Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to develop a code of ethics and governance for artificial intelligence (AI), which will form the basis of AI regulation in the country.  The code of ethics and governance is expected to be ready by next year, and will be aligned with the Seven Principles of Responsible AI, which are …

Malaysia has started to impose a new 10 per cent sales tax on low value goods (LVG) that are sold online and shipped from abroad to customers in Malaysia, effective from January 1, 2024. The new tax, which applies to goods priced below RM500 each, has drawn mixed reactions from online sellers, local businesses, and consumers, who have different views …

McDonald’s Malaysia, the licensee of the global fast-food giant in the country, has filed a lawsuit against a local pro-Palestinian group, BDS Malaysia, for defamation over social media posts that allegedly linked the company to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza¹.  The lawsuit seeks damages of 6 million ringgit ($1.31 million), claiming that the boycott campaign has hurt its business and …

McDonald’s Malaysia has filed a lawsuit against a pro-Palestinian group for calling for a boycott of companies allegedly supporting Israel. The fast-food chain is seeking $1.3 million in damages for alleged defamation. The civil suit against BDS Malaysia, a part of the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, was filed on Friday. McDonald’s Malaysia said in a statement that it “does …

Former Malaysian finance minister Daim Zainuddin has accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of abusing his power and launching a politically motivated corruption probe into his assets. Daim, who was a close ally of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, said Anwar was using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to target him and his family, after the agency seized his flagship property …

Malaysia’s first crowdfunded film, Pendatang, has garnered more than 400,000 views on YouTube since its release on December 1, 2023, despite being rejected by the country’s film censorship board. The film, directed by Zahir Omar and produced by Adrian Teh, tells the story of four friends who embark on a road trip across Malaysia to escape their personal problems. Along …

Sarawak is a region in Malaysia. The Premier of Sarawak, Abang Johari Openg, announced a remarkable achievement for the state. In 2023, Sarawak’s revenue reached a new high of RM13.1 billion. This is an increase from last year’s record of RM11.9 billion. The revenue of a place like Sarawak comes from different sources, such as taxes, businesses, and investments. When …

Malaysia’s popular residency programme for wealthy foreigners, known as Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), has been facing delays and uncertainty amid policy changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the applicants and the property market. The MM2H programme, launched in 2002, allows foreigners who meet certain criteria to obtain a 10-year renewable visa and enjoy various benefits, such as buying property, …

Malaysia has announced that it will not allow any ships flying the Israeli flag to enter or use its ports, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The decision was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on Wednesday, following a proposal by the Transport Ministry. The ministry said that the ban was a response …

A 14-year-old Rohingya girl sits on the concrete floor of her bedroom, where she says her 35-year-old husband rapes her nearly every night. She is one of the scores of underage Rohingya girls who have been forced into abusive marriages with older men in Malaysia, after fleeing violence and starvation in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The girl, identified by her first …