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☆ Malaysia might add a casino to boost troubled $100 billion mega-development Forest City
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town. AdvertisementMalaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money. Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. AdvertisementThe southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. Expensive, empty apartmentsA casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.

Persons: —, Anwar Ibrahim, Ibrahim Iskandar, King Ibrahim, Anwar, They're, Al Marjan Organizations: Service, City, Bloomberg, nation's, Forest City, Garden, Genting Group, Berjaya Corp, Business, United, United Arab Emirates, Las Vegas, downstate Locations: Malaysia, Forest City, Singapore, Malaysia's, Malaysian, Forest, Genting, Marielle, Johor, United Arab, Al, York City, York

☆ After my brother tragically died, I knew I wanted to pursue adventure. Now my family and I live on a catamaran.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

We're pretty sure Kerry was executed there exactly two months later, in October 1978. So we had a memorial for Kerry, and then a few months later, John took his life. Rob Hamill rowing. Rob Hamill with Phil Stubbs, his teammate in the inaugural Atlantic rowing race in 1997. We got married about six months later, in 2001.

Persons: —, Rob Hamill, Pol Pot, Kerry, Kerry Hamill, Rob Hamill Kerry, Stuart Glass, Stuart, John Dewhirst, John, Hamill, who'd, Phil Stubbs, Phil, Comrade Duch, Pot, Rachel, Finn, Declan, Ivan, Rob Hamill's, Renee Whitaker, Hamill's, Finn didn't, We've Organizations: Service, Business, Navy, Atlantic, New Zealand, Pacific Locations: New Zealand, Khmer Rouge, Communist, Cambodia, Australia, Darwin, Khmer, Malaysia's, Kerry, Phnom Penh, Asia, Tenerife, Barbados, Ireland, New, Thailand, Angkor Wat

☆ Malaysia is unfazed by China, U.S. semiconductor competition, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - 2018/01/24: A foreigner is seen with a Malaysia flag as a background. Kuala Lumpur or commonly known as KL is the national capital for Malaysia and is the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia. (Photo by Faris Hadziq/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Malaysia isn't fazed about competition from China or the U.S. as it pushes into higher-end semiconductor manufacturing, according to the country's second finance minister. "We're seeing a lot of end users now diversifying their supply chain. Our focus, actually, is to provide a very vibrant, strong supply chain connectivity, and make sure that we ride on that."

Persons: Faris Hadziq, Amir Hamzah Azizan, Karen Tso, Amir Hamzah Organizations: Getty Images Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, South, East Asia, China, Washington

☆ Malaysia emerges as a hotspot for semiconductor firms amid U.S.-China chip tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

American chip giant Intel in December 2021 said it will invest more than $7 billion to build a chip packaging and testing factory in Malaysia, with production expected to begin in 2024. Malaysia holds 13% of the global market for chip packaging, assembly and testing services, said the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in a Feb. 18 report. Exports of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits increased by 0.03% to 387.45 billion Malaysian ringgit ($81.4 billion) in 2023, amid global chip demand weakness. Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association president Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai said many Chinese firms diversified some of their production to Malaysia, calling the country China's "plus one." In the same month, the world's largest contract chip maker TSMC opened its first Japan factory as it diversifies away from Taiwan amid U.S.-China tensions.

Persons: Faris Hadziq, Kenddrick Chan, Aik Kean Chong, Intel's, Tan, Yinglan Tan, Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai, Zafrul Aziz, TSMC, Ann Lim Organizations: Getty, Malaysia, LSE, London School of Economics, Political, Semiconductors, Intel, CNBC, Infineon, Ventures Partners, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysian, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry, U.S ., U.S, China -, Partnership Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, South, East Asia, China, U.S, American, Penang, Another U.S, Singapore, Europe, Kong, GlobalFoundries Singapore, Klang, India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Washington, Asia, China - U.S

☆ I spent a night in one of the empty apartments in Malaysia's $100 billion ghost town, and I can see why very few people want to live there
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

I spent a night in one of these apartments and found they weren't as luxurious as they were branded to be. Dozens of vacant units in the estate are listed for rent on Airbnb. I first visited Forest City in May 2022, and it was a ghost town. Forest City projects that some 700,000 people will live in the estate in the next six years. Take a look inside one of the thousands of vacant apartments in Forest City.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Forest City, Business Locations: Forest, Malaysia, China's, Johor Strait, Singapore, China, Forest City

☆ Here's how I prepared for my 15-hour long-haul flight to Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Joi-Marie Mckenzie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Before I share how I survived my 15-hour flight, I have to let you in on my personal Q2 challenge: I'm determined to eat less ultra-processed foods. Now the city has reimagined itself as a tourist destination, with a waterpark, an artificial beach, and a golf course. According to one estimate, Americans actually have about four to six hours of leisure time every day. AdvertisementSee the full listMore of this week's top reads:The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor-in-chief, in New York.

Persons: —, you'll, Let's, Greta Gerwig's, Barbie, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Marielle, Marielle Descalsota, Daniel Chaney, Alexa Campbell, Henry Ammann, Alyssa Powell, Beyoncé, Carter, Buckle, Tanner Adell, who's, Javier Zayas, there's, Tyler Le, Ewan McGregor's, Lisa Frankenstein, Zelda Williams, Robin Williams, Joi, Marie McKenzie, Jordan Parker Erb, Dan DeFrancesco, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Business, Canberra Airport, Getty, Art Basel, BI, Visa, Mastercard —, Mastercard Forest City, Paramount, Netflix Locations: Hong Kong, Australia, Johor, Malaysia's Forest, Forest City, Texas, Moscow, New York

☆ Wirecard tried to destroy its whistleblower. Now, he's founded a startup to protect others who speak out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewBeing a whistleblower was antithetical to everything Pav Gill had done during his nine-year stint as a corporate lawyer. When Wirecard headhunted the Singaporean native to be its head of legal, Gill took up the position enthusiastically. Despite the fruitful outcome, the experience of being a whistleblower traumatized Gill. AdvertisementThis realization was the driving force behind Gill setting up his startup — Confide — a platform for 'internal whistleblowers' to raise issues within their organizations. AdvertisementGill anticipates that this model will work best for companies with over 50 employees, and ideally above 250 employees.

Persons: —, Pav Gill, Gill, foraying, Wirecard, Gill's, don't, " Gill, they're Organizations: Service, Allen, Business, Financial, Directive, EU Locations: Wirecard, Asia, Singapore, ESG

☆ Malaysia Arrests Armed Man Suspected of Being an Israeli Spy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has arrested an armed man at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, its top police official said, describing the 36-year-old as a suspected Israeli spy. The suspect turned over an Israeli passport upon questioning by police, Razarudin said. Razarudin said police was investigating the possibility that the man could be a member of Israeli intelligence, though the suspect told authorities he had entered Malaysia to hunt down another Israeli citizen due to a family dispute. Police were also investigating how the suspect obtained the weapons, which were purchased in Malaysia and paid for with cryptocurrency, Razarudin said. Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and has criticised Israel's actions in the Gaza war.

Persons: Police Razarudin Husain, Razarudin, Anwar Ibrahim, Rozanna Latiff, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Police, Malaysia . Police, Authorities, Israel Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Malaysian

☆ Malaysia Open to Extending China-Led Rail Project to Thai Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's government has said it would consider extending a $10 billion China-led rail project to its border with Thailand to boost economic ties between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, the 665-kilometre (413-mile), 50.27 billion ringgit ($10.63 billion) railway is on track to connect the east and west coasts of peninsular Malaysia by the end of 2026. Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Wednesday the government was open to proposals to extend the track to the border with Thailand, for further integration into existing railway networks or future infrastructure developments. Thailand also has plans to invest in a massive land bridge project in the country's south to boost growth and global trade. The bridge would bypass the congested Strait of Malacca, a narrow sea lane between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Persons: Anthony Loke, Loke, Danial Azhar, Panu, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Reuters, Initiative, Malaysia's, Malaysia's Senate, Malaysian, China Communications Construction Co Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Malacca, Indonesia, Bangkok

☆ Malaysia's $100 billion ghost town really wants to draw in tourists. It's not working.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Forest City, a luxury development in Malaysia, is banking on tourism to shed its ghost town image. AdvertisementWendy Noble lives 15 minutes away from Malaysia's Forest City, across the border in Singapore. Country Garden, the largest developer in China, spent $100 billion building Forest City. "Forest City is able to attract the weekend tourists," Adilah said, referring to tourists like Noble and Nemis. Forest City Golf Resort's lobby, with a miniature figure of the development.

Persons: it's, —, Wendy Noble, Ree Nemis, Noble, Marielle, Nemis, Adilah Zain, Adilah, Sultan Ibrahim, Shawn, Gary, We've, Chandran Organizations: Forest City, Service, Malaysia's, MARA Technological University, Garden, Bloomberg, BI, Forest, Challenge, Hotel Locations: Forest, Malaysia, Malaysia's Forest City, Singapore, Forest City, China, Johor —, Malaysian, Monaco, Challenge Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Eight Australian companies have made commitments to invest in Malaysia, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEight Australian companies have made commitments to invest in Malaysia, minister saysTengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia's minister of investment, trade and industry, discusses the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit and the World Trade Organization's decision to rule in favor of the EU in a palm oil dispute with Malaysia.

Persons: Tengku Zafrul Aziz Organizations: ASEAN, Summit, Trade, EU Locations: Malaysia

☆ Malaysian authorities say they plan to start searching for the missing MH370 plane again, 10 years after it disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewMalaysian authorities announced on Sunday that they are planning to start searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 again, the Malaysian broadcaster Bernama TV reported. Loke said in Bernama TV's broadcast that the Malaysian government plans to spare no expense when it comes to finding the missing plane. As I have mentioned several times, as far as Malaysia's government is concerned, we are committed to that search," Loke said. Oliver Plunket, the CEO of Ocean Infinity, told the local newspaper New Straits Times that it had already submitted its proposal to the Malaysian government. Ocean Infinity did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Persons: —, MH370, Anthony Loke, Loke, Oliver Plunket, Plunkett Organizations: Service, Malaysian Airlines, Bernama, Transport, Malaysian, Business, New Straits Times Locations: Malaysian, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Austin, Beijing

☆ Malaysia's economy finishes 2023 on softer footing amid weak global demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The headquarters of Bank Negara Malaysia, the nation's central bank, stand in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, March 4, 2010. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said the 3% year-on-year growth in gross domestic product during the October-December period was driven by improving labor market conditions and easing cost pressures. "Growth in 2024 will be driven by resilient domestic expenditure and improvement in external demand," the central bank said in a statement. The fourth quarter reading was below advanced estimates released on Jan. 19 by the Statistics Department and analysts' forecast in a Reuters poll of a 3.4% expansion. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, Malaysia's economy contracted 2.1%, compared to a 2.6% rise in the third quarter.

Organizations: Bank Negara Malaysia, Statistics Department Locations: Bank, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

☆ Malaysia's Top Court Declares Several Islamic Laws in Kelantan State Unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Rozanna LatiffKUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's top court on Friday declared more than a dozen Islamic laws enacted by the northeastern state of Kelantan as unconstitutional, in a decision that could affect the legality of sharia in other parts of the Muslim-majority country. Malaysia has a dual-track legal system with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims, running alongside civil laws. Islamic laws are enacted by state legislatures while civil laws are passed by Malaysia's parliament. Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who delivered the majority judgement said the state had no power to enact the laws, as the subject of the legal provisions were covered under parliament's law-making powers. "We therefore allow the petition's application for a declaration that (these laws) are void and invalid," she said.

Persons: Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Muhyiddin Yassin, Rozanna Latiff, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Reuters, Federal, PAS Locations: Latiff KUALA LUMPUR, Kelantan, Malaysia, Malaysia's

☆ Analysis-For Malaysian Filmmakers, Censorship Stifles Optimism After Overseas Glory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

"This is a very good time ... where people around the world are really looking into Malaysian filmmakers. "Mentega Terbang" follows a teenage Muslim girl exploring different religions while dealing with grief. Online platforms are not covered by film censorship rules in Malaysia. Khairi and others involved in "Mentega Terbang" even received death threats at the time, media reports show. CENSORSHIPUnder Malaysian law, films intended for public viewing must be approved by the Film Censorship Board.

Persons: Oscar, Michelle Yeoh, Khairi Anwar, Malaysia's, Khairi, Badrul Hisham Ismail, Pagi Ke, Anwar Ibrahim's, Anwar, Zabidi Mohamed, Amir Muhammad, Brenda Danker, Danial Azhar, Rozanna Latiff, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Azhar KUALA LUMPUR, Reuters, Cannes, Cannes Film, Malay, Academy, Malaysian, Film, YouTube Locations: Azhar KUALA, Malaysia, Malaysian, Viu, Terengganu, Malay

☆ Malaysia halves jail sentence of ex-prime minister Najib
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Najib Razak, Malaysia's former prime minister, gestures as he leaves the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia, on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. The board, chaired by Malaysia's king, did not give a reason for halving Najib's sentence. It said if Najib failed to pay the fine given, an additional year would be imposed on his jail term. Malaysia's king plays a largely ceremonial role but can pardon convicted people among discretionary powers granted by the federal constitution. The pardons board, which advises the king, includes the attorney-general and government officials.

Persons: Najib Razak, Anwar Ibrahim's, Anwar, Najib, Malaysia's, Jho Low, Al, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, Sultan Abdullah, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar Organizations: United National Malays Organisation, 1Malaysia Development, Saudi Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Johor .

☆ Malaysia's new king has a $5.7B family fortune. Here's how he spends his money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, was declared king on Wednesday as part of the country's rotating monarchy. King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor is photographed with his sister, Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, after his accession was announced in October 2023. MOHD RASFAN/AP ImagesSultan Ibrahim is head of the Johor royal family and is considered one of the country's wealthiest men. In May 2023, a video posted to the Johor royal family's TikTok account showed them dining at Istanbul Turkish Cuisine, a reservations-only restaurant in Horizon Hills, Johor. King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (right) speaks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) after the oath-taking ceremony.

Persons: Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Tunku Azizah Aminah, Iskandariah, MOHD RASFAN, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Ibrahim isn't, Ferrari Testarossa, HASNOOR HUSSAIN, Adolf Hitler, Hitler, Harley, Davidson, Tunku Ismail, Crown, Prince, of, of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Anwar Ibrahim, Abdullah Ahmad Shah, Mahathir Mohamad Organizations: Bloomberg, Facebook, Getty, Mercedes, YouTube, Boeing, Guardian, U Mobile, Maharani Energy, Johor Darul, The Straits Times, Malaysian, Malaysia's Locations: Malaysia, Malaysia's, Johor, Malaysian, Kuala Lumpur, India, Istanbul Turkish, Horizon Hills, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Singapore, Forest, Manhattan, of Malaysia Sultan

☆ Factories in developing Asia may have seen the worst of manufacturing slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Photographer: Linh Pham/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMost developing economies in Asia might have left the worst of the broad manufacturing slowdown behind in 2023, according to a series of private surveys released Thursday. South Korea's S&P manufacturing purchasing managers' index recorded its first expansionary reading since June 2022 at 51.2 in January, up from 49.9 in December. "The health of the South Korean manufacturing sector registered a renewed improvement at the start of 2024. Growth was reportedly reflective of increased domestic and international orders, particularly for new products," Bhatti added. These private PMI surveys are typically seen as one of several leading indicators of economic activity in the respective economies.

Persons: Linh Pham, Usamah Bhatti, Bhatti, Annabel Fiddes Organizations: Wind Corp, Vung, Renewables, International Energy Agency, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, P Global Market Intelligence, Vietnam, ASEAN, PMI, International Monetary Fund, IMF, " Companies Locations: Tan Thanh, Ba, Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, Asia, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand

☆ Malaysia's new king is a billionaire with a collection of 300 luxury cars, his own private army, and family ties to Hitler
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Malaysia has a new billionaire king who has his own army, a fleet of private jets, and 300 luxury cars, including one apparently gifted by Adolf Hitler. King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (right) speaks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) after the oath-taking ceremony. AdvertisementAccording to Bloomberg, the Johor family is worth an estimated $5.7 billion. In a resurfaced 2013 interview posted to YouTube in 2017, Sultan Ibrahim said Hitler was a friend of his great-grandfather. AdvertisementSultan Ibrahim's wife, Raja Zarith Sofiah, is from another royal family, an Oxford graduate, and a children's books author, according to the Associated Press.

Persons: Adolf Hitler, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Anwar Ibrahim, MOHD RASFAN, Sultan Ibrahim —, Yang di, Pertuan, Sultan Ibrahim, Hitler, Harley, Sultan Ibrahim's, HASNOOR HUSSAIN, couldn't, Mahathir Mohamad, Mohamad, Raja Zarith Sofiah Organizations: Malaysia's, Singapore Straits Times, Business, Bloomberg, Ferrari, Getty, Reuters, U Mobile, ABC News, YouTube, Davidson, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, Associated Press Locations: Malaysia, Malaysia Sultan, Johor, Singapore, Great Britain, England, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian, Oxford

☆ Malaysia Cabinet Discusses Najib Pardon Bid, but Won't Announce Outcome - Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

It will be at the discretion of the Pardons Board to announce its decision, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said at a press conference on immigration and labour issues, which was packed with media seeking news on Najib's clemency bid. Najib requested a royal pardon shortly after beginning his sentence in 2022 and after exhausting all other appeals. Najib's lawyer and representatives, as well as Malaysia's attorney-general, a member of the pardons board, did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. "Let us not jump the gun, let us wait for an official statement to be made," Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said at a separate press briefing. U.S. and Malaysian investigators estimate around $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, with more than $1 billion channeled to accounts linked to Najib.

Persons: Danial Azhar, Najib Razak, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Najib, Prime Minister's Department Zaliha Mustafa, Najib's, Fahmi Fadzil, Jho Low, Nooryana Najwa Najib, pensively, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, 1Malaysia Development, Prime Minister's Department, Communications, Saudi Locations: KUALA LUMPUR

☆ Malaysia Installs Sultan Ibrahim of Johor State as New King
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's Sultan Ibrahim from the southern state of Johor was sworn in as the country's new king on Wednesday, taking the oath of office in a ceremony at the national palace in Kuala Lumpur. The monarchy plays a mostly ceremonial role in Malaysia, but its influence has grown in recent years, prompting the king to wield rarely-used discretionary powers to quell political instability. Sultan Ibrahim, 65, succeeds Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is returning to lead his home state of Pahang after completing his five-year tenure as king. While the monarchy is largely seen as above politics, Sultan Ibrahim has been noted for his forthrightness and outsized personality, often weighing in on the country's political issues. Known for his large collection of luxury cars and motorbikes, Sultan Ibrahim has wide-ranging business interests from real estate to mining, including a stake in Forest City - a $100-billion China-backed land reclamation and development project off Johor.

Persons: Sultan Ibrahim, Yang, Al, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Rozanna Latiff, Danial Azhar, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pahang, Forest City, China

☆ Domino's pizza is the latest American product facing backlash in Asia amid the Middle East turmoil, exec says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewDomino's Pizza is the latest American brand to face blowback as some consumers change their buying habits in light of Israel's invasion of Gaza. Domino's Pizza Enterprises, a franchisee of the US company that operates Domino's restaurants in Australia, Europe, and Asia, said same-store sales in Asia fell an estimated 8.9% in the second half of 2023. Domino's Pizza Enterprises also operates in countries including Singapore, Japan and Taiwan. Spokespeople for Domino's Pizza Enterprises and Procter & Gamble did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for additional comment. In an investor presentation last month, Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher said that some of its brands in Indonesia have been affected by "the wars in the Middle East."

Persons: —, America —, Donald Meij, Domino's, Gamble, McDonald's hasn't, Ian Borden, Borden, Hein Schumacher Organizations: Service, Business, Pizza Enterprises, Enterprises, Palestine, CNN, Israel, Procter & Gamble, Bloomberg, Starbucks, Domino's Pizza Enterprises, Procter, Reuters, Unilever Locations: Gaza, Australia, Europe, Asia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, pushback, Egypt, Jordan, London

☆ Malaysia to Review Migrant Labour Deals to Stamp Out Exploitation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will review bilateral agreements with 15 nations from which it sources labourers in a bid to address exploitative practices and manpower imbalances that have left thousands of migrant workers stranded without jobs, officials said. The plight of the migrants coincided with concerns over workplace abuses in Malaysia, with several companies facing U.S. bans over the use of forced labour in recent years. They said Malaysia still had a shortage of workers in the agriculture and plantations sector, while quotas have been exceeded in other industries. Workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal account for over 70% of Malaysia's migrant labour, with the remainder coming from countries including India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Thailand. Sim said 751 Bangladesh migrant workers had filed cases with the labour department to claim unpaid wages, involving a total of 2.2 million ringgit ($467,687).

Persons: Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Steven Sim, Sim, Rozanna, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Workers, Human Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand

☆ Exxon Mobil CEO urges COP28 to focus on reducing emissions — not phasing out fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There's also an ongoing debate about whether an agreement should center on "abated" fossil fuels, which are trapped and stocked with carbon capture and storage technologies, or "unabated" fossil fuels, which are largely understood to be produced and used without substantial reductions in the amount of emitted greenhouse gases. "We cannot save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels," Guterres said. "The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not everyone is on board with calls to phase out fossil fuels, however. An Exxon Mobil gas station in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 203.

Persons: Darren Woods, There's, Steve Sedgwick, Woods, U.N, António Guterres, Guterres, Phaseout, David Paul Morris, Exxon Mobil's Woods, Tengku Muhammad Taufik, I'm Organizations: UNITED, EMIRATES, Exxon Mobil, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Exxon Mobil Corp, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Exxon, Big Oil, Petronas, Natural Resources, Mobil Locations: Dubai, COP28, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Asia, San Francisco , California, San Francisco, China, UAE, Washington , DC

☆ Malaysia invites China's Xi to visit, ramps up tourism target
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Liz Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Journalists watch a giant screen broadcasting footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum (BRF), at the media centre in Beijing, China October 18, 2023. Government data showed Malaysia welcomed 498,540 Chinese tourists in the six months to June this year, a figure almost a third of pre-pandemic levels. Malaysia's economic growth is expected to meet the government's target of 4% this year, driven in part by stronger tourism. Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has also invited China's President Xi Jinping to visit the country, Norman said. "We are hoping that President Xi will consent to visiting Malaysia," he added.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Tingshu Wang, China's, Xi Jingping, Norman Muhamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Norman, Xi, Wang Yi, Zambry Abdul Kadir, Liz Lee, Bernard Orr, Ethan Wang, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Malaysian, Malaysia's, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Malaysia, Thailand, Government, New York

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