Expertly switching between woks as he whips up appam, the coconut and rice batter pancakes that draw morning commuters to his roadside stall in a Kuala Lumpur suburb, Raj Kumar harbours anxieties that simmer away beneath the calm: petrol subsidy cuts are looming and prices may soon rise again.
At 44, Raj feels every shift in Malaysia’s rising cost of living – both in the prices he pays for ingredients and the rueful faces of his customers.
“Our suppliers raised prices after diesel subsidies were…
Why Singapore refused to be a ‘Third China’ – and how Lee Kuan Yew made it clear
In his new memoir Ink and Influence: An OB Markers Sequel, Cheong Yip Seng reflects on the intersection of geopolitics, media, and identity through the lens of his long career as editor-in-chief of The Straits Times. In this excerpt, Cheong recounts a revealing moment during an official visit to China in 1976 with then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Among the officials present was S.R. Nathan, later Singapore’s sixth president, who witnessed Lee subtly rebuff a Chinese attempt to influence the…
Tokenised real estate gains ground in the GCC
The development of real estate tokenisation in Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) underscores the unwavering commitment by the region’s regulators to embrace fractional ownership of real estate, experts have said.
Call for delay to EU rules on GPAI models and ‘high-risk’ AI
EU policymakers have been urged to apply a two-year postponement to EU AI Act rules due to take effect next month.
High Court gives green light to claim against financial mis-selling law firm
De-dollarisation trend to continue, favouring Asian assets: Societe Generale
The rotation to emerging markets in Asia that spurred the US dollar’s worst performance in more than five decades will probably continue, as a de-dollarisation trend outweighs a record rally in US stocks, according to Societe Generale.
Global investors had turned cautious about their estimated US$62 trillion in dollar-based assets – equivalent to the size of the Nasdaq – as the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” eroded the status of the world’s reserve currency, analysts led by Frank…
‘A national crisis’: why Philippines is still struggling to legalise divorce
Philippine lawmakers have refiled a long-delayed bill legalising divorce in the country just a few days into the new Congress after its passage fell short in the previous term, with divorce advocates hopeful that the legislation will finally see the light of day.
Lawmakers have been trying to pass a divorce law since 2005, but continue to face resistance in the Catholic-majority country.
Nearly 79 per cent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic and the Philippines and the Vatican are the only countries…
Singapore organisations urged against using NRIC numbers in passwords
Businesses and individuals in Singapore have been urged to stop the practice of using national registration identity card (NRIC) numbers as passwords or authentication methods, to reduce the risk of personal data breaches.
Johor-Singapore SEZ eyes Indonesia for expanded investment zone: trade minister
Singapore and Malaysia are in talks with Indonesia to expand the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), according to Singapore’s Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong.
The JS-SEZ was officially launched in January, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong agreeing to develop various industries, including aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics in the 3,571 sq km (1,379 square mile) zone.
During the 9th Asean…
‘Better than expected’: Chinese firms in Vietnam upbeat over US tariff deal
Chinese manufacturers in Vietnam breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday, after Washington and Hanoi agreed a “better than expected” trade deal that will reduce US tariffs to 20 per cent and bring an end to three months of uncertainty.
Most Chinese exporters are likely to continue operating in the Southeast Asian nation in the wake of the agreement, with firms viewing the final tariff rate as manageable, analysts and businesspeople in the country told the Post.
US President Donald Trump announced…