Dating costs more, but young Koreans say its worth it SEOUL: Dating is becoming another cost pressure for young Koreans, but many say the financial burden is not enough to make them give up on romance. About 7 in 10 Koreans in their 20s and 30s said they felt dating involved a heavy financial burden, according to a survey by NRISE, operator of the social discovery app Wippy. The survey was conducted among 1,485 male and female Wippy users in that age group. Nearly half of respondents said the ..

Rafizi urges Chinese voters to move beyond only DAP mindset PETALING JAYA: Former minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, who has taken over Parti Bersama Malaysia, urges the Chinese community to move beyond the only DAP mindset. The Chinese is also urged to confront the potential dilemma brought by the decline of Chinese political representation over the next 20 to 30 years. He pointed out that the phenomenon of over 90% of non-Malay voters supporting the same political coalition for two decades is ..

The 'Three Kingdoms' of Malaysian politics: Liew Chin Tong outlines regional strongholds ahead of election battle PUTRAJAYA: Peninsular Malaysia is gradually forming a Three Kingdoms era dominated by three major political coalitions, where Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli can potentially emerge as a fourth force, further complicating the national political map. DAP strategic director Liew Chin Tong shared his analysis in an exclusive interview with _Sin Chew Daily_ on the latest political development. ..

Scam groups shift from Southeast Asia to Sri Lanka, over 1,000 held BANGKOK: Sri Lanka has arrested a rising number of suspected foreign scammers, prompting concern among authorities that the island could quickly become a hub for online crime after strict crackdowns in trouble spots such as Cambodia and Myanmar. Sri Lankan officials said some scam networks driven out of countries in Southeast Asia had set up new bases, increasingly moving operations to Sri Lanka, an attractive destination ..

Razman: PN can win Perak with 60% Malay votes, taking state power not difficult IPOH: Perikatan Nasional (PN) believes it stands a strong chance of taking over the Perak state government if it secures constituencies with at least 60% Malay voters, said Perak opposition leader Razman Zakaria. Razman, who is assemblymen for Gunung Semanngol, said PNs goal in the next general election is to defend its existing 26 state seats while capturing four more seats to form the state government. Razman said ..

"Rat-pocalypse" in Puchong : Shocking photo reveals 275 rats caught PUCHONG: A total of 275 rats were exterminated in a single day by the Subang Jaya City Council at Bandar Puteri 1 commercial area, Puchong on May 9. In a group photo, health officers from the city council posed with community volunteers and the massive numbers of dead rats lined up in neat rows on the pavement. Due to the sheer scale of the infestation captured in the photo, the photo shared on Facebook by Puchong TODAY quickly ..

Higher Education DG: SPM remains the baseline for public varsity entry; UEC still not fully recognised. PUTRAJAYA: A student holding a full Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificateincluding those from Chinese Independent High Schools (UEC holders) and religious schoolsis eligible to apply for diploma, matriculation, and foundation courses at public universities (IPTA). Higher Education Director-General Datuk Prof. Dr Azlinda Azman stressed that for students possessing both SPM and UEC ..

King of Malaysia receives Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing and Mother Bhumi team (JOHOR BAHRU: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, receives Chinese superstar Datuk Fan Bingbing and the Mother Bhumi team, a film which has just won several awards in the 62nd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Also in the delegation are:Mother Bhumis producer Wong Kew Soon, film director Chong Keat Aun and Fans manager Jersey Chong, who is from Johor. Fan, who is also the Melaka Tourism Friendship Ambassador, ..

Japanese snack giant changes to black and white packaging as Iran war hit ink supplies TOKYO: Calbee, Inc. plans to change the packaging of flagship products, including Potato Chips, to black and white, it was learned Monday. The decision to decolorise is due to ongoing shortages of solvents and resins. The cause is a lack of naphtha, a key raw material for printing ink, as a consequence of the current situation in the Middle East. The company has notified retailers and other stakeholders of ..

Malacca Teochew Association recovers RM360,000 of outstanding study loans MALACCA: The Malacca Teochew Association has successfully recovered RM360,000 out of RM400,000 in outstanding study loans owed over the years, with slightly over RM30,000 still pending collection. Seet Jen Ping, the scholarship and study loan chairman of the association, said some of the unpaid loans have been outstanding for more than 10 years. He urged scholarship recipients to repay the loans as soon as possible. ..

From prison to kitchen: Tangkak food court owner offers parolees a second chance TANGKAK: Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that society is willing to give them a chance to start over. We shouldn't write them off entirely because of their past, said Ong Chee Siang, the owner of Tangkak Food Court. Also a Tangkak district councillor, Ong has hired 14 parolees 12 Chinese and two indians under the Licensed Release of Prisoners Programme (PBSL). These individuals, referred to as "Prospeks" ..

Korean fugitives kidnappers remanded over RM39.5m crypto ransom RAUB: Three South Korean men were brought to the Sessions Court today to face charges of kidnapping a fellow countryman who is a wanted fugitive hiding in Malaysia for 10 years. The trio are to be charged with the high-profile kidnapping of a fellow country man in Genting Highlands last month, involving a cryptocurrency ransom worth RM39.5 million. The case took a dramatic turn when investigations revealed that the victimwho had ..

Malaysians can convert foreign licences for BUDI95 subsidies from June, no need to cancel PR status PUTRAJAYA: Starting June 1, Malaysian citizens holding foreign driving licences will be eligible to enjoy fuel subsidies by converting to local licences without having to cancel their overseas permanent resident status. The Ministry of Transport announced that the process for citizens to convert valid foreign driving licences has been simplified. Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook ..

FMM survey: 28% manufacturers plan layoffs or reduced working hours, seven in 10 say operations continue to worsen PETALING JAYA: The latest survey conducted by Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) shows that 28% of manufacturers have either implemented or are planning workforce adjustments. This includes reducing overtime, shortening working hours and even retrenchments, says its president Jacob Lee. Citing findings from the federations second-round survey, which found that among 225 ..

MANILA: Jeepneys trace their roots all the way back to the aftermath of World War 2, when surplus American military jeeps were left behind in the Philippines. These vehicles were extended, reworked, and adapted to carry more passengers, and turned into a form of accessible and distinctly local public transport. What began as a practical solution quickly evolved. Over time, they became a symbol of everyday life, shaped by both necessity and creativity. A big part of that identity comes in how ..

Middle East conflict could spur Southeast Asias nuclear energy ambitions SINGAPORE: The war in Iran could accelerate Southeast Asias plans to tap nuclear energy as it seeks to wean itself off its dependence on Middle Eastern oil and gas, experts told _The Straits Times_. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz a major global shipping route responsible for 20 per cent of the global oil trade has exposed the regions heavy reliance on imported oil and gas, leaving it vulnerable to volatile fuel ..

Airlines cut 2mil seats as jet fuel crisis disrupts Asia routes BANGKOK: Global airlines have cut 2 million seats from their May schedules over the past two weeks as concerns grow over jet fuel supplies in the weeks ahead, the Financial Times reported. Data from Cirium, a leading global aviation and travel analytics company, showed that thousands of flights have been cancelled, while several airlines have switched to smaller or more fuel- efficient aircraft in an effort to conserve fuel as they ..

PETALING JAYA: As the conflict in the Middle East continues to drive up prices, cost-conscious Malaysians are watching every ringgit and hunting for meals that offer real value. One mixed rice stall which has been quietly winning on social media fits the bill: Faridah Kitchenz at Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya, where RM10 gets you unlimited helpings of rice, dishes, drinks and dessertswith up to 40 items on offer daily. Owner Atiqah revealed in an interview with _Sin Chew Daily_ that Faridah is ..

Hospital in Vietnams Hue performs six organ transplants from one brain-dead donor HUE: In a coordinated overnight effort, doctors at Hu Central Hospital have successfully used organs and tissues from a brain-dead donor to carry out six life-saving transplants, restoring sight to two patients and stabilising others who had been in critical condition, the hospital said on Apr 29. The transplants, involving a heart, liver, kidneys and corneas, were performed between April 16 and 18 with the ..

Drivers give thumbs up to the new MalaysiaSingapore cross-border taxi scheme JOHOR BAHRU: The Malaysia-Singapore cross-border taxi scheme (CBTS) has a good start today where licensed cross-border taxi drivers praise the initiative for a more efficient service although passengers are still unfamiliar with the designated pick-up points. A visit by _Sin Chew Daily_ to Larkin Sentral here this morning found relatively light cross-border passenger traffic. One male passenger, who declined to be ..

Affordable seafood may no longer available, at least 20% of vessels idle due to high diesel cost KUANTAN: About 20% of 350 deep-sea fishing vessels classified as C2 have ceased operations due to high diesel costs, says Teoh Boon Guan, secretary of the Kuantan Fishermen's Association. Without assistance, this could rise to 30% to as much as half of the fleet by May, he said prices of fish may increase between 20 % and 40% soon, he said. Common affordable seafood such as mackerel, bigeye and ..

260 Malaysian youth undergoing training in China for ECRL operations, maintenance KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 260 youth have been selected to undergo a one-year training programme at Liuzhou Raiway Vocational Technical College in China, says Ye Xiaoyang, Deputy General Manager of China Communication Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd. They will form the first batch of personnel responsible for the operation and maintenance of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), he said. The China-Communication Construction ..

Recycled plastic is in greater demand. So why does Malaysia have to import waste to make them? KAPAR: Under a cloudy sky in early April, five workers feed discarded Cookie Monster nappies into a machine to shred and recycle them. This is the warm popcorn for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as a base material for industrial packaging, tarpaulin and drip tape, Mr G. Aushal, managing director of Sannanda Rika, told _The Straits Times_. His company sources discarded plastic waste from the European ..

RM840,000 tax bill against Chinese national dropped after MCA intervention PETALING JAYA: For Chinese national Li Juan, the nightmare of being slapped with a tax bill of RM840,000 by the Inland Revenue Board and barred from leaving Malaysia is finally over, thanks to the MCA and the Malaysia-China Friendship and Mutual Aid Association (MCFAMAA). Li, 43, who had been unable to return to China to visit her daughter and ailing mother due to the travel ban, received notification that the full tax ..

BEIJING: Move over tempting duty-free shopping and fascinating nightlife. A new ritualspending a whole day inside a bathhouseis quietly reshaping how foreign visitors experience China. Videos tagged 24-hour spas in China have become viral on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, drawing content creators from different parts of the world, including the United States, Europe and South Korea. US travel vlogger Jonathan, who runs a channel called Travel Escapes, recently drew global ..

BEIJING: In 1995, 10-year-old Zhou Qinggui from Hangtou, a village in the city of Linyi, Shandong province, was expected to drop out of school after elementary level due to poverty. A passionate reader who carried books while tending livestock and gathering pigweed, Zhou was heartbroken. To allow the boy to continue his education, his mother borrowed money, and his elder brother and younger sister both gave up schooling, one after the other. In 2021, Zhou and six childhood friendstruck drivers, ..

Negeri Sembilan MCA quits local councils in solidarity with Umno SEREMBAN: All MCA district and municipal councillors in Negeri Sembilan will resign from their positions with immediate effect, withdrawing from local government bodies across the state in solidarity with the state Umno. Negeri Sembilan MCA liaison committee chairman Datuk Leaw Kok Chan said the decision was based on the party's political stand and the current political landscape. "After careful consideration, the state liaison ..

AirAsia posts videos of staff speaking Mandarin after clip of passenger scolding cabin crew draws attention SINGAPORE: AirAsia has posted videos of its staff speaking in Mandarin, days after a clip of one passenger scolding a crew member for not speaking the language went viral on social media. The first video on April 23 featured AirAsia ground staff using Mandarin to remind passengers to arrive three hours before departure time for an international flight and two hours before a domestic ..

One catch, RM1 million: Angler becomes instant millionaire ALOR SETAR: A man from Terengganu struck it rich after taking part in a fishing competition, emerging as a millionaire overnight. Mohamad Azhar Hamzah paid RM220 to join the Titi Mega 2026 fishing contest yesterday, and clinched the top prize of RM1 million. He secured the top prize with the heaviest catch at 9.5 kg. The second and third prizes, worth RM100,000 and RM50,000 respectively, were won by participants from Terengganu and ..

Of bytes and bridges: AI in the newsroom takes centre stage at WJC 2026 KUALA LUMPUR: The conversation in newsrooms has matured. The most pressing concern is no longer whether artificial intelligence (AI) belongs in journalism, but how to ensure the limitless bytes of AI output do not drown out the human pulse of the press. At the recently concluded World Journalists Conference (WJC) 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, news practitioners grappled with this very question during the AI in the Newsroom: ..

Scammers give up on Indian Malaysians they ask too many questions, says police PENANG: Indians in Malaysia are less likely becoming scam victims, mainly because they ask too many questions for scammers to handle, says Penang Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy chief DSP Pang Meng Tuck. Data collected by the police consistently shows Indians are scammed less frequently than other ethnic groups, he said this at a forum on scam prevention organised by the Penang Chinese Town Hall on ..

ByHariz Baharudin and Hadi Azmi / The Straits Times / ANN No unilateral moves on Strait of Malacca despite Indonesia floats toll idea ByHariz Baharudin and Hadi Azmi / The Straits Times / ANN JAKARTA Indonesia will not impose a levy on vessels transiting the Strait of Malacca, as doing so would contravene international law, said Foreign Minister Sugiono on April 23. Responding to questions from reporters in Jakarta, he said such a policy would be inconsistent with the United Nations Convention ..

Lost in Malaysia for 27 years, Bangladeshi worker returns in emotional reunion DHAKA: A Bangladeshi migrant worker who had been missing for 27 years in Malaysia returned home early today, bringing an end to a decades-long wait for his family. Amir Hossain Talukdar, 62, from Naria upazila of Shariatpur, reached Dhaka around midnight on a Batik Air flight, according to a BRAC press release. Officials from Civil Aviation Security (Avsec), the Expatriates Welfare Desk, and BRACs Migration Program ..

The RM145 repair became a RM3,000 lesson in love: How a single dad and a sincere mechanic created Loop of Integrity PETALING JAYA It began as a desperate midnight breakdown and transformed into a powerful "tug-of-war" of selflessness. The story of Dicky, a Chinese single father, and a Malay mechanic known as "Abang Minyak Hitam Jalanan Original," has captivated Malaysians, proving that the "chain of kindness" is stronger than racial or financial barriers. The chain started last week when Dicky ..

Droids ran half-marathon in record time, a showcase of what Chinese tech can do BEIJING: The crowds gasped as the racing robots malfunctioned at various points during the 21 km racetripping over road curbs, stopping, abruptly changing directions and even running into barricades. But at the April 19 Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon in Beijing, the winner clocked 21 km in just 50 min 26 sec. In fact, with the third-placed droid striding past the finish line in about 53 minutes, all three podium ..

Malaysian scientist makes country proud at NASA aircraft research KUALA LUMPUR: Another Malaysian has made the nation proud by being involved in future aircraft research with the American space agency NASA and a premier university. Dr Raja Akif Raja Zahirudin, 33, who currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech, is directly involved in the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Raven-GT (Research ..

A Toyota Vios links the disappearance of Pastor Koh and activist Amri to a former special branch staff as main suspect, says Task Force report PETALING JAYA The presence of the same Toyota Vios at the abduction sites of Pastor Raymond Koh and social activist Amri Che Mat has intensified suspicions that both disappearances were carried out by the same perpetrator. The Special Task Force report identifies the vehicle's registered owner, Saiful Bahari Abdul Aziz, as the lead suspect in both cases. ..

Why Koreas local governments are trying to sustain bathhouses SEOUL: Local governments in South Korea are stepping up efforts to build and maintain public bathhouses as a sharp nationwide decline in such facilities raises concerns about hygiene and public health, particularly in areas where basic shower access remains limited. The push comes as demand grows for shared spaces where elderly and single-person households can gather, socialize and access basic services. While pledges to expand ..

KL Chinese Assembly Hall founder Liew Poon Siak passes on at 83 KUALA LUMPUR: The founder of Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall Datuk Liew Poon Siak passed away this morning. He was 83. The veteran Chinese community leader was active in local Chinese community, especially guilds and associations. He was also the executive chairman of SJKC Imbi in Cheras. Liew founded the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall in 2003. The Federation of Malaysia Chinese Commerce Association president Datuk Lum Kim ..

Datuk Lau Cheng Kiong, businessman and father of Deputy Speaker Alice Lau, passes away at 75 SIBU: President of Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Datuk Lau Cheng Kiong, who is also the deputy president of Sarawak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, passed away on Sunday night. He was 75. Lau, who is Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Alice Laus father, was not feeling well during a flight from Taiwan to Kuala Lumpur. He later passed away. The secretariat of Sibu Chinese Chamber of ..