Tag: Malaysia

Malaysia to Hold Early Election After Prime Minister Announces Parliament Dissolution

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has dissolved the country’s parliament, paving the way for an early election amid calls from his ruling coalition to hold the vote ahead of the deadline due to infighting. Ismail announced Monday that he had obtained King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah’s approval to dissolve the current parliament ahead…


Malaysia to Hold Early Election After Prime Minister Dissolves Parliament

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has dissolved the country’s Parliament, paving the way for an early election amid calls from his ruling coalition to hold the vote ahead of the deadline due to infighting. Ismail announced on Oct. 10 that he had obtained King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah’s approval to dissolve the current…


21 More Malaysian Scam Victims Return From Cambodia, Laos

SEPANG, Malaysia—An additional 21 Malaysians rescued from human traffickers in Cambodia and Laos returned home on Thursday, as the government intensified efforts to locate scam victims reported missing abroad. Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who met some of the returning victims at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, said the government has now managed to rescue 273 people out…


Japan Signs up With Malaysia’s Petronas to Secure LNG Supplies

The Japanese government has signed an energy agreement with Malaysia’s state oil and gas firm Petronas that includes supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks in the event of an emergency. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with Petronas at the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference in Tokyo on Thursday. The…


Turkey Says Malaysia, Indonesia Interested in Buying Armed Drones

ANKARA—Turkey said on Monday that Malaysia and Indonesia had expressed keen interest in buying armed drones from Turkish defense firm Baykar, which has supplied the weapons to several countries after battlefield successes. “Many Asian countries, especially Malaysia and Indonesia, show great interest in our defence industry products. Agreements are being signed,” Turkish foreign minister Mevlut…


Malaysia Rolls Out ‘Digital Nomad’ and Premium Visas to Attract Foreigners

Malaysia has rolled out a new visa scheme that allows foreigners to travel and work remotely in the country, as the Southeast Asian nation strives to become the preferred digital-nomad hub in the region. The “DE Rantau” nomad visa, which will be launched on Oct. 1, aims to promote “digital professional mobility” within the country…


Taiwan Says Beauty Queen Excluded From Malaysian Event Stage Due to China’s Interference

Taiwan’s government on Wednesday accused China of exerting pressure on Malaysian technology event organizers to block a Taiwanese beauty queen from waving the self-ruled island’s national flag onstage. The incident happened during the World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) opening ceremony, which featured contestants from the Miss Asia Global Pageant greeting attendees in their…


Malaysia Expected to Hike Interest Rate by 25 Basis Points

Malaysia’s central bank is expected to raise the interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, a Reuters poll showed, which will be the country’s third consecutive increase amid rising global inflation. The survey’s findings, which involved 20 analysts, suggest a 25 basis point hike to 2.50 percent by the Malaysian Central Bank (BNM) on…


Malaysia’s Former First Lady Rosmah Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail for Graft

KUALA LUMPUR—A Malaysian court on Thursday sentenced Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, to a decade in prison for seeking and receiving bribes in exchange for government contracts, just days after her husband was jailed for corruption. The couple have been the focus of multiple graft investigations since Najib’s surprise election…


Former Malaysian PM Begins 12-year Jail Term After Losing Final Appeal in 1MDB Case

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has begun a 12-year prison sentence after losing his final appeal on charges related to a graft scandal involving state fund 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib, 69, faced seven charges in July 2020 over criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering. He was convicted, sentenced…