Malaysia

Internet giants are the target of efforts to tighten the tax net for digital services.
Economy

From Thailand to Indonesia, taxes tighten for digital businesses

E-commerce has boomed in Asia during pandemic but new levies challenge profits

27 November 2020
Space-rock folk band Buddha Beat play with Mohammad Kamal Sabran at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Arts in Penang, Malaysia, as part of the Healing Art Project. (Photo by Marco Ferrarese)
Arts

Asian underground bands rock outside the box

Musicians get creative amid COVID-19 social distancing rules

27 November 2020
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, center, arrives for the lower house budget deliberations and vote on Nov. 26.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's COVID budget approved in critical vote for Muhyiddin

Embattled PM gets reprieve as lawmakers heed king's call for cooperation

26 November 2020
Sensorem caters mostly to government, construction, utility companies and research and development agencies. (Photo courtesy of Aerodyne)
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's Aerodyne takes stake in Australian drone inspector

Wide-ranging startup banks on Sensorem for boost in mining and other sectors

26 November 2020
A worker inspects newly made gloves at a Top Glove factory in August 2020.
Coronavirus

Top Glove goes from COVID hero to workplace health risk

Labor shortage hits Malaysian maker after virus forces lockdown in dorms

25 November 2020
Malaysian Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, center, carries the 2021 budget to submit it to parliament in early November.
Interview

Malaysia's COVID recovery hinges on budget vote: finance minister

Lawmakers poised to decide on $78bn plan -- and PM Muhyiddin's fate

25 November 2020
In the famous cover engraving of Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan," the state is embodied in an authority-bearing figure presiding over a serene European landscape. But as the world tries to reimagine the state in the aftermath of COVID-19, it makes sense to look toward governments like South Korea and Taiwan, which have mixed high state capacity with plenty of technological innovation.
The Big Story

Coronavirus: Asia embraces big government to battle recession

Lavish spending, deep debt, high-tech surveillance. Is this the end of the small state tradition?

25 November 2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visit the container terminal of Cosco in Piraeus in November 2019: has there ever really been such a thing as Chinese debt trap diplomacy?
Opinion

The myth of China's 'debt trap' diplomacy

Biden presidency likely to ease US-China acrimony over infrastructure

25 November 2020
AirAsia said it was in talks over investments in parts of the group's business.
Transportation

AirAsia seeks sources of cash as net loss widens

Malaysian carrier sells spare engines but says liquidity will suffice next year

24 November 2020
A Malaysia Airlines plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2018. The carrier is in talks over debt restructuring. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Interview

Malaysia Airlines will overcome crisis, finance minister says

Wealth fund owner expected to put national flag carrier in a 'strong position'

24 November 2020
The Chang'e 5 lunar probe completes vertical transport in Wenchang, Hainan, China on Nov. 17.
Your Week in Asia

China's moonshot, Xiaomi results, and India GDP

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

22 November 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump, bottom right, and other heads of government hold up a declaration at the first virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 20.
International relations

APEC chiefs, including Trump, agree on free and fair trade

US, China and other members pledge to refrain from protectionist measures

21 November 2020
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks with Nikkei Asia in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo by Wong Ying Xian)
Interview

Mahathir on Biden and China: It 'couldn't be worse' than Trump

95-year-old talks APEC, Twitter controversy and Malaysia's next election

20 November 2020
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's video message to the APEC CEO Dialogues is shown on a screen in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 20.
International relations

APEC: Japan's Suga vows to push for bigger trade pacts after RCEP

All eyes on Trump and China ahead of virtual leaders meeting

20 November 2020
The Shanghai Sisters, formed by Yon Lynn, left, Janet Lee, center, and Winnie Ho, deliver retro tunes in Mandarin, English and Malay. (Courtesy of Janet Lee)
Arts

Malaysian jazz swings on despite pandemic

Performers and venues join forces to sustain live music

20 November 2020
A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking during the virtual APEC CEO Dialogues 2020 at a command center in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 19.
International relations

APEC: Xi says China has no intention of 'decoupling'

Thailand's Prayuth warns on COVID disruptions to regional connectivity

19 November 2020
The APEC logo is displayed on a screen: The coronavirus has forced Malaysia to settle for hosting the event virtually.
International relations

APEC in the COVID age: What to watch at Malaysia's online summit

Muhyiddin aims to avoid repeat of US-China deadlock at 2018 forum

19 November 2020
Rising exports and effective control of the coronavirus have kept Vietnam's economy growing despite the pandemic.
Economy

Vietnam emerges as sole economic winner in Southeast Asia

GDP to surge past virus-hit Singapore and Malaysia on China manufacturing exodus

19 November 2020
"For many businesses forced to close their doors during lockdowns, Facebook and Instagram have been a lifeline," writes Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)
Opinion

How an open internet can power Asia-Pacific's economic recovery

Everyone should have the opportunity to be part of the digital future

19 November 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on AirAsia Japan's business. (Photo courtesy of AirAsia Japan)
Transportation

AirAsia Japan files for bankruptcy, leaving 23,000 flyers without refunds

Budget carrier becomes Japanese skies' first casualty of the pandemic

18 November 2020
Mitsubishi Heavy Industry's decision to halt its passenger jet program marks a setback for Japanese aerospace-industry suppliers. (Photo by Yuki Naganawa)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Japan readies aid for aerospace suppliers to sell to Malaysia

First in series of steps to help smaller manufacturers win ASEAN business

17 November 2020
Queen Elizabeth II meets Scott Morrison and his wife Jennifer at Buckingham Palace in June 2019: the existence of monarchies in the 21st century is antithetical to democracy.
Opinion

Asia's monarchies are no longer earning their keep

Hereditary rule undermines humanity's relentless quest for equality

13 November 2020
Malaysia's economy is gradually coming back to life after a strict coronavirus lockdown earlier this year, but a recent wave of infections poses a threat.
Economy

Malaysia's Q3 GDP fall slows to 2.7% under persistent COVID cloud

'Not all is gloom and doom,' central banker says amid virus resurgence

13 November 2020
Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, left, and Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz pose before submitting the 2021 budget to parliament on Nov. 6.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's Muhyiddin pushes largest budget ever to fight COVID

Growth forecast to rebound to 7.5% in 2021; Anwar voices skepticism

6 November 2020
A worker sprays disinfectant outside a shop in Kuala Lumpur as Malaysia grapples with a new wave of coronavirus infections in late October.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia budget heads for parliament with Muhyiddin's job on line

COVID recovery plan hinges on lawmakers heeding king's call to cooperate

5 November 2020