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
Malaysian police have arrested a 24-year-old local man over allegations he posed as a security guard to rob a young couple in a car park in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Shutterstock
Crime

Malaysian man posing as security guard robbed couple, abused woman: police

The suspect took the couple’s identity cards and forced the 19-year-old woman to perform an indecent act with him, police said.

Asia housing and property

The View | 3 factors Asia’s real estate investors must watch in 2026

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Drugs

Malaysian man who used home labs to brew drug drinks worth US$246,000 arrested

Anwar Ibrahim

‘We are not criminals’: Malaysian LGBTQ event faces conservative backlash

Police have launched an investigation into ‘Glamping With Pride’ after Islamic authorities raised an outcry.

A man holds a rainbow flag, commonly used to signal LGBT pride. Photo: Shutterstock
SCMP Highlights

China’s militarism call, Malaysia-Singapore border chaos: 5 weekend reads

From China’s underground engineering triumph to calls to curb Japan militarism, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Artificial intelligence

Malaysia suspends Grok access amid global backlash on Musk’s AI

The regulating commission deemed the platform’s safeguards inadequate, adding that access would resume only after the required changes are verified.

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Thailand

4 injured in bombings in Thailand’s south amid ongoing insurgency

Security agencies believed the attacks were a ‘signal’ timed with elections for local administrators taking place on Sunday, and ‘not aimed at insurgency’.

A petrol station following a bomb attack in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Pop culture in Asia

Soft power, hard cash: inside Southeast Asia’s billion-dollar anime obsession

Driven by Gen Z spending and streaming, the region’s US$1.3 billion anime market represents a triumph for Japan’s cultural push.

Royal Malaysian Air Force

Malaysia vows crackdown on air force officers’ ‘immoral culture’

The air force is investigating the ‘yeye culture’ scandal involving 20 officers, pledging strict action against those found guilty.

Singapore

System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border leaves thousands stranded

Intermittent faults had plagued the system for days before a total crash caused weekend misery for thousands.

An image circulated on social media on Saturday shows a crowd of travellers waiting to pass through automated immigration gates at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Photo: Facebook
Artificial intelligence

‘No taste’: Malaysia’s Life of Pi and Squid Game artists warn against AI rush

After viewers slammed AI-enhanced films for looking ‘cheap’, local experts warn that algorithms serve profit, not storytelling.

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“Life of Pi”, directed by Ang Lee, won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2013. Photo: 20th Century Fox
Najib Razak

Malaysia’s Umno seeks Najib’s pardon amid 1MDB scandal, but stay in coalition

Umno divisions demand justice for the jailed ex-PM, yet leadership rejects calls to exit unity government ahead of the annual assembly.

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2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

US pledges millions to bolster Thailand, Cambodia truce amid Trump peace claims

Trump has listed the conflict as one of a number of wars he claims to have solved as he loudly insists he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

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South Korea

Southeast Asia reels in buyers turfed out by Seoul’s housing crisis

Southeast Asian developers target South Koreans with luxury overseas investments, offering attractive payment plans.

Kuala Lumpur’s skyline. Condominiums in the Malaysian capital offer attractive rental yields of 4 to 6 per cent. Photo: AFP
Fifa

Malaysian football body risks Fifa’s takeover amid forgery scandal

Some sports fans claim that the reinstatement of FAM’s chief is ‘almost staged’ as concerns over Fifa’s next step mount.

Malaysian football players, wearing yellow shirts, battle with their Vietnamese counterparts during the AFC Asian Cup qualifier match in Kuala Lumpur in June last year. Photo: AFP
Tourism

Chinese tourist accused of harassing turtle, killing sea slugs in Malaysia

A fellow visitor from China called out the man’s actions during a dive in Sabah state’s Semporna.

SCMP Highlights

China’s ‘sweep and kill’ weapon, Malaysians opting for Singapore: 7 highlights

From China’s long game after Trump’s Venezuela operation to Eric Tsang leaving TVB, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese robot vacuum maker Dreame sees AI-driven appliances run household chores

The firm’s ambition is to become a ‘world-class technology company’, global president Chang Xinwei says.

People at the CES trade show watch Dreame’s prototype Cyber X robot vacuum cleaner, the first such product designed to climb up and down an entire flight of stairs and handle multilevel cleaning. Photo: AFP
Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia drops corruption probe into PM Anwar’s deputy, Ahmad Zahid

Prosecutors cite insufficient evidence to charge Ahmad Zahid, whose party is crucial to maintaining PM Anwar’s parliamentary majority.

Fifa

Malaysian football body reinstates ‘only negligent’ chief over forgery scandal

Fifa has punished FAM further over the use of fake documents to let 7 foreign-born players represent Malaysia by nullifying 3 matches.

Defence

Malaysian military in firing line over procurement cartel claims

The detention of senior figures in the anti-corruption probe is ‘highly significant and rare’ in Malaysia’s defence history, analysts say.

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Malaysian army troops march in formation for National Day celebrations. Photo: AP
Crime

Fear grips Malaysian city of Klang after string of gang shootings

A former MP blames the deadly violence on a resurgence in gang wars and criminal rings recruiting young boys to protect their territory.

A man fishes in the maritime trading hub of Klang. Photo: EPA
Anwar Ibrahim

Ankara anchor: Malaysia finds Turkey ‘reliable friend’ in stormy global waters

Trump’s tariffs and actions in Venezuela are causing the Global South to look for less mercurial partners, analysts say.

Singapore

Nearly 94% of Malaysians who renounced citizenship chose Singapore, data shows

More than 61,000 Malaysians gave up their citizenship over the last five years, with officials citing jobs and family ties as key reasons.

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Corruption in Asia

Malaysia arrests ex-army chief and his wives in corruption investigation

Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan’s arrest marks the latest escalation in a widening probe into military contract tenders.

Former Malaysian army chief Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan. Photo: AFP
Asean

Why investors continue betting on Southeast Asia amid global tensions

The region’s young labour force, rapid urbanisation and emergence as a tech hotspot have made it attractive to investors, analysts say.

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People walk across the Anderson bridge in the backdrop of the skyline in Singapore. The city state is poised to continue leading the charge in attracting FDI into the region, observers say. Photo: AFP
Mahathir Mohamad

Why surgery ‘not wise’ for Malaysia’s Mahathir after hip fall

The former PM’s son says surgery is not advised for his father’s hip injury due to advanced age, with recovery expected to take up to three weeks.

Fame and celebrity

Malaysian rapper Namewee defies scandals to release Lunar New Year single

Namewee is still helping police in an investigation over the death of a Taiwanese influencer and faces a drug possession charge.

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