Malaysia
Thailand foreign tourist arrivals fall 3.1% in first eight months of 2026
Thailand received 20,935,135 foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2026, down 3.08% year on year.
Bank Negara Malaysia expected to hold OPR at 2.75%
BNM has maintained the 2.75% benchmark since delivering a preemptive 25 basis point rate cut in July 2025 to shield domestic growth from US trade tariff headwinds.
Indonesia, MAS launch Indonesia-Singapore local currency transaction
Central banks in Indonesia and Singapore have operationalised their bilateral settlement system, which highlights a step toward regional financial integration and currency diversification within ASEAN.
Wildfires cause 165,000 respiratory cases in Indonesia's Kalimantan
Acute respiratory infections in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, reached 165,727 cases between January 1 and August 22, the local health office reports.
China’s clean-energy boom runs into the limits of its power grid
China rejected an estimated 360 terawatt-hours of clean power in the six months through June, enough to supply Mexico for a year.
China’s $303bn ‘shadow trade’ exposed as apparent Asia-wide tariff dodge network
The report, carrying the somewhat dramatic title of ‘The Great Transshipment Scam’ and headed by an image of a Trojan horse style graphic, says Chinese exporters increasingly routed goods through third countries
Malaysia's digital banks lure 2mn customers as big lenders keep their grip
Malaysia's five digital banks have signed up almost 2mn customers in barely two years, a fast start that has yet to loosen the grip of the country's entrenched lenders.
Transboundary haze from Indonesian peatland fires crosses into Malaysia, threatens biodiversity
The cross-border crisis follows a rapid surge in satellite-detected hotspots and burnt territory across Sumatra and Indonesian Borneo.
Singapore banks offset interest margin squeeze with record wealth management fee growth
Singapore’s domestic lenders are insulating overall earnings from global interest rate cuts by expanding their regional wealth management franchises.
Drug mule blitz exposes Malaysia’s sinister new smuggling pipeline
Recent arrests across Southeast Asia, starting in Indonesia, have now reached Singapore and have exposed a troubling shift in regional narcotics smuggling originating in Malaysia.
India's edible oil self-sufficiency drive faces headwinds
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, along with deficient rainfall, has raised concerns in India’s edible oil market, according to a recent report published in OpenMarkets, a global market insight platform of the CME Group.
Malaysia Airlines pilot arrested at Indonesian airport over 26kg ecstasy smuggling attempt
Forensic drug testing revealed that the pilot actively operated the aircraft while under the influence of illicit substances.
Electrifying Asia – where EVs are reshaping power demand and fuel use
The winners are likely to be countries capable of building integrated ecosystems spanning renewable generation, batteries, charging networks and EV manufacturing.
Iranian oil continued reaching customers despite sanctions, EIA data shows
Iranian crude and petroleum products continued to reach international markets despite years of US sanctions, with EIA data identifying at least 154 vessels involved in transporting Iranian cargoes recorded at 19 ports in four countries.
Malaysian chip boom spreads its wings
The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics has significantly upgraded its global outlook, forecasting semiconductor sales to jump 90% year on year to $1.51 trillion in 2026, before expanding a further 27% to around $1.9 trillion in 2027.
Russia's ASEAN summit in Kazan was a diplomatic coup for the Kremlin
The ASEAN summit held in Russia last week was one of the Kremlin’s biggest diplomatic successes since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
From Sapura to Vantris, Malaysia's biggest corporate rescue
Because of the firm's scale, an uncontrolled insolvency was never an option for Malaysian regulators, as the company was too embedded in the domestic O&G ecosystem, supporting over 59,000 jobs in the nation's energy sector.
Malaysia secures 20-year Russian energy deal
The deal was secured through direct, closed-door bilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 35th Anniversary ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit.
COMMENT: Iran war shows why Asia must quit fossil fuels
Across Asia, governments are now accelerating approvals for renewable projects and grid modernisation schemes. Battery storage investments are making headlines almost daily.
Malaysia's ringgit under pressure as Fed outlook, Middle East diplomacy unsettle markets
This local depreciation is not an isolated event, as the Malaysian currency has traded lower against a comprehensive basket of major global and regional peers.