On the third anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the tragic events of March 11, 2011, continue to cast a shadow over Japan’s environment and politics. Despite efforts by the authorities in the past few years, reports of contamination from the crippled plant continue to...
As US President Barack Obama’s visit to Asia wound down on Tuesday (29 April), China’s state-run newspaper China Daily ran an editorial that said it was becoming "increasingly obvious that Washington is taking Beijing as an opponent". Commitment to allies Indeed Mr Obama’s visit was focused on...
When US President Barack Obama touches down in Kuala Lumpur next week, it will be the first time since 1966 that a sitting US president has visited Malaysia. It replaces a planned visit from last October, which was cancelled because Mr Obama was obliged to...
Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Malaysian opposition, has been re-convicted on charges of sodomy after his acquittal was overturned by Malaysia’s Appeal Court. His five-year jail sentence means that he is therefore unable to stand as the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PKR) candidate for the...
More than five days after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 lost contact with air traffic control, not a single trace of the missing plane has yet been found. The crash site of MH370 cannot even be ascertained, leading experts to describe the whole incident as a...
Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim is contesting a seat in Kajang in Selangor in order to be eligible to take over the role of chief minister. Selangor, which is run by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PKR) and is Malaysia’s richest state, has seen rising religious...
Mr President, Congratulations on handling the domestic crisis of the government shutdown and debt ceiling. The problem will recur, but most see you as a winner for holding your ground. Now, about that trip you cancelled to Asia. Yes, Secretary of State John Kerry filled in but,...
American President Barack Obama was due to tour Asia next week to attend two key multilateral summits and visit two other countries — Malaysia and the Philippines. The White House initially described this as an “on-going commitment”, building on the American pivot to emphasise ties...
In the wake of record levels of haze, environment ministers from Malaysia and Singapore will be meeting their Indonesian counterpart as soon as July 17 for the Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC). This follows the apology graciously given by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and — more importantly...
Judging by their giddy rally today, markets in Malaysia are beyond relieved that the country’s general elections are over. A win for the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition, whose main party has led Malaysia since independence, appeared to promise continuity and stability. Prime Minister Najib Razak...