Malaysia
- World News
Malaysian man’s short paternity leave ends in wife’s tragic death, leading to labour rights scrutiny
A Malaysian man faced heartbreak when his employer granted only two days of paternity leave for the birth of his child, resulting in his return home to discover his wife dead, and his newborn desperately crying. Public outcry surrounds the employer’s decision, resulting in calls for labour rights scrutiny. This incident happened in Malaysia. According to reports, the man works…
- World News
11 year old girl hospitalised after eating cannabis-laced cookies
An 11-year-old Malaysian girl was hospitalised after consuming homemade cookies containing cannabis. Perak‘s Police Chief, Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, reported that she was treated at Hospital Taiping in the state last week. The girl is the daughter of a 38 year old man who has been arrested and subsequently tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The father now faces charges…
- World News
Key witness in Jho Low investigation dies at 56, secrets buried
Kee Kok Thiam, a man questioned by Malaysian authorities regarding the location of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, has died at the age of 56. Lawyers for Kee Kok Thiam and his family announced in a statement that he passed away on Monday due to a sudden massive stroke in a hospital. They urged people not…
- World News
Elderly Malaysian couple robbed thrice in 20 days, live in fear
An elderly Malaysian couple was burgled three times in the span of nearly three weeks, with perpetrators getting away with valuables worth around 26,000 Malaysian ringgit (£4,800). The retired pair, 71 year old Chan Liew Chan and her 80 year old husband, Thow Kum Hin, are pleading for police intervention to prevent repeat incidents. Chan Liew Chan spoke about the…
- Thailand News
Thailand and Malaysia collaborate on new transborder road to boost ties
A new road connecting Thailand’s Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla to Malaysia’s Bukit Kayu Hitam town in Kedah state is set to be built, following an agreement between the two countries aimed at strengthening their ties. Chonthun Sangpoom, the deputy secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), said yesterday that the SBPAC and state agencies participated in the…
- World News
Black panther killed in Malaysian road accident, sparks safety concerns
A black panther was fatally struck by a car in the Malaysian town of Simpang Pertang on a Saturday afternoon, shocking animal lovers worldwide. The incident took place in the western region of Negeri Sembilan. Jelebu District Police disclosed that a 38 year old man driving with his family was involved in the accident. He reported that the adult male…
- World News
Malaysia braced for heatwave until September, no emergency declared yet
Despite the sweltering weather in Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government has no immediate plans to declare the heatwave an emergency. However, he added that the government is prepared to do so if necessary. This decision was made after a National Disaster Management Committee meeting, which Ahmad Zahid chaired. “For now, we don’t think there…
- World News
Malaysia’s human resource ministry corruption probe presents opportunity for migrant worker system reform
The ongoing investigation into Malaysia’s Human Resource Ministry over allegations of corruption in foreign workers’ recruitment has cast a shadow on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, which came to power after the November 2022 general election on an anti-graft platform. Officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have arrested three senior government officials connected to the Human Resource Minister Sivakumar’s…
- Business News
Malaysia’s economy exceeds expectations with 5.6% growth in first quarter
Malaysia‘s economy has experienced faster than anticipated growth in the first quarter, bolstered by solid domestic demand, causing the central bank to downplay the potential impact of a global slowdown on the country, which is reliant on exports. Gross domestic product increased by 5.6%, according to data from the central bank and the government, exceeding analysts’ forecasts of a 4.8%…
- World News
Brothers, 6 and 3, take parents’ car for joyride in Malaysia
A six year old boy in Malaysia put his three year old brother in the passenger seat of his parent’s car and took it for a 2.5 kilometre joyride before crashing into a lamppost late Tuesday night. The motive? They wanted to buy a toy car. After the boys’ father fell asleep, they waited for their mother to go to…
- World News
Malaysians urged to take out insurance before driving in Thailand
An activist is urging Malaysians who wish to drive while travelling in Thailand to take out full insurance coverage policies to reduce problems in the case of an accident. Abdul Halim Othman, also known as Cikgu Joe Satun, is a Malaysian activist living in Satun province in southern Thailand. He said the issue of insurance should be taken seriously because…
- Thailand News
Thai police officer arrested for using car stolen from Malaysia
Officers arrested a senior police sergeant major for using a car stolen from Malaysia yesterday at the suspect’s condominium in Bangkok. Officers from the Vehicle Theft Suppression Centre of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and Bang Khan Police Station arrested the 50 year old police senior sergeant, Aisoon, at his condominium in the Bang Khan district yesterday. The stolen car,…
- World News
PM Prayut cuts ribbon on new ferry service to boost tourism in Thailand
Caretaker Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha celebrated his 69th birthday in style yesterday by cutting the ribbon to officially open a new river ferry service to connect Thailand and Malaysia. The ferry service will transport passengers, cargo and vehicles across the Ko Lok River, connecting Tak Bai Customs House in Thailand with Pengkalan Kubor Customs House in Malaysia. The Narathiwat…
- World News
Malaysia bans foreign male performers from cross-dressing on stage
Performing artists who are male and foreign are no longer allowed to “cross-dress” or dress up like women while performing in Malaysia, according to updated guidelines on live shows and concerts. The Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performing by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL), under Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital, recently published some stricter rules regarding live performances by…
- Visa Information
Thailand still pushing its unattractive LTR 10-year visa
The Government of Thailand is once again, making unsubstantiated claims regarding its 10-year, multiple entry Long Term Residence (LTR) visa programme. The government still reckons the LTR programme will attract one million foreigners over five years and act as a catalyst to boost the nation’s tourism and promote economic growth in Thailand. According to the VN Express yesterday, the secretary…
- World News
ASEAN to rescue trafficking victims from Chinese gangs
Thailand is a key destination country for migrant workers, human trafficking, and forced labour. Many IT jobseekers who end up in Thailand look to ASEAN to rescue trafficking victims recruited by Chinese gangs as slaves in cybercrime factories. ASEAN is now to help rescue these trafficking victims reeled in with promises of high-paying jobs overseas which turn out to be…
- World News
3 Thais, 1 Malaysian handed death penalty for businessman’s murder
On Friday, a court in Thailand sentenced four people – three Thai and one Malaysian – to the death penalty over the murder of a businessman in Songkhla province seven years ago, despite none of them pulling the trigger. Songkhla Provincial Court sentenced two more defendants, the gunman and his driver, to life imprisonment. In December 2014, 54 year old…
- Entertainment
Ex-Minister of Health for Malaysia now a DJ
They say everyone is a DJ these days, and anyone can become one. Imagine a high-profile Thai person like Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s voice keeping you company on the radio during your morning commute. Does the idea of a Minister of Public Health as a radio disc jockey sound too far-fetched? Not in Malaysia it doesn’t, as the former…
- World News
Malaysia’s PM against the use of violence to resolve southern Thailand conflicts
Malaysia’s Prime Minister is making it clear that he is against the use of violence to resolve conflict in southern Thailand. PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is meeting with Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House. He says it ‘was a session for a most serious and frank exchange’ and ‘not just an ordinary diplomatic session.’ “I came here…
- World News
Malaysian bill seeks expanded protection against stalking
The issue of stalking has become a major concern in Malaysia, and the government has taken several steps to address it. The draft of two bills related to stalking has undergone several improvements to ensure that all aspects of legislation related to stalking are comprehensively covered. Stalking can have a severe impact on the lives of victims, particularly women, and…
- World News
Thai passport worth less than Cambodian
The Henley Passport Index released this week, ranks the passports of the world based on metrics such as how many countries one can travel to visa-free. Once again a Thai passport is worth less than many comparable nations and ranks a long way behind other nations that share similar demographics and income. There are not many surprises in the top…
- World News
Bangladeshi child plays hide and seek, turns up in Malaysia five days later
A young boy turned up in Malaysia after becoming trapped inside a shipping container for five days while playing hide and seek in Bangladesh. On January 17, a 45 year old shipping operator opened a container at Port Klang, Malaysia’s largest port, to find a confused, weak Bangladeshi boy named Farim who had travelled over 1,000 miles from home. A…
- Thailand News
Longtail boat sinks in Thailand: Pregnant Malay woman and child die, 2 survive
A longtail boat carrying a family of Malaysian tourists sank off the coast of Krabi province in southern Thailand yesterday. A 36 year old pregnant woman and her six year old child died while the father and Thai boat operator survived with the help of a local fisherman. A young fisherman, 21 year old Warit Changmin, went out fishing for…
- World News
Malaysian victims accuse Royal Thai Police of soliciting bribes of over 100,000 baht
Two Malaysian victims told local media that corrupt Royal Thai Police solicited bribes of 100,000 baht to return their stolen cars which were taken from their native country and driven to Thailand. The Malaysian news agency, The Star, reported that the cars were stolen from Malaysia and shipped to Thailand. The media also added that RTP officers were involved in…
- World News
Thailand to extradite alleged Malaysian scammer to China
A Thai court ordered a wanted alleged Malaysian scammer to be extradited to China to face charges related to fraud on Wednesday. Both Malaysia and China requested the repatriation of Tedy Teow Wooi Huat, the founder of the Mobility Beyond Imagination Group (MBI), after he was allegedly linked to numerous scams, reports the Straits Times. Penang-born Teow attended a virtual…
- World News
Malaysia investigates Russian daredevils who trespassed onto Merdeka 118
Malaysian authorities are investigating a Russian ‘daredevil’ couple for trespassing after videos of them standing on top of the second tallest building in the world, the unfinished Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur, went viral. On Saturday, Malaysia‘s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said there are no records of the Russian couple entering or exiting Malaysia. On December 28, Malaysian…
- World News
Despite China risk, Malaysia will not change Covid rules
Thailand has implemented new blanket Covid-19 restrictions from today in an effort to fight an infection spike without offending China, which just opened to international travel despite a massive coronavirus outbreak. Malaysia went in another direction, declaring that they would make no changes to their entry procedures despite the increased risk of Covid in travellers from China. The Minister of…
- Covid-19 News
Airlines up in arms over increase in Covid measures due to influx of Chinese travellers
Worldwide airline lobby group International Air Transport Association (IATA) is up in arms over global plans to re-introduce Covid-19 restrictions for passengers arriving from China. The IATA says such measures represent a “knee-jerk” reaction to China’s recent lifting of Covid restrictions. Such a reintroduction of measures for travellers is being criticised by the IATA as it says science should supersede politics.…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thailand’s Hat Yai railway targeted again
Train services between Hat Yai and Khlong Ngae in southern Thailand‘s Songkhla province were temporarily suspended again yesterday when officials discovered that several parts of the railway track had been removed by suspected insurgents. Services on the railway, which connects Hat Yai in southern Thailand to Padang Besar in Malaysia, resumed on New Year’s Day after the track was repaired…
- World News
Thailand – Malaysia shuttle train resumes service after bombings
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) resumed train services between Thailand and Malaysia with the utmost security on Sunday after suspending the service for 28 days following two consecutive bombings that killed three people last month. The SRT is running two round trips per day between Hat Yai in Songkhla province to Padang Besar in Malaysia’s Perlis state. On December…
