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Malaysia’s reliance on exports means that it must prioritise peace and stability, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday, especially in areas such as the South China Sea where his government has pushed for demilitarisation of the contested waters.“We have to maintain peace and stability. At this moment in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, passage of ships are still free without any obstructions. But once people start sending warships into this area, there will be tension,”…

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo was on Sunday sworn in for his second and final term as the country’s leader amid tight security in the capital, 10 days after Muslim militants attempted to assassinate his top security minister.Widodo, who is commonly known as Jokowi, said he would make improving human resources his top priority to help lay the foundation for making the economy among the world’s top five by 2045.He said Indonesia had set itself a target of becoming a US$7 trillion economy,…

The luxury yacht once owned by Malaysia’s fugitive financier Low Taek Jho is back on the market.Just six months after the vessel was bought for US$126 million, yachting company Camper & Nicholsons is listing Tranquility for sale again, its website showed.It has an asking price of US$200 million, according to Business Insider, almost 60 per cent more than what casino company Genting Malaysia Bhd paid.The 91.5-metre boat, formerly known as Equanimity, was seized from Low last year as part of…

Britain’s Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge left Pakistan on Friday afternoon after concluding their inaugural visit, which captured the nation’s attention for five days but will be remembered for years to come.The royal couple arrived in the capital of Islamabad on Monday night to a red-carpet welcome and an eager media scrum.Kate Middleton’s decision to don an elegant aqua shalwar kameez, Pakistan’s national dress of a tunic with trousers, was received positively by many in the nation.On…

Robin Jonathan had not yet been born when Japanese imperialists killed his grandfather and uncle in Indonesia’s province of East Kalimantan. The two men, both of Chinese descent, were executed for helping Indonesian fighters in their struggle for the country’s independence.Robin, now 70, recalled the tragic events as his family’s most notable contribution to the fight to defend the “homeland” during the tumultuous years under Japanese rule.Japan occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945 before it…

Traders in India are avoiding Malaysian palm oil imports in favour of purchases from Indonesia amid growing fears that New Delhi is weighing retaliation against the Southeast Asian nation for its criticism over Kashmir and sheltering of wanted Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. At least three importers said the uncertainty in bilateral relations had forced them to consider alternatives, while a government source who handles India’s trade ties with Southeast Asia struck a note of caution despite…

A Singaporean man became the first of the country’s citizens to be jailed for financing terrorism after he was convicted of sending money to a radical Islamist preacher.There have been a steady stream of arrests in Singapore related to support for Islamist extremism, and the affluent city state’s leaders have warned it is a prime target for an attack.Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman was jailed for two-and-a-half years for donating S$1,146 (US$840) to Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, an Islamist…

Malaysia’s navy needs upgrading to deal with the possibility of armed conflict in the South China Sea, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday ahead of the long-awaited release of a Defence White Paper expected to outline a 10-year plan for the armed forces.Saifuddin Abdullah spelled out in parliament how China’s coastguard vessels had a 24-hour presence around the South Luconia Shoals off the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo, adding that ships under the Royal Malaysian Navy “are…

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hurt his hip and suffered scratches in a motorcycle accident, senior aides of the 74-year-old leader said on Thursday.Duterte, whose health has been the subject of intense public speculation, suffered the mishap at the Malacanang presidential palace compound late Wednesday, according to spokesman Salvador Panelo.The crash came 10 days after Duterte disclosed he is suffering from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that could potentially have serious…

At least 36 suspected militants, including two former policewomen, have been arrested in recent weeks for plotting suicide bombings and assembling explosive devices ahead of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s inauguration for his second term this Sunday, police have said.Four of those detained were suspected suicide bombers aiming to attack police stations and non-Muslim places of worship in the West Java city of Cirebon, and the Central Java cities of Solo and Yogyakarta, national police…