Asian Legal Review

Malaysian police have confirmed there was public nudity during a controversial marriage motivational programme that has raised an uproar in the Muslim-majority country.
“There were confirmed instances of undress involving at least four people,” Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said at a press conference on Wednesday, Harian Metro newspaper reported. “Investigations revealed that the nudity involved both facilitators and participants of the programme.”
Six people were arrested on…

The UK government has published a wide-ranging package of financial regulation reforms, including draft regulations for ‘targeted support’, which experts say will play a “critical role” in helping consumers optimise their pension savings in retirement.

Indonesia has hailed its new trade deal with the United States as a diplomatic “success” that will lower tariffs and boost exports to the world’s largest economy, even as analysts warn the agreement could harm local farmers and compromise energy security.
Hasan Nasbi, head of the presidential communications office, said the deal should be “appreciated”, noting that the 19 per cent tariff imposed on Indonesian goods entering the US market was lower than Vietnam’s 20 per cent rate.
Hasan said that…

Jakarta’s ambassador to Singapore has expressed scepticism about the existence of an Indonesian baby trafficking syndicate following the arrest of 12 people for smuggling infants to the city state by West Java police.
Suryopratomo claimed he had not received any reports about the alleged trafficking ring when contacted by Tempo news magazine on Tuesday. “I don’t know,” he said in a brief text message. “What is the evidence of baby sales to Singapore? I cannot comment on something unclear.”
He…

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s draft guidance on pricing transparency marks an important juncture in the UK’s expanded consumer protection regime, experts have said.

Malaysia’s government on Tuesday invited the Bar Council to take part in a review of the country’s judicial appointment process, in a bid to quell public discontent over alleged executive interference that has thrown the judiciary into crisis.
The move comes just a day after nearly 1,000 lawyers marched to the Prime Minister’s Office demanding urgent reforms and greater transparency in the selection of judges amid a shortage at the top of the courts and warnings of further institutional…

A cryptic promise from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become the latest lightning rod for Malaysia’s restless public, whose patience is wearing thin after months of new taxes, political scandals and economic anxiety.
Late on Monday, Anwar posted a stylised silhouette and the words Akan Datang (Coming Soon) across his social media accounts, promising a special gesture of “extraordinary” appreciation for all Malaysians.
The post, which was met with widespread derision, appeared just hours after…

Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS funds) are open-ended collective investment schemes that are established under a common EU legal and regulatory framework.

Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepened over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed serious allegations against Federal Court Judge Terrirudin Salleh, as lawyers marched to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office on Monday to protest against alleged executive interference in the judiciary.
Anwar has come under mounting pressure over the scandal, with lawmakers from his own party breaking ranks to demand that he “clear the air”, warning that judicial integrity is now “the biggest issue” facing the…

Malaysia said on Monday it would require trade permits for all high-performance chips meant for artificial intelligence (AI) and sourced from the United States, as Kuala Lumpur scrambles to negotiate down punitive American tariffs set to kick in on August 1.
Last week, US President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Malaysia, part of a broader move by the mercurial leader to address what he described as “unsustainable trade deficits” between the world’s largest economy and its trade…