When war in Iran continues, soft power of China and ASEAN increases When the United States and Israel bombed Irans fortified nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in June 2025, they ruptured more than uranium enrichment hallsthey shattered the already fragile scaffolding of international law and global trust. Iran responded swiftly, closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime artery through which over 20 percent of the worlds seaborne oil flows. The implications were immediate: ..

Wheres fairness in education system for Chinese students facing marginalization? In Malaysia, education has long been regarded by families of all ethnic groups as a means to change their fate and improve social status. However, an unfair education system is hindering these dreams. With the release of SPM and STPM results and the start of university applications, the issue of inequality in the countrys higher education system faced by non- Bumiputera students has once again come to the fore. Many ..

Although the women's rights group, Sisters in Islam (SIS), had been labeled as deviant, many Muslim women would tend to disagree. In their experience, SIS was their only lifeline, a place they turned to for advice, for seeking information, knowledge and refuge, especially when others were reluctant to help them, for one reason or another. Althoughmen and womenare deemed equal in the name of Islam, in reality, that is not the experience of the majority of Malaysian Muslim women. If the laws and ..

Endless wars, two Americas, one failing machine: The real stakes of US involvement in IranIsrael The Pentagon may not have declared war, but its machinery has long been moving. What remains uncertain is not involvement, but exposure. And what stands to be exposed is not just a fragile regional balance, but the broken architecture of global power itself. At the heart of this uncertainty lies a simple but devastating truth: the US is no longer a unified geopolitical actor. These two factions not ..

Irans nationalism is inexhaustible: Sources of the collective concord when attacked Despite decades of internal unrest, generational divides, and growing public frustration with its clerical regime, Iran stands as a nation whose collective nationalism intensifies under foreign assault. This is not simply an allegiance to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or the Islamic Republic. Rather, it is a nationalism born of civilizational pride and a long memory of betrayalone that no foreign-imposed ..

Nuclear wastelands and scientific ruin: Why bombing Irans enrichment sites is a global catastrophe When President Donald Trump greenlit coordinated strikesalmost certainly with Israeli backingon Irans heavily fortified nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in mid-June 2025, the world was forced into a new phase of geopolitical chaos. But beyond the immediate spectacle of missiles and mushroom clouds, the deeper damage lies elsewherein the realm of science, human safety, and global norms. ..

With rapid urbanization, a growing middle class, and increasing energy demands, Malaysia faces both unique challenges and opportunities in transitioning from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to EVs. Governments worldwide recognize the need to mitigate climate change and reduce air pollution, placing EV adoption at the center of policy discussions. EVs are often hailed as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but their true environmental impact depends on the ..

Deterrence unscripted: What the IranIsrael escalation really revealed From the outside, the latest IranIsrael escalation looked like a tightly controlled spectacleone more episode in the long tradition of geopolitical theater. Symbolic strikes. Calibrated optics. Narratives exchanged more than missiles. But something disrupted the performance. Someone, somewhere inside Iran, broke the script. All signs point to the conflict being originally designed as a limited, performative escalation, meant ..

With President Lee Jae Myung now in office, one of his most eye-catching campaign pledgesintroducing a 4.5-day workweekis facing questions over whether it can really work. I cant even describe how much I hope this happens, said Kim Ji-eun, a 39-year-old office worker in Seoul. Right now, I leave work exhausted every Friday evening and have barely enough time to rest, let alone enjoy life or take care of my kids. Just half a day more would mean a real chance at balance. Kims view is widely ..

Malaysias remarkable 11-spot jump in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR)from 34th position in 2024 to 23rd in 2025is more than just a statistical victory. It is a powerful testament to the effective implementation of the Madani Governments economic reformsincluding fiscal, industrialandsocial. For context, the WCR assesses the ability of economies to foster an environment that supports business competitiveness, productivity and economic growth, across four main categories: Economic ..

Reordering the world: From ruins to renewal through Islam-Confucian ethical dialogue In an age where the international system teeters between chaos and irrelevance, the worlds political and diplomatic ramparts appear visibly worn. The post-Cold War architectureonce anchored in the promise of multilateralism, liberal values, and institutions like the United Nations and Bretton Woods frameworkshas been rendered ineffective against global pandemics, climate change, rising wars, and nuclear ..

Old friends, new forces: The Chinese story in Timor-Leste Timor-Leste is often framed as Southeast Asias youngest and most fragile democracy. Yet behind that oft-repeated narrative lies a far ric

After every major crash, an investigation is conducted, with the police, Road Transport Department and other relevant agencies. Remedial actions would have been proposed. Despite the recommendations, the frequency and fatality of accidents continue. So, were these remedial actions actually implemented and rigorously enforced? Malaysians continue to ask, "How many more investigations, tragedies, deaths, emotional trauma, economic and social upheaval, disruption to individuals, families and ..

Wars, economic shocks, planetary heating and aid cuts have worsened food crises in recent years, with almost 300 million people now threatened by starvation. Clearly, inadequate food due to population growth cannot explain persistent hunger. Yet, the number of hungry people has been rising for more than a decade. So, why are so many hungry if there is more than enough food for all? The multi-stakeholder 2025_Global Report on Food Crises_ (GRFC) notes 2024 was the sixth consecutive year of high ..

Trumps antagonism toward France weakens G7 unity at a time of global crisis As global tensions spike over a potential Israel-Iran confrontation, the recent G7 summit in Canada should have been an opportunity for unified diplomacy. Instead, it revealed growing fracturesmost notably through US President Donald Trumps public rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit took an awkward turn when Macron hinted that Trumps early departure may be linked to behind-the-scenes efforts to ..

The fierce exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel, following Israels illegal airstrikes on Iran in the early hours of June 13, is pushing the Middle East and the world towards a dangerous precipice. Reportedly, during the early hours of Sunday, both sides launched fresh waves of attacks on key cities, fueling fears of a full-scale, protracted war, with heavy exchanges now entering a third consecutive day. Iranian missiles struck northern Israel late on Saturday and into Sunday, killing at ..

Ways to increase government funds apart from SST expansion Rather than expanding the SST tax, the Madani government must reach an agreement with our ASEAN neighbors to collectively and gradually increase the corporate tax on our FDIs (foreign direct investments) as well as the wealth tax on the T20 in our respective countries. Imposing such taxes on the wealthy classes is far more effective than expanding the SST which will certainly worsen the socioeconomic status of the B40 and M40. one way ..

Sarawak Governor saddened by mounting road fatalities There is something about Malaysians which we all know but hardly emphasized or talked about, until tragedy or calamity strikes. Its our humanity, being humane and it shines like a beacon, touching others in positive ways, as it should be. Despite political divisions, racial and religious differences and various societal grievances, Malaysians have consistently demonstrated a strong sense of empathy and solidarity in the face of tragedy. Im ..

North-South relations under Lee Jae-myung administration Lee Jae-myung was inaugurated as the 21st president of South Korea on June 4. This is the first change in government in three years. A notable feature of this new president is that he has little interest in the North Korean issue, unlike previous progressive presidents. His brief inaugural speech did not propose a North- South summit. This contrasts sharply with Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who were activists in the democratization ..

Zionism at the edge: The terminal overreach of a fading project Discussing the collapse of Zionism, as is becoming increasingly self-evident, requires revisiting **how it began**, for **its very foundations were always unstable**, both morally and politically. Though often romanticized, particularly in the West, as a movement of liberation, Zionism was in fact a European political project. It chose Palestine not because it was uninhabited, as logic and justice should have demanded, but because ..

After his dismissal as deputy prime minister back in 1998, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim went through 24 whole years of political ups and downs, during which he witnessed the installation of five other prime ministers, before eventually emerging as the nations 10th prime minister. Anwar has experienced political despair not many can enduremarked by excessive mudslinging, humiliation, isolation and fearand his ascent to premiership was at one point inconceivable. In 2018, Pakatan Harapan rose to ..

Recently, I came across an intriguing newspaper article titled Has the Republic of Korea entered the path of decline? In this insightful article, professor emeritus Choi Jin-seok diagnosed the social and political maladies of South Korea, which he argues might have caused the countrys decline. Choi came up with four factors that eventually make a country fall: extreme political conflict, extreme social disintegration, extreme populism and extreme corruption. Choi also argues that a country is ..

Malaysians were shocked; no one would have expected such tragedies to take place on our highways. Its unfathomable and its very sad. How can one deal with the loss of 24 lives, all still young and in their prime, in just two road accidents? Its tragic and beyond words. This must not happen again, please God! On May 13, nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) officers were killed in a tragic road accident near Teluk Intan in Perak. The nine personneleight who died at the accident site on and one who ..

An umbrella for all Malaysians is much better, Dr Mahathir Sixty-eight years after Merdeka and 62 years after the formation of Malaysia, some of our veteran politicians still talk about race and religion, in particular the superior Malay and the _pendatang_ non-Malay. When will he acknowledge that all Malaysians should be treated as equals and affirmative action policies be disbanded? How long more are Malaysians to be suffocated by the discriminatory policies of the country? One does not have ..

Why Zafruls decision to join PKR is mired in controversy? A month ago, Tengku Zafrul Aziz was warmly welcomed by the sports fraternity into their fold. On May 10, the corporate man turned rising political star was appointed the new president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for the 2025-2029 term. As a badminton fan, I also welcome Zafrul to play a more prominent role in Malaysian badminton. Why not, if a person of his stature is prepared to spend his time and resources to help ..

We need to expedite the action plan for the National Childrens Policy The updatedNational Children's Policy was launched in November 2024 and we have been waiting to see the planned deliverablesthe promised Action Planto accompany this policy. The National Children's Policy focuses on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) key aspects of survival, protection, development, and participationit includes aspects of health, education, safety and welfare. These are all vital ..

Can ASEAN overcome the stigma of being a circumvention export hub?: The pitfalls of China Plus One and the test of ASEANs export reliability Since the first Trump administration, the intensification of the US-China conflict has led to the transfer of production from China to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and ASEAN has been expected to play a central role in the China Plus One strategy. At first glance, this production transfer seems to have given ASEAN an opportunity to ..

Rafizi out, Nurul in, Khairy may be back: What now for Malaysia? Rumors are swirling again: Khairy Jamaluddin may be making a return to Umno, the very party that expelled him in 2023. Rafizi Ramli has stepped down from his ministerial role after losing in PKRs internal polls recently. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, once a rising star of environmental reform, has also resigned from his cabinet post. Just a few years ago, these were the faces many Malaysians pinned their hopes on: young, articulate, ..

Macrons efforts to project France as a great power can still flounder French President Emmanuel Macrons foray into Southeast Asia, including his high- profile visits to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, is emblematic of Frances ambition to reclaim its stature as a globalindeed, Indo-Pacificpower. In rhetoric and gesture, Macron has tried to position France not as a peripheral actor, but as a resident stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific, which spans two oceans and encompasses 60 percent of the ..

With two-fifths of the world economy, East Asia can inspire others by creatively responding to the US Presidents tariff challenge by promoting fair, dynamic and peaceful regional cooperation. Trumps Liberation Day tariff announcement on April 2nd poses a common challenge that everyone needs to take seriously. Dismissing it as crazy or stupid for rejecting conventional policy wisdom is useless. Politics and economics have been said to be war by other means. This old insight helps make sense of ..

Some Malaysians know the story from Grimms Fairy Tales called 'The Frog Prince' in which a frog changes back into a handsome prince after it was kissed by a beautiful princess. She was initially reluctant to kiss the ugly frog but when she finally did, she successfully broke the spell of a wicked witch on the frog prince. There is no beautiful princess, broken spells or happy ever after finale of prince and princess walking hand-in-hand into the sunset. Malaysians know from experience that ..

Honors not for sale, value them with pride and dignity I am writing this on June 2, the official birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and I am very happy to hear His Majesty touching on the subject of federal honors. The King did the right thing to remind the people that federal honors cannot be bought or lobbied for, saying that these awards are reserved only for those who have truly served the nation. Delivering his royal address at the investiture ceremony at Istana Negara in ..

Rafizi: Political marvel or a tragedy in the making For more than two weeks, Malaysians witnessed an intense political duelthe contest for the post of PKR deputy president between the partys two most prominent figures. The incumbent was Rafizi Ramli, and the challenger was none other than Nurul Izzah, daughter of the partys president and Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. It became a political drama that drew widespread public attention. Turning an internal party election into a national spectacle ..

Laporan OPS GASAK: Asas hala tuju penambahbaikan kepada PPKB (Pindaan) 2021 Semua pertimbangan ini dan syor serta pandangan pelbagai pihak akan diambil kira dalam menentukan keperluan untuk pindaan kepada PPKB (Pindaan) 2021 yang sedang berkuat kuasa. Sekiranya pindaan adalah jawapan, perlu ditentukan bentuk parameter pindaan tersebut. Maka, laporan OPS GASAK adalah penting sebagai asas hala tuju penambahbaikan kepada PPKB (Pindaan) 2021. Operasi Gas Memasak (OPS GASAK) sedang berlangsung dari ..

An ASEAN that has to say no to Hegseths demands for higher defense spending At the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a message wrapped in strategic urgency but sounding more like a blunt ultimatum: Americas Indo-Pacific allies must raise their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP to counter the threat of China. It was a headline-grabbing soundbite. But for ASEAN, the appropriate response is clear, deliberate, and principled: No. This is not the ..

Will Trump bring normalization of diplomatic relations with North Korea to the entrance of negotiations? Since late February 2025, North Korea has criticized the second Trump administration. The head of the Public Relations Office of the North Korean Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying, [North Korea] will counter the strategic threat of enemies with strategic means. After Trump was reelected, North Korean media avoided mentioning his name, even when criticizing the United ..

ASEAN needs Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea more than ever As ASEAN charts its course toward 2045, the region faces a profound question: Can it remain cohesive, credible, and competitive without including its immediate neighbors, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea (PNG)? The recent show of support from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for both countries future membership is more than symbolic. It represents a bold recalibration of ASEANs strategic imaginationone that the bloc should embrace ..

Last week, at the launch of Memoir of Penang Han Xingites, I was sitting inside the lecture hall of Han Chiang University College of Communication, listening to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow sharing his relationship with the media. Chow mentioned that he typically received plenty of invitations each day, and his assistant would help filter the many invitations and arrange his routines, with the only exception of this one, which he insisted to attend personally. Sure enough this could have ..

Debt, deceit and delay: Malaysias hidden fiscal crisis Bank Negara Malaysias (BNM) latest update reveals the federal governments direct debt has reached RM1.277 trillion, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio to around 66 percent and breaching the 65 percent statutory ceiling. Predictably, social media is lit up with politically charged claims. Many simplistically argue that Najibs debt was safer, citing lower ratios then. But they miss the real question: how much of that debt was simply hidden? The ..

Every now and then, the questions of What now? and Whats next for MCA? seem to pop up in the media and political market. But if you follow the social media, MCA is written off and supposedly irrelevant. This is the created perception in all social media comments planted by cybertroopers of a certain party. The truth is that the concern is not about MCA but more so about the future of Chinese Malaysians in a political ecosystem thats slowly marginalizing them after GE14, when the Pakatan ..