Malaysia

US authorities are seeking to sell a $39-million luxury mansion in Los Angeles allegedly bought by a Malaysian financier with money looted from scandal-hit state fund 1MDB, court documents showed. Billions of dollars were purportedly pilfered from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund by former prime minister Najib Razak and his cronies and spent on everything from high-end real estate to …

A Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader’s half-brother will be freed Friday, ending legal proceedings stemming from the shocking hit despite criticism that the real culprits never faced justice. After a lengthy trial, Doan Thi Huong pleaded guilty last month to a lesser charge of “causing injury” over the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong Nam, making her …

A Vietnamese woman who spent more than two years in jail on suspicion of assassinating the North Korean leader’s half-brother was freed from prison Friday, weeks after her Indonesian co-accused was released. Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Indonesian Siti Aisyah had denied murdering Kim Jong Nam, the estranged relative of Kim Jong Un, claiming they were tricked into carrying …

Following the country’s ascension in the latest World Press Freedom Index rankings, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took to Instagram on Fri (3 May) to congratulate Malaysian media for the improved ranking. Malaysia rose by 22 places at the 123rd spot this year, with a decrease of 10.67 points from 36.74 points last year. A lower score indicates greater press …

Diamond jewellery worth $1.7 million, allegedly bought by a Malaysian financier for his mother with money stolen from scandal-hit fund 1MDB, will be handed over to the US government, a report said Thursday. Billions of dollars were allegedly pilfered from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund by toppled leader Najib Razak and his cronies, who spent it on everything from high-end …

Malaysian authorities incinerated almost four tonnes of elephant tusks and ivory products worth about $3.2 million on Tuesday, as they crack down on rampant wildlife-smuggling across the country’s borders. The small Southeast Asian nation has become a transit point in the illicit trade in ivory, which typically arrives from Africa and is sent on to major Asian markets such as …

Johor prince Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim made waves across the Internet yesterday (29 Apr) as he posted Instagram Stories hinting at his intention to contest in the next Malaysian General Election (GE). A report by Sin Chew Daily stated that the second son of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who is the ruler of the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, …

The civil aviation authorities from both Singapore and Malaysia will be meeting some time this week to discuss the implementation of the new Global Positioning System (GPS)-based system procedures, which is bound to replace Singapore’s contentious Instrument Landing System (ILS), said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke at Seletar …

Malaysia has decided to keep their plans of a high-speed rail (HSR) service on hold, as reported by The Star Online on Wednesday (17 April). Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the reason for this is so that the government can focus on improving the existing railway system in the country instead. He also explained that there was no …

At the 9th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Putrajaya last week (9 April), Malaysia and Singapore came to an agreement to consider arbitration as a resolution to the water agreement issue. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad said they noted their differing opinions on the right to review the price of water …