Is Jho Low in Shanghai? Malaysia’s Anwar vows to investigate claims about 1MDB fugitive

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that Malaysia had not received any information regarding allegations that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, commonly referred to as Jho Low, was living in China. Anwar mentioned that he was planning to investigate the situation involving the central figure of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal in […]

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Anwar’s big surprise? Malaysians sceptical over ‘tribute’ teaser post

By Joseph Sipalan A cryptic promise from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become the latest lightning rod for Malaysia’s restless public, whose patience is wearing thin after months of new taxes, political scandals and economic anxiety. Late on Monday, Anwar posted a stylised silhouette and the words Akan Datang (Coming Soon) across his social media […]

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Malaysia’s judicial crisis escalates with leaked memo claims against top judge candidate

By Hadi Azmi Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepened over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed serious allegations against Federal Court Judge Terrirudin Salleh, as lawyers marched to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office on Monday to protest against alleged executive interference in the judiciary. Anwar has come under mounting pressure over the scandal, with lawmakers from […]

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Malaysia’s ruling PKR in bind over judicial crisis, after Anwar’s daughter joins protest

By Hadi Azmi and Joseph Sipalan A fresh quandary may be brewing in Malaysia’s ruling People’s Justice Party (PKR), after Deputy President Nurul Izzah Anwar joined a march calling for judicial independence while her party weighs disciplinary action on her peers for demanding an investigation into alleged meddling in the country’s judiciary. Nurul Izzah, the […]

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Malaysia investigates naked dancing, ‘holy baths’ claims at Muslim motivational event

Malaysian police are investigating a complaint about deviant activities such as naked dancing and “holy cleansing baths” being performed during a family motivational event. Police said the report was filed at the end of February over an incident that was held at a convention centre in Shah Alam, a predominantly Malay-Muslim enclave about 30km (19 […]

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Anwar’s petrol subsidy cuts test patience of Malaysians ‘addicted’ to cheap fuel

By Joseph Sipalan Expertly switching between woks as he whips up appam, the coconut and rice batter pancakes that draw morning commuters to his roadside stall in a Kuala Lumpur suburb, Raj Kumar harbours anxieties that simmer away beneath the calm: petrol subsidy cuts are looming and prices may soon rise again. At 44, Raj […]

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Anwar Ibrahim mints a dynasty – but Malaysia’s youth aren’t buying it

By Hadi Azmi Anwar Ibrahim’s decades-long struggle for reform once inspired a generation to take to the streets, railing against corruption and cronyism. But two years into his tenure as prime minister, the political realities of governance have begun to erode his once-revered “Reformasi” brand. Critics accuse him of compromising principles for political survival, settling […]

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Brunei sultan in KL hospital for ‘fatigue’: Malaysia govt sources

KUALA LUMPUR: Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday due to fatigue, Malaysian government sources confirmed to AFP. The sultan is in Kuala Lumpur with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders, who are meeting on Tuesday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and dignitaries from […]

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