Economy & Resources

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, first uncovered in 2015, remains one of the world’s most infamous financial crimes. The world was left shocked when it emerged that around RM 20.1 billion (about $4.5 billion) intended for Malaysia's economic development was stolen and hidden across banks from New York to Zurich to Abu Dhabi.   The scandal, which relied on exploiting weak Western financial systems, led to the downfall ...

Nearly 10 years after the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal erupted, Malaysia continues to address the economic and governance issues it caused.   What began in 2009 as an ambitious national development project under then-Prime Minister Najib Razak turned into one of the world's biggest financial scandals, funding luxury properties, private jets, and even Hollywood films instead of economic growth for Malaysians.   Accordi...

After more than 40 years of maritime tension, Malaysia and Indonesia are charting a new course in one of Southeast Asia’s most contested waters. On June 20, 2025, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced plans to jointly develop the Sulu-Celebes Seas, a border area long marked by competing claims and untapped potential.   Stretching across 15,000 square kilometers, the disputed zone i...

Public outrage is mounting in the Philippines as investigations into so-called "ghost projects" reveal that hundreds of taxpayer-funded flood control works were never completed. The revelations come as the country faces increasingly severe flooding, a recurring crisis made worse by inadequate drainage systems and the accelerating effects of climate change.   When powerful cyclones struck in July, affecting more than six million Filipinos, ...

As the United States raises tariffs on exports from Southeast Asia, the region faces growing economic and political pressure. These trade barriers threaten industries built on global supply chains, risk cutting manufacturing output, and could lead to job losses and weaker consumer spending.   Tariffs were once a tool of economic regulation that have increasingly become political instruments that Washington uses to shape global behavior and...