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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
An oil and gas platform off the coast of Malaysia’s Sarawak state. Photo: Shutterstock
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia’s biggest state wants its energy wealth back – and it’s going to court

Sarawak state is challenging oil giant Petronas’ dominance in the highest court, in a test for the prime minister’s unity coalition.

China travel

Chinese tourism to Japan plunges 50% over Lunar New Year as Thailand cashes in

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Education in Hong Kong

Boost R&D investment to make Hong Kong a global education hub: CUHK president

Earthquakes

Sabah quake strongest to hit Malaysia in 11 years: Met Department

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sabah on Monday is stronger than the one that killed 18 people in Ranau in 2015.

An aerial view of a beach in Kudat, Sabah, Monday’s quake occured about 49km west of Kudat. Photo: Shutterstock
SCMP Highlights

South Korean ex-president sentenced, Buddha’s early life: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-president Yoon’s sentencing to Singapore’s auntie matchmakers, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Lunar New Year

Sharing the luck: inside Southeast Asia’s embrace of Lunar New Year

Malay and Indian households are increasingly embracing the festivities, tossing ‘yusheng’ and giving hongbao to show ‘unity in diversity’.

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Singapore

Cross-border trips to Johor push Singapore checkpoint traffic to new high

About three-quarters of the record 245 million travellers who crossed Singapore’s checkpoints last year went via the land border.

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Vehicles travel across the causeway from Malaysia’s southern state of Johor to the Woodlands immigration checkpoint in Singapore on October 10, 2025. Photo: AFP
Religion

Bikini-clad mermaid sales stunt triggers religious probe in Malaysia

Authorities in conservative Kelantan are investigating the viral cross-dressing video after online critics accused the men of mocking Islam.

Trade

Tariff whiplash throws Asia’s recent US trade deals into doubt

India has already paused trade talks with Washington as other Asian nations are left to question the validity of their recent agreements.

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Corruption in Asia

Malaysia summons anti-corruption chief in stock ownership probe

Civil society groups and protesters are seeking an investigation into allegations surrounding abuse of power, unexplained wealth and regulatory extortion.

Protesters carry a sign with Malaysia’s anti-corruption chief Azam Baki’s face at a rally on Sunday. Photo: SCMP files
Chinese culture

Ancient Chinese astrology gets a Gen Z rebrand in Southeast Asia

Forget rituals and superstitions, today’s young professionals are using ‘bazi’ 10-year luck forecasts to plan their next career pivot.

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An event organised by Joey Yap, one of “bazi’s” most prominent modern practitioners. Photo: Handout
Singapore

‘Just ask for it’: Malaysia’s vape crackdown fails to break the habit

An estimated 1.4 million Malaysian adults vape, despite existing curbs. Many say new laws will simply push them back to cigarettes.

Disease

Malaysia’s tuberculosis cases rise to above 3,000, health ministry flags risks

Higher social interaction during the month of Ramadan may increase exposure risks, the ministry says.

China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station, located along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
South Korea

#SEAbling: the hashtag uniting Southeast Asia against South Korea

A row over K-pop fan behaviour in Malaysia has spiralled into a bitter regional dispute online, with echoes of the ‘Milk Tea Alliance’.

A meme circulating on social media under the hashtag #SEAbling. Photo: X/sna_zizah17
Mainland China

Malaysian police arrested over crypto extortion of Chinese nationals

Officers allegedly stormed a Selangor bungalow, seized laptops and forced a Chinese national to fork over US$51,000 in digital assets.

Indonesia

The silent crisis facing Malaysian women stranded in Indonesia

Trapped by financial woes after marrying local men in Lombok, many Malaysian women struggle to return home.

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Asean

Opinion | Building Asean ties puts Hong Kong on path to long-term growth

Expanding relations with Southeast Asia can open new markets for the city’s firms, deepen the talent pool and promote greater understanding.

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Chief Executive John Lee delivers the keynote address at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel in Aberdeen, on September 9, 2025. Photo: May Tse
Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists escaping cold flock to Malaysia for Lunar New Year fun

‘Malaysians still follow many of the traditions that we have stopped observing,’ a visitor in Penang says.

Crime

Suspect’s brother recounts final moments before family of 5 killed in Malaysia

According to police, a man allegedly murdered his wife, mother and two daughters with a sharp weapon before turning it on himself.

Anwar Ibrahim

Is Rafizi Ramli now the conscience of Malaysia’s Reformasi movement?

Anwar dismisses the rift as a distraction, but his former lieutenant insists he is being targeted for questioning the government’s integrity.

Rafizi Ramli addresses the crowd at Sunday’s rally. Photo: X/Rafizi Ramli
Cambodia

Battered Cambodia seeks economic reset after Thailand border war

Shuttered borders have choked trade and sent migrant workers home, forcing Phnom Penh to seek new partners and markets.

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Cambodian migrant workers cross from Thailand into Cambodia at the Ban Laem checkpoint in Chanthaburi on July 28, 2025. At least 20,000 people were estimated to be returning to Cambodia amid fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border around that time despite reported peace talks. Photo: dpa
SCMP Highlights

Indonesia’s tourist visa, Filipino attacked in Singapore mall: 7 Asia highlights

From scrutiny over Indonesia’s tourist visa to workplace pranks in Japan, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Thailand

Thai court clears Australian writer after Malaysian defamation case withdrawn

Independent writer Murray Hunter said that he believes he was improperly arrested by Thai police for articles he had written about Malaysia in his online newsletter.

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Corruption in Asia

Probe into anti-corruption chief revives doubts about Malaysia’s reform drive

The government has ordered an investigation as critics question whether oversight mechanisms are strong enough.

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The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission building in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock
Corruption in Asia

‘Enough is enough’: Malaysians rally to demand arrest of anti-corruption head

The protest against Azam is the biggest since Malaysians rallied in October to demand government action against Israel over the Gaza war.

Malaysian protestors carry placards with the faces of MACC head Azam Baki (left) and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday. Photo: X/Rafizi Ramli
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest man after HK$25,000 in cash stolen during flight

City recorded 169 cases of cabin theft on inbound flights in the first 10 months of 2024, involving property worth HK$4.3 million.

Environment

Can Malaysia’s ban stop global flow of toxic e-waste?

Malaysian customs recently intercepted nearly 200 tonnes of e-waste, but high shipping volumes make detection a ‘challenge’, officials say.

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