The Sun newspaper reported. Staff from a wholesale supermarket had caught the boy trying to steal a 200-gram pack of instant coffee. But officers soon uncovered a troubling pattern of child exploitation, Jempol... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3340127/malaysian-man-arrested-forcing-son-10-shoplift-regularly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3340127/malaysian-man-arrested-forcing-son-10-shoplift-regularly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:41:09 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The capture of Nicolas Maduro may be the epitome of Donald Trump’s strategic calculations. The raid was a warning that the United States can project power anywhere, anytime with overwhelming force and conclusiveness. It is regaining control over its own backyard, where China has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3339672/strategic-calculations-behind-trumps-venezuela-raid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3339672/strategic-calculations-behind-trumps-venezuela-raid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Laura Zhou Fan Chen,Laura Zhou An inherent “asymmetry” of power poses a challenge to resolving South China Sea disputes via the quiet diplomacy traditionally favoured by Southeast Asian nations, a leading Malaysian security expert has said. Chinese analysts said Beijing supported the “Asean way” too, so long as sovereignty claims were resolved bilaterally. They also warned against external interference and “power politics” standing in the way of consensus within the bloc. Ruhanas Harun, an international relations professor at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336082/why-are-south-china-sea-disputes-hard-resolve-power-asymmetry-says-malaysian-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336082/why-are-south-china-sea-disputes-hard-resolve-power-asymmetry-says-malaysian-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 01:00:14 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A Malaysian academic whose claim that the Romans learned shipbuilding from the Malays went viral has defended her assertions, saying that she has been a victim of “media lynching”. Solehah Yaacob, an Arabic language and linguistic associate professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), stood by her theory in a social media post on Sunday. Referring to the lecture, which she delivered in December 2022 and was posted on social media on October 31, she said her statement was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3332498/malaysian-don-behind-malay-roman-shipbuilding-theory-slams-media-lynching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3332498/malaysian-don-behind-malay-roman-shipbuilding-theory-slams-media-lynching?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:11:45 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In times of global tension, many of us have hesitated before pressing “post” on social media. Words are chosen carefully, not only to avoid offence, but to ensure our messages are even seen. This quiet form of self-censorship reflects an emerging truth: algorithms, not editors or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3328481/censorship-social-media-algorithm-chips-away-human-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3328481/censorship-social-media-algorithm-chips-away-human-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 03:30:09 +0000 Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Hadi Azmi,Aidan Jones Storms uprooted trees and ripped roofs across Malaysia’s capital of Kuala Lumpur on Monday night, as forecasters warned of a potentially dangerous collision between the seasonal monsoon and La Nina climate phenomenon that could dump more rain over the coming weeks. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rains and strong winds to Malaysia all the way through March, while La Nina – a Pacific Ocean climate pattern – amplifies rainfall, compounding the power of storms that hit the region. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326548/la-nina-monsoon-brew-perfect-storm-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3326548/la-nina-monsoon-brew-perfect-storm-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:03:01 +0000