Asian Legal Review

Cows in a conservative Malaysian state could be played Koranic recitals in the hope it will help them relax and improve the quality of their beef, a senior official said on Thursday.
Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, a member of the executive council in Kelantan state, put the idea forward in the hope that it will be taken up by cattle farmers in the rural state.
The influential Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) is in charge of the state legislature in Kelantan, in the north of the Muslim-majority country…

More than £1.3 billion has been raised from the latest ‘4G’ and ‘5G’ spectrum auctions in the UK, the country’s telecoms regulator has announced.

The Thai political group that has won every national election since 2001, only to be forced out of power repeatedly by non-electoral means, has taken an initial step on a comeback trail, registering its members to contest polls promised for early next year.
The Pheu Thai Party last held power in 2014, when an army coup ousted it and installed a military government that until last month banned almost all organised political party activity.
The ruling junta, having promised an election for…

A contest at a leading Malaysian university seeking ideas to “convert” gay students sparked anger on Wednesday, with activists warning it could drive people in the Muslim-majority country to suicide.
It was the latest example of what rights groups say is growing intolerance towards Malaysia’s gay community as religious fundamentalism increases, eroding the multi-ethnic country’s traditionally moderate Islam.
The contest organised by the Muslim Students Association at…

Telecoms companies installing new fibre broadband networks in England will not have to pay business rates on impacted land under new laws set to come into force later this month.

Businesses in Scotland may be refused permission to sell alcohol on their premises if the person submitting the application for a licence is not entitled to work in the UK, under new legislation that has been proposed.

The new Philippine consul in Hong Kong has assured his compatriots that their personal data will be protected during tough security measures to screen prospective guests at a meet-and-greet with the country’s president Rodrigo Duterte next week.
Duterte will hold a six-hour meeting with members of the city’s Filipino community on April 12, and online registration has been extended to this Friday to accommodate as many people as possible at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the likely venue,…

Kuwait will recruit Ethiopian nationals to make up for a “deficit” in domestic workers, authorities said Tuesday, following the grisly murder of a Philippine maid in the Gulf state. The Philippines banned its citizens from working in Kuwait after the body of 29-year-old Joanna Demafelis was found in a freezer earlier this year, bearing signs of torture. “We aim to open the door to the recruitment of Ethiopian workers to fill the deficit of domestic servants and reduce…

Filipino community leaders in Hong Kong have expressed concerns over the arrangements for President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to the city, saying the suspected venue is difficult to reach, and the collection of attendees’ personal information is a step too far.
On April 12, Duterte will visit the city for the second time in just 10 months, after he attends the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference set for April 8-11 in Boao, Hainan Province in China.
The president’s April 12…

Malaysia’s government on Monday pushed a law through parliament that makes “fake news” punishable with a maximum six-year jail term despite an outcry from critics worried it will be used to stifle dissent before elections.
The law targets foreign as well as local media, and is seen in part as an effort to silence criticism of the scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB that has rocked the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The election is expected within…