Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is once again seeking to dilute the prison term he is serving for his role in the 1MDB scandal, filing a legal application to allow him to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest. In what The Associated Press described as a “surprise application” filed on Wednesday, Najib’s … Read more
On February 14, Indonesia held its long-anticipated presidential election. While the General Elections Commission has until March 20 to announce the final results, based on a preliminary quick count of the votes, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, is on track to win the presidency with a significant majority of the total votes … Read more
On January 30, Malaysian politics witnessed a significant event with the ascension of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar to the throne under the nation’s unique rotational monarchy. This transition has stirred both curiosity and concern, particularly regarding the intersection of wealth and power, as the 65-year-old sultan from Johor State is one of Malaysia’s richest men, … Read more
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s prison sentence for corruption has been reduced from 12 to six years by the Pardons Board following a meeting earlier this week, according to a media report published yesterday. Citing sources “including senior government officials,” the Singapore-based Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that the Board, which met on January … Read more
The billionaire sultan who rules Malaysia’s Johor state was sworn in as the nation’s new king Wednesday under a unique rotating monarchy system. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, took his oath of office at the palace and signed the instrument of the proclamation of office in a ceremony witnessed by other royal families, Prime Minister Anwar … Read more
A Malaysian court yesterday charged a prominent former minister and powerbroker with illegally concealing millions of dollars’ worth of assets, the latest development in a corruption investigation that is homing in on close associates of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Daim Zainuddin, 85, a key ally of Mahathir during his lengthy spell in power between … Read more
Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad has attacked a graft probe into his associates as politically motivated, a week after his eldest son was ordered to hand over information to investigators. Mahathir, a two-time prime minister who’s been a fixture in Malaysian politics for decades, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government is using corruption charges to … Read more
Almost two billion people, around half of the world’s population, will vote in elections this year. It could either be the 12 months that see the triumph of liberal democracy or the demise of political liberty. But things will be a little drab in Southeast Asia. Yes, some 200 million Indonesians will head to the … Read more
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday announced a major cabinet reshuffle, amid growing public discontent around the state of the Malaysian economy. Speaking during a televised press conference, Anwar, who also serves as finance minister, said that he would increase the size of the cabinet to 60 ministers and deputies, up from 55 previously, in … Read more
A Malaysian lawmaker from the youth-oriented Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) has been found guilty of corruption and sentenced to seven years in prison, two months after pulling out of the ruling coalition over concerns about graft. In a hearing yesterday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman guilty on four … Read more