SINGAPORE (Dec 18): Singapore is caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, a slowing Chinese economy and sputtering global trade are squeezing growth in the small Asian city-state. On the other hand, the mighty Federal Reserve's sway on global interest rates is causi...

Ban this four-letter word to save Singapore real estate

(Dec 18): Well, the Federal Reserve has finally gone and done it. It raised short-term rates by 25 basis points, and Fed officials predicted four more similar hikes next year. That will bring rates to a range of 1.25% to 1.5%.

The era of the much-discussed zero interest rate p...

Back to normal programming

SINGAPORE (Dec 7): Singapore's new transport minister has revived speculation of some kind of nationalization of the city- state's subway assets. Shareholders of SMRT and SBS Transit, the two owner-operators, can't wait for the authorities to relieve them of the misery of sprucing up an aging, cr...

Singapore's rail model is the zoo

(Dec 7): It's cheaper to put your belongings on a container ship and send them around the world for a year than to stick them in a land-based self-storage facility, according to freight forwarders Flexport. So it's a good time for Singapore's state investment company Temasek Holdings to bail...

Temasek leaves a listing ship

NEW YORK (Sept 18): The Federal Reserve has chosen to leave interest rates unchanged, effectively at zero. What does this mean? First and foremost, it means that we are unlikely to see any big or significant changes in monetary policy in the near future. 

The Fed’s intere...

Fed leaves rates and doubts unchanged

NEW YORK (Sept 16): Now that U.S. stock markets have experienced their first 10% correction since 2011, investors are again looking to the Federal Reserve to bail them out. Although the Fed hasn't raised interest rates in almost 10 years, sympathetic pundits say it's still too soon to r...

Why the Fed should raise rates now

SINGAPORE (Sept 4): This week's holiday to commemorate the end of World War II couldn't have come at a better time. For a global financial system traumatized by recent gyrations in China, the closure of mainland markets is a chance to take a breath and remember that the world is mo...

Here's why not to worry about China (too much)

(Nov 19): Joko Widodo's rise from nowhere to Jakarta governor and then the presidential palace showed the wonders of Indonesia's democracy. Now, he wants to democratize the economy as well, focusing as much on the quality of growth as the quantity.

Sixteen years ago, Indonesia was casca...

 Indonesia no longer worships at the 'Cult of GDP': William Pesek

(Nov 14): When things go wrong, what is it with Japanese corporate chieftains? Shigehisa Takada, the chairman of Tokyo-based Takata Corp., is facing a spiraling scandal after news that another victim -- a pregnant woman in Malaysia -- was killed by one his company's airbags. The U.S. Senate is ho...

Japan Inc. still can't help shooting self in foot: William Pesek

(Oct 23): If Malaysian leader Najib Razak thought he already had problems at home, now he also needs to worry about a “Jokowi effect” spreading from neighboring Indonesia.


On Monday, fresh-faced Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took the helm of the world’s fourth-most-populous nation. Throu...

 Malaysia battles beer, dogs as Indonesia shines

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has confirmed that a Cessna 172N Skyhawk aircraft with the registration number 9M-ADA crashed near Felda Gunung Besout, Sungkai, Perak on Saturday.

CAAM confirms Cessna 172N Skyhawk aircraft crashed near Felda Gunung Besout

The Melaka state government is setting its sights on bolstering its local business landscape by encouraging more companies in the state to be listed on Bursa Malaysia.

Melaka aims to boost local businesses, eyes more listings on Bursa Malaysia

The government is currently studying the proposal from marine robotics company Ocean Infinity to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing while en route to Beijing 10 years ago.

Loke: Govt studying Ocean Infinity's proposal to resume search for MH370

Construction work on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor has reached an average of 65% as of April, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Progress of ECRL project in four states reaches 65%, says Loke

A training aircraft crashed in the Besout 2 Tambahan plantation area in Sungkai on Saturday.

Light aircraft crashes in Sungkai, two passengers survive

Malaysia's latest position in the Press Freedom Index is still considered good compared to the previous government, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Malaysia's press freedom index position is still good, says Fahmi

The Philippines central bank will require financial institutions to submit a report within 24 hours of discovering risks linked to money laundering and terrorist financing, as the Southeast Asian nation steps up its fight against illicit transactions.

Philippines' central bank tightens dirty money risk reporting rule

Indonesia will permanently relocate some 10,000 people living on an island in North Sulawesi following concerns that more eruptions could come from an active volcano that has already caused damages.

Indonesia relocates 10,000 people after volcano eruptions

The Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election campaign is entering a critical period for all contesting parties and candidates to redouble their efforts to win as many votes as possible.

KKB polls: Parties, candidates redoubling efforts as campaign enters critical period

Hollywood superstar and acclaimed Malaysian actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden on Friday.

Michelle Yeoh receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from Biden

Retail sales typically slow in the second quarter of the year as consumers take a breather from spending after the festivities in the first quarter. As such, when retailers say their sales fell short of expectations during the two major festive periods so far this year, it is time to pay attention.

Retailers fear current weakness in consumer spending

Will Bank Negara Malaysia’s Monetary Policy Committee follow its Indonesian counterparts by raising interest rates when it holds its next meeting on Wednesday and Thursday?

The Week Ahead: All eyes on Bank Negara’s monetary policy meeting, Xi’s three-nation European trip

Hollywood superstar and acclaimed Malaysian actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh has received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden on Friday.

King Charles and other senior British royals are to relinquish patronages of almost 200 charities and organisations after a review of their association with more than 1,000 groups, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday.

King Charles and UK royals to relinquish dozens of patronages

The prospect of interest rates remaining elevated as the Federal Reserve (Fed) battles inflation is further clouding the outlook for shares of smaller US companies, which have lagged broader markets this year.

US small caps struggle as elevated interest rates take a toll

Electric vehicle (EV) maker Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding said on Friday it was targeting a valuation of up to US$5.13 billion (RM24.32 billion) in its US initial public offering (IPO), the first major floatation of a China-based company in more than two years.

China's Zeekr seeks up to US$5.13b valuation in US IPO

A training aircraft crashed in the Besout 2 Tambahan plantation area in Sungkai on Saturday.

The Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election campaign is entering a critical period for all contesting parties and candidates to redouble their efforts to win as many votes as possible.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she still sees underlying price pressures receding even as a tight housing supply has helped stall the downward path of inflation.

Yellen says fundamentals still point to slowing inflation

Construction work on the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Selangor has reached an average of 65% as of April, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Google and the US Justice Department wrapped up closing arguments on Friday over claims that the Alphabet unit has unlawfully dominated web search and related advertising, in a case the government contends could shape the “future of the internet”.

Google trial wraps up as judge weighs landmark US antitrust claims