Asia Pacific Jan 14, 2022
Last week, Cambodia's strongman ruler Hun Sen made the first trip by a foreign leader to Myanmar, but critics say his actions risked legitimizing the junta.
Business Jan 11, 2022
Investing titans can no longer ignore Malaysia’s labor abuses
by Anuradha Raghu and Yantoultra Ngui
Concerns over labor abuse in Malaysia, long present in the Southeast Asian country, have escalated in the past three months.
Commentary / World | The Year Ahead: Reckonings Jan 4, 2022
To democracy and back in Southeast Asia
by Anwar Ibrahim
Clear time limits must be applied to the emergency powers that governments in the region have activated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business Dec 29, 2021
Palm oil bulls to roar into 2022 on labor crunch and La Nina deluge
by Anuradha Raghu and Eko Listiyorini
Disruptions of palm oil production could keep prices elevated after a record year in 2021 when benchmark futures rocketed to an all-time closing high of 5,071 ringgit ($1,213) a ton.
Business Dec 16, 2021
Intel plans $7 billion Asia expansion as chip crunch persists
by Yantoultra Ngui
The project marks a big bet on Malaysia, which is emerging as a global center for testing and assembling semiconductors.
Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 8, 2021
Malaysian court upholds guilty verdict against former PM Najib Razak in 1MDB case
by Hadi Azmi and Anisah Shukry
A judge in the case blasted Najib as a "national embarrassment," affirming that he was guilty of all seven charges and upholding his 12-year prison sentence.
Asia Pacific Dec 7, 2021
The world's relentless demand for chips turns deadly in Malaysia
by Yoolim Lee and Yantoultra Ngui
The tragedy shows the little-understood human cost of keeping industries happy and supply chains running while a contagious virus rages.
Asia Pacific Dec 6, 2021
Dyson splits with Malaysia supplier, stoking concern over migrant worker treatment
by A. Ananthalakshmi and Liz Lee
Revealing what working conditions were truly like was meant to lead to some improvements, but now with Dyson's decision, employees fear losing their livelihoods.
Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 6, 2021
1MDB prison threat hangs over Najib Razak’s Malaysian resurgence
by Anisah Shukry and Yantoultra Ngui
Sentenced to 12 years in a case involving around $10 million deposited in his personal accounts, elections are his way to stay out of jail.
Commentary / World Dec 5, 2021
Southeast Asia’s migrant labor dilemma
by M. Niaz Asadullah
High-income countries are trying to lure foreign workers from emerging Asian economies as part of their national recovery plans, creating new challenges for global labor migration.
National Nov 17, 2021
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Malaysia as special envoy
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Southeast Asian country adopting its Look East policy aimed at emulating Japan's work ethic.
Commentary / World Nov 5, 2021
Lessons ASEAN could learn from Malaysia’s pandemic success
by Joshua Kurlantzick
Malaysia has fully vaccinated more than 77% its population, with some 90% of adults — those deemed eligible for the vaccine — receiving a second dose.