October 2024
Malaysia PM says he welcomes Najib’s 1MDB apology
Anwar Ibrahim said while his stance on 1MDB was well known, it was not fair to single out one person for the goings-on in the sovereign wealth fund.
- Anisah Shukry
June 2024
Premier Li Qiang’s visit has Malaysia wanting more from China pivot
The absence of President Xi Jinping, who sent his number two in his place, has dejected some in the government, according to Malaysian officials and observers.
- Kathrin Hille and Mercedes Ruehl
May 2024
Google to invest $3b in Malaysian data centre and cloud hub
The news follows Microsoft’s announcement that it would put $US2.2 billion into Malaysia’s new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
- Ram Anand
March 2024
Western silence on Gaza proves global order ‘self-serving’: Anwar
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim contrasted demands for China to abide by maritime law or Russia to withdraw from Ukraine with the West staying ‘utterly silent’ on Israel’s actions in Gaza.
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- The AFR View
ASEAN summit a worthwhile investment of Australia’s soft power
But the optics of forging stronger links with the nations of South-East Asia were undercut by the unprecedented and unedifying intervention by Paul Keating.
- The AFR View
Australia, Malaysia seek to defuse tensions on Israel-Hamas
The two countries agree there should be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.
- Phillip Coorey
November 2023
Malaysia backs Hamas, defying US sanctions threat
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim compared Hamas with Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress’s push to end apartheid in South Africa.
- Anisah Shukry and Kok Leong Chan
September 2023
- Opinion
- World politics
Pheu Thai puts populist face on Thailand’s discredited establishment
The governing Thai party is risking a lot with its alliance with the remnants of the junta government. It could all just end in yet more political instability.
- Liam Gammon
March 2023
- Opinion
- World elections
Dangerous divides bedevil South-East Asian democracies
Elite co-operation and consensus-building between elections paper over deep and abiding social divisions. But those divisions are still alive in Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Liam Gammon
February 2023
Lynas blasts Malaysia call that threatens rare earths supply
The $1 billion Lynas plant is the world’s largest single rare earths processing facility and the only scale producer of separated rare earths outside China.
- Brad Thompson and Emma Connors
January 2023
- Exclusive
- Rare earths
Decision on Lynas’ Malaysia operations ‘imminent’
Activists say the Malaysian government’s renewal of the miner’s licence to import rare earths to Malaysia for processing beyond March 2 is not a done deal.
- Emma Connors
South-East Asia most open to China’s travel revival
While Australia, Britain, India, Japan and the US require a negative COVID-19 test from inbound Chinese, South-East Asian countries have eschewed such requirements.
- Xinghui Kok
December 2022
- Opinion
- World politics
Malaysia gets a second shot at real democracy under Anwar
Malaysia now gets a second go at economic and institutional reforms, while building a democracy that can survive in a society riven by deep divisions on race, religion, geography and class.
- Liam Gammon
November 2022
- Analysis
- World elections
New PM Anwar takes on Malaysia’s racial demons
After decades in the wilderness, Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed prime minister, leading a centralist government. But pro-Malay forces are already circling, ready to attack.
- Emma Connors
Veteran Anwar sworn in as Malaysia’s PM
Malaysia’s king named Anwar Ibrahim as the country’s prime minister, ending days of uncertainty after divisive general elections produced a hung parliament.
- Updated
- Anisah Shukry and Anuradha Raghu
Malaysia’s hung election crisis drags out as party dithers
Malaysia’s longest-ruling coalition said on Monday it has not decided which bloc to support after weekend elections left neither with enough seats to form a government on its own.
- Eileen Ng
Malaysia faces new crisis as poll delivers hung parliament
Without a clear election winner, political instability continues to overhang a country that is facing slowing economic growth and rising inflation.
- Updated
- Emma Connors
‘He deserves his five years’ Malaysian voters back Anwar
Voters in the capital Kuala Lumpur hope a new government will deliver stability and begin chipping away at the preferential treatment for ethnic Malays.
- Emma Connors
Anwar’s last roll of the dice in Malaysia’s tight election
The veteran politician’s coalition is favourite to win the national election, but post-vote horse-trading could still rob him of the top job.
- Emma Connors
At 97, Mahathir ready to serve as PM again
In a wide-ranging interview, the last of Asia’s strongmen says China may be goaded into invading Taiwan, and Malaysia needs a government without “bad baggage”.
- Emma Connors