Politics: News & Insights

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives at the Federal Court in Putrajaya on Aug. 15.

Politics

Najib Razak's final appeal of 1MDB case begins in Malaysian court

Former PM accused of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and power abuse

15 August 2022

Mahathir Mohamad's political clout has waned since he stepped down as Malaysian prime minister in 2020.

Malaysia in transition

Mahathir launches Malay political alliance with election in sights

Counter to ruling UMNO targets 120 candidates, but skeptics question ex-PM's influence

5 August 2022

Southeast Asia's top diplomats shake hands during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Phnom Penh on Aug. 3.

International relations

ASEAN struggles to find way forward on Myanmar crisis

Malaysia proposes banning Myanmar's military appointees from bloc meetings

4 August 2022

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob: Lawmakers have given an anti-party hopping law bipartisan backing after years of political turmoil.

Politics

Malaysia passes party-hopping ban with election on horizon

Law aims to discourage defections by legislators, but expert sees loophole

29 July 2022

Boats anchored at a river mouth at Tanjung Labian, one of the nearest points in Sabah, Malaysia to the Philippines: Locals have traveled across the Sulu Sea for years.

Opinion

Sulu claim shows Southeast Asia cannot yet escape colonial legacy

Governments should recognize citizens' cross-border communities

22 July 2022

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, pictured in May, said his government "will not compromise even an inch in protecting the country's security and sovereignty."

Politics

Malaysia PM vows to defend assets after $2bn seizure by Sulu heirs

Ismail Sabri faces challenge over $15bn award on claims linked to last sultan

19 July 2022

Women clad in traditional Japanese Yukata dance during the Japanese Bon Odori festival in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia on July 16.

International relations

Malaysians enjoy Japan Bon dance, defying Islamists' call to skip

Minister had advised Muslims to avoid the festival due to its 'religious elements'

17 July 2022

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

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

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

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 seller prepares freshly butchered chickens at the Kampung Baru wet market in Kuala Lumpur on May 31, the day before Malaysia stopped exports to protect its domestic supplies.

Economy

'Food nationalism' worries rise after India, Malaysia export bans

Policies stoke fears of further inflation, weaponization of supplies

3 June 2022

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob speaks with Nikkei about the election outlook. (Photo by Kosuke Imamura)

Interview