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Azam Baki steps down as MACC chief, leaving Malaysia’s PM Anwar to face the fallout
NEWS
5/12/2026

Azam Baki steps down as MACC chief, leaving Malaysia’s PM Anwar to face the fallout

On his last morning in charge of Malaysia’s anti-corruption watchdog, Azam Baki did what he had always done – talked tough and walked away on his own terms. But the man who spent the past six years making the country’s powerful sweat left behind a question he never satisfactorily answered: what do you do when the anti-corruption chief becomes the story? Analysts say Azam’s exit puts Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who stood by him throughout, in a difficult position ahead of the next general...

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SCMP Economy
Malaysia’s fuel subsidy headache leaves Anwar ‘scrambling for solution’
NEWS
5/11/2026

Malaysia’s fuel subsidy headache leaves Anwar ‘scrambling for solution’

Malaysia’s plan to stop wealthier drivers from enjoying cheap subsidised petrol has left Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim facing a politically fraught question: how to define “rich” without punishing households already squeezed by higher living costs. The issue has sharpened as the Middle East energy shock strains government finances, forcing authorities to weigh fiscal discipline against the risk of angering middle-class voters in a car-dependent country. Anwar said the government had agreed in...

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Anwar faces backlash after Malaysia bans then unbans books with communist elements
Developing
Politics·5/2/2026AI summary

Anwar faces backlash after Malaysia bans then unbans books with communist elements

Malaysia's home affairs ministry banned two books for containing communist elements, including a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Days later, the minister announced plans to revoke the bans, along with a prohibition against a Mao Zedong translation funded by Anwar's PKR party. The rapid reversal has sparked confusion among Anwar's supporters, with some questioning the consistency of his reformist image.

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Malaysia’s angry culture war brigade tries to dampen water festival over ‘moral harm’
NEWS
5/1/2026

Malaysia’s angry culture war brigade tries to dampen water festival over ‘moral harm’

A government-backed water rave in Kuala Lumpur has earned the wrath of Malaysia’s culture war brigade, pitting religious objections against tourism goals, as critics decry the vulgar import amid growing conservatism. The uproar over the three-day Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Bukit Bintang comes as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government tries to promote the country as a youthful, experience-led travel destination, even as it manages a traditionalist pushback against concerts, pop culture...

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Umno-led Barisan Nasional claims to have a simple majority after teaming up with opposition lawmakers amid an attempt to overthrow the ruler
Developing
Politics·4/28/2026AI summary

Umno-led Barisan Nasional claims to have a simple majority after teaming up with opposition lawmakers amid an attempt to overthrow the ruler

Barisan Nasional (BN) has declared it secured a simple majority to form a new state administration in Negeri Sembilan by teaming up with five opposition Perikatan Nasional assemblymen, giving them 19 seats in the 36-member assembly. The move creates a crisis for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's coalition government, ahead of a national poll due in less than two years.

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Former High Court Judge to Lead Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Agency After Chief's Contract Ends
Developing
Politics·4/25/2026AI summary

Former High Court Judge to Lead Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Agency After Chief's Contract Ends

The Malaysian government has appointed former High Court judge Abdul Halim Aman as the new chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), effective May 13, one day after current chief Azam's contract expires. The appointment comes amid protests in Kuala Lumpur demanding Azam's removal, with both Azam and MACC denying any wrongdoing and calling media reports malicious.

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