Explained

Pro-democrats hope to oust the ruling coalition of former army types and conservatives, in an election set to be Thailand’s most unpredictable in two decades.

Request for pardon to be deliberated by the Pardons Board which includes the king and PM Anwar Ibrahim, who has brushed aside concerns of conflict of interest.

Critics worry that the deal could set a dangerous precedent that can be used by other states to hide highly enriched uranium or plutonium from international oversight.

His efforts to restore some political stability and implement policies to aid post-pandemic economic recovery have been broadly welcomed by the public.

Malaysia’s poorest, small businesses as well as middle-income earners are expected to benefit the most from Anwar Ibrahim’s first budget as prime minister.

Amid ballooning prices, rent and mortgages, the affordability of public flats – home to over 80 per cent of the population – is under the national spotlight.

Singapore has embraced a post-pandemic transition, thanks to a high vaccination rate and an imminent mass roll-out of ‘bivalent’ booster shots, and will continue with its plans to open up.

PAS, one of the parties in ex-premier Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional coalition, has long unnerved Malaysia’s minority groups with its hardline Islamist stance.

Anwar has his work cut out as he aims to keep the peace within his ‘Unity Government’ and steer Malaysia forward after years of political turmoil.

Muhyiddin’s strategy of pitching Perikatan Nasional as conservative alternative to major parties could have worked in rural constituencies.

Umno is seeking a return to power in Malaysia this week, four years after a crushing defeat in the historic 2018 election and since returning to power in 2020.

Malaysia’s tumultuous political scene, coloured by corruption and politicking, is further complicated by racial policies, the rising cost of living, economic uncertainty and an election held during monsoon season.

Women make up more than half of Malaysia’s registered voters, but in the last general election less than 11 per cent of state assembly candidates were female, meaning women’s issues are often neglected.

Recent measures in Singapore aim to slow pace of price increase for resale HDB flats, while Hong Kong has stuck to its policies despite home prices being in the midst of a five-year low.

Analysts say it might be a ‘tall order’ for any group to win a supermajority this time, given the larger number of parties and coalitions in the fight.

Fight-or-flight response triggered by radical change in environment, crowd density among key factors for disasters, experts say.

Asian consumers are snapping up the pound in anticipation of lower-cost holidays but it is a less rosy picture for UK-based workers and for Asian firms dependent on exports to Britain.