Malaysia

Malaysian novelist Hana Alkaf's work provides a staunchly authentic depiction of her country to international young adult and middle-grade fiction readers. (Photo by Lim Eng Lee)
Arts

Malaysian voice captures young readers around the world

Ghosts and race riots dominate in prizewinning author Hanna Alkaf's work

4 November 2020
 A vendor tends his stall in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown amid the coronavirus pandemic in August.
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's travel tech Tourplus secures $1m amid pandemic

Startup focuses on domestic travelers as international travel bans bite

3 November 2020
Malaysia Airlines has recorded losses every year since 2011. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Transportation

Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, once contrasting, now face same crisis

State-run carrier and its budget rival both seeking debt relief

3 November 2020
Robinsons department stores have been a fixture in Singapore since 1858. (Photo courtesy of Robinsons & Co.)
Retail

Singapore department store icon Robinsons ends 162-year run

Born in British colonial era, chain succumbs to online competition and coronavirus

3 November 2020
Malaysia's Sultan Abdullah recently also rejected Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's request to declare a state of emergency over the rising cases of COVID-19.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysian king wades into politics again in break with norms

Sultan Abdullah seeks to ease impasse over 2021 budget addressing pandemic

30 October 2020
Mahathir Mohamad, the former Malaysian prime minister, called French President Emmanuel Macron "primitive" for blaming Islam in recent French slayings.
Islam in Asia

Mahathir on killings in France: Muslims have right to be angry

Three more people slain in Nice, as former Malaysian PM cites attack on teacher

30 October 2020
A Muslim family pray inside their restaurant during the holy month of Ramadan, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Selayang, Malaysia April 27, 2020. 
DealStreetAsia

Taiwan app buys Malaysia restaurant reservations platform

FunNow hopes integration of Tableapp will draw more users by offering discounts

29 October 2020
A woman passes a mural depicting embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 27.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's Muhyiddin on thinner ice despite key parties' lifeline

UMNO renews support but analysts see failed emergency bid further undermining PM

27 October 2020
Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin: The royal household says the king has confidence the government is already capable of handling the pandemic.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's king rejects COVID emergency in blow to Muhyiddin

Royal household sees 'no need' to give prime minister special powers

25 October 2020
Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission found that Tim Leissner, then a Hong Kong-based Goldman Sachs executive, was essentially given free rein on 1MDB deals.
Finance

Hong Kong fines Goldman Sachs $350m for 1MDB role

Record amount set for lapses in compliance and anti-money laundering controls

22 October 2020
Dolphin in 2013 bought a historic house in Bamberg, a Bavarian city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, only to let it fall into a state of collapse. 
Property

Asian investors entangled in $1.2bn German property scandal

Liquidator seeks to identify those who invested in redevelopment scheme

16 October 2020
“We already have a very high average revenue per user as compared to some other superapps, because they have been so used to purchasing [airline] tickets,” said Karen Chan, the chief executive of AirAsia.com.
Transportation

AirAsia bets on superapp to counter Grab and Gojek

Budget carrier to diversify into e-commerce and payments as COVID hits travel

16 October 2020
Police officers enforce a movement control order at a roadblock on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 14.
Economy

Southeast Asia teeters on deeper GDP downturn as lockdowns return

Malaysia and Myanmar restrict travel, while Thailand finds containment doesn't revive growth

16 October 2020
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, left, and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim are locked in a standoff over who controls the lower house of parliament. (Source photos by AFP/Jiji and Reuters) 
Malaysia in transition

Muhyiddin-Anwar saga keeps Malaysia on edge as king halts meetings

Key ruling coalition party threatening PM to force election, analyst says

14 October 2020
Large Singaporean companies are less transparent than those in Thailand and Malaysia, according to a report that covered companies in ASEAN nations.
Companies

Singapore corporate governance worse than in neighbors

Malaysia and Thailand more transparent than financial hub, study finds

14 October 2020
After making its acquisitions, FDV will have full or partial stakes in 15 online marketplaces active across Latin America, Africa and developing Asia.
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's Frontier Digital Ventures raises $67m

Online classifieds provider to fund 3 acquisitions with cash from Norway's Adevinta

14 October 2020
Frustrated by incessant Zoom meetings? There are memes to cope with that, too. (Image by meme artist Hari Krishnan)
Tea Leaves

Laughter in a time of crisis

Memes help us deal with the horror of the COVID-19 pandemic

14 October 2020
China has been trying to win over emerging nations by providing support on the economic and coronavirus fronts.
International relations

Malaysia promised priority access to China's COVID vaccine

Beijing dials up charm offensive during foreign minister's Southeast Asian tour

14 October 2020
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim leaves the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur after meeting with the king on Oct. 13.   © Reuters
Most read in 2020

Malaysia's Anwar fails to win king's support to oust PM

Palace says he did not give 'names and details' to verify 120-plus backers

13 October 2020
AirAsia aircraft at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The carrier has sought government backing for loans to nurse it through the coronavirus pandemic.
Business trends

AirAsia wins Malaysia state backing for $242m COVID lifeline

Budget carrier expected to reveal more job cuts and wants to reduce size of fleet

13 October 2020
Construction workers build Beijing's new National Speed Skating Oval on Sept. 23 -- one of many infrastructure projects now underway in China.
Economy

China and India infrastructure construction paves way out of crisis

Governments look to buoy COVID-hit economies, setting builders on recovery path

12 October 2020
Singapore's Merlion Park, a major tourist spot: The city-state aims to revive general travel, either by unilaterally allowing visitors from certain countries or through reciprocal "bubbles."
Coronavirus

Singapore speeds up travel restart as COVID keeps Malaysia gripped

Neighbors' contrasting circumstances underscore health-economy dilemma

12 October 2020
Japan, the largest consumer of liquefied natural gas, hopes to keep funds flowing to gas field development projects.
Energy

Japan strives to lessen LNG supply chain's environmental burden

Partnership with Australia and ASEAN nations comes amid divestment trend

10 October 2020
Anwar leaves a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 23, when he claimed to have secured a majority. The nation has been in suspense since then.
Malaysia in transition

Malaysia's Anwar says he will meet king Tuesday in bid to oust PM

Opposition leader claims he's ready to prove 'convincing majority'

8 October 2020
Malaysian broadcaster Astro is eyeing a streaming service to challenge rivals such as Netflix and Amazon. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Business trends

Malaysia's Astro targets Netflix and Amazon with streaming launch

CEO says local content and market knowledge offer edge over rivals

8 October 2020