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WORLDOct 10The hidden heartbreak of losing a pet in Singapore and MalaysiaGrowing up in a Malay family in Singapore, Hafeez Hassan feared dogs. He never expected to mourn one like a sibling. “Maybe that is what I have been grieving all along … The experience of loving something that I was taught I was not supposed to love,” he said. Even as an adult, walking his former partner’s husky Pieces in public made Hafeez anxious that a relative might see him, or that he might be judged for being close to an animal whose saliva and waste are regarded as ritually impure by many...South China Morning Post
DISASTERBREAKINGOct 10Malaysia urged to police its firms in Indonesia as haze shuts schoolsSouth China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 9Malaysia Closes Schools In Kuala Lumpur, Others Over HazeChannels TV
DISASTERBREAKINGOct 9Malaysia shuts schools as haze from Indonesian fires chokes Southeast AsiaAl Jazeera [en]
POLITICSOct 917 key takeaways from Malaysia’s 2027 budget - ‘live with dignity’Malaysia plans to spend 460 billion ringgit (US$112.6 billion) under its 2027 budget, expanding welfare assistance and tax relief while retaining fuel subsidies as households contend with higher living costs. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, presented the spending plan in parliament on Friday as his government faces pressure for an early election following a series of state poll defeats. Anwar said the budget should be judged on “whether more people can live with...South China Morning Post
BUSINESSOct 9Malaysia's growth momentum set to holdKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's economy is expected to maintain a favourable growth trajectory in 2027, anchored by robust domestic demand, continued investment activity and strengthening momentum across key sectors.nst · malaysia
POLITICSOct 9Malaysia budget: Anwar to boost welfare, keep subsidies amid inflation worriesMalaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) has suffered bruising defeats in a series of state elections since December, as voters expressed disapproval of his administration’s failure to deliver on promises of reforms, which had...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 9Malaysia shuts schools amid toxic haze from Indonesian firesToxic smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has pushed air pollution to unhealthy levels, prompting authorities in Malaysia to take emergency measures.DW News [en]
DISASTEROct 93 siblings killed in Malaysia crash after insisting on going to haze-closed schoolA boy and his sister lost their lives in a road accident after they wanted to attend classes despite their school being closed due to the haze in Malaysia’s Johor state. Their elder brother, who took them on his motorcycle to check out the school for themselves, was killed as well. The three siblings – Nordaniel Aiman Norlizan, 18, Nordaniel Fikri Norlizan, 11, and Puteri Naufa Raisha Norlizan, eight – were found by their grandfather, lying motionless at the scene of the accident in...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 8Myanmar’s leader to take back migrants from MalaysiaPUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — Myanmar will accept more Burmese migrants held in Malaysia “as soon as possible,” the war-torn nation’s leader said on Thursday despite human rights concerns over the opaque repatriation scheme. Min Aung Hlaing made the pledge on a visit to his counterpart in Malaysia as he works to bring his country back into the international fold after staging a coup in February 2021. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited Min Aung Hlaing, now installed as civilian president, for a two-day visit to discuss the return of thousands of migrants to his country. Malaysia has historically offered safe haven to those exiled from Myanmar, hosting 190,000 refugees or asylum seekers from the nation — mostly Rohingya — according to the United Nations. But Anwar is making a repatriation push amid an uptick of anti-migrant sentiment in Malaysia, defying concerns from the UN that his scheme cannot guarantee their safe homecomings to Myanmar. The country has been wracked by war since Min Aung Hlaing’s putsch, and there are fears the persecuted Rohingya may return to a country where they suffer violent persecution many deem genocide. “We will take those verified nationals back as soon as possible,” Min Aung Hlaing said at a joint news conference with Anwar in the administrative capital Putrajaya. ‘Enhance collaboration’ Min Aung Hlaing has been a pariah in many capitals abroad since his coup unleashed a civil war, but Anwar invited him for talks about returning Myanmar migrants. Nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in back in Myanmar on Sunday after a five-day navy vessel voyage from Malaysia, where they were being held in detention centers before being shipped out. Anwar announced in July that Myanmar had agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya members, but the Malaysian government later said those sent back would be of “various ethnicities,” not only Rohingya. Myanmar last month pledged “safe and dignified” returns for its citizens displaced abroad, after criticism from the UN and rights groups. Min Aung Hlaing’s two-day trip also comes as he makes a push for diplomatic recognition after his installation as civilian president in April, following elections branded a charade by democracy watchdogs. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said in July they were seeking “gradual” engagement with Myanmar. The 11-nation organization has frozen Myanmar out of high-level summits since the coup, presenting a united front to pressure its leaders into engaging in its conflict resolution plan. But analysts say the consensus is now fraying. Malaysia marks the fifth Southeast Asian nation to host Min Aung Hlaing since he transitioned to ruling the country as its nominally civilian president. A five-point peace plan adopted by Asean leaders in April 2021, which, among other things, call for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, has shown very little signs of progress. This was highlighted by a Myanmar military air strike late last month on a market in the country’s west, killing some 50 people — one of the deadliest recent bombings of the civil war. “We, and [on] our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration,” Anwar said on Thursday. The aim ultimately was to “take Myanmar as part of our community of nations without prejudice, and particularly in the context of [the] Asean,” he added.manilatimes · philippines
POLITICSOct 8Malaysia PM says will work on Myanmar’s ASEAN reintegrationMyanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Malaysia for a two-day visit, his first since he became president in April.Al Jazeera [en]
POLITICSOct 8Myanmar’s Strongman President Is on a Global Quest for Legitimacy. Next Stop, Malaysia.After trading his military uniform for civilian clothes, Myanmar’s strongman president, U Min Aung Hlaing, is in Malaysia, his ninth stop on a search for international legitimacy.NYT World
WORLDOct 8To retire or not to retire? Malaysia divided over working past 60Chew Kin Wah spent seven seasons gracing Malaysian television screens as “Kee Tat” in the hit sitcom Kopitiam in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now 61, the Malaysian actor is still working, albeit more selectively, taking projects when the right offers land on his table. “There is no thought of retiring when you are doing something you enjoy,” he told This Week in Asia, adding: “Money helps. Never fight with money.” For Chew, working beyond 60 is a choice. But for many Malaysians, the question...South China Morning Post
DISASTEROct 7Singapore’s air pollution worst in world as haze shuts Malaysia schoolsSouth China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 7Can ‘neutral’ Malaysia stay above the fray in the US-China tech rivalry?Despite Malaysia’s insistence that its long-standing non-alignment policy extends to cyberspace, analysts say the country’s reliance on American and Chinese technology could make such a stance difficult to sustain amid the rivalry between the two superpowers. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Monday that Malaysia would “always remain neutral” in cyberspace, arguing that cyber threats could come from non-state actors and should not be viewed solely through the lens of geopolitical...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 7Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing visits Malaysia amid concerns over repatriationsMyanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing arrives in Malaysia on his first visit since the 2021 coup.Al Jazeera [en]
POLITICSOct 7Malaysia’s Melaka sets election date as BN, PAS near alliance against AnwarMalaysia’s Melaka will hold a state election on November 14 as the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition nears a pact with Islamist rivals, leaving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s alliance facing another difficult contest after a string of recent defeats. The filing of nominations will begin on October 31 and early voting on November 10, Election Commission chairman Ramlan Harun said on Wednesday. A total of 687,897 registered voters are eligible to elect the state’s 28 assembly members, with...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 7521kg of meth seized from Laos private jet bound for Manila, not Malaysia: policeThe 521kg (1,148lbs) of suspected methamphetamine seized by Laotian authorities from a private jet was not sourced from Malaysia, with the drugs believed to have originated in Laos and been destined for Manila, the Philippines. Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Hussein Omar Khan said police were informed by Laotian authorities on Tuesday that the cross-border smuggling attempt had been foiled at Luang Prabang International Airport last Thursday. Hussein said the...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 7Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacyMalaysia’s repatriation of Myanmar nationals ahead of a visit to Kuala Lumpur by the war-torn country’s leader appears to mirror efforts by other Asean countries seeking to mend ties with Naypyidaw. Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have stepped up engagement with Myanmar at the bilateral level recently, raising questions about whether a gradual normalisation between the bloc and the country could undermine efforts to end its civil war, according to analysts. Nearly...South China Morning Post
POLITICSOct 6Malaysia’s Anwar to host Myanmar leader as repatriations near 10,000Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to visit Kuala Lumpur 'in the next few days', Anwar Ibrahim says.Al Jazeera [en]
WORLDOct 6From cabin crew to cockpit: Malaysian woman’s AirAsia pilot dreams take offShe spent some of her teenage years helping her mother at a sundry shop in Malaysia after school, and throughout that period kept a dream of achieving something higher alive. Now, 36-year-old Suriati Sukardi is a pilot, flying AirAsia’s commercial A320 and A321 Airbus aircraft. Before that, she had landed a job as the airline’s flight attendant and served the company for eight years since 2017 while continuing to eye and seek an opportunity to climb further in her career. In 2019, her prayers...South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 6Malaysia’s queen comforts family of girl found dead at school, pledges to get justiceThe father of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya said he drew comfort from Malaysia’s Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah and her assurance that she would do what she can to help seek justice for his daughter. Mohd Khairool Faisal Khyar, 42, said he deeply appreciated the queen’s concern and words of encouragement during her visit to the family home in Kampung Selamat, Johor, on Monday. “Raja Zarith Sofiah was very considerate and we greatly appreciate what she said to our family during this difficult period for us....South China Morning Post
WORLDOct 5McLaren from World Champs to Chumps at disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix in MalaysiaMcLaren arrived at Sepang armed with upgrades and insisting the MCL40 was developing as expected. Was it?grandprix247 · germany
BUSINESSOct 5Malaysia is invested in the industries of the future. Now it needs them to power productivity.Malaysia has become a major destination for investment in semiconductors, data centers, AI, and advanced manufacturing. Its next challenge is to turn that investment into stronger domestic capabilities, higher productivity, and more value captured at home. The post Malaysia is invested in the industries of the future. Now it needs them to power productivity. appeared first on Atlantic Council.Atlantic Council