Coup rumours swirled in the Philippine capital over the weekend, with the military placed on red alert and all leave for its personnel cancelled, ahead of planned protests against corruption in state-funded flood control projects. Sources close to and within the military confirmed to This Week in Asia that certain private individuals, former generals and groups were trying to persuade active-duty officers to withdraw their support for Commander-in-Chief and President Ferdinand Marcos...

Nearly a quarter of a million people were left without electricity over the weekend in Malaysias Sabah state after torrential rain triggered landslides that killed at least one person and took out a transmission tower that cut power across a large area. Footage shared widely on social media showed the tower leaning precariously after it was hit by a landslide in the district of Penampang on the states west coast on Saturday evening. The incident cut power supply to six districts in Sabahs...

Authorities in Malaysia are hunting the suspect behind a blackmail attempt on at least 10 lawmakers who received emails demanding US$100,000 payments to avoid the release of deepfake sex videos using their likenesses. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the members of parliament were sent similar emails over the weekend demanding that they pay the ransom via a QR code or the clips would be released to the public. The emails included screenshots of videos that the government believes ..

The Indonesian government has allowed a nickel mining company to resume operations in an eastern archipelago, a minister said on Sunday, despite outcry over damage it could cause to the pristine islands. The cluster of islands and shoals in Southwest Papua Province sits in the Coral Triangle and is thought to be one of the worlds most pristine reefs, while its clear blue waters make it a popular diving spot. PT Gag Nikel, a subsidiary of state mining company Aneka Tambang, resumed operations ..

The Trump administrations widening immigration enforcement in the United States has led to gruelling grilling and mass deportations of Filipino seafarers over unproven child pornography accusations, sparking calls for transparency and justice from labour advocacy groups. Marcelo Morales was resting in his cabin on the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine docked at Norfolk, Virginia, when two armed agents of the US Customs and Border Protection picked him up for an interview on June 28. I spent...

A growing wave of anger in the Philippines over corruption-tainted flood control projects is spurring activism among university students and other Filipinos that observers say evokes the spirit of past political uprisings. At the University of the Philippines main campus in Quezon City, over 3,000 students and lecturers left their classrooms to rally on Friday against what they described as systemic corruption. The university has long been a cradle of student activism and political dissent. ..

China has issued four travel advisories warning of risks in the Philippines since April, with analysts saying that two-way trade, investment and higher education exchanges could slow if they are heeded by Chinese citizens. The latest notice, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, described public security in the Philippines as unstable with numerous crimes targeting Chinese citizens. A similar advisory went out on April 1, and the Ministry of Education issued warnings in...

Manila has spent billions on modernising its armed forces, but a new report warns the Philippines still leans too heavily on American protection a gamble fraught with risk as US President Donald Trump repeatedly questions the value of old alliances. The Southeast Asian nations ability to counter Chinas growing assertiveness remains in doubt, according to the assessment by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group think tank, which found that the Philippines security strategy is still...

A Myanmar ethnic minority armed group said on Saturday that a junta air strike killed at least 19 students, including children, in western Rakhine state. The Arakan Army (AA) is engaged in a fierce fight with Myanmars ruling military for control of Rakhine, where it has seized swathes of territory in the past year. The Rakhine conflict is one element of the bloody chaos that has engulfed Myanmar since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyis civilian government in a 2021 coup, sparking a...

The Philippine defence and military chiefs rejected a call for the countrys armed forces to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to public outrage over allegations of massive corruption in flood control projects that have implicated several congressmen and public works officials and sparked pockets of street protests. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and military chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr issued a joint statement late on Friday expressing their...

The waters of Lake Taal have long captivated visitors with serene vistas and storied myths. But this idyllic image of the Philippines third-largest lake has since been darkened by a chilling discovery. Since July, divers have uncovered hundreds of skeletal fragments from its depths and with them, an extraordinary story of gambling scams, alleged police pay-offs and men who never came home. Investigators believe the ribs, skulls and other bones found may belong to at least 35 sabungeros, or...

In Thailand, elections do not necessarily decide who governs. Over the past few weeks, that paradox has played out once more, with a prime minister ousted, the countrys best-known political dynasty sidelined and a new leader taking the reins. For young Thai activist Aitarnik Chitwiset, the endless chaos feels like it has no off-ramp. Im disillusioned and exhausted by our politics, she told This Week in Asia. At just 28, Aitarnik is deeply invested in her countrys future. But like many young...

Indonesia is seeking Chinas help to build a US$80 billion giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java in a project that officials see as essential to protecting millions of residents and key industries from rising seas and sinking land, despite criticisms over its financial and environmental costs. President Prabowo Subianto broached the project with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a meeting on September 3, on the sidelines of Beijings Victory Day parade, according to Indonesias...

Counterfeit bricks in MTRs Tung Chung East station project, improperly sourced bottled water for government departments, substandard trainers for lifeguards recent scandals in Hong Kong have aroused controversies rooted in the governments public procurement process. Few Hongkongers have the vaguest idea of the scale of government procurement, even though it is everywhere around us. The Government Transparency Institute, which tries to monitor government procurement worldwide, estimates it...

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has ordered the suspension of a proposed 700 billion won (US$503 million) infrastructure loan for a bridge-building project in the Philippines due to corruption concerns, even though Manila insists no such agreement was ever signed. Seouls decision has raised questions about investor confidence in the Philippines, where a sprawling corruption scandal over flood control projects has already shaken public trust. The optics of a key partner pulling back over...

Malaysias most famous shopping centre edged closer to a damaging boycott after threatening to throw out a second group of pro-Palestine protesters carrying flags, prompting calls for a mass gathering inside the plaza after Friday prayers. The management of Suria KLCC shopping arcade at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur made headlines after a scuffle broke out on Sunday between security and pro-Palestinian supporters who entered the venue at the end of a rally. The...

China has become the leading source of foreign investment in a growing, state- fostered Thai industrial cluster, backed by commitments to help build a light- rail line, design an aerotropolis and possibly develop property in the area, an official from the Southeast Asian country said. From 2019 to 2024, Chinese investors have received go-ahead certificates for projects worth US$8.4 billion 16 per cent of all investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor cluster, which covers three provinces ...

Lawyers for detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say he suffers from significant cognitive deficiencies that affect his memory and daily functioning, according to documents made public by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Duterte, 80, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March on an arrest warrant that linked him to murders committed during his war on drugs where thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users were killed. His lawyers have since then argued he is...

Indonesias new finance minister wants to immediately flood the economy with roughly US$12 billion in cash to jump-start lending, proving his commitment to President Prabowo Subiantos growth agenda barely three days into the job. The government would transfer half of the 400 trillion rupiah in cash reserves that it held with the central bank to state-owned lenders, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa told lawmakers in a hearing on Wednesday. He added on Thursday that the cash injection would...

Malaysia may have become more polarised amid intense race rhetoric and systemic problems, but individuals have agency to do their part and private companies have a role to play in ensuring deeper ethnic integration, Transport Minister Anthony Loke has said. Speaking to Malaysians living in Hong Kong at an event organised by the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau on Wednesday night, Loke noted that although their country was divided along class and education lines with social ..

The arrests of activists and social media users in Indonesia on accusations of inciting violence in the recent protests have prompted rights advocates to warn of a serious threat to freedom of expression in the worlds third-largest democracy. Jakarta police last week named 43 people as suspects behind a series of anarchic acts during the weeklong protests across Indonesia in late August. The protests were sparked by anger over the excessive perks given to lawmakers, which later morphed into...

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has called on the Chinese state- owned maker of the C919 passenger jet to set its sights on the global market and be more aggressive in boosting its international standing, as AirAsia nears a deal to become its first foreign buyer. Loke made the comments on Wednesday while speaking at a Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau (Maycham) event, where he outlined a series of updates on his countrys transport industry from air travel to...

Walt Disneys first cruise ship that was to be based in Asia has pushed back its maiden voyage from Singapore by three months. As we work on the final touches to bring the Disney Adventure to our guests, weve encountered unexpected delays in the shipbuilding process, Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, said. The ship, once complete, will be the companys largest ever. The Disney Adventure was set to make its first voyage from the city state on December 15 but that has now...

Malaysian mothers are being pressed into acting as personal debt collectors as fathers refuse or fail to pay child maintenance, a study published this week has found, with weak enforcement in the countrys sharia courts identified as an aggravating factor. The 2024 Telenisa Report by womens rights group SIS Forum, released on Tuesday, is based on findings from cases handled by its free legal aid clinic throughout last year, which largely helps low-income Muslim women seeking advice on...

Five months after she was snatched from a car in broad daylight in Malaysia, little is known about the disappearance of Pamela Ling, with a chilling lack of clarity in the case sparking calls for a wider investigation. Ling, 42, was kidnapped on April 9 by three people believed to have impersonated police, forcing her into their vehicle after stopping her private hire car on the highway not far from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters. The victim was on her way to the...

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has shown strong interest in acquiring the Chinese C919 passenger jet, its executive said, as part of its strategy to tap into Southeast Asias 700 million-strong population and capitalise on growing China-Asean business ties. Were in active discussions to buy the C919, Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A an investment holding company of AirAsia told the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Were the first foreign airline to be working with...

Floods on Indonesias holiday island of Bali have killed at least nine this week and affected 600 people, blocking off major roads in the capital and disrupting a busy travel destination, officials said on Wednesday. Continuous heavy rains between Tuesday evening and Wednesday caused the floods and killed five people in Balis capital, Denpasar, Abdul Muhari, the spokesman of the countrys disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement. Four more people were killed in the regions of Jembrana,...

The newly crowned Miss Philippines Earths sharp-tongued posts about her countrys deepening flood control corruption scandal have earned her both praise and warnings that she could lose her crown. Joy Barcoma has become an unexpected commentator on the growing political controversy, weighing in with biting humour and fierce advocacy that has won her a legion of new fans who refer to her as my queen. Some have urged Barcoma to stay silent to preserve her shot at the international title, but...

A zookeeper was killed in a lion attack in Thailand, officials said on Wednesday, raising questions over safety and the legitimacy of the safari parks lion ownership. The mauling happened at Safari World Bangkok, which calls itself one of Asias largest open-air zoos and offers lion and tiger feeding trips for around 1,200 baht (US$37) per person. The deceased is a zoo staff member who usually fed the lions, said Sadudee Punpugdee, wildlife protection director of the Department of National...

Malaysias bid to become Southeast Asias top aircraft maintenance hub hinges on how fast it can ramp up capacity, industry players say, as the country races to secure a greater share of the regions booming aviation support market. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahims government has set a high bar: it wants Malaysia to capture 50 per cent of Southeast Asias aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market by 2030 overtaking current leader Singapore. The target is seen as ambitious but not...

A high-ranking Cambodian official said on Wednesday that Chinas Belt and Road Initiative an infrastructure-focused strategy to accelerate regional trade has, contrary to claims that the plan creates a debt trap for struggling nations, supported his countrys economic development. In a keynote speech delivered to an audience of hundreds at the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said the roads, airport, expressway and a future canal projects funded by...

A dramatic video of a 16-year-old driver in Malaysia defying an order to stop his car by police officers pointing their submachine guns at him has gone viral, with the incident raising concerns about reckless underage drivers in the country. The teenager was arrested after the high-speed pursuit on a road in Kuala Terengganu on Monday afternoon, according to district police chief Wan Mohd Zaki Wan Ismail. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon during a routine patrol, when policemen became...

Singapore will acquire four Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft from the United States to counter submarine threats and refresh its maritime security capabilities, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing has said. Chan was in Washington this week to meet his counterpart, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon and shared Singapores decision to procure the aircraft that would replace the existing Fokker 50s, which had been in service since 1993. The P-8A maritime patrol aircraft is designed...

A US proposal to train Filipino fishermen as informants, tasked with reporting illegal fishing and environmental degradation by foreign vessels, has triggered concern that civilians could be thrust into the front lines of the South China Sea dispute. Jonathan Fritz, US principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, outlined the initiative during a round-table discussion at the US embassy in Manila on Thursday. Despite Washingtons recent overhaul of its ..

Chinese-made aircraft are set to spread their wings further in Southeast Asia after Air Cambodia announced what could become the largest ever overseas order for C909 passenger jets. The airline has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) for 10 of the jets, with the option to buy 10 more. The two sides will closely cooperate on aircraft introduction, operational support and industry development, according to an online statement by Comac,...

Malaysian singer Eda Ezrin has opened up about her time at the Narathiwat Provincial Central Prison in Thailand, a month after her release on August 6. In a TikTok live stream last week, the 30-year-old said she shared a room with 50 other inmates. She added that detainees were allowed to buy food and personal items including toiletries, toothbrushes, make-up and even perfumes provided they had money in their bank account. Eda, whose real name is Wan Norsahidah Azlin Wan Ismail, said she...

Indonesian President Prabowo Subiantos cabinet reshuffle is a tactical step to restore public trust in the government, according to analysts, but they argue it will not be enough to quell the unrest among protesters if it does not lead to more systemic reform. The shake-up on Monday saw the departure of high- profile officials such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, alongside the creation of a stand-alone...

A former police ally of ex-Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is a step closer to giving what lawyers have described as smoking gun testimony to the International Criminal Court linking Duterte to extrajudicial killings during his war on drugs. At the same time, Dutertes defence team is seeking to delay the ICC case against him and secure his interim release on health grounds. Royina Garma, an ex-police colonel who served Duterte while he was mayor of Davao City, was reportedly scheduled to...

Business leaders have called for deeper economic integration in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for the bloc to enjoy seamless trade and travel between member states, and fully tap its potential as a region with a young growing middle class. Speakers at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2025 on Tuesday stressed that Asean, while having to overcome challenges stemming from diversity among its 10 members, was an attractive hub with investment opportunities. Wang Shuguang, president ..

Two British men have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling over a kilogram of cocaine onto the Indonesian resort island of Bali, an official said on Tuesday, potentially exposing them to some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Indonesia commonly sentences drug traffickers to death, although the country has not carried out such a sentence for nearly a decade. Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, the head of the Bali Narcotics Agency, said an airport security officer intercepted one of the men, a 29-year-old...