When newly elected Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman lands in Kuala Lumpur on June 21, it will mark a major geopolitical shift that Putrajaya must not misread. By choosing Malaysia for his historic debut overseas tour — bypassing regional titans India and China — Rahman is signalling that Dhaka views Malaysia as its premier strategic and trusted development partner in Southeast Asia.

Opinion: Flipping the script: Five ways Anwar can pivot the Bangladesh relationship

Asean countries outperform much of developing Asia on several social and gender indicators. Girls today are more likely to attend school, marry later, and access basic health care than ever before. 

Yet beneath these achievements lie deep contradictions. Rapid growth has not fully eliminated child marriage in Indonesia. While Malaysia and Thailand enjoy balanced sex ratios, their neighbour Vietnam struggles with son preference in fertility choices despite high female labour-force participation. Cambodia and Laos still report wide gender gaps in digital access.

Asean’s girls deserve more than promises

In recent weeks, the Bangladeshi government has cracked down violently on students demanding equitable access to coveted government jobs amid an unemployment crisis. To contain the protests, authorities have shut down all educational institutions, imposed a strict curfew, and cut off internet access. Thousands of police officers and paramilitaries have been patrolling the streets, and more than 170 people have died.

An Arab Spring for Bangladesh?

Asia faces a unique demographic crisis. By 2050, the continent will have over a billion elderly people, the most in the world.

For decades, social demands for age care have had unintended consequences for women in some Asian countries such as China, India and Vietnam.

In ageing Asia, well-being of elderly women rests on daughters

On the eve of International Women's Day on March 8, for development scholars embracing a feminist agenda, this occasion prompts a critical examination of the scholarship we produce. Under the theme of #InspireInclusion, it's imperative to ask: Does academic research sufficiently inspire inclusion?

Overcoming sexist textbooks to bridge gender gap in education and beyond

It has been over six weeks since Malaysia shut down its RM1.4 trillion economy. Though the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) is harsh for the economy, it is necessary to safeguard public health. After more than a month into the lockdown, there is a sharp decline in the number of new fatalities. As more sectors of the economy look to resume operations in the coming weeks, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remains cautious, extending the MCO until May 12.

Migrant workers cut off from aid put public health at risk

After the peaceful 14th general election (GE14), all eyes are on the reformation agenda of the newly formed Pakatan Harapan alliance and its ally in Sabah. The 15-year rule of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the eastern state saw little progress in terms of road conditions and access to b...

Concern over rising inequality in Sabah

THE Malaysian government should look to civil society for support in strengthening the nation’s education system.

Evidence can be seen in the 2014 Unesco Global Monitoring Report on teaching and learning. According to this report, there is an ongoing global education crisis that is cost...

My Say: Managing Malaysia’s education crisis

Insurers are taking steps to limit their exposure to the risk of losses tied to a wave of street protests in cities across Europe.

Insurers react to riot risks across Europe by capping coverage

Emerging Asian equities rallied on Tuesday, led by technology shares in South Korea and Taiwan, as falling oil prices after US President Donald Trump's comments on Iran boosted risk appetite following last week's sell-off.

Emerging Asian equities rally as oil slides after Trump's Iran remarks

Housing loan approval rates in Malaysia fell to 38.36% in September 2026, down from the 40% to 41% baseline maintained between 2022 and 2025, as banks become increasingly selective in assessing housing loan applications.

JLL predicts falling mortgage approvals as banks scrutinise property valuations, cash-out deals

TOKYO (Nov 10): Honda raised its annual profit forecast by 20% on Tuesday, as it expected robust demand for hybrid vehicles and a boost from a weaker yen to help offset slumping sales in China.

Honda raises full-year profit outlook, books US$3 bil in EV-linked costs in 2Q

China's trade surplus surged past US$1 trillion (RM4.05 trillion) in the first 10 months as a global race to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure buoyed sales of high-tech products and helped offset weak domestic demand, a dynamic likely to sharpen tensions with major trading partners.

China's trade surplus soars past US$1 trillion as AI boom powers exports

WASHINGTON/CAIRO/ABU DHABI (Nov 9): US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to hold off on new military strikes against Iran for the time being after appeals from countries in the region, including from Qatar's prime minister in White House talks.

Trump says he will hold off on fresh Iran strikes for now

French energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has opened a regional training centre in an attempt to help workers keep pace with technological advances in data centres and other industries across Asia-Pacific.

Schneider Electric opens regional centre to build technical skills

TOKYO (Nov 10): Technology investor SoftBank Group said on Tuesday that it booked a net loss of 1.1 trillion yen (US$7 billion) in the July-September quarter, hit hard by hefty advance payments it made to support the buildout of data centres in the US.

SoftBank books US$7 bil quarterly loss on US data centre hit

Chinese coal buyers are pushing back against attempts by some Indonesian miners to rewrite 2027 supply contracts in ways that would shift the risk of government-driven disruptions onto customers, threatening to delay deals that underpin decisions on output.

Chinese coal buyers balk at Indonesian miners’ contract demands

Malaysia's palm oil stocks climbed to a record high in October, surpassing the previous peak set a month earlier, as another month of bumper output more than offset a rebound in exports.

Malaysia's October palm oil stocks hit new high as output rises

NEW YORK (Nov 9): Nvidia and chief executive Jensen Huang were sued on Monday in a proposed class action accusing them of defrauding shareholders by concealing Huang's ties with a suspected Chinese spy.

Nvidia, CEO Huang sued over disclosures related to suspected Chinese spy

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK) fell on Tuesday after the third-largest Malaysian bank by assets cut its guidance and flagged margin pressures.

Public Bank falls after cutting guidance, flagging margin pressures

The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) has filed an application at the High Court to study and review former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house confinement order that had been issued by the court on Friday.

AG applies to High Court to rectify order on Najib’s release for house arrest

MELAKA (Nov 9): The interpretation of the Conditional Pardon Order and the implications of the Order of Discharge involving Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak require further clarification to establish whether the Prisons Department has the authority to implement house arrest for the former prime minister.

Najib's discharge order needs review to clarify Prisons Dept's authority — Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): MISC Bhd’s (KL:MISC) proposed RM3.03 billion investment in Yinson Holdings Bhd (KL:YINSON) would increase its financial risk, even under a structure designed to keep Yinson’s substantial debt off the shipping group’s balance sheet, CGS International said.

MISC’s RM3.03 bil bet to take Yinson private exposes shareholders to higher risks — CGS

PETRONAS could tap into the massive power demand from data centres by supplying gas for dedicated power generation, a minister said on Tuesday.

PETRONAS could power data centres with gas, secure long-term buyers at market rates, says minister

SINGAPORE (Nov 10): Asian stocks rose on Tuesday as a drop in oil prices after US President Donald Trump said he plans to hold off on new military strikes against Iran lifted sentiment ahead of US inflation data that could sway the near-term interest rate outlook.

Asian stocks climb as oil prices slide ahead US CPI

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): The Democratic sweep of both US congressional chambers in the midterm elections has weighed on technology stocks globally, but analysts said Malaysian tech faces a sentiment and valuation dip rather than an earnings hit.

Analysts see Malaysia tech facing sentiment dip, not earnings hit, despite data centre worries

WASHINGTON/CAIRO/ABU DHABI (Nov 9): US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to hold off on new military strikes against Iran for the time being after appeals from countries in the region, including from Qatar's prime minister in White House talks.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): Zetrix AI Bhd (KL:ZETRIX) has until Wednesday (Nov 11) to disclose material information on its financial position, unpaid dividends and a series of governance and operational issues following a directive from Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd.

Zetrix faces Nov 11 deadline to disclose financial position under Bursa’s directive

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Summary

<ul>
	<li>Zetrix AI’s wholly-owned money-lending outfit MY EG Finance Technologies extended a RM100 million loan to three private companies and several individuals in March 2018, secured by 12...

Closer look at opaque deals at Zetrix AI’s lending arm MY EG Finance Technologies

A renewed wave of dip buying drove stocks to their best day since April in the wake of a technology selloff that had roiled Wall Street, with the market also gaining as oil prices sank.

Stocks climb as buyers step in despite Nvidia woes

Details of Anthropic’s blockbuster initial public offering (IPO), including plans by the artificial intelligence (AI) company to raise nearly US$70 billion (RM284 billion), were briefly circulated to banks before being retracted late on Monday, according to emails seen by Reuters.

Anthropic’s nearly US$70 bil IPO plan briefly circulated to banks, then retracted

(Nov 10):&nbsp;Nvidia Corp’s general counsel intervened in a US government probe of suspected smuggling of AI chips by Megaspeed International, questioning whether the Trump administration played a role in detaining an executive from the Singapore-based firm who’s now at the heart of a scandal threatening Jensen Huang.

Nvidia intervened in US probe of Megaspeed chip smuggling

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): The proposed RM2.50-a-share privatisation of Yinson Holdings Bhd (KL:YINSON) offers minority shareholders an exit opportunity above CIMB Securities’ valuation, as heavy gearing and costly financing could constrain growth and dilute returns from new projects, the research house said.

Yinson buyout offers exit opportunity, CIMB Securities advises shareholder to vote in favour

Malaysia's palm oil stocks climbed to a record high in October, surpassing the previous peak set a month earlier, as another month of bumper output more than offset a rebound in exports.

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): Yinson Holdings Bhd (KL:YINSON) has clarified that it has not accepted either the proposed privatisation scheme or the terms of the proposal letter, which involves its major shareholders privatising the company at RM2.50 per share. &nbsp;

Yinson says it has not accepted the proposed privatisation scheme

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that it is too early to discuss a possible Cabinet reshuffle amid &nbsp;potential changes involving two members of his administration.

Anwar says it is too early to discuss Cabinet reshuffle

Malaysia’s industrial output grew faster than expected in September, as stronger manufacturing activity, led by electronics production, and higher electricity generation offset a deeper contraction in mining, official data showed on Tuesday.

M Niaz Asadullah

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M Niaz Asadullah

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