Sachs is right on West Asia but missed out on Southeast Asia Recent remarks by American economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs cautioning countries against hosting foreign military bases have reignited debate over the strategic risks associated with such facilities. His argument is simple yet powerful: when nations allow foreign powers to station military forces on their soil, they may inadvertently transform themselves into targets in the event of war. The ongoing crisis in West Asia provides a ..

UN experts call for Malaysia to strengthen social work profession Recently Malaysias progress on meeting fundamental child rights was reviewed in Geneva by a UN panel of experts. High on their list of key recommendations was to strengthen, without delay, professional social work in all sectors, especially in the public sector. To those working with children, especially child protection, this is no surprise. It has long been recognized that as a country we have a long way to go to provide the ..

Seventeen years after the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the most striking feature of the case is not what is known, but what remains unresolved. Her appeal is grounded in facts that are no longer disputed. That conclusion did not close the case, because it further complicated it. This is not a minor legal nuance. It is the center of the case. If we were to examine the wording, unlawful acts implies wrongdoing and unknown persons implies a failure of accountability. Seventeen years on, those two ..

Preparing for the Era of Section 301: ASEAN must defend with institutions, not just tariffs US trade policy is shifting its focus toward more sustainable means of pressure, amid a US Supreme Court ruling that found tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) unconstitutional. Immediately following this unconstitutionality ruling, the Trump administration transitioned to utilizing Section 122 of the Trade Act, which allows for a uniform additional tariff of up ..

Recognizing the deliberate wrecking-ball demolition of the post-1945 world order, Februarys 62nd Munich Security Conference theme was Under Destruction. Billed as the worlds leading forum for international security, the conference program made clear whose interests and security were prioritized. In its first year, Trump 2.0 bombed ten nations, besides threatening aggression against four other Latin American nations, but none were represented at Munich! The Munich conference shed all pretense of ..

What does war escalation in the Middle East mean for global governance? The Israel/US attacks on Iran since February 28 have profound implications on the global governance order. For the mightiest power to attack another sovereign nation without Congressional nor United Nations approval condemns the rules- based order into the dustbin of history. Governance is all about checks and balance by rules, self-restraint or humble appreciation that waging forever wars often end up destroying oneself. ..

The Iran war paradox: How Washingtons escalation is strengthening Tehran Every war has a visible front line and an invisible one. The visible front in this conflict spans the skies of the Middle East, where successive waves of Iranian drones and missiles currently test the air defenses of a US-Israeli coalition that expected a quick, surgical victory. The invisible front runs through the corridors of power in Tehran and Washington, where two parallel transformations that will outlast any ..

Henry Kissinger, the architect of modern American realpolitik, famously likened the geopolitical interplay between the United States, Russia, and China to the mathematical principle of a triangle: the sum of any two sides must always exceed the third. This analogy underscored his strategy during the Cold War, where the U.S. sought to maintain closer ties with either Moscow or Beijing than those two powers had with each other, preventing any one from dominating the others. By opening to China in ..

Can Malaysian politics unite the country when the world is coming apart? In my conversations with global investors, business leaders and policymakers, one theme increasingly stands outnamely how uncertain and even dangerous the world feels today compared to the last few years with all its tumults. Conflicts in the Middle East are re-escalating. Beyond a reshaped global trade, reconfigured supply chains, and fragile growth amid superpower competition, energy (in)security has now been thrown into ..

Character before controversy: Why respect for faith must begin within Malaysia has long been recognized as a society where multiple faiths coexist within the same national space. Mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras often stand within the same neighborhoods, reflecting a quiet yet remarkable tradition of religious diversity. Yet in recent times, moments have emerged where faiths and religious symbols have been mocked, ridiculed, or treated with casual disrespect. In an age where opinions ..

Malaysias gig riders are the backbone of our instant-delivery culture, and also the most expendable bodies on our roads. We clap for their service, then quietly accept a body count that now looks like a slow, silent massacre. One lunch hour in Damansara, the glossy myth of the gig economy shattered right in front of my car. A food delivery rider clipped my vehicle and was flung onto the road, lying flat and motionless, with a line of cars bearing down behind. I stopped, got out, and with ..

During the Chinese New Year, Rafizi Ramli visited Sin Chew Daily headquarters to extend his festive greetings. In an exclusive interview with _Sin Chew Daily_, he said he did not expect to contest under Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in the next general election, although he would still defend his Pandan parliamentary seat. PKR interpreted this as a declaration he intended to leave the party and subsequently issued him a show-cause letter demanding an explanation. If the party were not satisfied ..

If no one had exposed it, would Azam Baki still be MACC chief? The reported decision not to extend Azam Bakis contract as head of the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC) after 12 May, 2026 may seem like the end of a controversy; however, it raises a deeper and uncomfortable question. This question matters a lot, because Azams tenure had already been extended three times, by the Prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. That alone shows how much power governments have when deciding who leads ..

From US-Israel-Iran conflict to electronics shortage: Can supply chain turn chaos into control? The electronics industry is no stranger to disruption. From pandemic shortages to logistics bottlenecks, supply chain leaders in Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) companies have learned that stability is never guaranteed. Today, another geopolitical tension is emerging: the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Although the ..

PKR lawsuits bring back the ghost of Sheraton Move I have repeated this many times and let me say it again. I have not forgotten nor forgiven the key players of the treacherous Sheraton Move. It remains one of the darkest chapters in our nations modern political historyan episode when a group of elected representatives betrayed the voters trust by toppling a democratically elected government and installing what many Malaysians viewed as an illegitimate backdoor administration. The conspiracy ..

The world witnessed a military operation that redefined modern warfare. President Donald Trump authorised an AI-led decapitation strike against Irans top leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and key members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This strike marked the first instance in military history where AI played the starring role in eliminating an adversarys command structure. It was a brilliant feata testament to American technological prowess that left global ..

Reclaiming our ecology: A structural blueprint to reverse the Chinese Malaysian demographic crisis The Chinese Malaysian community is currently enduring a demographic winter that threatens the very foundation of its cultural, economic, and institutional future. With the total fertility rate plummeting to a historic low of 0.9, and the latest Department of Statistics Malaysia report showing the Chinese birth share in Q4 2025 at just 7.8 percent, the community is projected to shrink to a mere 15 ..

Within 72 hours of the Operation Epic Fury conducted by the United States and Israel on February 28, where 48 of Irans top religious and political leaders were decimated in one fell swoop, 11 countries have become entangled in the war against Iran, posing the most serious energy risk since the Oil Shock of 1973. In moments of global turbulence, smaller and middle-sized powers in regions such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) often react with haste. They align quickly, speak loudly, and ..

Will the return of Khairy and Hamzah make UMNO great again (MUGA)? Lets start with Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. Has he fallen victim to a scam? He recently claimed he was preparing to take over the Parti Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family Party), only for it to be exposed as a political party that was never actually registered. Such an empty shell resembles a ghost company set up by scam syndicateswhere buyers think they have found a treasure when acquiring it. At this moment, does Hamzah feel ..

Scrolling through my phone on the hotel bed first thing in the morning, I was shockedand inevitably perturbedby headlines on missiles dashing above the Middle East sky, as the United States and Israel joined hands to strike Iran. I had thought my Moroccan trip could bring home toms of sweet memories of the vast expanse of the Sahara and romantic Casablanca. It never crossed my mind that the journey could take me so close to a real war! All that was in my head was that I must not be stranded in ..

Detaining children is a line the state must not cross Malaysias use of preventive detention has crossed a dangerous line with the reported incarceration of several minors under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma). Detaining children under a preventive security law designed to suspend ordinary safeguards raises grave questions about legality, proportionality, and the states willingness to sacrifice child rights in the name of security. This is not a policy misstep. This is ..

Barisan Nasional (BN) says it wants to contest at least 115 parliamentary seats in GE16, according to a _Malaysiakini_ report on March 2. Why? Because no political coalition goes into an election saying it wants to play second fiddle. But let us not pretend this is some bold new strategy. This is about survival, not supremacy. And BN/Umno is desperate to survive. Umno is still the big brother in BN today. MCA and MIC are groping in the dark, their leaders clueless on the next course of action. ..

The constitutional amendment bill to limit the prime ministers tenure to two terms, or a total of 10 years, failed after securing only 146 votes, short of two votes to meet the required two-thirds majority for Federal Constitution amendment. All 79 MPs from Pakatan Harapan voted in support, including 10 Parti Keadilan Rakyat MPs led by Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli. Both the government and opposition blamed each other after the amendment bill fell through. DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said ..

For years, South Korea drew comfort from a familiar belief. China might scale faster, but Korea would stay ahead in the technologies that mattered most: semiconductors, precision manufacturing and secondary batteries. The latest government assessment points not to a temporary slip, but to a change in direction. China has moved ahead in areas that Korea once treated as defensible ground, and the gap is widening. A 2024 evaluation reported by the Ministry of Science and ICT shows Chinas overall ..

Beyond financial cures: Urgent need for a sustainable social ecology restoration strategy in Sinosphere The demographic collapse across the global Sinosphere spanning China, Taiwan, and the broader diaspora is no longer a distant warning. It is a present, structural reality. However, to truly understand the severity of this crisis, we must compare it accurately. When we map the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 1950 to 2023, using data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the UN ..

State of DisunionThe root causes of American polarisation In the once-revered chamber of Congress, the State of the Union address was meant to embody national unitya solemn occasion for presidents to articulate a collective vision. Instead, on February 24, 2026, President Donald Trumps interminable 107-minute rant morphed into a grotesque pageant of narcissism, a level of self-obsession never before witnessed in that historic venue. The disapproval rate, in the wake of the speech, came down to ..

Massive US war spending hike raises debt, taxes, doubts As US President Donald Trump pushes the world to war, arms spending has been rising worldwide. Wars secure more budgetary allocations, mainly benefiting the US-dominated military-industrial complex. After bombing Venezuela, the Trump administration raised its war budget from $1.0 trillion, 47 percent of discretionary government spending in 2024, to $1.5 trillion! In 2024, the US accounted for over 36 percent of the world's military ..

When he urges world leaders to rediscover moderation and moral responsibility, Anwar positions Malaysia as a principled voice of balance and stability on the global stage. Although global instability may lie beyond the control of any single nation, the state of political sanity at home is not. It is precisely in our domestic governance, institutional integrity, and the treatment of dissent, that the contrast between rhetoric and reality becomes most pronounced. These are the areas which the ..

President Donald Trump has shaken up the world economy and the rule of international law in the first year of his second termostensibly to make America great again, particularly by reviving US manufacturing jobs. The President has assumed authority from the US Congress to wage war, impose taxes, make treaties, set budgets, regulate federal-state relati

Hamzah vs. Azmin: The political chessboard is still evolving It is customary for major Chinese-based political parties to visit the media before Chinese New Year to extend blessings to readers and voters. As political competition is getting more intense, this years line-up of visitors was exceptionally lively. Even some "rare guests" who seldom visit made an appearancemost notably Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and his team from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Having commented frequently in this column ..

Stories of unpleasant encounters with racist treatment in South Korea have long circulated quietly among travelers, students and migrant workers from Southeast Asia. But what was once sporadic and largely anecdotal has now erupted into a bold, undeniable issue as these experiences have been thrust into the spotlight via heated exchanges on social media. The latest flare-up stemmed from a K-pop concert in Malaysia, when a South Korean fan site master was caught bringing in professional cameras ..

Dr Sam takes the helm as Perikatan Nasional gears up A significant shift quietly took place in Malaysian politics during Chinese New Year. Perikatan Nasional (PN), the countrys second-largest political bloc, appointed Pas vice- president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar better known as Dr Sam as its new chairman. With that, tensions between PAS and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) have, at least for now, eased, and PN enters what may be called the Dr Sam era. The compromise was ..

An analysis of the Philippines ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026 The Philippines is the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) this year, under the theme Navigating Our Future, Together. There are a plethora of issues that it has to navigate, on the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, particularly safeguarding ASEANs central role amid an increasingly competitive and contested strategic landscape, maritime cooperation, Myanmars reform efforts, the ..

It was no surprise. PAS presented the best candidate in their stable and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was unanimously appointed and enthusiastically welcomed as the new chairman of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition on February 22. The appointment of the PAS vice-president, indeed a calculated and strategic choice, signals a deliberate pivot toward generational renewal without sacrificing ideological clarity. And that blend of both the young and the elders is vital for PNs success and ..

They hurled firecrackers at JPJ officers in Rawang, that was not _nakal_ youth, that was open war against the law and against every decent road user trapped beside them on our highways of fear. How many more families must grip the steering wheel in terror before we admit it? The Mat Rempit menace has become a form of road terrorism, and the time for pampering is over. **When the law is attacked, the nation is attacked** On that late night in Rawang, JPJ officers were simply doing their job, ..

Hindu temples need to be considered from historical and contemporary perspectives for a solution The issue of illegally built houses of worship needs to be comprehensively looked at from the historical and contemporary perspectives to fully understand this sensitive problem. This issue has in the last few months regrettably become very politicized and polemical to the extent of threatening the nation's harmony. The government is hard pressed to contain this problem considering the aggressive ..

Is a redelineation exercise in Malaysias Parliament due? Parliamentary seats in Malaysia have remained at 222 since 2008 when the country had a population of around 27 million with over 10.9 million registered voters. Going by data from the Department of Statistics, there are about 34.3 million people in Malaysia now. The Stars analysis of the 222 parliamentary seats for the 2022 election data showed that 86 seats had over 100,000 voters. That being the case, especially with 22.06 million ..

In a world grappling with escalating environmental crises and political polarisation, the rhetoric of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the 2026 Munich Security Conference exemplifies a troubling intersection of ideology and policy. Rubio lambasted European policies as subservient to a climate cult, portraying environmentalism and the theory of global warming as ideologically driven delusions that impoverish nations while benefiting rivals like China. This narrative, however, is not only ..

When I started penning this article, I was aboard the flight to Casablanca, the city that has captured the hearts of many over the decades, including me, thanks to the 1942 cinematographic classic of the same name. Casablanca was made famous by a love triangle story of a film set in the city during the Second World War, when massive numbers of European refugees fleeing Nazi persecution thronged to this North African city in hope of securing travel passes to the US. When I set off on the first ..

In Malaysia, words matter. In a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, a careless turn of phrase can ignite mistrust, fuel tension, and even spur unlawful action. However, in the temple saga, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly shown that he does not always think before he speaks. The end result is that it is the rakyat who suffer the consequences. Two incidents about Hindu temples illustrate a troubling pattern: Anwar's March 2025 victory speech during the Kuala Lumpur temple dispute ..