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It’s been nearly three weeks since talk of an alleged “Dubai Move” plot to topple Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim first emerged but there has been no sign of the Malaysian leader losing his grip on power. Talk of defections, however, persists especially since Malaysians have seen similar moves play out on the political landscape in recent years.
That’s not the only conspiratorial talk around town. Speculation swirled last week of a royal pardon for Najib Razak, who has only served 17 months of his 12 year prison sentence for graft linked to 1MDB, despite the former premier still being on trial for other crimes relating to the troubled state fund.
Turning to more concrete developments, Datuk Seri Anwar and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met on Jan 11 on the Rapid Transit System Link being built above the Johor Strait to commemorate completion of the connecting span between the respective countries’ ends of a rail viaduct. They, together with officials from their respective governments, also held meetings that included the inking of a memorandum of understanding to establish the Singapore-Johor Special Economic Zone.
Follow ST’s coverage as we continue to bring you the latest developments and thank you for reading The Straits Times.
Najib pardon unlikely due to other charges and reputational risk to Malaysia: Analysts
‘Dubai Move’ plot to topple Malaysia PM Anwar is unlikely, but perception of instability remains
A drastic shift in support is unlikely, given that PM Anwar has the backing of 152 members of the 222-strong Parliament.
Johor-S’pore SEZ to draw more MNCs amid trade war fears: Economists
The JSSEZ is seen as a win-win, as companies can tap Malaysia’s land and labour, and Singapore’s capital and technology.
Dystopian thriller about racial tensions sets stage for more Malaysian indie films
Film-makers can crowdfund productions and bypass Malaysia’s censors by releasing them online.
In Quest Of: Vibrant indie art gems in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia exempts capital gains tax, foreign-sourced income taxes on unit trusts
The exemption on foreign-sourced income took effect from Jan 1, 2024, and will last until Dec 31, 2026.
