What You Think | Malay Mail

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki speaks during a press conference at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya, March 4, 2026. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Malaysia / 12 h ago

MACC: Former federal minister among 12 called in for questioning over RM1.11b semiconductor chip deal

In a letter posted on Facebook, Farm Fresh Bhd said its farm director Jacob Mathan, 35, died in a helicopter crash in Pililla, Rizal province, the Philippines. — Screengrab via Facebook/Farm Fresh Milk Malaysia

Malaysia / 11 h ago

Farm Fresh confirms farm director killed in Philippines helicopter crash

This Volcano Curry Mee is topped with so many ingredients. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Eat-drink / 18 h ago

Overseas Union Garden’s Volcano Curry House serves a thick, fragrant curry mee and curry ‘chee cheong fun’ with ‘yong liew’

James Chai, former special functions officer to ex-economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, denies allegations of misappropriation linked to a government deal with ARM Limited and criticises the MACC’s handling of the investigation. — Picture from Facebook/James Chai

Malaysia / 8 h ago

‘I’m no Jho Low 2’: Rafizi’s ex-aide denies misappropriation claims, slams MACC’s public search

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said state executive councillor Fahmi Zainol has been removed from his post with immediate effect following a proposal by PKR. — File picture by Opayn Mok

Malaysia / 11 h ago

Penang CM: State exco Fahmi Zainol terminated after charge of hurting wife

In a media advisory today, Wisma Putra said it noted the announcement by UAE authorities on the opening of designated safe air corridors and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG)’s temporary resumption of return services to and from Jeddah and Madinah on March 4 to 8. — Reuters pic

Malaysia / 12 h ago

Malaysians strongly advised to defer non-essential travel to seven Middle East countries

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the whereabouts of three of Tun Daim Zainuddin's children were currently unknown. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Malaysia / 13 h ago

Only one of the four Daim children being sought in Ops Godfather probe has come forward, MACC says

This US Navy handout photo released by US Central Command public affairs shows an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, making an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026. The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iran on February 28, sparking swift retaliation by the Islamic republic which responded with missile attacks across the region. — US Navy handout/AFP pic

World / 17 h ago

Trump says Iran was ‘weeks from a weapon’ as he signals US Navy tanker escorts and contradicts Rubio

Former SRC director Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi testified in court that Nik Faisal, appointed as both director and CEO of the company, acted as Najib’s proxy and served as the link between the then prime minister and SRC’s board of directors. — AFP pic

Malaysia / 18 h ago

Najib ran SRC International through proxy Nik Faisal, ex-director tells court

Britain said yesterday it would block study visas for nationals from four countries and halt work visas for Afghans, using what it called an “emergency brake” to curb rising asylum claims from people entering through legal routes. — Reuters pic

World / 14 h ago

UK triggers ‘emergency brake’ to stop study visas for four countries and Afghan work visas

Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said he would oppose any attempt by former deputy Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin to join Perikatan Nasional with his new party, citing a loss of trust. — File picture by Hari Anggara.

Malaysia / 15 h ago

Muhyiddin: Hamzah’s new party cannot join Perikatan after ‘betrayal’

issued a notice today regarding Chai Jin Shern, also known as James Chai, who previously served as a special functions officer to Rafizi during the latter’s tenure as Minister of Economy. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Malaysia / 13 h ago

MACC seeks Rafizi’s former aide in chip project probe

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on March 3, 2026. — AFP pic

World / 17 h ago

Iran launches new strikes on US targets across the Gulf, fuelling regional energy fears

US President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, March 3, 2026. — Reuters pic

World / 16 h ago

Trump insists he struck Iran on his own terms after Rubio hints at Israeli trigger

An aerial photograph shows the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle off the coast of Toulon, southern France on June 5, 2021. Emmanuel Macron announced on March 3, 2026 additional military reinforcements to the war-torn Middle East, including the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort of frigates, which will ‘set course’ for the Mediterranean. — AFP pic

World / 15 h ago

France deploys aircraft carrier to Mediterranean as Macron warns of conflict spillover

What You Think

6 h ago

The Koreas will remain apart: Iran’s lessons and Pyongyang’s iron logic of survival — Phar Kim Beng

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un acknowledges applause during the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated picture released February 26, 2026 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. — KCNA pic via Reuters

MARCH 4 — The Korean Peninsula has entered a new and more rigid phase of division. Whatever illusions lingered from the summitry of 2018 have now evaporated. The signals emanating from Pyongyang — especially at the recent Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea — are unmistakable: North and South...

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The Kuala Lumpur High Court, where Malaysia’s new International Commercial and Admiralty Division aims to position the judiciary as a competitive venue for resolving complex cross-border disputes. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

What You Think / 9 h ago

Specialisation and strategy: Reinventing commercial justice in Malaysia — S Saravana Kumar

The author argues that Malaysia’s upcoming electoral boundary review must correct severe voter imbalance between rural and urban constituencies, as fair delineation is essential to restoring democratic parity and representative justice. — Bernama pic

What You Think / 12 h ago

Electoral delineation: A key step to restoring parity — Martin Vengadesan

The author argues that Malaysia’s healthcare future should prioritise prevention, stronger primary care and smarter public health policies — not simply building more hospitals — to reduce illness and create a healthier population. — Unsplash pic

What You Think / 17 h ago

Let’s start normalising fewer hospital visits — Helen Mohanad Ahmed

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The author argues that the circular economy will transform global supply chains, turning waste into valuable resources and reshaping how goods are produced, used and recovered. — Unsplash pic

17 h ago

Why circular economics will rewire globalisation, like it or not — Ahmad Ibrahim

A missile launched from Iran is intercepted, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ashkelon, Israel, March 4, 2026. — Reuters pic

18 h ago

‘Operation Epic Fury’ pushes the Middle East and the world to the brink — Phar Kim Beng

The author argues that the failed vote to cap a prime minister’s tenure exposes the limits of Malaysia’s unity-government reform agenda — revealing elite hesitation, shifting incentives and a deeper unwillingness among political actors to place real constraints on their own power. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

18 h ago

When two votes become a warning light in Malaysian politics — Khoo Ying Hooi

A general view shows the iconic Perdana Putra building, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office, in Putrajaya on March 3, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

1d ago

Agong’s discretion to appoint prime minister not absolute — Hafiz Hassan

An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran from an undisclosed location March 2, 2026. — Reuters pic

1d ago

What is bad for the GCC is equally bad for Asean plus three — Phar Kim Beng

According to the author, research data reflects years of work, expertise, and academic credibility, though misconceptions about open science persist. — Pexels.com pic

1d ago

Data alone won’t save us, better policy will — Azizi Abu Bakar

According to the author, some children gain weight more easily not only because of their habits, but because of how their bodies are built. — Unsplash pic

1d ago

Addressing child obesity begins in our kitchen — Nikman Adli Nor Hashim

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. — Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) pic via Reuters

2d ago

Iran’s strategic miscalculation in expanding the Gulf conflict — Phar Kim Beng

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlights gender equality as the strongest driver of sustainable development and peace on International Women’s Day. — Reuters pic

2d ago

International Women’s Day: Eight actions for a more equal world — Antonio Guterres

Intertidal seagrass meadow of Pulau Setindan, Johor. — Picture courtesy of Jillian Ooi

2d ago

The meadows we rarely see — Jillian Ooi

In a parliamentary written reply reported in January 2026, the Home Ministry indicated that Malaysia suffered RM2.77 billion in losses from financial scams in 2025, and total losses linked to online and financial fraud across 2023-2025 were RM5.62 billion. ― iStock pic

2d ago

Malaysia’s scam economy is not a public awareness problem but a system design problem — Galvin Lee Kuan Sian

The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader marks a dangerous new phase — Phar Kim BengMARCH 1 — Iran has now officially confirmed what many feared in the first hours of the air strikes: its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has been killed.This admission by Tehran transforms speculation into strategic reality.What began as a wave of joint US–Israeli strikes has now escalated into the decapitation of the highest authority in the Islamic Republic. The death of Khamenei is not merely the elimination of a head of state.It is the removal of the ultimate religious, political and military arbiter in a system uniquely structured around clerical supremacy. The Middle East has entered a far more dangerous chapter.For decades, Khamenei stood at the apex of Iran’s hybrid structure – balancing republican institutions, clerical authority and the vast influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.He was not a ceremonial figure. He was the final word on war, peace, nuclear policy and regional strategy. His death creates both a vacuum and a crucible.Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts will appoint a successor.But constitutional procedure alone cannot guarantee stability in a moment like this.The real question is whether the transition will be orderly – or shaped by the hard power calculations of the IRGC.The paradox of negotiation and forceThere is a profound paradox here. Khamenei, despite his ideological rigidity, had at various junctures endorsed negotiations – even indirect engagement – with Western powers.Yet he was killed during a moment of heightened confrontation. The message this sends to any successor is stark: negotiation does not necessarily shield a leader from force.That alters incentives. Any incoming Supreme Leader will have to consolidate authority swiftly.But legitimacy in revolutionary Iran is rarely secured through compromise. It is secured through resistance.The successor will need to demonstrate not only theological credentials, but strategic resolve – particularly in coordination with the IRGC.If the new leader appears conciliatory, he risks alienating the security establishment and a population likely to rally around nationalist sentiment in the face of external attack.History shows that leadership decapitation does not automatically weaken a state. It can radicalise it.When a political system is fused with religious legitimacy, the assassination of its supreme authority can transform geopolitical rivalry into existential narrative. The conflict ceases to be about centrifuges or missile ranges.It becomes framed as survival of sovereignty and faith.That framing is combustible.Regional and global implicationsRegionally, Gulf states now face heightened uncertainty. Missile exchanges may intensify.Proxy theatres in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen may heat up.Shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz could become vulnerable to disruption. Insurance premiums will spike. Energy markets will react.For Malaysia and Asean, this is not a distant war. Malaysia is a trading nation deeply embedded in global supply chains. Energy price volatility will affect inflation and fiscal planning.Thousands of Malaysians work across the Gulf. Contingency evacuation planning is not alarmism; it is prudence.More broadly, Asean must maintain its longstanding principle of neutrality while urging de-escalation.The region cannot afford a prolonged Middle Eastern conflagration layered atop existing global tensions.The United States and Israel may calculate that removing the Supreme Leader disrupts command and control. But disruption does not equal capitulation.It can produce fragmentation – and fragmentation can produce escalation.The greater risk now lies in miscalculation.If Iran’s next leader feels compelled to establish military credibility rapidly, retaliatory strikes may intensify.If the IRGC assumes a more overt role in national decision-making, the balance between clerical and military authority may shift in ways that harden strategic posture.In such circumstances, diplomacy becomes harder precisely when it is most necessary.Longer-term considerationsThere is also a longer-term question.If supreme leaders can be targeted and eliminated, what precedent does that set for international norms?Assassination at the apex of sovereign leadership erodes already fragile constraints in global politics.Once such thresholds are crossed, they are difficult to restore.Iran’s official confirmation of Khamenei’s death closes the door on ambiguity. It opens the door to unpredictability.The immediate priority for governments worldwide must be the protection of citizens and economic resilience.The strategic priority must be preventing a leadership vacuum from spiralling into generational war.The Middle East has witnessed regime change before. It has endured invasion, sanctions and proxy conflict.Yet the assassination of a sitting Supreme Leader marks an escalation of a different order.The world must now hope that cooler calculations prevail in Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv.Because once wars become battles of legitimacy and survival, they rarely end quickly – and they rarely end cleanly.*Phar Kim Beng is professor of Asean Studies and director of the Institute of International and Asean Studies, International Islamic University of Malaysia. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.A woman holds a poster of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US and Israeli strikes, as mourners gather at a square in Tehran, Iran on March 1, 2026. — AFP pic

01 Mar 2026

The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader marks a dangerous new phase — Phar Kim Beng

If Gen Z spends to broadcast, they also work to broadcast. Their projects, employers and professional affiliations become part of their visible narrative. — AFP pic

01 Mar 2026

Gen Z is ‘working for broadcast’ — Elman Mustafa El Bakri

A man wrapped in an Iranian pre-1979 Islamic Revolution flag sits in the middle of the road while members of the Iranian community celebrate in Los Angeles, on February 28, 2026, the same day the US and Israel launched an attack of unprecedented scale against Iran, reportedly killing more than 200 people, with Tehran launching a retaliatory missile barrage that sent people running for cover across the Middle East. — AFP pic

01 Mar 2026

The morning after Tehran — Abbi Kanthasamy

An explosion caused by a projectile impact after Iran launched missiles into Israel following Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, in Tel Aviv, Israel, February 28, 2026. — Reuters pic

01 Mar 2026

Anwar Ibrahim was right: This region is fine. Others are not. Sanity, please. — Phar Kim Beng

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