Malaysia
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Malaysia

Malaysia
Malaysia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Malaysia, covering politics, economy, society and the Asean member-nation’s relationships with China, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries.
Capital
Kuala Lumpur
Head of State
Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar
Head of Government
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
In this combined photo, Husna Liang (right) of the China Media Group and her colleague Latifah (left) describe their lunch in fluent Malay at a restaurant in Putrajaya. The Chinese journalists were part of the press corps that followed President Xi Jinping on his week-long tour of Southeast Asia. Photo: Handout
Anwar Ibrahim

Malay-speaking Chinese journalists become overnight sensation in Malaysia

In soft-power win, viral video of Chinese journalists describing their lunch in fluent Malay has earned praise from Malaysians.

China-Asean relations

Trump’s tariffs fuel China’s dream of railway link with Southeast Asia

Anwar Ibrahim

Video | Xi Jinping calls for closer China-Asean trade ties

Xi Jinping

China’s Xi ends Malaysia visit with jet, chip deals before heading to Cambodia

The Chinese president’s tour through Southeast Asia comes as Beijing seeks to position itself as the region’s most dependable trade partner.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) accompanied by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (R) while walking towards an aircraft for departure at the Bunga Raya Complex in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 17. Xi departed to Cambodia after three day state visit to Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China trade war

China’s Xi lauds ‘ironclad’ ties with Cambodia on final leg of Asia tour

The Chinese leader holds talks with Prime Minister Hun Manet and King Norodom Sihamoni.

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US-China trade war

With US-China decoupling closer than ever, firms are reshaping supply chains

With full US-China decoupling looking closer than ever – though not a certainty – suppliers are rapidly evaluating their relationships and options.

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US-China trade war

Xi calls for closer China-Asean trade ties to avoid the ‘law of the jungle’

Xi told Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim Beijing was ready to upgrade its free-deal with the bloc in the face of Trump tariffs.

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Xi Jinping and Anwar Ibrahim shake hands at the official residence of the prime minister outside Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP
Xi Jinping

Xi’s visit: Malaysia ‘stands with China’ amid US tariff threat, Anwar says

The two countries signed a raft of deals spanning AI, infrastructure and agriculture as both leaders spoke out in defence of open trade.

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Singapore

As Chinese students pick Malaysia, their parents buy second homes

Anwar could negotiate for more cooperation on education with Xi to capitalise on the momentum, industry insiders say.

South China Sea

South China Sea: can Malaysia deliver breakthrough in code of conduct talks?

Talks resumed in Manila earlier this month in search of a ‘substantive and effective’ framework to manage tensions in the disputed waterway.

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Philippine coastguard personnel look on as a China coastguard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea last year. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Xi Jinping arrives in Malaysia as Trump tariffs push China closer to neighbours

Chinese leader hails ‘golden 50 years’ of ties as he lands in the country, where he is greeted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) as the Chinese leader arrives in Malaysia for a state visit on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Asean

China’s Xi arrives in Malaysia as Asean grapples with Trump tariff threats

Chinese president will meet Malaysia’s king and prime minister, with visit expected to usher in a rush of deals and increased cooperation.

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Video | Ex Malaysian PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dies at 85

Khairy Jamaluddin, his son-in-law and former health minister, announced on social media that ‘Pak Lah’ had died 

Food and agriculture

Malaysian durian farmers prickly over claims of encroachment on state land

The confrontation came to a head when a lawmaker was arrested for preventing the felling of trees in a key durian-growing state.

Visitors buy Malaysian durians in Nanning, south China. Photo: Xinhua
Asean

How Malaysia’s Anwar risks legitimising Myanmar junta through diplomacy

The Asean chair hopes for progress from his meeting with Min Aung Hlaing, but will it give the isolated junta a propaganda boost?

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Protesters opposed to Myanmar’s military junta hold signs and an image of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing during a rally in Quezon City, the Philippines, on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Diplomacy

Opinion | As Xi Jinping visits Malaysia, lessons from the Ming dynasty could be useful

Trump’s trade war and his imperialistic rhetoric should prompt the Global South to unite in favour of an approach that prioritises engagement.

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US-China trade war

Trump says China’s talks with Vietnam are probably intended to ‘screw’ US

Crude remark comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping begins tour of three Southeast Asian nations targeted for high tariffs on exports to US.

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Malaysian politics

Former Malaysian PM Abdullah, who extended political freedoms, dies at 85

Khairy Jamaluddin, his son-in-law and former health minister, announced on social media that ‘Pak Lah’ had died.

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Former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi died on Monday at the age of 85. Photo: AP
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong visa relaxation sparks surge of Vietnamese visitors

Approved visa applications from Vietnam increased from 322 in the five years before the relaxation of criteria in October 2023 to 4,970 since.

Asean

Malaysia to host China’s Xi as Asean seeks shelter from Trump tariff storm

Xi’s three-day visit to Malaysia will give local firms the chance to look for better access to China to offset potential tariff pain, analysts say.

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Indonesia

Controversial Malaysian series on Islamic cult tops 1 billion streams

‘Bidaah’ echoes a real-life case in Malaysia of a shadowy cult hit by allegations of human trafficking and abuse.

The disturbing depiction of a predatory cult leader in Malaysian online series “Bidaah” has ignited strong emotions and debate among Muslims in Southeast Asia. Photo: Viu
Australia

Iran’s meth cartels target Australia via Malaysia’s Port Klang

Experts say crime syndicates from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan are using Malaysia as a transshipment hub for drugs destined for Australia.

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A ship coming into berth at the container terminal in Port Klang, Malaysia. Iranian meth cartels have been using the port as a key transit hub. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Singapore’s flavour face-off: mainland Chinese cuisine vs local food culture

The rise of Chinese food brands in Singapore and their impact on local cuisine has sparked debates on cultural preservation and coexistence.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Will Malaysia’s car industry face a Trump-tariff price war from Chinese EVs?

Chinese EV makers, facing US tariffs, are targeting Southeast Asia, threatening Malaysia’s auto industry with steep discounts and potential job losses.

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Lessons from China's history

Reflections | How ancient China’s standardised vehicle ‘specs’ transformed the country

Besides the Qin dynasty’s standardisations pertaining to Chinese writing and currency, equally significant was that of carriages’ axle width.

An engraving depicts an early Chinese horse-drawn carriage from the 18th century. More than 2,000 years ago, the Qin dynasty introduced the “standardised axle width”, which played a vital role in shaping ancient China’s military strength, administrative efficiency and cultural integration. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images
US-Asean relations

Asean’s ‘illusion of solidarity’ splinters amid Trump’s tariff threats

While Malaysia calls for a united front, the reality is a race for bilateral deals, with Vietnam leading the charge – as China watches on.

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Illustration: Huy Truong
Corruption in Asia

Are Malaysia’s whistle-blower laws protecting the wrong people?

A businessman who exposed alleged corruption is now facing scrutiny himself, raising questions about Malaysia’s anti-graft legal framework.

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Anwar Ibrahim

‘Stamp out cross-dressing’: Malaysian sarong event under fire for LGBTQ exclusion

The organiser of Keretapi Sarong is facing backlash after saying gender-nonconforming participants are not welcome.

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