World News by Wild Rose

A Malaysian court on Wednesday rejected Najib Razak’s bid to suspend his 15-year jail sentence in the 1MDB scandal pending the jailed former prime minister’s appeals, ruling that his health and other grounds did not justify a stay. The decision means his sentence is set to begin after his current prison term ends in August 2028. Najib, 73, received a conditional royal pardon last month allowing him to serve that separate sentence in the SRC International case at home, but he must first pay a 50...

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was on a two-day state visit to Kuala Lumpur which also focused on bilateral ties.

Malaysia’s government will boost spending on social welfare while maintaining subsidies to rein in the cost of living under its 2027 Budget unveiled on Friday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seeks to shore up public support while under pressure to call for an early general election. Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) has suffered bruising defeats in a series of state elections since December, as voters expressed disapproval of his administration’s failure to deliver on promises of reforms, which had...

Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Malaysia for a two-day visit, his first since he became president in April.

Malaysia’s long-standing strategy of non-alignment amid US-China rivalry in the South China Sea could soon be tested, with the eastern state of Sabah sitting near a potential flashpoint involving Philippine territory. Observers pointed to comments by Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin, who last week voiced concern that a conflict or “unexpected incident” in the maritime region could spill over into Malaysia. Khaled, who singled out Sabah, added that Malaysia was looking to strengthen its...

Shrinking resources for refugee support groups in Malaysia collide with increasing hostility towards the Rohingya.

Kuala Lumpur calls it a voluntary process, but many are raising safety concerns.

Malaysia welcomed persecuted Muslim minority but now plans to send them back to Myanmar amid rising hate against them.

Former 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...

Malaysia’s former premier Najib Razak has applied for a stay of his 15-year prison term and fine over last year’s 1MDB-related conviction, a move that would allow him to serve a separate sentence under house arrest following a conditional royal pardon granted last week.

A 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...

Malaysia’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...

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 of the royal clemency. But observers do not expect the administration, already reeling from PH defeats in recent months in two state elections as federal allies turned against the coalition, to implode just yet. Anwar and PH’s...

Malaysia’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...

Malaysia’s jailed former premier Najib Razak’s bid for another royal intervention in his corruption conviction linked to the multibillion dollar 1MDB scandal will be considered by the country’s Pardons Board, which is headed by the Malaysian king, on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter.

A Malaysian city councillor has resigned over remarks he made about the Democratic Action Party (DAP) at the recent Umno general assembly. Permatang Pauh Umno division chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said’s resignation as a Seberang Perai city councillor took effect on Monday, according to a letter made public by state local government committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye on Wednesday. In the letter, Zaidi apologised for his remarks during the assembly in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, where he represented...