10 h. ago Indonesian plane with 11 people missing, search and rescue under way

A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with ground control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials said. A search and rescue operation is under way. The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was...

Events

18 h. ago Thai ruling party courts voters by vowing to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs

Thailand’s ruling party, which is seeking to retain power in next month’s election, has vowed to resolve the country’s conflict with Cambodia and clean up its image as a transit hub for trafficked scam victims. The conservative Bhumjaithai Party, which took power in September, has cast itself as the most suitable defender of Thai sovereignty during the border dispute between the two Southeast Asian countries. Clashes erupted for five days last July and reignited in December before a...

Events

19 h. ago What Trump’s visa pause means for Southeast Asia and US regional priorities

The inclusion of four Southeast Asian nations in the United States’ 75-country visa suspension has thrown up questions over Washington’s foreign policy approach, including its interest in the region. Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand are among countries affected by the indefinite suspension, set to take effect on January 21, as the Donald Trump administration continues to roll out punitive measures to drastically restrict immigration. The list, released by the US Department of State on...

Politics

23 h. ago Malaysian reporter arrested for sedition after controversial question at Gaza lecture

Former Free Malaysia Today (FMT) journalist Rex Tan was arrested at about 12.45am on Saturday after being summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. The arrest was confirmed by his lawyer, Rajsurian Pillai, who said Tan was detained under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code. It followed a sensitive question alleged to contain racial elements that was raised during a public lecture in Kuala Lumpur. At...

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24 h. ago Vietnam’s To Lam eyes supreme power, seeks presidency at party congress

Vietnam’s leaders convene next week for a once-every-five-years congress, where General Secretary To Lam is looking to cement control over the Communist Party ruling one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. The nation of 100 million people is both a repressive one-party state and a regional economic bright spot, with the party seeking to deliver rapid expansion to underpin its claim to legitimacy. But its leaders face challenges from tensions between its main trading partners, the United States...

Politics

48 h. ago Horrified Malaysian mother disowns daughter after mutilation threats by ‘vile’ loan sharks

The constant threat of genital mutilation of her daughter and son-in-law by loan sharks was so harrowing that a woman in Malaysia has resorted to disowning her own flesh and blood. “The loan sharks are vile. They threatened to sever the private parts of my daughter and her husband,” said the 60-year-old housewife who only wanted to be known as Heng. “A loan shark also sent me gory photos of people with severed genitals, claiming he had carried out the acts himself. It was so upsetting that I...

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61 h. ago FMT apologises for racial question linking Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ and Palestine

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) has issued an apology after one of its reporters posed a question during a public lecture that was believed to have carried racial overtones. In a statement on Wednesday, FMT said that the incident occurred during a public lecture featuring United Kingdom politician George Galloway titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” held on January 12. “FMT wishes to put on record that it had no prior knowledge of the journalist’s intention to raise the...

Politics

63 h. ago Asean urged to rethink stance as Myanmar election risks normalising junta rule

With Myanmar in the throes of an election widely expected to return its military junta to power, calls have renewed for Asean to rethink its approach of not engaging the regime. The region, observers warn, should also brace itself for the “very real possibility” that half of Southeast Asia might eventually recognise the results of Myanmar’s election and by extension the ruling junta. On Sunday, Myanmar began its second round of voting in the country’s first general election since the military...

Politics

68 h. ago Japan, Philippines tighten ties with new defence pact amid China tensions

Japan and the Philippines signed a defence pact on Thursday that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with Beijing, which was angered by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that potential mainland Chinese action against...

Events

2 d. ago BTS fans in Malaysia ecstatic over comeback concerts but fear scalpers

The announcement that BTS will return to Malaysia after more than a decade has sent K-pop fans into a frenzy, with many calling it a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The South Korean supergroup will stage two concerts in Kuala Lumpur on December 12 and 13, marking its first appearance in the country since 2015, when it performed its Red Bullet Tour at Mega Star Arena. This will also be BTS’ first-ever concert in Kuala Lumpur as its previous Malaysia performance was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. For...

Politics

3 d. ago US, Trump losing trade power to China as Africa, Southeast Asia boost Chinese exports by over $1 trillion

US, Trump losing trade power to China as Africa, Southeast Asia boost Chinese exports by over $1 trillion  Business Insider Africa

Politics

3 d. ago Cambodia says Chen Zhi’s extradition to China ‘not the end’ of scam centre crackdown

Cambodia’s arrest of alleged scam centre kingpin Chen Zhi and his extradition to China is “not the end” of the Southeast Asian nation’s battle to stamp out transborder crimes, its foreign minister said. Last week’s surprise arrest of Chinese-born Chen is a key step in an until now fragmented international campaign targeting sophisticated scam networks in Southeast Asia run by criminal gangs, swindling victims worldwide out of billions of dollars. The extradition of Chen, sanctioned by several...

Politics

3 d. ago Man fined US$2,200 in Malaysia for masking Singapore number plate to buy subsidised fuel

The man who was caught on video pumping subsidised RON95 fuel into his Singapore-registered car in Johor was on Wednesday fined 9,000 ringgit (US$2,217) for obstructing the registration number of his vehicle. Malaysian Long Sa Kow, who is a Singapore permanent resident, was charged under Section 108 (3) (E) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for allegedly exhibiting an altered or tampered vehicle registration number. The offence carries a fine of between 5,000 ringgit and 20,000 ringgit, a prison...

Economics

3 d. ago RedNote’s Success and Beijing’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia

RedNote’s Success and Beijing’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia  fulcrum.sg

Politics

3 d. ago Can Singapore’s farming future grow in Malaysia’s US$123 million agriculture hub?

Vincent Wei led fellow Singaporean farmers around an empty Malaysian plot, laying out plans for a greenhouse and rows of leafy vegetables. What he pitched was not just space for crops but a lifeline for growers struggling to make ends meet in a city state with high prices and little vacant land. The to-be agriculture hub is part of a joint special economic zone launched last year by the two neighbours, expected to cost US$123 million and produce 10,000 tonnes of fresh produce annually. It is...

Economics

4 d. ago As Vietnam’s US trade surplus overtakes China, Trump replaces envoy to fix ‘imbalance’

The Trump administration plans to replace the US ambassador to Vietnam with a nominee set on addressing “imbalanced” trade relations, as Hanoi’s goods trade surplus with Washington surpassed China’s in recent quarters while it was locked in unresolved tariff negotiations with Washington. On Sunday, current ambassador Marc Knapper will end his tenure after being abruptly recalled before Christmas alongside several other career diplomats. His designated successor, career diplomat Jennifer Wicks...

Politics

4 d. ago Malaysia’s judiciary faces ‘immense pressure’ as court cases surge 60%, chief justice warns

Malaysia’s top judge has warned that the country does not have enough judges to deal with a growing workload, stressing that this has placed an “immense and growing pressure on the justice system”. In his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2026 on Monday, Chief Justice of Malaysia Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that the number of court cases in Malaysia had surged in the past few years by about 60 per cent. He cited how criminal case registrations had risen from 1,522,005 cases in 2021 to...

Events

4 d. ago Malaysian petrol station operators fume as foreign fuel abusers go unpunished

Two cases within a week involving foreign-registered cars receiving subsidised RON95 fuel have led to calls for Malaysia’s government to go after the vehicle owners as well rather than just the petrol station operators. The common view was that it was unfair for the operators to be the only party penalised while the vehicle owners were let off the hook. “Since there are no penalties, these culprits will try their luck,” said a cashier at a petrol station, who only wanted to be known as Lee. He...

Events

4 d. ago Indonesia’s Prabowo quells US$32 billion capital doubts with first Nusantara stay

Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto reiterated his commitment to a US$32 billion project to build the country’s new capital city as he made his first overnight stay there as president, the government said. Questions about the fate of the Nusantara capital city project have lingered since Prabowo took office in October 2024. The project is a legacy of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who first announced his plan to move the capital 1,200km (745 miles) away from overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java...

Economics

4 d. ago Singapore jails helper who slapped, hit and kicked elderly dementia patient

A domestic helper in Singapore abused a 90-year-old woman she was supposed to care for, including slapping her face and hitting her with a diaper. Some of the mistreatment occurred while the victim, who has moderate vascular dementia, was partially unclothed, as her helper, Nwe Nwe San, attempted to help her put on a diaper. Nwe Nwe San, a 49-year-old Myanmar national, was jailed for 52 weeks on Monday. She pleaded guilty through an interpreter to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt to a...

Events