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☆ 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

☆ 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 Pardons Board Halves Jail Sentence of Jailed Ex-Pm Najib
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian pardons board on Friday said it has decided to halve the jail sentence of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was convicted of graft and money laundering related to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail term, will be released in August 2028 and fines imposed on him reduced to 50 million ringgit ($10.59 million) from 210 million ringgit, the board's secretariat said in a statement. Najib was jailed for graft linked to state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), from which U.S. and Malaysian investigators estimate $4.5 billion was stolen and more than $1 billion channeled to accounts linked to the former premier. ($1 = 4.7220 ringgit)(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty)

Persons: Najib Razak, Najib, Rozanna Latiff, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Malaysian, 1Malaysia Development Locations: KUALA LUMPUR

☆ Ahead of Election, Pakistan Seals Plan to Sell National Airline
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

"Our job is 98% done," Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad told Reuters when asked about the plan to sell the airline. Details of the privatisation process have not been previously reported. PIA had liabilities of 785 billion Pakistani rupees ($2.81 billion) and accumulated losses of 713 billion rupees as of June last year. Its CEO has said losses in 2023 were likely to be 112 billion rupees. PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said the airline was assisting the privatisation process, extending "full cooperation" to the transaction adviser.

Persons: Asif Shahzad, Fawad Hasan Fawad, Fawad, Ernst & Young, Shamshad Akhtar, Abdullah Hafeez Khan, Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Sharif's, Ishaq Dar, EASA, Brendan Sobie, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Pakistan International Airlines, International Monetary Fund, PIA, IMF, Reuters, Caretaker, Ernst &, Ernst, FAST, Pakistan Muslim League, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Kuwaiti Locations: Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Czech, Hungarian, Karachi, Europe, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Singapore, East, North America, Paris, New York

☆ 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

☆ Batu Caves: This 400 million-year-old cave site and temple in Malaysia is planning an escalator upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

To reach the temple housed in a limestone cave at the top, visitors must currently climb 272 steps. Adding an escalator would make the site “more accessible,” a spokesperson for the site’s management committee told a press conference Friday. “We hope the government will assist us since this (escalator) will allow the disabled and elderly who are unable to climb the steps to reach the main temple,” said temple committee chairman R. Nadarajah. Visitors on the stairs leading up to Batu Caves' Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple. Batu Cave officials say the strategy has worked, pointing out the colorful stairs have become popular with Instagrammers.

Persons: “, ”, Nadarajah, Mohd Samsul Mohd Said Organizations: CNN, Visitors, Tourists, Malaysian Locations: Malaysia, Batu, Kuala Lumpur

☆ AirAsia flight: Live snake discovered in overhead cabin on plane from Bangkok
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Heather Chen | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —Chaos erupted on a domestic flight traveling from Thailand’s capital Bangkok to the southern province of Phuket after a live snake was discovered by passengers in an overhead bin. In a statement sent to CNN, AirAsia Thailand said it was aware of an incident onboard Flight FD3015 that departed Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok on January 13. This is the second reported incident of a snake found onboard an AirAsia plane. Passengers seated near the bin where the snake was spotted could be seen standing, away from their seats, in the video. Airport ground security staff were later spotted onboard the plane, investigating the area of the cabin where the snake was captured.

Persons: Phol Poompuang, ” Phol Organizations: Thailand CNN, CNN, AirAsia, Don Mueang International, Kuching International Airport, AirAsia Thailand Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thailand’s, Phuket, AirAsia Thailand, Don, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Kuching, Sarawak

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The director and producer of a banned Malaysian film that explores the afterlife were charged Wednesday with offending the religious feelings of others in a rare criminal prosecution of filmmakers, slammed by critics as an attack on freedom of expression. “As far as we are concerned, these are groundless charges and we will challenge those charges in court,” he said. The two filmmakers filed a suit challenging the government’s decision before they were charged. Human Rights Watch accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government of prosecuting the two filmmakers to win political support from Malays. Khairianwar has said this is likely the first time a filmmaker has been criminally charged in the country.

Persons: Mohamad Khairianwar Jailani, “, Tan Meng Kheng, Surendran, ”, Critics, Anwar Ibrahim’s, Anwar, hypocritically, Phil Robertson, Khairianwar, ” Khairianwar Organizations: Home Ministry, Islam, Human Rights Watch, Free, Free Malaysia Today Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Malaysian, Islam, Hong Kong, Malay, Asia, “, Free Malaysia

☆ 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

☆ I grew up always wanting to drive my own car. But I'm from the world's most expensive city to live in, and now I know I never will.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

AdvertisementFor car buyers, the COE is an extra cost that can easily eclipse the actual price of a car. These BMW family cars cost around $103,000 in 2017. COE prices went up to $67,000 that year for lower-end cars, despite more than 13,000 certificates being made available. On Thursday, COE prices for lower-end cars fell to about $48,000, a steep drop that shocked the market. Meanwhile, while unpopular, Singapore's COE prices are working for now.

Persons: —, Mikel Bilbao, Edgar Su, Reuters They've, EDGAR SU, Walter Theseira, Theseira, Singapore's, We've, ROSLAN RAHMAN, we've, Aditya Irawan, it's, they're, Benjamin Loo Organizations: Service, Volvo, Volkswagen, Hyundai, VW, Getty, COE, BMW, Reuters, Toyota Corolla, Singapore University of Social Sciences, ROSLAN RAHMAN Singapore, Yokohama JR Line, The New York Times, Uber, Temasek Holdings, CarTimes, Straits Times Locations: Singapore, European, New York City, Tokyo, Yokohama, New York, Asia, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur

☆ The most exciting new trains coming in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —Around the world, travelers are flocking back to trains, and demand is increasing across the board for high-speed trains, luxury “land cruises” and long-distance day and night trains. Here are some of the best new trains you’ll be able to take in 2024. Laurie Dieffembacq/Belga/AFP/Getty ImagesLinks between two of Europe’s most visited capitals have traditionally been pretty poor, with no direct trains since the 1990s. Ian Clarke/Alamy Stock PhotoFour continents, 13 countries, and seven luxury trains across 80 days – the ultimate experience for rail travel connoisseurs is due to depart in late 2024. BelmondOne of the world’s greatest luxury train journeys is returning to the rails in 2024 after a four-year gap.

Persons: Laurie Dieffembacq, Dimorestudio, Vita ”, Riva Aquarama, itineraries, Jeroen Berends, Gabriel Bouys, it’s, Jesus Hellin, That’s, Trenitalia, Luigi Ferraris, France –, Railbookers, Ian Clarke, we’ve, ”, Frank Marini, Alex Halada, There’s Organizations: CNN, Orient, Getty, ÖBB, Austrian Federal Railways, SNCF, Eurostar, National, Europa Press, French, Renfe, FS, Rocky Mountaineer, Royal, Orient Express, Oriental, ”, Oriental Express, Austrian Railways, Swiss Locations: Swiss, Venice, Paris, Berlin, AFP, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Italy, Rome, Matera, Palermo, Sicily, Messina, Europe’s, Istanbul, Split, Brussels, Prague, Europe, Dutch, Dresden, Belgian, Roman, Naples, Madrid, Spain, France, Spanish, Barcelona, Lyon, Marseille, Canada, Central Europe, India, South Africa, Eastern, Vancouver, Malaysia, Singapore, Malaysia’s, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Bangkok, Vienna, Innsbruck, Hamburg, Switzerland, Germany, Zürich, Gornergrat Bahn, Zermatt, Gornergrat, Riffelalp

☆ Aramco chief says renewables still not enough to cover demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

President and CEO of Aramco Amin Nasser attends the Energy Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/ File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Saudi oil giant Aramco's Chief Executive on Monday told a panel on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit in the UAE that that all the renewable energy coming to market is still not enough to handle additional demand. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser added that more investment in the oil and gas sector is still needed. Reporting by Maha EL Dahan and Yousef Saba Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Amin Nasser, Hasnoor Hussain, Yousef Saba, David Goodman Organizations: Energy Asia, REUTERS, Rights, Maha, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saudi, UAE

☆ French ministers head to Indo-Pacific, Australia in diplomatic push
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna and French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu leave following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 22, 2023. France, with overseas territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and 7,000 troops stationed there, considers itself an Indo-Pacific power. The loss of a major submarine deal with Australia in 2021 forced it rethink its strategy amid ongoing regional tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Underscoring those efforts, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu will host in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia between Dec. 4-8 the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting, the first time it has hosted the format since it was created in 2013. While it has diversified its ties across the Pacific, France has also worked on rebuilding its partnership with Australia.

Persons: Catherine Colonna, Sebastien Lecornu, Sarah Meyssonnier, Ferdinand Marcos, Karen Lerna, Sandra Maler Organizations: Foreign, French Defence, REUTERS, South Pacific, South Pacific Defence Ministers, South, Australia, Canberra, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, PARIS, Pacific, Ocean, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Caledonia, Britain, United States, South Korea, Spain, Manila, South China, Kuala Lumpur

☆ Malaysia Brings Home 121 Suspected Victims of Job Scams Trapped in Myanmar Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A total of 121 people, mostly Malaysians suspected of being victims of job scams, were evacuated from Myanmar on Friday after being stranded by fighting between the military and rebel groups in the country's north, Malaysia's foreign ministry said. The mission came amid continuous fighting in northern Myanmar after an alliance of armed ethnic groups launched an offensive in late October. The groups have seized control of several towns and military outposts near the country's border with China, disrupting trade. Malaysia's deputy foreign minister Mohamad Alamin said the rescued group were among 128 people stranded in Laukkaing, a town in Myanmar's northern Shan state, state news agency Bernama reported on Friday. Hundreds of Malaysians have been rescued from cybercrime and job scam networks across Southeast Asia in recent years.

Persons: Mohamad Alamin, Bernama, Malaysia's, Mohamad, Rozanna Latiff, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Myanmar, Indonesian, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, China, Laukkaing, Shan, Southeast Asia

☆ EU court says public employees may be barred from wearing head scarf
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The case came to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) after an employee of the eastern Belgian municipality of Ans was told she could not wear an Islamic head scarf at work. The municipality subsequently changed its terms of employment to require its employees to observe strict neutrality by not wearing overt signs of religious or ideological belief. The hijab, the traditional head scarf worn around the head and shoulders, has been a divisive issue across Europe for years. The CJEU said a policy of strict neutrality that was intended to establish a neutral administrative environment may be regarded as being objectively justified by a legitimate aim. The court said authorities in member states had a margin of discretion in designing the neutrality of public service they intended to promote.

Persons: Lim Huey Teng, Philip Blenkinsop, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Justice, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rights BRUSSELS, Europe, Belgian

☆ I Spent Years Working for My Dream Job at JPMorgan, Only to Quit 2 Years Later
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Xaviera Ho, 29, spent years working towards her dream job at JPMorgan. But two years after landing her dream job as an investment analyst, she quit. That was when I realized that I wanted to go to business school and pursue a career in finance. During my four years in business school, I did several finance-related internships, including stints with an investment bank and a hedge fund. The branding, exposure, and networking opportunities that you get from working at a top bank like JPMorgan can be a great booster to your career.

Persons: Xaviera Ho, —, Robert Kiyosaki's, Rich Dad Poor, JP Morgan Organizations: JPMorgan, Service, National University of Singapore Business School, JP, JPMorgan Tech Exchange, National University of Singapore Locations: Ho's, Shenzhen, China, Kuala Lumpur, secondments, Vietnam, Seattle

Secretary General of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham Al Ghais speaks during the Energy Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia June 26, 2023. "This presents an extremely narrow framing of challenges before us, and perhaps expediently plays down such issues as energy security, energy access and energy affordability," Al Ghais said in a statement. Al Ghais has said OPEC would be present at the climate talks. In Thursday's note, the IEA was also critical of carbon capture technologies. It is that the energy challenges before us are enormous and complex and cannot be limited to one binary question," Al Ghais said.

Persons: Haitham Al Ghais, Hasnoor Hussain, Al Ghais, facto, Maha El, Mark Potter Organizations: Organization of, Petroleum, Energy Asia, REUTERS, IEA, Dubai DUBAI, International Energy Agency, of the Petroleum, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dubai, Paris, UAE, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, U.N, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Chinese court starts hearing lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines over missing flight MH370
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jiang Hui speaks with CNN in an interview in Beijing on November 21, 2023, days before a Chinese court began hearing lawsuits over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. All of them are international companies headquartered outside China, though Malaysia Airlines, Boeing and Roll-Royce have offices in China. In Malaysia, two young boys who lost their father on the flight sued Malaysia Airlines for breach of contract and the Malaysian government for negligence in 2014. In China, families who signed a settlement agreement with Malaysian Airlines received 2.5 million yuan ($350,000) in compensation. Only a few dozen Chinese families signed initially, but over the years more have opted to settle.

Persons: Jiang Hui, Jiang Cuiyun, MH370, Jiang, ” Jiang, Royce, Covid, “, ”, – Organizations: Beijing CNN —, Malaysia Airlines Flight, CNN, Court, Maylasia Airlines, Boeing, Malaysia Airlines, Allianz, Rolls, Malaysian, Malaysian Airlines Locations: China, Beijing, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Chaoyang District, United States, Africa, Australia, Mauritius, Madagascar

☆ Malaysia to allow visa-free entry to Chinese, Indian nationals from Dec. 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Malaysia will grant visa-free entry to citizens of China and India for stays of up to 30 days starting on Dec. 1, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. According to government data, Malaysia recorded 9.16 million tourist arrivals between January and June this year, with 498,540 from China and 283,885 from India. That compared to 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India in the same period of 2019, prior to the pandemic. The move follows similar measures implemented by neighbouring Thailand to boost its vital tourism sector and stimulate its sluggish economy, with Chinese and Indian nationals among those exempted this year. Currently, Chinese and Indian nationals must apply for visas to enter Malaysia.

Persons: Lai Seng, Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, Danial Azhar, Martin Petty Organizations: Kuala, Kuala Lumpur International, REUTERS, People's Justice Party, Malaysia, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore, Sepang, KUALA LUMPUR, China, India, Thailand

☆ Malaysia opposition leader to step down as party president
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Malaysian opposition leader and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin speaks during an interview at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia July 27, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition leader Muhyiddin Yassin said on Friday he would step down as president of his party, which leads the Malay-majority bloc Perikatan Nasional. Muhyiddin, a former prime minister, said at his Bersatu party's annual meeting he will not defend his position as party president during internal leadership elections next year. "The time for me to pass on the party leadership to a new team of leaders has arrived," he said in a speech. Bersatu is part of the Perikatan Nasional opposition bloc, which is backed by a conservative Islamist party and made inroads among the country's majority ethnic-Malay Muslims during regional polls in August and last year's general elections.

Persons: Muhyiddin Yassin, Hasnoor Hussain, Danial Azhar, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: REUTERS, Perikatan Nasional, Thomson Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR, Malay, Perikatan Nasional

All have been hit by a boycott campaign over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip since the deadly Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Western brands are feeling the impact in Egypt and Jordan, and there are signs the campaign is spreading in some other Arab countries including Kuwait and Morocco. Videos have circulated of what appear to be Israeli troops washing clothes with well-known detergent brands which viewers are urged to boycott. In Kuwait City on Tuesday evening, a tour of seven branches of Starbucks, McDonald's and KFC found them nearly empty. Previous boycott campaigns in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, had less impact, including those advocated by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Persons: Mohamed Abd, Reham Hamed, Ahmad al, McDonald's, Jordan, Hossam Mahmoud, Sameh El Sadat, executive's, Issam Abu Shalaby, Farah Saafan, Sarah El Safty, Mai ShamsElDin, Suleiman Al, Ahmed Hagagy, Jonathan Spicer, Aidan Lewis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Gaza, U.S, Kuwait City, McDonald's, KFC, McDonald's Corp, Reuters, BDS, Starbucks, TBS Holding, Malaysian, Cola, Nestle, Turkish, Israel, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Kentucky, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Cairo, CAIRO, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Amman, Rabat, BDS Egypt, Egyptian, Malaysia, Putrajaya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Khalidi, Danial Azhar, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Istanbul

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Organizers of Wednesday's Coldplay concert in Malaysia can stop the show if the British rock band misbehaves, a minister said as the government rejected Muslim conservatives' calls to cancel the show. Led by the country's opposition bloc, Muslim conservatives have protested the concert over Coldplay’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Communication and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he doesn't foresee any problem with Coldplay's first concert in Malaysia later in the night. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has justified allowing the Coldplay concert, telling Parliament on Tuesday that “Coldplay is actually among the bands that support Palestine." Anwar said pro-Palestinian groups also approached his office in support of the Coldplay concert.

Persons: Wednesday's, Fahmi Fadzil, Coldplay's, ” Fahmi, Anwar Ibrahim, Coldplay, Anwar, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, ”, ” Coldplay, Chris Martin Organizations: —, Wednesday's Coldplay, Digital, Malaysia, British, Coldplay, Islamic, PAS, Live, Police, Coldplay's, Protesters Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, British, Israel, Kuala Lumpur, “, Palestine, Indonesia

HANOI/KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Electronics worth a year-high $74 million, such as solar panels and microchips mostly from Malaysia and Vietnam, were denied entry in the United States in September or were checked for components from forced labour in China, official data show. In September alone, $82 million worth of shipments were either refused or were held for checks -- 90% of which were electronics -- a jump from less than $20 million in August. Over two-thirds of rejected or held cargoes came from Malaysia or Vietnam, which are major exporters to the United States of solar panels and semiconductors. Malaysia and Vietnam have had cargoes worth about $320 million each denied or held for checks since the new rules came into force, nearly three times more than China's. Washington has accused China of genocide against the Uyghurs, with rights groups denouncing a widespread use of internment camps and forced labour.

Persons: Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio, Kim Coghill Organizations: Industry, Uyghur, Labor, Thomson Locations: HANOI, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Vietnam, United States, China, China's Xinjiang, U.S, Xinjiang, Washington

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