11 h. ago Nexperia crisis: how geopolitics disrupts a global chip supply chain

The ongoing dispute between China and the Netherlands over chipmaker Nexperia has highlighted how geopolitical tensions can disrupt an otherwise smooth global supply chain, according to analysts. Based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Nexperia exemplifies a typical multinational company with front-end fabrication plants in Hamburg, Germany, and Manchester, UK, as well as back-end assembly facilities across Asia, including Dongguan, China; Laguna, the Philippines; and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The...

Politics

21 h. ago China Ends Platinum Tax Rebate: New Opportunities for Market Entrants

China Ends Platinum Tax Rebate: New Opportunities for Market Entrants  Investing News Network

Economics

28 h. ago ‘Light in our darkest days’: mum of slain Malaysian schoolgirl moved by support

Wong Lee Ping, the grieving mother of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, whose brutal murder on October 14 shocked Malaysia, has expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of community support, describing it as a beacon of light in our darkest hour. “We are truly touched and humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and presence from all of you during this painful period. Your care has been a light in our darkest days,” Wong expressed in a touching message shared on social media following her...

Politics

28 h. ago Can Scott Bessent see China’s trade counterstrike with clear eyes?

After a video call last Saturday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in Malaysia this week to hopefully ease tensions before US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping potentially meet on the sidelines of this year’s Apec summit. The meeting was in doubt when Trump threatened to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on China, despite later relenting that it might not be sustainable. Washington blamed Beijing for the escalation,...

Events

30 h. ago Malaysia’s illegal firework trade under fire as ‘coconut’ explosive injures 22

What should have been an evening of light and celebration to mark Diwali in Malaysia descended into chaos on Monday after a fireworks blast injured 22 people, reigniting concerns over lax enforcement of a ban on high-powered explosives. The explosion in Kulim, northern Kedah state, left one man with a fractured skull while others suffered burns and broken bones, police said. Unconfirmed local media reports said other injuries included severed fingers and permanent hearing loss. Kulim district...

Events

35 h. ago Is Japan making tourism more expensive to deter unruly visitors?

Japan’s proposed increase in visa fees and departure tax is an attempt to balance between dealing with overtourism and deterring misbehaving visitors at “the bottom of the pyramid”, according to industry observers. The government believes the present fees for visas and departure taxes are low in comparison with international standards, with the Asahi newspaper reporting that the additional funds would be used on improving tourism infrastructure and the education sector. If implemented, the...

Politics

49 h. ago Mongolia’s president blocks PM’s dismissal amid mineral tax row

Mongolia’s president vetoed the dismissal of the country’s prime minister on Monday, days after parliament had voted to remove him. A majority of lawmakers voted to dismiss Gombojav Zandanshatar on Friday after weeks of political infighting and a dispute over a policy that changed how mineral exporters are taxed. The prime minister is a member of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party, along with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, who blocked the sacking. Parliament did not have a quorum when it began...

Politics

54 h. ago Malaysia’s cheap petrol fuels ‘shadow economy bonus’ for smugglers

Malaysia has raised the alarm over potential misuse of subsidised petrol in its states bordering Thailand, with data showing some motorists rapidly exhausting their monthly quotas and raising suspicions that a new fuel aid scheme is being exploited to feed smuggling networks. Under the Budi95 scheme that was rolled out nationwide on September 27, eligible Malaysians pay 1.99 ringgit (42 US cents) per litre for RON95 petrol instead of the unsubsidised 2.60 ringgit. The subsided amount of fuel is...

Politics

3 d. ago Sanctioned Russian tanker appears to transfer LNG off Malaysia

A dark tanker carrying liquefied natural gas from a US-sanctioned Russian export plant has positioned itself for a rare open-water fuel transfer off the coast of Malaysia, satellite images show, in a demonstration of the increasingly circuitous routes taken by Moscow to evade Western restrictions. The Perle, which was sanctioned by the US earlier this year, is currently anchored parallel to another vessel about 90 kilometres (55 miles) east of the Malaysian peninsula, according to Sentinel-2...

Events

3 d. ago Ant Group, JD.com Halt Hong Kong Stablecoin Plans Amid Beijing’s Regulatory Pushback

Ant Group, JD.com Halt Hong Kong Stablecoin Plans Amid Beijing’s Regulatory Pushback  BusinessToday Malaysia

Politics

3 d. ago Why a US$70 day trip to Johor is now Singaporeans’ favourite leisure hack

Every month, Rachel Tan, a 53-year-old Singaporean tutor, boards a bus across the 1km (0.6 mile) causeway for a day trip to Malaysia’s Johor state, where she stocks up on groceries and treats herself to lunch and a film. Thanks to streamlined immigration procedures, she rarely needs to present her passport, using a QR code to pass the checkpoint before catching a complimentary shuttle bus that whisks her to R&F Mall. The entire day out, including shopping, typically costs her about 300 ringgit...

Politics

4 d. ago China’s Expanding Shopping Tourism: How Cities like Beijing, Hainan, and Shenzhen Are Drawing Global Shoppers with Tax Breaks and Tech Deals

China’s Expanding Shopping Tourism: How Cities like Beijing, Hainan, and Shenzhen Are Drawing Global Shoppers with Tax Breaks and Tech Deals  Travel And Tour World

Economics

4 d. ago Trump and Xi’s shock tactics see trade war remain in a stalemate

Blame games, tit-for-tat threats, off-again on-again meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and wild tariff swings seem to be the recent order of the day. According to former government officials and analysts, however, this should come as no surprise – it’s just the price you pay when diplomatic norms are brushed off. In the latest twist in the saga, Trump on Friday swung from tough to conciliatory, appearing to reverse threats made a week earlier to cancel...

Events

4 d. ago Bessent Says Will Meet China’s He in Malaysia Likely Next Week

Bessent Says Will Meet China’s He in Malaysia Likely Next Week  Bloomberg.com

Politics

4 d. ago Dutch seized Nexperia over fears Chinese owners planned to move chip production to China

The Dutch government believed chipmaker Nexperia’s Chinese owners planned to move its manufacturing operations to China, prompting the unprecedented seizure of the company that has sent shock waves through the global tech world. Earlier this month, authorities seized control of Nexperia’s management and ousted its Chinese CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, citing national security concerns. In response, China’s Ministry of Commerce on October 4 imposed export controls on Nexperia’s Chinese subsidiary and its...

Politics

5 d. ago Malaysia football suspends a top official over Fifa eligibility scandal

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said on Friday it had suspended its secretary general and will form an independent committee to investigate a “technical error” that led to Fifa, the sport’s world governing body, suspending seven naturalised players of the national team over the alleged use of doctored documents. During a heated press conference, FAM and its legal team denied it had committed forgery, but declined to address repeated questions from reporters on how the players were...

Politics

5 d. ago Malaysia’s rape and murder cases in schools spur calls to end cover

Student activists have urged Malaysia’s government to increase funding to boost safety and transparency in schools following a recent string of violence and bullying incidents that shocked the nation and forced the education ministry to admit to a culture of cover-ups. Two cases of gang rape and a murder in three schools in the past fortnight have fuelled the fears of parents for their children’s safety, and raised public concerns over the lack of official oversight and impunity in educational...

Events

5 d. ago Malaysia may deploy police officers in schools to curb student violence

Police officers might be deployed in all schools and children aged 16 and below could be banned from using smartphones, Malaysia’s government said on Friday, after a string of violent crimes and bullying involving students that shocked the nation and forced the education ministry to admit to a culture of cover-up. Two cases of gang rape and a murder in three schools in the past fortnight have fuelled the fears of parents for their children’s safety, and raised public concerns over a lack of...

Events

5 d. ago Malaysia’s economy powers on, defying Trump’s volatile trade policy

Malaysia’s growth unexpectedly accelerated in the third quarter, with the economy firing across all sectors and exports defying US President Donald Trump’s imposition of higher tariffs. Gross domestic product rose 5.2 per cent in the July-September period from a year earlier, according to advance estimates from Malaysia’s Department of Statistics on Friday. That is faster than even the highest estimate in a Bloomberg survey and exceeds the pace of expansion seen in the previous three...

Politics

5 d. ago ‘She was stabbed 200 times’: Malaysian mum reveals brutality of girl’s attack

The mother of the late Yap Shing Xuen has appealed to the public to stop spreading rumours and incorrect information about her daughter and her family. During a press conference at Yap’s wake on Thursday, Wong Lee Ping said her daughter sustained more than 200 stab wounds after being attacked in a school toilet at SMK Bandar Utama in Malaysia’s Selangor state on Tuesday. Fighting back tears, Wong, 44, said online media had under­reported the savagery of the attack when they stated Yap was...

Events