Page 3 - Malaysia

Record 71.7% increase in Indian tourists visiting Malaysia in 2024

A record 71.7 per cent increase in travellers from India to Malaysia was witnessed in 2024, attributed to the rise in flight connectivity between the two nations, Consul General of Malaysia in Chennai, Saravana Kumar Kumaravasagam, said here. With Malaysia extending the 30-day visa exemption for Indian nationals until December 2026, he described it as a "significant milestone" in enhancing connectivity between India and Malaysia. "This is a golden opportunity for the people of Tamil Nadu and across India to explore Malaysia's rich cultural heritage, pristine beaches, and vibrant cities without the hassle of applying for a visa," Kumar said in a press release on Saturday. As Malaysia remains a key destination for Indian travellers, this extension of the 30-day visa exemption ensures seamless travel, he added. Tourism Malaysia's Chennai Director, Hishamuddin Mustafa, noted that the visa exemption not only simplifies travel but also reaffirms Malaysia's commitment to being a preferred

Japan's PM heads to Malaysia, Indonesia to boost defence, economic ties

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday began a trip to Malaysia and Indonesia as part of an effort to strengthen defence and economic ties with Southeast Asia as China's threats grow in the region. The visit, his first for bilateral talks outside of international meetings, shows Japan's commitment to further those ties even as the US presence in the region may decrease after President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month. Malaysia and Indonesia are maritime regional powers near vital shipping lanes and are key to Japanese and global security and the economy, and they share concerns over China's increasing assertiveness, officials say. Ishiba, who will meet Friday with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, hopes to strengthen security cooperation and discuss efforts to ensure stable supply chains with Malaysia, which is chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year. On Saturday, Ishiba and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will reportedl

Singapore and Malaysia to finalise deal creating vast economic zone

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will officiate a ceremony on Tuesday for the economic zone in Malaysia's southern state of Johor

Rare win for Malaysia's ex-PM Najib as court grants appeal in detention bid

Malaysia's pardons board, at the time chaired by then King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, agreed in February last year to halve Najib's jail sentence to six years from 12 and reduced fines imposed

Malaysian authorities turn away two boats with nearly 300 Rohingya refugees

Malaysian authorities said Saturday that they have turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 people believed to be Muslim Rohingya refugees who were found to have entered the country illegally. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said that it had information that two more boats were attempting to enter the country after a boatload of 196 Rohingya landed early Friday on a beach on the northeastern resort island of Langkawi. They were all detained by authorities. The agency said authorities had detected the other two boats later Friday off Langkawi. It said the people on the two boats, also believed to be Rohingya, were reported to be exhausted and lacked sufficient food and water supplies. Maritime Enforcement Agency chief Mohamad Rosli Abdullah said in a statement that assistance has been provided to the two boats, including food supplies and and drinking water, before they were escorted out of the country to continue their journey. It didn't say where the boats were heading,

Musk's X, Google yet to apply for Malaysia's new social media licence

X said the number of its users in Malaysia did not meet the eight million threshold required to obtain a licence

I was in jail, Manmohan offered scholarship for my children: Malaysian PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote a moving tribute Manmohan Singh Friday, recalling how the Indian leader offered scholarships for his children while he was in prison. On X, he described the former prime minister, who died Thursday, as the midwife of India's emergence as one of the world's economic giants". And also as my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan". Though Anwar declined the offer, he was clearly moved by the gesture. The Malaysian leader was in jail from 1999 to 2004, when his sentence was overturned. During this period, Singh was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come," he posted. "To me, he will be all that and much more. Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn't have to... He offered .

Malaysia govt agrees to resume 'no find, no fee' hunt for flight MH370

Malaysia's government has agreed in principle to accept a second no find, no fee proposal from a US company to renew the hunt for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than 10 years ago, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Friday. Loke said Cabinet ministers gave the nod at their meeting last week for Texas-based marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity to continue the seabed search operation at a new 15,000-square-kilometer site in the ocean. The proposed new search area, identified by Ocean Infinity, is based on the latest information and data analyses conducted by experts and researchers. The company's proposal is credible, he said in a statement. The Boeing 777 plane vanished from radar shortly after taking off on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals, on a flight from Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Beijing. Satellite data showed the plane deviated from its flight path to head over the southern Indian Ocean, .

Any US tariffs on Brics nations could impact semiconductor supply: Malaysia

Trade minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said Malaysia was closely monitoring developments after US President-elect Donald Trump said Brics members would face 100 per cent tariffs

Over 30 killed, thousands displaced due to floods in Malaysia, Thailand

Severe floods caused by monsoon rains killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand, officials said Tuesday, with both countries preparing shelters and evacuation plans in anticipation of more heavy rain. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said five days of heavier-than-expected rain that battered the country's east coast last week was equal to the rainfall over the past six months, wreaking havoc in the northeastern state of Kelantan and neighbouring Terengganu. The heavy downpours damaged roads and houses in Kelantan and other parts of Malaysia. Rescue workers used boats to distribute food to victims trapped in their homes. Anwar said it would cost the government an estimated 1 billion ringgit (USD 224 million) to repair infrastructure damaged by the floods. The rain eased over the weekend, but the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rains later Tuesday. Anwar said the government is bracing for another monsoon surge that is .

India-Malaysia joint military exercise 'Harimau Shakti' to begin on Dec 2

Army, via an official statement, stated that the exercise is expected to enhance interoperability between Indian Army and Malaysian Army in conducting sub-conventional operations under UN mandate

Malaysian bizman Ananda Krishnan, who once sponsored CSK in IPL, dies

Hailed as Malaysia's communication titan, Anand Krishnan was Malaysia's third-richest person, with a net worth exceeding Rs 40,000 crore (over $5 billion)

Malaysian tycoon's son renounces Rs 4,000 crore fortune to embrace monkhood

The son of Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, Siripanyo chose to leave behind a multi-billion-dollar inheritance to dedicate his life to Buddhism

China expanding visa-free entry to more countries in bid to boost economy

Starting Nov 30, travellers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa

AirAsia begins Port Blair to Kuala Lumpur flight service from today

AirAsia will operate an international flight from Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Saturday, officials said. Presently no international airlines operate from Port Blair's Veer Savarkar International Airport. Speaking to PTI, Chief Airport and Customer Experience Officer, AirAsia, Kesavan Sivanandam said, "It is a significant milestone because it will be the first-ever international flight from Port Blair. Our motto is not only looking at commercial viability but also connecting people. I would like to thank the local administration for all their support." Tour operators in Andaman feel that the commencement of AirAsia flights to Malaysia will be a big game changer in the tourism sector in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Southeast Asia. "I would like to convey my sincere thanks and congratulations to AirAsia for taking this initiative to extend air connectivity from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to South East Asia. The Airports Authority of Indi

Malaysian court orders ex-PM Najib to enter defence in his 2nd graft trial

Malaysia's High Court on Wednesday ordered imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to enter a defense in his second corruption trial over the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund. Najib set up the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund shortly after taking power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debt. Investigators allege more than USD 4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by his associates to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases. The prosecution established its case on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over USD 700 million from the fund that went into Najib's bank accounts between 2011 and 2014, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount, trial judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said Wednesday. He said evidence showed Najib had a vested interest in 1MDB, and his pivotal role in all relevant transactions that eventually plunged the fund into debt. Testimony by witness

Jailed Malaysia former PM Najib apologises for mishandling of 1MDB scandal

1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund co-founded by Najib in 2009 while he was premier, has faced corruption probes over the alleged misappropriation of over $4.5 billion by high-level officials

Petronas' exploration in South China Sea to continue: Malaysian PM Ibrahim

This includes exploration activities in Petronas' Kasawari gas development off Sarawak state on Borneo, he told parliament

India key mkt despite import duty hike: Malaysia Palm Oil Council Chief

Malaysia remains optimistic about palm oil exports to India despite recent import duty hike, with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Chairman Dato Carl Bek Nielsen emphasizing the long-standing trade relationship between the two countries. In an interview to PTI, Nielsen stressed that India, being the world's largest palm oil importer, continues to be an "incredibly important market" for Malaysian palm oil. He pointed out that such tariff adjustments have occurred in the past and are part of the normal trading relationship between the two countries. "This has been done before. Duties have been raised, and duties have been reduced, and we will see that this pattern will repeat itself in the future," Nielsen said. He said that the council's approach would be based on long-term partnership rather than "short-term knee-jerk reactions." He also added that the council is "not worried" about the tariff changes because there are other countries which would want to buy Malaysian palm oi

Malaysia Airlines to resume Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata flights on December 2

Malaysia Airlines will restart direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Kolkata from December 2 as the carrier boosts its services to India. Currently, the airline connects Kuala Lumpur directly with nine Indian cities -- New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad. Five weekly flights will be operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata route starting from December 2, the airline said in a release on Tuesday. Malaysia Airlines stopped direct flights to Kolkata in 2006. With the recommencement of the Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata services, the airline will offer 76 weekly flights between India and Malaysia. Currently, the carrier operates 71 weekly flights to India. The flights to Amritsar were increased from four per week to daily in August. "India is a key market for us, and by continually enhancing our network and increasing frequencies, we aim to deliver exceptional travel experiences, complemented by Malaysia Airline