Serving in government for close to six years has been a deeply rewarding and humbling journey. Holding responsibility across both the finance and trade portfolios has offered me a rare vantage point into the realities of economic policymaking where ambition must constantly be balanced against constraint, and long-term reform often competes with short-term pressures. My baptism of fire during the Covid-19 crisis reinforced a simple truth: economic management is never conducted under ideal ..

District tourism vital for Selangors tourism success Visit Malaysia Year 2026 has arrived, and for Selangor it will be a continuation of Visit Selangor Year 2025/26. Selangor continues to draw a large number of tourists annually as the state stands out for its various attractions ranging from historical sites to modern amenities that make a Selangor vacation a pleasant and memorable one. Being close to Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya also adds a spillover effect on the number of visitors who take ..

The move was announced by the Defense Ministry to let the probe proceed without conflict of interest. At first glance, this appears to be progress, a sign that no-one is untouchable, and that investigations can proceed without interference; however, a deeper look raises uncomfortable questions about consistency, precedent, and the nature of accountability in Malaysia. To our knowledge, no senior armed forces chief has ever before been publicly placed on leave while corruption investigations ..

Rare Diseases: Language mattersmoving from 'curses' to care We would like to thank the media for highlighting the important issue of children born with Rare Diseases. Rare Diseases are a large number of predominantly genetic conditionswhile each individual disease is rare, they are collectively common because there are so many of them. It is estimated that together they affect 3-5 percent of the population. Advances in medical science mean that many of these conditions, once called Orphan ..

As I mark my third and final year in Malaysia as the Korean Ambassador, writing this article carries special meaning for me. It is an opportunity to reflect on the many moments of joy, connection and learning I have experienced while serving in this vibrant and dynamic country. Since my arrival in October 2022, my wife and I have travelled to many states across Malaysia, sampled a wide range of local delicacies, and immersed ourselves in the countrys rich cultural diversity. We have had ..

Japan feels the security environment is turning acute For decades, Japan has lived with a strategic paradox that few other states have had to manage. It is the only country in the world that has suffered nuclear attack, yet it is also the only technologically advanced state with a complete nuclear fuel cycle that has consciously chosen not to build nuclear weapons. Recent assessments by Chinese nuclear experts suggesting that Japan could build nuclear weapons in less than three years have ..

Statesman or kleptocrat? Back to the fundamentals of law As 2025 draws to a close, the question of whether Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a "statesman" or a "kleptocrat" continues to linger in the air. Ever since the 1MDB scandal broke, this question has been the focus of a tug-of-war between his supporters and detractors. Najibs supporters, and those who find it impossible to believe he would "steal" national assets, remain convinced that the 1MDB case is a masterfully orchestrated political ..

Nothing strange about yet another Mahathir-Muhyiddin clash Several analysts have commented on what is purportedly yet another Dr Mahathir Mohamad- Muhyiddin Yassin clash. A news portal reported that the latest public spat between the two former prime ministers shows cracks in Malay unity push. At least, this was the general view of the academicians, probably contacted by the publication to share their take on the matter. There are two subjects to ponder here. One, the open warfare between ..

Driven into a dead end by Hadi, Muhyiddins backdoor ambush backfires It was unexpected that a series of incidents would rock the political scene at the end of 2025. With both the ruling and opposition blocs facing internal fractures, a major political reshuffle may be on the cards. First, lets look at DAP Publicity Secretary Yeo Bee Yins celebration over former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razaks failure to secure house arrest. This caused relations between UMNO and the DAP to hit freezing point, making ..

Critical response from Ambassador Byron Blake of Jamaica to Climate justice denied by delays My best wishes to you and your family for the Yuletide Season. A good piece as usual but let me disagree with you that Brazil and President Lula and the COP30 did their best under difficult circumstances. Difficult circumstances, yes, but I am convinced that Brazil used its vast experience and historic respect to deceive the SIDS. The wide-ranging Agenda at a time when the 1.5 C has been breached was a ..

Durian tsunami: How the Malaysian durian industry hold its ground? After nearly four consecutive seasons of climate-driven disruption, December 2025 has delivered an unexpected reversal a nationwide surge in durian production. Across Malaysia, farms are reporting bumper harvests, while video footage circulating locally and in China shows fruit quality at levels rarely seen before. For producers able to access export markets particularly fresh whole- fruit shipments via air freight quality has ..

Malaysia witnessed at least three major political maneuvers in the last 11 years that culminated or almost culminated in changes of government, of which the 2020 Sheraton Move was of particular significance. The other two were equally notable and had very much to do with the current prime minister Anwar Ibrahimthe 2014 Kajang Move and the 2018 Port Dickson Movethe former meant to unseat then Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to make way for Anwar (but this did not end up as planned ..

Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is like a fish in a nettrapped and gasping for breath. He once hoped for a "way out" that would allow him to swim back into the open sea. However, after his bid for house arrest was rejected and he was found guilty in the 1MDB casesentenced to 15 years in prison and a fine of RM11.4 billion (with an additional 10 years if unpaid)his fate is largely sealed, despite his plans to appeal. Yet, for UMNO, the problems are only just beginning. UMNO has ..

Selangor local government needs a major overhaul befitting a developed state Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah in his 80th birthday address on December 11 was highly critical of local government in Selangor. HRH was stridently vocal about the municipal mess Selangor has descended into while priding itself as a First World developed state. Despite increases in rates last year and the recent 2026 Selangor and federal budgetary allocations, local government in Selangor is in a woeful state and unable ..

When the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) faced FIFA sanctions for allegedly fielding ineligible heritage players, the association responded with what it called an independent investigation. It suspended its Secretary- General Noor Azman Rahman, and formed an Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) to examine the matter. To many Malaysians, it also sounded like a knee- jerk reaction. More importantly, on paper, this may have appeared decisive and responsible, but in reality, it was FAM ..

SRC or 1MDB: Guilty or not, Malaysia needs to learn from South Korea Malaysias struggle with corruption has reached a decisive but dangerous moment. The question is no longer whether graft must be punishedit mustbut whether the methods used to enforce accountability are themselves destabilising the political order they are meant to protect. The cases surrounding Datuk Seri Najib Razak, SRC International and 1MDB have rightly shocked the nation. They exposed systemic failures, elite impunity and ..

"Another reason to celebrate at the end of the year." This single and brief sentence has proven more damaging than any judicial verdict. Not only has it turned DAP publicity secretary Yeo Bee Yin into UMNOs public enemy number one, but it has also sent UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and Secretary-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki into a fury. Dr Akmal went as far as to demand an immediate exit from the Unity Government, shouting: "What are we waiting for? Lets withdraw our ..

Yeo Bee Yin and Tony Pua: The final straws crushing the coalition camel" After the verdict on former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was announced, Yeo Bee Yin posted on Facebook: "Another reason to celebrate at the end of the year." Between the lines, the fact that Najib remains in Kajang Prison was framed as a joyful occasion, adding meaning to the closing year. Tony Pua then added fuel to the fire, stating that one should not sympathize with corrupt officials nor stop others from ..

Malaysians are dying young for wrong reasonsrecent DOSM Report Malaysias latest Statistics on Causes of Death, Malaysia 2025 is more than a set of tables; it is a national autopsy. Ischemic heart disease still kills the most Malays and Indians, Chinese Malaysians are increasingly lost to pneumonia and cancer, young adults are dying on the roads, and by the time major illnesses strike after 50 or 60, the safety nets of SOCSO, EPF and insurance are already full of holes. The 2025 release confirms ..

Najib denied house arrest and BN's unresolved dilemma The High Court dismissed former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razaks application for a judicial review regarding house arrest on Monday. With this ruling, the hopes of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno to rely on his return to revitalize the party have been dashed. In her judgment, High Court Judge Alice Loke Yee Ching stated that during the 61st Pardons Board meeting on January 29, 2024chaired by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan ..

South Koreas most troubling jobs problem is hiding in plain sight. By the headline figures, the labor market appears robust. Employment rates have reached record highs. The jobless rate sits near what economists would regard as full employment. Yet, beneath this reassuring surface, a quiet erosion is unfolding. For 19 consecutive months, youth employment has declined. The economy is creating jobs, just not for the generation expected to sustain it. This is not a cyclical dip or a passing ..

Predicted, ignored, realized: Malaysias 5G collapse in three acts Malaysias 5G debate has now crossed a threshold where consequences are no longer abstract or deferrable. The recent twin developments in Malaysias 5G sagathe stark revelation of plummeting network speeds and the Ministry of Finances (MoF) financial exitare not mere coincidences. They are structurally linked, direct, predictable, and costly outcomes of a policy experiment that EMIR Research has been persistently warning against ..

Forests, fuel and food: Is expanding oil palm to Indonesias Papua worth the cost? Earlier this month, PresidentPrabowo Subiantosuggested that Papua should be planted with oil palm to boost biofuel production and reduce Indonesias dependence on imported fuel. The rationale is clear: Indonesia spends hundreds of trillions of rupiah annually on fuel subsidies and imports, making the strengthening of domestic energy supply a top policy priority. At first glance, oil palm appears to offer an ..

If everything must be halal, one might as well become a recluse on an isolated island The recent "halal controversy" in Melaka has certainly been an eye- opening for me. It turns out that halal certification is not limited to food; the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) claims it extends to kitchens and restaurants as well. One wonders if hotel lobbies or toilets are next on the list. I hope someone with profound religious knowledge can enlighten me: is there truly a "halal" and ..

Korea and Malaysia: Where pragmatic diplomacy converges At the 3rd KoreaMalaysia Defence Industry Cooperation Seminar held in Kuala Lumpur last September, Defence Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin made a remark that resonated deeply. What matters to us is not merely about procuring weapons, but about building trust with a reliable partner. His words, spoken on the occasion of Malaysia signing its second-ever defence cooperation Memorandum of Understanding with Korea, ..

ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN Perhaps nothing better captures our negative exceptionalism than the brazenly totalistic capture of our elected offices by a few families. Even at the height of political reform under the Benigno Aquino III administration, more than 80 percent of legislative seats were occupied by political dynasties. Across the nation, as few as 178 political dynasties dominated 73 out of a total of 81 ..

Since I entered the profession in the late 1980s, the issue of Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) recognition has taken up a significant portion of my reporting career. It was like an inescapable ghost, haunting Malaysias political and educational landscape. Every general election, by-election, or major political transition, this topic is pulled down from its dusty shelf to be reheated and served again. This "leftover dish" has been fried for decades; even if it hasnt gone rotten, it has ..

ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN ByRichard Heydarian / Philippine Daily Inquirer / ANN Perhaps nothing better captures our negative exceptionalism than the brazenly totalistic capture of our elected offices by a few families. Even at the height of political reform under the Benigno Aquino III administration, more than 80 percent of legislative seats were occupied by political dynasties. Across the nation, as few as 178 political dynasties dominated 73 out of a total of 81 ..

UN at a crossroads: Time for a woman, or Muslim, secretary-general As the United Nations prepares to select its tenth secretary-general, global attention is focused not only on which candidate will succeed Antnio Guterres in January 2027, but on what the choice will signal about the institutions relevance, priorities, and ability to respond to mounting global crises. On November 25, 2025, the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council jointly invited all 193 member states to ..

It also pointed out that public hospitals continue to shoulder most of the national caseload, handling between 64-94 percent of major healthcare services, which is perfectly understandable given that so many Malaysians cant afford the insane private healthcare costs. At the same time, public hospitals struggle with insufficient beds, long waiting times, overcrowding, and worsening working conditions whereby healthcare workers are overworked. All this poses a threat to Malaysias commitment to ..

Anwar unable to pacify the Chinese, DAP must not remain silent The Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) issue had been "quiet" for a long time, but after the Rocket suffered a crushing defeat in the Sabah state elections, it was suddenly awakened. It is clear that the Rocket (DAP) panicked because they were wiped out in Sabah, and they hastily assumed that by "solving" the UEC issue, they could regain the confidence of the Chinese community. In a state of panic, people easily trapped in a ..

MCA Youth information chief Neow Choo Seng has made a call which I would describe as reasonable and logical. OK, Ill throw in right as well. But not fully. Hence, I see his suggestion as quite reasonable, quite logical and quite right. On December 14, Neow was quoted by Malaysiakini calling upon the Chinese community to master Bahasa Malaysia as a necessity to safeguard their interests. Whats the logic here? Only with proficiently in Bahasa Malaysia can we participate effectively in national ..

Why is the Takaichi Administrations approval rating so high? Since taking office in October 2025, the Sanae Takaichi Cabinet has maintained a high approval rating, hovering around 70 percent. For instance, an _Asahi Shimbun_ newspaper opinion poll revealed an approval rating of 68 percent in October and 69 percent in November, immediately following the inauguration. Other polls have shown an approval rating of 75 percent. This level of approval is comparable to that of the Junichiro Koizumi and ..

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahims cabinet reshuffle can be described as a desperate attempt to patch holes using existing "government stock." There is a distinct lack of fresh "products" on the shelves. This new cabinet lacks a fresh atmosphere; it seeks stability over breakthrough. The list is largely mediocre. However, some people unexpectedly remained, while others were ousted; some successfully crossed over, while others failed to pull off an upset. **The most unexpected - Minister of Education, ..

Fuziah Salleh, humility is also about owning up to mistakes I have a message for Parti Keadilan Rakyat secretary-general Fuziah Salleh. Its a simple one - humility also means having the courage to own up to our mistakes. Owning up would not diminish a leader; instead, it would restore trust. This is a message Fuziah must take to heart. On Sabahs election night, her hasty announcement at the press conference - claiming that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah( GRS ) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) had the numbers to ..

Recognition of UEC faces resistance from both Malay and Chinese societies Malay newspapers reported last Friday that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had disagreed with the DAP's request and he refused to recognize the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The following day, Anwar clarified that his remarks had been taken out of context by the media. This suggests the prime minister is willing to seek a solution to break the UEC deadlock. DAP Secretary-General Loke Siew Fook also stated ..

Hun Sen cannot afford to lose the war against Thailand Hun Sen cannot afford to lose the war against Thailandnot militarily, but politically. This is the uncomfortable truth that explains why the ThailandCambodia border conflict keeps relapsing into violence despite repeated ceasefires, ASEAN facilitation, and international calls for restraint. For Hun Sen, the conflict is no longer about territory alone. It is about regime survival, elite cohesion, and the preservation of an inherited ..

A fire, a test, a display of governance: Hong Kongs response under one country, two systems Since the blaze erupted at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the incident has weighed heavily on Hong Kongs collective consciousness. The central government has attached great importance to it, with relevant authorities and local governments acting promptly upon instructions, delivering care and supplies with precision. The Hong Kong Special Administration Region government responded swiftly and devoted its full ..

Malaysias greatest challenge: Waste management system still in Stone Age Malaysias waste system is stuck in the Stone Age while the rest of the country sprints into a digital future, and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, KPKT) together with 155 local authorities have nowhere to hide from that fact. Streets from Klang to Port Klang are a living, stinking indictment of how contracts, councils and concessionaires have failed to deliver the ..

Investment in artificial intelligence will continue its meteoric rise in 2025, powered by a narrative that AI is not just a tool but a new workforce. As Jensen Huang of NVIDIA recently put it, the software industry of the past was about creating tools like Excel, Word and web browsers, tools only so large because humans had to operate them. By contrast, AI is not a tool. AI is, in fact, workers that can actually use tools. Imagine AI systems as digital colleagues who write code in VS Code, plan ..