Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would speed up the pace of reforms and strengthen an anti-corruption drive as he sought to rebuild public support after a string of electoral defeats and party departures. Anwar acknowledged shortcomings by his administration that had led to frustration among Malaysians. While the economy grew 6 per cent last quarter and unemployment was low, Anwar said he wont deny that Malaysians faced higher living costs. The economic numbers are not winning...

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 40 people, collapsing buildings and homes as well as causing panic in a region prone to deadly quakes. Authorities said more than a dozen people were injured. Authorities issued a tsunami warning but later lifted it when Indonesias Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities. The US...

When Bruneis Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah recently stripped his daughter-in-law of a royal title, the move drew attention for its unusually public glimpse into discipline inside one of the worlds few remaining absolute monarchies. But it also offered a small example of what analysts who study Southeast Asias royal families describe as a wider challenge for the regions monarchies: how to preserve authority through tradition and adaptation as public expectations change. An official announcement...

More than 86,000 football fans passed through Kai Tak Stadium over two nights recently as Manchester City faced Inter Milan and Chelsea took on Juventus. Supporters filled nearby malls and restaurants, with some merchants reporting foot traffic three to four times higher than usual. For those few hours, Kai Tak offered a glimpse of what Hong Kongs day-to-night economy could become: international visitors and local residents arriving early and extending the occasion beyond the stadium. The...

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Friday said talks with China on joint oil and gas exploration had moved forward signalling hopes of a deal before he leaves office in mid-2028, despite ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. Marcos also confirmed for the first time a provisional understanding with Beijing over resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal, although he insisted this did not mean Manila was seeking Chinas permission or surrendering...

For Indonesian families who lost loved ones in the 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people, the latest development in the US courts has deepened their pain that justice remains out of reach. Keith Griffin, a Californian lawyer who worked with disgraced Hollywood celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi in compensation suits related to the crash, was sentenced by a federal court in Chicago last week to one day in prison with credit for time served, meaning he avoided any further time behind...

The disbarment of Workers Party chief Pritam Singh in Singapore is a professional blow for the leading opposition figure, but is not expected to further damage his political standing. Singh, 50, was struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors in a disciplinary hearing on Thursday, a decision that political analysts say reflects the hardline stance of the countrys legal system against dishonesty. On the political front, after years of parliamentary scrutiny, a court conviction and an...

A UN investigative report accusing Myanmars military of carrying out a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians has muddied Min Aung Hlaings push for regional acceptance but analysts say it is unlikely to derail his efforts to win recognition for his post-election government. The report by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a body appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, documents a year-long investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against...

A man who decided to burgle homes on his first visit to Singapore after finding the country rich was sentenced to three years and eight months jail on Friday. Huang Xiaozong broke into a suite at the Capella Singapore and two houses in Serangoon, stealing more than S$100,000 (US$78,000) worth of valuables. The 41-year-old earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of housebreaking, with one count of trespass taken into consideration for sentencing. The Chinese national visited Singapore for the...

A Malaysian university has drawn anger over an event invitation to Abdul Razak Baginda, the former lover of a Mongolian woman whose body was blown up with military-grade explosives in one of the countrys most notorious murders. The controversy has spread beyond social media to the International Islamic University Malaysias own academics, who on Thursday called for a review of Abdul Razaks appearance at the universitys International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) on...

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday his country faced problems but his administration had started to resolve some of those and he believed economic growth of 6 per cent could be achieved this year. In remarks during his Independence Day speech at a time of falling approval ratings and growing investor scepticism over his ambitious policies and plans to control commodities exports, Prabowo acknowledged Indonesia had encountered issues, but said those were on the way to being...

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by surging waters across Myanmar and Laos, with Thai farming communities along the Mekong River bracing themselves for difficult days ahead as authorities warn persistent heavy rains may bring flash floods. Each year monsoon rains bring extensive flooding across the region. Environmental campaigners say the damage is exacerbated by changing weather patterns and deforestation, as well as the string of dams across arterial rivers like the Mekong ...

Malaysias foremost Islamist party has set an early pace ahead of national polls, calling on the countrys Malay-Muslim majority to endorse its renewed efforts to broaden the reach of sharia law. On Wednesday, the Kelantan state assembly which is dominated by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) unanimously passed amendments to the Kelantan Syariah Offences Enactment Bill, in a bid to circumvent constitutional barriers that have prevented the criminalisation of certain acts under Islamic...

Indonesia hopes to start the mass production of home-grown electric cars no later than 2028, President Prabowo Subianto said on Thursday, in an effort to increase the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Asias largest economy. The president said the government is currently building a huge factory complex to manufacture the electric cars in the Subang region of West Java province. Prabowo was referring to a 60-hectare development that aims to produce up to 50,000 vehicles annually and...

Vietnams construction of its most ambitious warship to date signals its ambition to develop a self-sufficient defence industry and assert its maritime interests. However, the country is expected to remain dependent on foreign technology for high-end engines, sensors and other critical systems even as it builds its defence manufacturing capabilities, according to analysts. The frigate is being built at the Vietnamese defence ministrys Song Thu shipyard in Da Nang City, the military newspaper...

Thailands possible acquisition of a supersonic cruise missile from India would help the Southeast Asian country defend its interests against Cambodia and could even fuel a mini-arms race between the two neighbours, analysts have said. The BrahMos system could strengthen Thailands deterrence at sea while giving Bangkok more options as tensions with Cambodia persist and neighbouring navies modernise, they added. Several defence-focused news outlets have reported that Thailand is evaluating the...

Employed mothers in Malaysia have defended emergency leave rights amid debate over unfair workplace expectations and the challenge of balancing family and long hours. The dispute erupted after a woman complained on live radio that colleagues with children were taking emergency leave too often, piling extra work on their single counterparts. The anonymous caller told the hosts of Hot FMs breakfast show on Tuesday that she was fed up with a female colleague repeatedly using emergency leave when...

A Singapore court barred Pritam Singh, the chief of the main opposition party, from practising law following his criminal conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee. The Law Society of Singapore brought the case after Singh was convicted last year, months before a national election, on two charges of giving false answers to a parliamentary committee. Singh was fined S$14,000 (US$10,940), and the High Court later dismissed his appeal. The disciplinary proceedings are the ..

Fears of a new industrial revolution in which artificial intelligence replaces manual labour have yet to materialise in Southeast Asia but white-collar workers should brace themselves. Nearly one in four workers in the region face generative AI (GenAI) disrupting or affecting their jobs, according to a July report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Clerical, administrative and professional positions were most at risk, the report stated. Manual trades, craft and agricultural work...

Malaysia is taking palm oil from the frying pan to server racks, as it banks on its biggest agricultural commodity to crack a code plaguing its data centre boom keeping servers cool. Researchers at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) are developing a palm-based liquid to cool computer servers without relying on copious volumes of water, as the country grapples with high resource demands to support its rapidly expanding digital infrastructure. The new approach termed the Sawit EcoTherm...

Myanmars military is increasingly using drones, motorised paragliders and other low-cost aircraft to attack civilians, United Nations investigators said, even as the countrys rulers seek to project stability and gain legitimacy after a military-run election. The report by the UN-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar released on Tuesday said attacks continued to rise from July last year, with a notable escalation ahead of elections held in December and January. The vote...

Officials have sold a potential US-led Pax Silica hub in the Philippines as a chance for the country to move up the technology supply chain, but as domestic backlash grows, Manilas top diplomat to America has warned of losing the opportunity if it drops the ball. Analysts say Jose Manuel Romualdezs message appeared aimed at critics but should be taken seriously, as regional rivals are also courting US-linked supply chain investment and some may be better placed to deliver. Romualdez told...

A veteran Malaysian politicians resignation from parliament and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims Peoples Justice Party (PKR) to join a fledgling progressive rival widens an exodus of reformist figures as the ruling coalition reels from a string of electoral setbacks. Wong Chen, a three-term lawmaker who had spent nearly two decades in PKR, said on Wednesday that he had applied to join newly rebranded Bersama after resigning his Subang parliamentary seat on Monday and leaving PKR the following...

This article was first published on August 14, 2016. Lion City celebrates first golden hero by James Porteous Singapore exploded into celebration as it feted a new sporting hero yesterday (August 13, 2016) after swimmer Joseph Schooling did the improbable beat his one-time idol Michael Phelps to win the Lion Citys first ever gold medal. Schooling completed a wire-to-wire victory to deny American Phelps a fourth successive title in the 100 metres butterfly, winning in an Olympic record of...

A doctor and his friend who were arrested during a raid at a villa on Singapores Sentosa Island were sentenced on Wednesday to one years jail each for taking drugs. Dr Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 36, and 29-year-old Tan Li Ming both intend to appeal against their convictions. The pair had contested their respective charges of taking MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, claiming their drinks had been spiked. However, the judge rejected this defence based on the inconsistencies in their statements and...

The rivalry between two of Indonesias former presidents is moving onto the political ground where their alliance was first forged, with Joko Widodos youngest son preparing to contest the constituency held by Megawati Sukarnoputris daughter. Kaesang Pangarep plans to seek a parliamentary seat in Central Java V in 2029. The constituency has been represented since 2009 by House Speaker Puan Maharani one of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggles (PDI-P) most prominent figures and the...

A visit by Vietnams top leader To Lam to Australia and New Zealand this week is expected to lead to stronger maritime security cooperation, especially in intelligence-sharing and joint patrols. The Vietnamese president is seeking to bolster partnerships and strengthen cooperation in science and technology, according to a government statement. During Lams six-day trip, which ends on Friday, he is expected to sign 12 to 16 agreements with Canberra covering education, digital transformation,...

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio was hit with a criminal charge on Tuesday over an alleged death threat against the countrys president, a key part of the case against her at her ongoing Senate impeachment trial. The charge of grave threats was filed on Tuesday afternoon in a Quezon City courtroom, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesman Polo Martinez said. It stems from a National Bureau of Investigation criminal complaint filed in February 2025, months after a late-night news...

The cremations of the victims of the Debsirin school shooting in the Thai province of Nonthaburi had barely begun when another body was added to the countrys rising toll from gun violence. On Monday morning, a former MP for Nonthaburi fired four rounds at a local official inside a car then calmly strode away, the pistol tucked back into his belt. Police Colonel Thongchai Yenprasert was shot over an alleged money dispute by 71-year-old Chalong Riewrang, a three-time lawmaker with deep...

Malaysias Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused opposition lawmakers of staging political drama on Tuesday after they walked out of a special parliamentary session on a long-awaited royal inquiry into the countrys Muslim pilgrimage savings fund. The confrontation came less than two weeks after Anwars Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition lost power in Negeri Sembilan. During campaigning, the prime minister had repeatedly invoked the Tabung Haji inquiry as evidence of the need to confront corruption...

Havelock Palace has apologised for cooking foraged seafood in Singapore. The apology comes weeks after the Chinese restaurant received online flak and a barrage of one-star Google reviews for its involvement in a video showing a group of individuals foraging for seafood in mass quantities at Changi Beach. In the video, the foragers are seen collecting various marine life in large quantities, including crabs and clams, before bringing them to Havelock Palace to be cooked. The incident has...

Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has pressed Southeast Asian nations to join a flexible realism strategy in the Indo-Pacific, as the United States prioritises practical defence cooperation and deterrence over ideology. Speaking at a forum in Manila on Monday, Colby said he would travel to Jakarta, Bangkok and Phnom Penh as part of his first official trip to Asia, delivering a message he called realistic and perhaps bracing, but also reassuring: that Americas interests were more engaged...

When S* enrolled at Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed Malaysia) in the Southeast Asian nation, the British-born Pakistani student believed the five-year medical degree would give him a realistic route into Britains National Health Service (NHS). The pathway was never formally guaranteed, but S said NUMed had highlighted a decade-long record in which students who applied for the UK Foundation Programme (UKFP) the supervised training route for medical graduates had secured...

The Philippines and the United States are marking the 75th anniversary of their defence alliance with a renewed pledge to step up joint drills as geopolitical tensions in the region continue to simmer. While the allies are moving towards more frequent planning for maritime security cooperation and deterrence, there are still questions about Washingtons long-term commitment to the security of the Philippines and the broader region, according to analysts. At an annual meeting to strengthen...

The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead digging in to maintain a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defence, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday. Seeking to counter concerns about Washingtons reliability, Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defence for Policy, reiterated the US interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and partnership, not dependency. America is...

Landslides and floods caused by non-stop monsoon rains have killed at least 12 people in the Philippines, while eight more were missing and thirteen injured, authorities said. More than half a million people in 33 provinces have been affected by the southwest monsoon that has been enhanced by two tropical cyclones, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The agency also reported hundreds of damaged homes and infrastructure, with about 98,000 displaced from ..

A Malaysian lawmaker is offering a 5,000 ringgit (US$1,200) bounty for the person responsible for an arson attack which left an elderly woman in critical condition in Malaysias capital Kuala Lumpur. The 62-year-old counter staff suffered 50 per cent burns to her body after an unidentified individual doused her in what police believe was petrol and set her on fire at a lottery shop in Kepong, a suburb some 14km (nine miles) from the city. Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said the attack was an act of...

Indonesias top Islamic clerical body has warned men not to wear womens clothing for Independence Day festivities despite a long-standing tradition of men in dresses playing football as part of the annual fun. Amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation, the influential Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said in a statement such behaviour was haram or forbidden. The MUI said its intervention was an effort to prevent the covert campaign of the...

An Indonesian minister has called for better protection of students after nearly 1,000 weapons were found at a private school in South Jakarta. Police seized 995 airsoft guns and one live firearm from a school run by the Harapan Ibu Islamic School Foundation on Friday, Antara news agency reported. The foundations former chair, identified only by the initials IWD, has been called in for questioning. IWD had been dismissed amid allegations of misuse of foundation funds, according to the Jakarta...

A gunman was arrested after firing shots at a local government office on the outskirts of Thailands capital on Monday, officials said, just days after a teenagers killing rampage at a school in the same province reignited debate over gun control. The suspected shooter, a former lawmaker, fired at a senior provincial official and his driver, said Major General Dejrapee Kongdee, the police commander of Nonthaburi, which borders Bangkok. There were two people wounded, who have been sent to...