As the gavel passes to Malaysia’s new chief justice, old questions echo through Putrajaya. Can a judiciary led by a former Umno party insider truly deliver impartial justice, or will the shadows of political allegiance darken the bench?
Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, previously a Court of Appeal judge and once deputy home minister under prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is set to assume the judiciary’s highest seat on Monday.
But his past life as an Umno politician, and personal associations…
How China’s ‘big winner’ BYD conquered Sri Lanka’s car market
Aggressive pricing, shrewd tax engineering and a trusted local partner have propelled China’s BYD to a commanding position in Sri Lanka’s electric vehicle and hybrid market, disrupting a sector long constrained by import restrictions and setting the stage for dramatic expansion.
Sri Lanka’s car market, starved of new imports for nearly five years under a sweeping ban imposed in the lead up to the economic crisis of 2022 to stabilise foreign reserves, reopened in February as the government lifted…
Philippines debates jailing adult children for parental neglect
Should adult children face prison for failing to care for their elderly parents? That’s the contentious question dividing the Philippines after a senator revived a bill to make filial neglect a criminal offence.
Senator Panfilo Lacson first pushed his Parents Welfare Act in 2019 but it failed to gain much traction. The bill, which he refiled earlier this month, recognises care for the elderly as a shared duty of children and the government, but if enacted it would empower courts to penalise…
India’s drones take flight as ‘cost-effective’ solution to fighter jet wait
India’s recent military clash with Pakistan has underscored its accelerating push to expand its drone capabilities, which experts say could serve as a cost-effective interim solution while the country waits for its fifth-generation fighter jets.
The cross-border operation – launched in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam – saw Indian forces deploy a mix of locally made and imported drones to destroy nine militant camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Analysts say the campaign,…
Indonesia’s wiretap pact could create digital dragnet for dissent, critics warn
A wiretapping agreement between Indonesia’s prosecutors and the country’s biggest telecoms firms has drawn criticism from rights groups warning it could enable mass unchecked surveillance, even as officials defend the deal as a crucial tool for law enforcement.
The memorandum of understanding, signed last month between the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and four major telecommunications providers, allows prosecutors to access user data and intercept communications for investigative…
Workers outside Australia can access unfair dismissal protections, according to FWC
Foreign nationals employed to work overseas for Australian businesses can be entitled to the benefits and protection of Australian employment law, including unfair dismissal protections, a recent Fair Work Commission decision has confirmed.
Fukuoka station deploys mirror to fight rising voyeurism in Japan
Authorities in the Japanese city of Fukuoka have installed an “anti-voyeurism” mirror in a subway station in a bid to stop the rising number of cases in the bustling Tenjin entertainment area.
The mirror, affixed beside an escalator at the Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) station, has a wide field of view to enable commuters to spot voyeurs or those taking upskirt photos, according to the online News on Japan. It was donated by the We Love Tenjin Council, a community group made up of local…
A knockout idea? Philippines police chief accepts boxing challenge from Duterte’s son
Philippine National Police chief General Nicolas Torre III has accepted a challenge to a fist-fight from the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, proposing that the clash be held this weekend as a charity event to raise funds for typhoon and flood victims.
The dramatic exchange, which has captivated Filipinos online, is the latest escalation in an increasingly personal feud between the Duterte family and the country’s top police officer.
Tensions have simmered since Torre oversaw the March…
Indonesian ex-minister’s jail term: corruption or ‘politically’ motivated?
A recent prison sentence for a former Indonesian trade minister has raised eyebrows over alleged political motivations, given the defendant’s loyalty to an opposition politician.
Last Friday, judges at a corruption court in Jakarta sentenced Thomas Trikasih Lembong to 4½ years in jail and a fine of 750 million rupiah (US$46,000) for improperly granting sugar import permits, during what the prosecutor said was a surplus of local production, when he was trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors…
South Korean, Filipino officials rebuked for poor flood response and misjudgment
As floods devastate communities across South Korea and the Philippines, their presidents have rebuked officials for indulging in merrymaking and political publicity instead of focusing on disaster management.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered a “strict crackdown on the careless public officials who went about drinking and dancing or acted thoughtlessly” during a recent devastating rainfall, which claimed at least 19 lives nationwide.
Lee said it was important to punish…