Malaysian police said Tuesday they are investigating an Al Jazeera documentary about the arrests of undocumented migrants during the coronavirus lockdown after officials denounced it for damaging the country's image.The move comes after several activists, journalists and opposition figures have been put under investigation recently in what critics say is a bid to silence dissent. The documentary by the Qatar-based broadcaster, "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown", f

It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected livelihoods, local industries and the economy in general. As we enter nearly the seventh month of the outbreak – many have lost their jobs across Southeast Asia. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the pandemic will threaten the employment of 68 million workers across Asia if the outbreak goes on until September.

Nearly 100 Rohingya from Myanmar, including 30 children, have been rescued from a rickety wooden boat off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island, a maritime official said Wednesday.Images shot from Indonesian rescue boats showed dozens of children and adults, many weeping, after they had been plucked from their vessel by local fishermen."The boat with Rohingya onboard was broken and floating in the middle of the sea when the fishermen found them," said Muhammad Nasir, head of

Malaysia said Tuesday it will send back hundreds of Rohingya who arrived by boat this week after months at sea, as fears mounted that the refugees could be carrying a new wave of coronavirus.The country is a favoured destination for the persecuted Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, with thousands risking their lives on perilous sea crossings every year.They usually travel from Myanmar or Bangladesh, where about one million live in squalid refugee camps after fleeing a 2017 military

The coronavirus crisis has severely affected numerous sectors, from aviation, and tourism, to oil and gas even property. The World Bank noted in its recent ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report that the pandemic has caused the broadest collapse of the global economy since 1870.

On Tuesday, social media feeds were flooded with black squares posted by corporations, celebrities, sports stars and the general public – along with the hashtag #BlackOutTuesday. It was reported that the idea was to fill Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with blackout squares, halting other activities on social media to free up the time usually dedicated to these platforms for people to educate themselves on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Millions of people have had to cancel their 2020 travel plans due to the coronavirus crisis. Fuelled by virus fears while being urged to stay home – most people are avoiding any kind of travel which has further dampened the demand for air transportation, hotels and other tourism-related services. Over in ASEAN member state Malaysia, it’s no different.According to the country’s prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, COVID-19 has hit the nation’s tourism sector hard, with an expect

Just yesterday, Malaysian media reported that a Rohingya man escaped from a quarantine centre at the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s Training Institute in Tanjung Rambutan, a small town in the west coast state of Perak. Local police are now on the hunt for the migrant.