Asia - South China Morning Post

Malaysia is expected to experience a critical moment with regards to fuel supply by June, according to Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

He said the government is implementing measures to address the global fuel shortage amid the Middle East conflict, including exploring alternative raw materials.

“June and July will be a very critical period in ensuring fuel supplies are available,” Akmal Nasrullah said after attending an event in Johor Bahru.

“It will be equally important to ensure...

Promotional posters for the horror film Aku Harus Mati (“I Must Die”) have been taken down in parts of Indonesia after sparking backlash from child protection experts, who say the campaign’s stark language and imagery are especially alarming amid what officials have called a “child suicide emergency”.

The row has struck a nerve in a country where concerns over child mental health and suicidal ideation have been mounting, turning what might otherwise have been dismissed as provocative horror...

Filipinos like their pares, a traditional beef stew, served hot – but the soaring cost of liquefied petroleum gas has made that prospect increasingly difficult since war erupted in the Middle East.

To save a few pesos, 20-year-old Eric Garcia delicately turned a knob to adjust the flame under his warming trays to the lowest setting as he grapples with fuel costs that have nearly doubled in price.

While sticker shock at petrol stations has garnered the biggest headlines since the war forced the...

Singapore’s national media network Mediacorp has responded to criticism from Malaysian organisations over its drama Highway to Somewhere, which some claim portrays the country as a hub for scam syndicates.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the production had taken care in its depiction of Malaysia and that the storyline was not meant to target any specific country.

The 20-episode Chinese-language series follows a married couple played by Romeo Tan and Jeanette Aw, and four friends portrayed by...

For years, Southeast Asian countries have preferred to avoid taking sides between China and the United States. This year’s State of Southeast Asia survey shows that this approach still holds, but a more contested geostrategic environment is making it harder to sustain.

The region continues to feel uneasy about China’s entrenched influence, is increasingly troubled by US leadership under President Donald Trump and is more conscious of Asean’s institutional constraints. The weakening of confidence...

In a quiet street in northern Singapore, a car plies the road like any other – except it is a left-hand drive from China and the person in the driver’s seat has been trained to keep his hands off the wheel and his foot off the pedals unless an emergency arises.

Eventually, there will be no need for a safety officer or any human behind the wheel at all – mirroring the autonomous vehicles (AVs) already operating in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

For now, Singapore...

In India’s West Bengal state, the beloved fish has leapt from the kitchen table to the campaign trail, becoming an unexpected flashpoint in a fiercely contested election.

For Bengalis, fish is not merely food. It is intrinsic to the Bengali identity and pride. Its aroma drifts from roadside fryers, and it is a must at wedding feasts and festival spreads.

Now, as the state of over 100 million people gears up for polls on April 23 and 29, the slippery staple has also become political...

Rocking her baby to soothe his searing pain and gasping breaths, 18-year-old Rubia Akhtar Brishti recounts how her son nearly died in Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak.

“The boy had [a] high fever and found it hard to breathe,” Brishti said, wiping the fevered brow of one-year-old Minhaz, cradled in her arms. “His whole body had rashes.”

At least 143 people have died in the outbreak since March 15, the vast majority children, with more than 12,000 suspected cases – the worst in the South...

Soaring fuel prices are driving up costs for Thais travelling home for the holidays, but the chance to spend the new year with loved ones is a price worth paying, they say.

“There aren’t many opportunities to go home during festivals like this,” said 24-year-old army cadet Korawich Changpat at Bangkok’s Mo Chit Two bus station, despite his inflated fare back to central Chaiyaphum province.

“First of all, I’ll go see my mother. Looking this handsome in my uniform, I must go pay my respects to...

Nepal has ordered private schools to stop double-charging fees, repay illegally collected ones and clearly publish their pricing structures, reopening a debate about education costs that runs across South Asia.

From Dhaka to Delhi, parents have long complained that private schools charge too much and operate with too little oversight, inviting questions about whether governments should try to rein them in, improve state schools, or do both.

Nepal’s Ministry of Education issued directives this...