Economy & Resources

On June 16, 2026, Malaysia's judiciary officially published the full written judgment in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) case involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, nearly six months after the High Court convicted him on multiple corruption and money laundering charges linked to RM2.3 billion in state funds.   Najib was sentenced on December 25, 2025, at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya to 15 years’ imprisonme...

West Papua remains one of Indonesia's most sensitive and unresolved political challenges. Decades after the territory's integration into Indonesia, tensions over self-determination, human rights, and state authority continue to fuel unrest across the region.   Rooted in a contested history and competing narratives of sovereignty, the conflict extends far beyond separatist violence. It has become a test of Jakarta's ability to balance secur...

Malaysia is opening a new front in its battle to recover billions linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal. The latest move targets Barbados, where Malaysian authorities secured a court order freezing about $1.7 million tied to suspicious offshore accounts.   The 1MDB scandal remains one of the largest cross-border financial crimes in modern history. When details emerged, they exposed how major banks, offshore j...

The United Arab Emirates and the Philippines are stepping up efforts to protect overseas workers. As labor migration continues to grow, both countries are developing new policies to improve worker safety, rights, and long-term support.   Around 2.4 million Filipinos work overseas, especially in the Gulf, where they are essential to sectors such as healthcare, construction, shipping, and domestic service. Their remittances support millions ...

The Pax Silica, the United States' plan to build a tech-production bloc outside China’s reach, now includes 13 countries, from Australia to Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. On April 16, the Philippines joined the initiative, with a 4,000-acre industrial hub on Luzon at the center of the agreement.   The project is being pitched as a base for allied manufacturing, but it also serves strategic purposes. Washington wants the Philippin...