A recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court has clarified that a cumulative or holistic approach should be applied to the public interest test relating to qualified exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), dismissing an appeal by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Data safety or investment? US trade deal ignites debate in Indonesia
A new trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States has triggered heated debate in Jakarta, with critics zeroing in on controversial provisions allowing the transfer of personal data abroad and relaxing local content requirements for US companies.
While officials say the deal is not yet final, observers are split over whether the concessions mark a pragmatic step towards attracting investment or a risky erosion of digital sovereignty and economic self-reliance.
The proposed framework,…
‘Made by Malaysia’: Anwar aims to tap tech and AI for developed nation goal
Malaysia unveiled its latest economic road map to climb the global value chain on Thursday as it aims to produce premium tech products such as semiconductors and tap into artificial intelligence (AI) in its push for developed nation status by 2030.
The “Made by Malaysia” aspiration is central to the 13th Malaysia Plan, the country’s five-year development blueprint for 2026 to 2030, and marks a strategic shift from its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim…
South African Society of Physiotherapy awarded exemption to Competition Act
The Competition Commission of South Africa recently announced an exemption for members of the South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) to engage in agreements or practices that are usually prohibited.
Indonesian man killed by rooster’s blade during cockfight in Bali
A man has died after being fatally struck by a rooster’s blade at a cockfight in Bali, marking the second deadly incident linked to such events on the Indonesian island in recent weeks and prompting renewed scrutiny of the practice.
The victim, identified as I Nengah Sudana, aged about 50, was attending a tajen, or traditional Balinese cockfight, in the city of Denpasar on Sunday afternoon when the incident occurred.
Local media reported that one of the roosters, which had been outfitted with a…
Strangulation murder of 6-year-old boy stuns Malaysia
A six-year-old boy in Malaysia whose body was found buried in a shallow grave by a roadside in a district in Pahang last week died after being strangled, police said on Wednesday.
The boy was reported missing from his home in Iskandar Puteri, Johor – more than 200km away – on July 24. His body was discovered two days later, following the arrest of his 36-year-old father.
His death has shocked Malaysians, with the arrest of his father over the alleged murder adding grim interest to the…
UK higher education institutions must be alert to suspicious financial activity
Higher education institutions in the UK must ensure they are alert to suspicious financial activity and have processes in place in order to avoid inadvertent non-compliance with financial crime laws, an expert has said.
Does Chinese privilege exist in Singapore? Study finds views differ by age, race
Das still remembers an offhand remark from a former colleague who, upon seeing his hairy legs, said that they resembled a monkey’s.
For the 30-year-old ethnic Indian Singaporean postgraduate student, who spoke to This Week in Asia under a pseudonym, the comment reflected a kind of casual insensitivity he said he had encountered as a racial minority in Singapore.
“I would ascribe the confidence of saying such things without having to endure a blowback or to blow it off as a joke to Chinese…
Thailand-Cambodia row benefits Bali, as tourists trade temples for beaches
The tourism industry in Indonesia’s holiday hotspot Bali is preparing for a potential influx of travellers who are re-routing their holidays from Thailand, spooked by the recent border conflict with Cambodia, even though a fragile ceasefire is now in place.
Local officials and hotel operators have reported early signs of shifting travel patterns as global tourists seek out safer alternatives in Southeast Asia, according to I Gusti Agung Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, deputy chair of the Indonesian…
Australia’s next set of Privacy Act reforms will address innovation and protection
A further package of privacy reforms could still be released this year after attorney general Michelle Rowland confirmed that a second set of reforms to amend Australia’s Privacy Act is currently being prepared for cabinet approval.