Author: Daud Ishak

The navies of Indonesia and Russia began their first joint military exercises in the Java Sea on Monday, the Indoneisan navy said. The drills will take place in the Java Sea near the Indonesian city of Surabaya until Friday, after Russian warships arrived on site on Sunday. Russia has sent three corvette-class warships, a medium tanker, a military helicopter and a tugboat, according to the Indonesian navy. “Russian warships came from afar to Indonesia and conducted joint exercises for the first time that seek to improve diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Russia, especially the navies,” Indonesian navy commander Denih Hendrata said. The statement quoted…

KUALA LUMPUR: Jailed former Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday (Oct 23) issued a rare apology for his mishandling of the multibillion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal, but maintained he had no knowledge of illegal transfers from the now-defunct state fund. 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a sovereign wealth fund co-founded by Najib in 2009 while he was premier, has faced corruption probes in at least six countries over the alleged misappropriation of over US$4.5 billion by high-level officials of the fund and their associates. Malaysia’s top court in 2022 upheld a guilty verdict against Najib for corruption and money laundering for illegally receiving…

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s economy expanded faster than expected in the third quarter of 2024 on gains in the services and manufacturing sectors, putting the nation on track to meet the government’s revised annual growth forecast. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.3 per cent in the July-September period from a year ago, according to advanced estimates from Malaysia’s Department of Statistics on Oct 21. That is higher than the 5.1 per cent median prediction in a Bloomberg survey. The growth print comes just days after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised Malaysia’s 2024 growth forecast range to 4.8 per cent to…

Punishing hot weather affects not only a person’s health or work productivity but also affects couples’ fertility and birth outcomes, a project by the National University of Singapore (NUS) found. Rising temperatures could further reduce Singapore’s resident total fertility rate, which dipped below 1 – a record low – in 2023. The rate refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years. Researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine studied sperm samples from 818 men that were already stored at the National University Hospital’s (NUH) andrology section. The scientists then traced the men’s…

For the first time since taking over the Malaysian men’s national football team two years ago, South Korean-born coach Kim Pan-gon will be going up against his native country. It will be the teams’ final Group E match of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup on Thursday in Qatar. Malaysia, following consecutive losses to Jordan and Bahrain, have already been eliminated from knockout contention. At No. 130 in the FIFA rankings, Malaysia will be a massive underdog against 23rd-ranked South Korea when they face off at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, south of Doha. Though Malaysia have little left…

SINGAPORE – The U.S. Navy conducted a maritime exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the South China Sea demonstrating the combined capabilities to counter regional threats, Dec. 7. Participating ships included the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) and the Murasame-class general-purpose destroyer JS Ikazuchi (DD 107) of the JMSDF. The exercise provided an opportunity to build on decades of regional cooperation allowing the maritime forces to sail together, conduct enhanced planning and advanced maritime communication operations. “I always look forward to opportunities to work with our friends in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The…

The Philippines and the United States have commenced joint patrols in waters near Taiwan, as confirmed by officials from the Southeast Asian nation. This development is expected to escalate tensions with China. Throughout this year, security collaborations between the treaty allies have intensified. This includes a decision to nearly double the number of Philippine bases accessible to the American military, some of which are situated facing Taiwan. Additionally, the two nations conducted their largest-ever joint military drill in April. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared this week’s three-day joint air and maritime exercise as a “significant initiative” aimed at enhancing…

KUALA LUMPUR: Johor will be the state to watch in 2024, said the chairman of Rehda Institute Datuk Jefrrey Ng Tiong Lip. Ng said that in addition to the current rapid transit system (RTS) link project connecting Johor Bahru’s Bukit Chagar and Singapore’s Woodlands, there will be positive growth effects from the resuscitation of the HSR, additional ferry crossings, and possibly even a third link bridge.  Additionally, he anticipates that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will draw both local and foreign investment, thereby promoting the development of the region’s infrastructure, including networks for communication, utilities, and transportation.  “This will…

BEIJING – While the United States and China may not be ready to resolve their core differences, there are areas that they can work on that would build confidence, from the economy to defence and climate change, said Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. Most leaders would be hoping for continuity at an expected meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in the US later in November, he told reporters on Wednesday. “In other words, whatever is achievable or has been agreed upon doesn’t get disrupted by balloon incidents or other issues,” said Dr Ng. He was referring to…

JOHOR BARU, Nov 22 — Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has today appointed the Crown Prince, Tunku Ismail Ibrahim, as the Regent of Johor during the former’s tenure as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong next year. He said Tunku Ismail’s appointment was stipulated by the State Constitution allowing the sultan to hand over his authority in the state government to the crown prince during his absence. “Just as how I was guided as the regent when my late father became the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1984, Tunku Ismail will bear the responsibility to protect the state and the people, and exercise…