GLOBEALERT

Feed

Open sources, classified and cross-checked. 49+ stories.

POLITICSSep 29Malaysia begins Myanmar repatriations despite safety warnings by UN and rights groupsmalaysiasun.com · Malaysia
POLITICSSep 28Malaysian police consider sedition charges for ex-Negeri Sembilan officialsMalaysian police were set to begin questioning 10 former Negeri Sembilan state officials on Monday over a disputed bid to remove the state’s long-time ruler. It comes a week after Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir dismissed the 10 ex-members of the executive council, which serves as the state’s cabinet, for breaching their oaths of allegiance by backing his removal. Negeri Sembilan, south of Kuala Lumpur, has been locked in a months-long struggle over its throne that helped bring down the previous...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 28Siti Hasmah, wife of Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad, dies aged 100Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, died on Monday aged 100. Her family confirmed her death after she was admitted to the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. The cause of death was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose decades-long feud with Mahathir defined modern Malaysia’s politics, said on Monday that Siti Hasmah would be granted a state funeral. “The nation will always remember her maternal presence and cherish...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 25Malaysia’s Najib ‘has no money’ to pay fine for house arrest, lawyer saysFormer Malaysian leader Najib Razak has no money to pay the fine to secure his transfer to house arrest, his lawyers have said, as they question the delay in releasing the full details of the conditional pardon granted by Malaysia’s king last week. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday decreed that Najib would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home, on condition that he pay his 50 million ringgit (US$10.3 million) fine. The decision triggered widespread outrage among...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 25Ex-Malaysian minister charged with sedition over Negeri Sembilan royal crisisA veteran Malaysian politician pleaded not guilty on Friday to a sedition charge over remarks backing a rival claimant to the Negeri Sembilan throne amid the months-long royal crisis. Rais Yatim, 84, a former cabinet minister and president of Malaysia’s Senate, was charged at the Sessions Court in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, for his comments on June 5, during a ceremony proclaiming Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar the state’s 12th ruler. Rais is accused of uttering seditious words at the Parkroyal...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 24Najib Razak’s fundraising in Malaysia draws 1 sen donations, mockeryA fundraiser to help pay disgraced former leader Najib Razak’s 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine has become a lightning rod for insults and mockery, as Malaysians continue to pile criticism on a decision last week to allow him to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar last Friday granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, which will allow the jailed ex-prime minister to complete his term in the comfort of his home – provided he first pays off his...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 2314 years later, ex-detainee repays Malaysia’s Najib for life-changing second chanceA Malaysian tofu pudding seller has pledged to donate 10,000 ringgit (US$2,452) to help former prime minister Najib Razak cover his 50 million ringgit fine, describing the contribution as a personal payback for a lifeline extended to him 14 years ago. In a social media post, Sunny Seow, founder of the Sunnycoco brand, shared that his motivation stemmed from a pivotal moment in 2012 when he was serving a sentence in Perak state’s Manjung for past mistakes. During a visit by Najib to the area that...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 23Malaysia’s Anwar faces political reckoning in Melaka as state calls for pollMelaka on Wednesday officially called for a state election – the latest test for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, which is already facing an internal feud and growing public frustration over failed reforms. The state assembly was dissolved effective from Wednesday following an official notification sent to the country’s Election Commission the previous day by Ibrahim Durum, the Melaka state assembly’s speaker. “A state election will be held within 60 days of the dissolution...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 21Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan royal crisis escalates as chief minister defies rulerMalaysia’s royal crisis in Negeri Sembilan spilled into a new constitutional fight on Monday after the state’s chief minister refused to accept the ruler’s dismissal of the entire executive council – a dispute that has already brought down one government and triggered a snap election. The latest showdown comes less than a week after the executive council backed a disputed bid to remove the ruler, putting the palace and state government in conflict over both the throne and executive...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 21Will Anwar’s coalition in Malaysia implode amid Loke exit, Najib house arrest?Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has suffered a double whammy as his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition scrambles to placate public outrage over disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak being granted house arrest and the shock resignation of his transport minister in protest against the royal clemency. But observers do not expect the administration, already reeling from PH defeats in two recent state elections as federal allies turned against the coalition, to implode just yet. Anwar and PH’s reformist...South China Morning Post
POLITICSBREAKINGSep 21Malaysian King gives former PM Najib royal clemencyThe Malaysian King has granted royal clemency to former Prime Minister Najib. This is a significant political development involving a high-profile figure.israelherald.com · Israel
POLITICSSep 20Malaysian King gives former PM Najib royal clemencyThe Malaysian King has granted former Prime Minister Najib royal clemency. This is a significant political and legal development affecting a prominent figure in Malaysia.memphissun.com · United States
POLITICSSep 20Pending US$12.3 million house arrest fine keeps Malaysia’s Najib in prisonFormer Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak said on Sunday that he would remain in Kajang Prison as he and his legal team study the conditions attached to his “conditional pardon”, including the payment of a 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine before he can be transferred to house arrest. In a statement issued on his behalf by Messrs Shafee & Co, Najib said his transfer to house arrest depended on the conditions of the pardon being fulfilled. “Until the fine is paid to the court, our...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 20Anwar was on song in India. Will Malaysia reap the rewards?Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim caused a bit of a stir in India recently with his spirited rendition of a Bollywood classic – a lighthearted moment that also neatly captured his broader push to deepen ties with the South Asian giant. A video of Anwar singing, from memory, Kishore Kumar’s 1965 hit ballad “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” (“Are you a dream or are you reality?”) was first posted to his social media accounts last Sunday before quickly being picked up by Indian news outlets. The...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 19Malaysia’s Loke resigns as transport minister following Najib’s house arrest approvalA senior ally of Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim announced his resignation from cabinet on Saturday – a day after confidence in the prime minister’s administration took a severe hit when disgraced former leader Najib Razak was allowed to serve out his jail term under house arrest. Anthony Loke, the secretary general of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said that the party could not accept the decision to allow Najib to complete his sentence in the comfort of his own home. The former prime minister is...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 18Malaysian king grants house arrest for ex-PMKUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak, jailed for his role in the country’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, has been granted house arrest subject to paying a $12-million fine, officials said on Friday. Najib, 73, was jailed for his role in one of the largest-ever global plunders of a sovereign wealth fund, the now-defunct 1MDB. Supporters of the former head of government welcomed the decision, but an opponent and 1MDB whistleblower called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to disclose the details of the decision. Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar “granted a conditional pardon ... allowing him (Najib) to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until 23 August 2028,” lawyers from Anwar’s office said. The conditional pardon was “subject to the payment of a fine of 50 million Malaysian ringgit ($12.2 million),” officials of the legal affairs division said in a statement. Najib “must comply with all set conditions. If he fails to comply with any of these terms, the conditional pardon will be automatically revoked, and he must immediately serve the remainder of his sentence in prison,” they added. A Malaysian judge late last year rejected an original request to allow Najib to serve the rest of his time at home. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison in July 2020 in a first trial over vast sums of money siphoned from a former 1MDB subsidiary called SRC International Sdn Bhd. But a pardons board later halved the term, and his fine was reduced to 50 million ringgit. His sentence in this case is scheduled to be completed by August 2028. ‘Explain the decision’ Days after Najib’s December bid for house arrest was turned down, the ex-premier was again sentenced to another 15 years behind bars in a separate trial, also linked to the 1MDB scandal. Najib has also been fined 11.4 billion ringgit for his role in the scandal, which took place more than a decade ago. He is currently appealing the 15-year sentence, which is only set to start once the six-year sentence is completed. The son of one of Malaysia’s founding fathers, Najib was groomed for leadership from a young age but fell from power spectacularly as public anger mounted over the scandal. Investigations under successive governments have ensnared him and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, in graft allegations since his loss in 2018 elections. Najib’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party, which ruled the Southeast Asian nation for six decades until losing its grip on power that year, on Friday welcomed the Malaysian king’s pardon. “This development is deeply meaningful for him and his family, as well as for the entire UMNO family, who have steadfastly maintained hope and offered prayers throughout this time,” the party said in a statement. But former Malaysian economy minister Rafizi Ramli, a 1MDB whistleblower and vocal corruption critic, said news of Najib’s house arrest would be “received differently by different segments of Malaysian society.” “Some will be angry. Some will be disappointed. Others will be pleased,” he said in a statement. The onus, Rafizi said, was now on Anwar “to explain the decision to release Dato’ Seri Najib into house arrest, if only to address the concerns of those who are disappointed by it.” Abused his positions Prosecutors said Najib abused his positions as prime minister, finance minister and 1MDB advisory board chairman to move vast sums from the fund into his personal accounts. According to investigators, proceeds from the fund were used to bankroll high-end real estate, a luxury yacht and precious artworks, including a Monet and a Van Gogh. Fugitive financier Jho Low, who is seen as the mastermind behind one of the biggest financial heists in modern history from a fund meant to spur Malaysian development, is still on the run. Set up under Najib in 2009, 1MDB was supposed to serve as an investment vehicle to fund major infrastructure and urban development in the country. But Low, through his proximity to Najib and other top officials, soon became a pivotal figure in schemes that diverted some $4.5 billion from 1MDB via shell companies and complex financial transactions, United States and Malaysian prosecutors said.manilatimes · philippines
POLITICSSep 18Malaysia: Jailed ex-leader Najib allowed house arrestConvicted in the 1MDB scandal for embezzling millions, former Prime Minister Najib Razak had repeatedly sought clemency. Malaysia's king has now granted him a "conditional pardon."DW News [en]
POLITICSSep 18General : Seizure Of Cargo Bound For Israel Reflects Malaysiaâ€TMs Firm Stance - ZulkifliPUTRAJAYA, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- The seizure of a container suspected of carrying military cargo linked to the Israeli regime at Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Johor, demonstrates Malaysia’s firm stance against any form of collusion or logistical support for Zionist oppression, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan.bernama · malaysia
POLITICSSep 18Why Malaysia Won’t Extradite Dr. Zakir Naik to IndiaDespite being wanted on various criminal charges in India, the Islamic preacher has become hugely popular since arriving in Malaysia in 2016.The Diplomat
POLITICSSep 18Malaysia’s Najib Razak granted house arrest by Pardons BoardMalaysia’s Pardons Board on Friday agreed to allow disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak to serve out the remainder of his jail term under house arrest. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar granted Najib a “conditional pardon”, where the former leader is required to settle his 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine before he can be transferred to his home to complete his sentence. “He must abide by these conditions, and should he fail to fulfil any of these conditions, his conditional pardon...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 17Malaysian PM Offers to Host Myanmar’s President in Refugee Repatriation PushThe country would be the fifth member of ASEAN to roll out of the red carpet for Min Aung Hlaing since his inauguration as president in April.The Diplomat
POLITICSSep 16Malaysia offers to invite Myanmar leader in Rohingya repatriation pushMalaysia has invited Myanmar’s military ruler for a visit to the country in a bid to expedite Rohingya repatriation.Al Jazeera [en]
POLITICSSep 16Malaysia to invite Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing for Rohingya repatriation talksMalaysia will formally invite Myanmar leader Minh Aung Hlaing to visit Kuala Lumpur to discuss efforts to repatriate nearly 200,000 refugees from the war-torn nation that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says have placed a heavy social and economic burden on his country. Refugees from Myanmar, particularly ethnic Rohingya, have faced worsening hostility in recent months in Malaysia, where they are accused of causing social problems and taking over small local businesses in areas where they have set...South China Morning Post
POLITICSSep 16World : Malaysia-South Africa Ties Gain Momentum; Further Opportunities In Trade & InvestmentKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Bilateral relations between Malaysia and South Africa continued to gain momentum following high-level engagements in 2025, with bilateral trade amounting to about US$1.33 billion last year, Malaysia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Datuk Yubazlan Yusof said.bernama · malaysia