Tag: Malaysia

Meta says Malaysian PM Anwar’s posts on Haniyeh assassination were removed in error

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Meta Platforms apologised on Tuesday for erroneously removing Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s social media posts in which he expressed condolences to a Hamas official about the assassination of the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh. Meta was sorry for “an operational error”, adding that the content had been restored with “the correct newsworthy label,” a Meta spokesperson told Reuters. The U.S. social media giant designates Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza, […]

Malaysia beaches hit by Singapore oil spill

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – An oil spill off Singapore has spread to beaches in southern Malaysia, a government official said Friday, with clean-up operations underway. Around 25 people were involved in the clean-up of two beaches spanning one kilometre (0.6 miles) in southern Johor state, local government official Ling Tian Soon told AFP. “Work began today and we hope to complete the task tomorrow. From our observation, marine life or fishermen activities have not been […]

Singapore boosts security after Malaysia police station attack

  SINGAPORE, May 22, 2024 (AFP) – Singapore has tightened security after an attack on a police station in neighbouring Malaysia by a man with suspected ties to an Al-Qaeda-linked group, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Tuesday. Two police officers were killed and another injured by the machete-wielding attacker on Friday in Malaysia’s southern Johor state, near the narrow waterway separating the country from Singapore. The man, whose father is a member of Southeast Asia-based […]

Malaysia footballer leaves intensive care after acid-attack: official

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14, 2024 (AFP) – A Malaysian national team footballer who was the victim of an acid-attack has left intensive care following multiple surgeries, a football official said Tuesday. Faisal Halim suffered burns on the neck, shoulder, hands and chest in Petaling Jaya district outside the capital Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago. Nicknamed “Mickey”, the 26-year-old plays on the right wing for Selangor Football Club and Malaysia. “Today, Faisal has been moved to […]

Indonesia volcano eruption shuts more airports, ash reaches Malaysia

Indonesia, May 1, 2024 (AFP) – Eruptions at a remote Indonesian volcano forced more than half a dozen airports to close with ash spreading as far as Malaysia, officials said Wednesday, while authorities rushed to evacuate thousands due to tsunami fears. Mount Ruang erupted three times on Tuesday, spewing lava and ash more than five kilometres (three miles) into the sky and forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for 12,000 locals. A rescue ship and […]

One man injured in rare Kuala Lumpur shooting at airport

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – A man attempting to shoot his wife at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sunday instead left her personal bodyguard in critical condition, Malaysian authorities said. Police were investigating the rare shooting in connection to a domestic dispute and said it was not related to terrorism. The shooter, who was thought to be targeting his wife in the arrivals hall, hit her bodyguard and then fled the scene, […]

Malaysia PM warns against attempts to block China’s rise

By Laura CHUNG Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned Thursday against attempts by other countries to block China’s military and economic rise in the Asia-Pacific region. As the United States and China jostle for regional influence, Southeast Asian countries should defend the “sanctity” of international law and urge cooperation, he said. Beijing would see attempts to curb its military and economic expansion as a denial of its “legitimate place in history”, Anwar said in a […]

Four rescued after Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashes

KUALA LUMPUR, March 5, 2024 (AFP) – Four people were rescued after a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca on Tuesday, the aviation regulator said. The helicopter was on a training flight when it plunged into water near Angsa island, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said without giving a cause. “A total of four persons including pilots were onboard and there were no fatalities reported. All survivors were rescued by […]

Malaysian ex-PM Najib’s jail term halved to six years

By M JEGATHESAN KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2, 2024 (AFP) – Malaysia’s pardons board said on Friday it had halved the jail term for former prime minister Najib Razak, currently in prison for corruption, to six years. Najib was sentenced in 2022 to 12 years in jail for offences linked to the misuse of public money in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal. “After considering opinions and advice… the pardon board has decided to grant a 50 […]

Thousands lose $16 mn in Singapore ‘fake friend’ scams

SINGAPORE, Jan 24, 2024 (AFP) – More than 6,300 people fell prey to “fake friend” scams in Singapore last year and collectively lost an equivalent of nearly $16 million, according to police. Such scams involve contacting victims, pretending to be someone they know, and asking for financial assistance. The wealthy city-state has been hit with a surge in scams in recent years, with authorities issuing frequent warnings to the public against fresh schemes from criminals. […]

Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir condemns son’s questioning, blames govt

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22, 2024 (AFP) – Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday condemned the questioning of his son by the country’s anti-graft agency, calling it “selective” and driven by his political rivalry with the sitting government. The 98-year-old former two-time leader is a political rival and fierce critic of current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who came to power in 2022 vowing to stamp out high-level corruption. Last week the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission […]

Malaysia bans Israeli-flagged ships in response to Gaza war

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20, 2023 (AFP) – Malaysia banned on Wednesday Israeli-flagged cargo ships from docking at its ports in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, which it said ignores “basic humanitarian principles”. Ships on their way to Israel will also be barred from loading cargo at any port in the largely Muslim Southeast Asian nation with immediate effect, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement. Anwar singled out Israel’s biggest shipping firm ZIM. […]