Malaysia
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Malaysia

Malaysia
Malaysia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Malaysia, covering politics, economy, society and the Asean member-nation’s relationships with China, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries.
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Head of State
Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar
Head of Government
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
last updated:
29 November, 2024
The Johor-Singapore Causeway. The Malaysian state is a data centre heavyweight in Southeast Asia. Photo: AP
Environment

Does Malaysia have enough water to power its data centres?

Data shows that water infrastructure in three states can only provide 142 million litres a day to firms, far short of the total 808 MLD needed.

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Music

Is Malaysia’s cancel culture killing its showbiz scene?

Australia

Malaysian man caught trying to smuggling ‘pink cocaine’ into Australia

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Commodities

Floods wash out Malaysia’s palm oil harvest as output sinks most in 9 years

The states of Sarawak and Sabah, top oil palm growing areas, were among the worst-affected areas by recent heavy rains and floods.

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Oil palms are seen submerged by flood water in Malaysia. Photo: Bernama/dpa
Israel-Gaza war

Turkey’s Erdogan in Malaysia: Israel must rebuild Gaza at cost of US$100 billion

Israel must take full responsibility for the “destruction, pain and massacres” in Gaza, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

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DeepSeek

DeepSeek ends promotional pricing amid surging popularity, secures AI.com nod

DeepSeek has raised the price of accessing its V3 model via API for the first time since it exploded in popularity last month.

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Asean

The View | How Southeast Asia’s property sector is insulated from Trump’s tariff war

The region epitomises a vital source of resilience in Asian real estate: the strong role of domestic and regional demand.

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A Chinese potential property buyer from Shanghai visits a luxury condominium in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 20, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia scraps guidelines for Muslims at events of other faiths after backlash

Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and non-Muslim religious groups have criticised the ‘unnecessary’ rules.

Crime

Gunman on the run: rare mall shooting triggers manhunt in Malaysia

The suspect vanished into the night after hijacking a car at gunpoint following the shooting at a shopping centre in Setia Alam.

Energy

Malaysia’s Petronas will cease to exist ‘in 10 years’ without job cuts, CEO says

The state-owned energy giant has nearly 50,000 employees. Its president and CEO did not say how many jobs might be affected.

The logo of a Petronas petrol station is seen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. Photo: Reuters
Social media

Malaysia’s careful comedians lament narrowing space for laughter

Malaysian stand-up comedy is being muzzled by an increasingly censorious social media amid heightened sensitivities over race and religion.

Malaysian stand-up comedy pioneer Harith Iskander. Facebook/Harith Iskander
Singapore

Singapore-based tycoon Ong Beng Seng battling bone marrow cancer

Ong, facing charges related to former transport minister S Iswaran’s case, is undergoing chemotherapy.

Social media

Paranormal event or hoax? ‘Missing’ Malaysian influencer rescued from jungle

Bandung police say the TikTok influencer, and a fellow Malaysian YouTuber, may have breached Indonesia’s fake news laws.

Anwar Ibrahim

My Take | Malaysia has to clear the air on vaping laws

While the vaping industry provides tens of thousands of jobs for Malaysians, there are also rising health costs linked to e-cigarettes.

A man smokes an electronic cigarette. Photo: AP
Religion

Malaysians decry rule seeking approval to invite Muslims to temples, churches

New guidelines create ‘unnecessary barriers’ and will erode the goodwill Malaysians have built up over the years, critics say.

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The Taoist temple Sin Sze Si Ya in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, Malaysia. New government guidelines requiring non-Muslims to seek official approval before inviting Muslims to weddings, funerals and other events at places of worship have sparked criticism. Photo: John Brunton
Israel-Gaza war

Malaysia calls Trump plan to move Palestinians from Gaza ‘ethnic cleansing’

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan says Asean governments have unanimously agreed that the proposal is unacceptable.

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Asean

Letters | Asean chair Malaysia must take stronger stand on Taliban’s gender apartheid

Readers discuss the need for the world to take a tough line on the Taliban’s treatment of women, and the law on public assembly in Malaysia.

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Smoking and vaping

Parents urged to act on vapes as Malaysian government holds back on ban

Minister says it is up to families to keep their children away from vapes, amid a rise in the number of students caught vaping.

A woman smokes an electronic cigarette during a vaping fair in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Ha Ha Ha Happy New Year: Philip Keung hams it up for bizarre comedy

Is it a sci-fi suspense thriller? A nonsense comedy? A family melodrama? Hong Kong-Malaysia co-production’s script so weak it’s hard to say.

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Offbeat

In Malaysia, a mystery cash-filled suitcase finds its owner

The case, containing more than US$100,000 worth of ringgit banknotes, was discovered in a shopping centre car park.

Indonesia

What’s the kebaya? Unesco’s recognition of blouse reflects Asean’s rich culture

As the kebaya gets Unesco’s recognition, what does its global cultural status mean for the future of the garment?

A group of women wearing traditional kebaya outfits in Melaka, Malaysia. Photo: Cedric Tan
Singapore

Calls for more checks on Singapore’s political parties to ensure transparency

Such checks will be critical to ensure candidates fielded are fit and proper, and show the party has done its due diligence, industry insiders say.

Pritam Singh says the Workers’ Party has engaged commercial vendors to assist in candidate screening and personality reviews ahead of the general election. Photo: Reuters
Jobs

Malaysian restaurants call for Rohingya refugees to fill 25,000 job vacancies

Malaysian Indian business owners are urging the government to lift a ban on the hiring of new foreign workers amid a staffing crisis.

Singapore

Malaysians call for fines for Singaporean motorists freeloading on cheap fuel

The issue was reignited by a viral video showing a woman refuelling a Singapore-registered car at a subsidised petrol pump in Johor.

Singapore

Trump tariffs could benefit Malaysia-Singapore special zone, trade chief says

US tariffs could inadvertently position Malaysia, and especially the SEZ, to benefit in the long run, according to a local politician.

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The Malaysian city of Johor Bahru, with heavy traffic on the Johor-Singapore Causeway at dusk. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Trade

Malaysia-China trade hits record US$212 billion

China’s consul-general in Kuching also revealed that Malaysia welcomed over 3.8 million Chinese visitors last year – double that of 2023.

Artists perform Chinese martial arts at a Lunar New Year ceremony and gala in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last month. Photo: Xinhua
Business of climate change

JD.com-backed gadget platform banks on China’s trade-in subsidy to spur volume

ATRenew, China’s largest platform for pre-owned electronics, is offering trade-in incentives to coincide with the Lunar New Year holiday.

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Why world doesn’t know about Malaysian and Singaporean food

Malaysia and Singapore are tiny compared to other Southeast Asian countries, let alone China, whose foods are ubiquitous around the world.

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