SCMP Asia·Friday, January 9, 2026

SCMP Asia - Friday, January 9, 2026

10 stories~15 min

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Stories Covered

Malaysia’s Umno seeks Najib’s pardon amid 1MDB scandal, while staying in PM Anwar’s coalition

The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which for decades dominated Malaysian politics and remains a key member of the ruling coalition, is set to renew a push for the release of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak next week, even as it steps back from threats to quit the government. Resolutions pushing for a full pardon and demanding justice for Najib were the “hottest topic” submitted by the party’s 191 divisions ahead of its annual assembly, Secretary General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

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1 dead, 38 missing in Philippines landfill collapse after garbage avalanche

An avalanche of garbage and debris buried or trapped workers in low-slung buildings at a landfill in the Philippines, killing one person, injuring a dozen and leaving 38 others missing, officials said on Friday. Dozens of rescuers retrieved 13 people alive overnight and were searching for the missing still trapped after the mountain of garbage, earth and debris collapsed on them on Thursday afternoon in the village of Binaliw in Cebu City, officials and police said. Landfill workers were among..

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Could Singapore remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition?

In an unprecedented move in Singapore, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh could be stripped of his title as Leader of Opposition and lose his privileges when Singapore’s parliamentarians debate his suitability for the role next week, legal experts say. Singh was the first to be appointed to the official role in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after the general election that year, when the WP won a record 10 out of 93 seats. On Friday, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah tabled a..

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US pledges US$45 million to bolster Thailand, Cambodia truce amid Trump peace claims

The United States on Friday announced some US$45 million in aid as it tries to bolster a fragile truce between Thailand and Cambodia. Michael DeSombre, the top State Department official for East Asia, was visiting Thailand and Cambodia to discuss ways to strengthen the ceasefire, which US President Donald Trump has sought to highlight as an achievement. DeSombre said the United States would offer US$20 million to help both countries combat drug trafficking and cyber scams, which have become a...

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Philippine teen arrested over alleged US$845 baby sale as police warn of rise in cases

A teenager in the Philippines has been arrested for trying to sell her one-month-old baby for 50,000 Philippine pesos (US$845) on social media, as police warn that similar cases have been “spreading like wildfire” in recent years. The 17-year-old was caught on Tuesday after police officers contacted her in response to her online post and arranged a meeting, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “We found out from her mother that the teenager had spent the money for her tuition. So her plan

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India-Bangladesh talks over Ganges waters may turn murky over politics, UN pact

India and Bangladesh have begun the process to renew a landmark agreement on sharing the waters of the Ganges, as analysts warn political disputes and uncertainty over Dhaka’s general election could complicate talks between the two neighbours. Officials from both sides have started joint measurements of water levels in the Ganges, or Padma as the river is known in Bangladesh, as part of preparations to renew the agreement signed in 1996 and due to expire in December this year, according to...

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Jeju Air crash ‘man-made’: 179 deaths may have been avoided, report finds

A South Korean government-commissioned report found the Jeju Air plane crash in December 2024 that killed ‍179 people might not have been deadly if there had not been a concrete mound at the end of the runway, an opposition lawmaker said. The Boeing 737-800 coming from Bangkok belly-landed and overran the runway at Muan International Airport, killing almost everyone on board after it struck a concrete support for a localiser antenna. The ⁠only survivors were two flight attendants at the far rear

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Philippines ramps up protection of undersea cables amid growing ‘grey-zone’ threats

The Philippines is stepping up efforts to protect undersea cables – the unseen backbone of digital communications – as a string of regional and global incidents has sharpened concerns that seabed infrastructure could be targeted for sabotage or espionage. Officials and analysts say the moves signal that so-called grey-zone activities – coercive actions that fall short of open conflict – beneath the sea are no longer going unnoticed. The concern is not only physical damage to submarine cables but

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To root out corruption, Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire investigation must go beyond scapegoats

Alongside death and taxes, there are few things more universally certain than corruption in public procurement. That is a reality worth keeping front of mind in Hong Kong as we home in on those we want to blame for the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire that in November killed at least 161 people and left thousands homeless. The maintenance contracts may not have been public procurement contracts, but they were supposed to be strictly overseen by officials and subject to government regulations....

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Southeast Asia reels in buyers stung by Seoul’s housing crisis

Southeast Asian real estate firms are seeking to attract South Koreans to buy property, as soaring flat prices in Seoul make premium homes abroad comparatively more affordable, industry officials said on Friday. PropEasy, a Malaysian developer, recently invited Seoul-based real estate brokers to Kuala Lumpur as part of a promotional campaign for residential projects currently under construction. “The campaign was organised as a three-night, four-day tour,” an industry official said, noting that.

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