Malaysia

Mahathir Mohamad speaks to reporters after paying his respects to the widow of Shinzo Abe during a quick stopover in Tokyo on July 15. (Photo by Tomoyoshi Oshikiri)
Shinzo Abe

Mahathir Mohamad pays condolences to Akie Abe in Tokyo

Malaysia's former prime minister vows to carry on Abe's legacy in bilateral ties

15 July 2022
Southeast Asia's education sector was overshadowed by COVID but has quickly returned to pre-pandemic demand levels.
DealStreetAsia

Navis Capital invests $110m in education portfolio, adds Thai asset

Southeast Asian private equity firm tapping demand for 'affordable education'

10 July 2022
Mr DIY Plus stores feature 20,000 products. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Retail

Malaysian retailer Mr DIY fuels growth with cheap, diverse offerings

Balancing online sales and physical store traffic key to expansion

9 July 2022
Grab will offer air passengers the ability to book ground transportation outside Southeast Asia through a tie-up with SmartRyde and Splyt. (Source photos by SamrtRyde, Splyt and Ken Kobayashi)
Startups

Grab to let air passengers book ground transport worldwide

Service will facilitate airport-to-hotel rides for Southeast Asian travelers

7 July 2022
Stream article image
Feeding Asia

India's poorest scald as cooking oil prices soar

War in Ukraine, limits on palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, add fuel to fire

7 July 2022
Malaysia's central bank governor told the media in May that the bank needed to start recalibrating interest rates.
Currencies

Malaysia raises key rate again to 2.25% amid COVID recovery

Central bank keeps rate hike at 25 basis points despite inflation

6 July 2022
A woman shops at a supermarket in Singapore. Food prices have surged in Southeast Asia. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Inflation

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unleash cash to ease inflation bite

Governments attempt to balance political pressures with fiscal discipline

6 July 2022
Kaga Electronics looks to spend $7 million over five years on a new factory in Malaysia. (Photo courtesy of Kaga Electronics)
Semiconductors

Japanese electronics supplier Kaga moves to larger plant in Malaysia

New factory builds on expansion plans as pandemic, chip headwinds rattle industry

4 July 2022
The economies of ASEAN's five biggest members will grow 5.0% in 2022, according to the latest survey by JCER and Nikkei in June, thanks to the reopening of borders.
Economy

ASEAN economy to slow down in 2nd half of 2022: JCER/Nikkei survey

Economists see inflation, U.S. rate hikes weighing on region despite COVID easing

4 July 2022
In Thailand, issuances from companies such as food producer Thai Union and Skytrain operator BTS have surged from 2018 to 2021.
Bonds

ASEAN governments rush to issue green bonds

From Thailand to Singapore, sustainable financing up in the face of climate change

4 July 2022
Mahathir Mohamad was Malaysia's prime minister during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when he took the controversial decision to defy IMF advice on how to manage the situation. (Source photo by Tetsuya Kitayama) 
Market Spotlight

Mahathir: Deeper currency markets have cut risk of Asian financial crisis repeat

But former Malaysian PM says Sri Lanka is a lesson to region's governments

4 July 2022
The Thai baht's plunge on July 2, 1997, touched off the Asian financial crisis. Twenty-five years later, the region's resilience is being put to the test.
Economy

COVID, inflation stress-test Asia 25 years after financial crisis

Risks simmer in smaller economies as debt burden swells

2 July 2022
An oil rig off the coast of Johor, Malaysia. Areas with undersea oil and gas fields could be used for carbon storage.
Climate Change

Mitsui and Petronas to explore carbon storage off Malaysian coast

Companies will weigh shipping CO2 from East Asia to areas with offshore oil and gas fields

30 June 2022
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob waves from a car, as he leaves after the inauguration ceremony, in Kuala Lumpur last August. The leader is cautious about holding his country's next general election too early.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's power game intensifies as general election nears

Outlook murky as ruling UMNO divided over timing of vote

28 June 2022
A traditional Japanese dance known as Bon Odori is performed at a festival in southern Malaysia in July 2019. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Malaysia in transition

Malaysian official tells Muslims to shun Japanese festival

Minister cites 'religious elements' in decades-old gathering -- but not without pushback

27 June 2022
Malaysian startup RPG Commerce has more than 10 in-house international brands, including apparel brand Thousand Miles. (Source images from RPG Commerce Instagram and website)
DealStreetAsia

Malaysian direct-to-consumer startup RPG Commerce raises $29m

Company will use funds to expand talent pool, brand lineup

23 June 2022
India has big ambitions in the global semiconductor industry. (Source photo by AP)
Semiconductors

India touted as chip investment alternative amid regional risks

Tata executive says semiconductor industry needs country for growth

22 June 2022
Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of industry association SEMI, says that chipmakers are struggling to find replacements for essential raw materials purchased from Ukraine. (Photo by P Prem Kumar).
Semiconductors

Ukraine war to extend chip supply crunch: semiconductor group

SEMI CEO says conflict choking off supply of key raw materials to manufacturers

21 June 2022
The Cool Japan Fund, which opened in 2013, has posted a cumulative loss of $228 million as of the end of March. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Finance

Government weighs fate of floundering Cool Japan Fund

Cultural exports vehicle has lost $228m since its founding in 2013

21 June 2022
A Good Cat electric vehicle by Ora, a brand of Great Wall Motor, is displayed at the Bangkok International Motor show. 
Automobiles

Southeast Asia on cusp of EV revolution as local production begins

Chinese and South Korean automakers zoom past Japanese rivals on electrics

21 June 2022
A semi-autonomous "Interceptor" boat hoovers up garbage in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, a top source of the world's ocean plastic. (Photo courtesy of U.S. embassy in Hanoi)
Environment

Robot boats gobble plastic waste from Vietnam to Malaysia

Coldplay, Coca-Cola, Kia funding trash-hunting vessels in Asian rivers

20 June 2022
Pola's tax-free shop in the Sydney international airport features its upscale B.A brand.
Consumer

Japan beauty brand Pola looks overseas to tap post-COVID travel boom

Supplier opens tax-free shops in Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia

20 June 2022
Over the years, iPrice expanded the business from its website to offer a full-suite, white-label marketplace solution for super-apps, including pay-later services. (Photo courtesy of iPrice Group)
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's e-commerce startup iPrice Group lays off 20% of staff

Company claims to become 'hyperfocused on core product'

9 June 2022
Malaysia Airlines CEO Izham Ismail, a former pilot, says the carrier's return to full financial health is in sight after years of struggle. (Photo by Wong Ying Xian)
Interview

Malaysia Airlines CEO: Ukraine war hampering return to profit

But ex-pilot Izham Ismail predicts full recovery from MH370, MH17 disasters

6 June 2022
City Energy users will have access to about 70 charging stations in Malaysia by the end of this year. (Photo courtesy of City Energy)
Automobiles

Cross-border networks charge EVs across Thai-Singapore-Malaysia corridor

City Energy and Shell poised to cash in on anticipated market growth

4 June 2022