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A shot of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Image: imageBROKER/picture alliance Image: imageBROKER/picture alliance

Malaysia

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia, occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. Known for its mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences, Malaysia's capital is Kuala Lumpur.

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All Content on this topic

Plane wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is displayed during an event held by relatives of the passengers

Malaysia to resume search for missing MH370 plane

More than 10 years after one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries, Malaysia has agreed to resume the search for th
CatastropheDecember 20, 2024
ASEAN leaders shake hands at the Laos summit in October 2024

What to expect from a Malaysia-chaired ASEAN in 2025

Malaysia faces a daunting list of tasks including addressing Myanmar's civil war and tensions in the South China Sea.
PoliticsDecember 10, 2024
A visitor poses for a photo in front of a giant full moon installation at Kwai Chai Hong, a heritage revival back alley in Chinatown on September 03, 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In Malaysia, digital nomads mix tourism and business travel

Remote workers are blurring the line between business travel and tourism, while supporting local businesses.
BusinessDecember 9, 202402:43 min
A Philippine flag flutters

Philippine laws up tension on South China Sea

Maritime laws laying out Philippine claims could hamper unified resistance to China's attempts at regional dominance.
ConflictsDecember 4, 2024
Global Us vom 18.11.2024 I Malaysia Geisterstadt

Malaysia's high-rise ghost town

Forest City in Malaysia is mostly vacant. It’s home to just 10,000 people instead of the planned 700,000.
BusinessNovember 18, 202406:46 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Second life for defunct devices in the EU — Global Us

The EU wants to see more old electrical devices being repaired, and quarry work is killing people in India.
HealthNovember 18, 202426:04 min
Workers in Malaysia open the doors of a plastics waste shipment

Malaysia struggles to halt European plastic waste imports

Malaysia is one of Europe's top dumping grounds for plastic waste. Will the EU's upcoming export ban make a difference?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 3, 2024
Firefighters work to extinguish a burning bus

Why is road safety a big issue in Southeast Asia?

A deadly fire accident on a Thai school bus has reignited a debate about road safety.
SocietyOctober 8, 2024
Thailand | Straßenhändler | Durian Früchte

A spiky delicacy from Malaysia gets trade boost from China

Malaysia, one of the world's biggest producers of the durian fruit, stands to profit from higher exports to China.
BusinessSeptember 27, 202403:43 min
A member of the Indigenous Penan community in Sarawak, Malaysia, standing in a forest

Malaysia's Indigenous Penan struggle against deforestation

Logging, palm oil plantations and dam building have threatened the way of life for Malaysia's nomadic Penan community
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 22, 202402:50 min
Petronas Twin Towers Hochhäuser KLCC Skyline von Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia

Malaysia's chip industry booming amid tech shift

As the US-China trade war heats up, Malaysia's industry is booming, attracting investments from global tech giants.
BusinessSeptember 19, 202402:43 min
Li Qiang shakes hands with Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Malaysia

Malaysia seeks to balance ties amid US-China rivalry

Malaysia wants to reap benefits by boosting economic ties with China, but at the same time is hedging its bets.
PoliticsSeptember 4, 2024
1MDB Skandal - 1Malaysia Development Berhad Fonds

Switzerland convicts 2 oil executives in 1MDB graft scandal

Two men have been sentenced to jail time and ordered to return well over a billion dollars to the Malaysian 1MDB fund.
CrimeAugust 28, 2024
Muhyiddin Yassin raising his fist before microphones amid a crowd of other people

Malaysia charges ex-PM Muhyiddin over alleged royal insult

Muhyiddin Yassin, an opposition leader and former prime minister, has been accused of insulting Malaysia's former king.
PoliticsAugust 27, 2024
Orangutans sitting on a tree branch in Singapore

Malaysia's orangutans will stay home after revised policy

Palm oil-buying countries will now be able to "sponsor" orangutans in Malaysia to ensure their welfare.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 19, 2024
A Baju nomad underwater on Bodgaya Island, Malaysia

Who are the Bajau sea nomads?

While some Bajau spend their lives almost entirely at sea, many opt for more grounded lifestyles near the mainland.
SocietyJuly 27, 202403:34 min
The protagonist sits on a couch in her home

Malaysia: Helping women get ahead in AI

How the NGO Women in AI is supporting women to become less dependent on their male counterparts.
BusinessJuly 17, 202405:14 min
BRICS logo is seen during the 15th summit of the bloc's leaders in Johannesburg

Why are Southeast Asian countries looking to join BRICS?

Malaysia and Thailand are the latest nations in Southeast Asia to express interest in joining the expanded BRICS group.
PoliticsJuly 4, 2024
Malaysia's durian fruit

Malaysia: The "king of fruit" is big business

The trade in durian fruit is booming, yielding big profits in Malaysia. But the winds could be changing for many farmers
BusinessJune 21, 202406:08 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

From big visions to big business - Global Us

Ghost Army: How a US unit fooled the Nazis during World War II. And how a carbon tax could help the climate.
BusinessJune 14, 202426:04 min
HER Women in Asia | Staffel 4

Tech Mania

Meet three women who are using technology in different ways, turning their passion into professions.
BusinessJune 14, 202418:54 min
Orangutan in a tree with baby on its back

Malaysia plans 'orangutan diplomacy' to boost palm oil sales

Malaysia intends to present orangutans to nations that import its palm oil in a bid to allay ecological concerns.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 8, 2024
Protesters wave Palestinian flags and banners during a rally on March 02, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur

War in Gaza: Anti-West sentiment grows in Malaysia

The war in Gaza has led many in Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia to accuse the West of a moral decline.
PoliticsMay 2, 2024
Table tennis player Sharath Kamal Achanta

Commonwealth Games faces uncertain future

Malaysia and Singapore won't take over from Australia as host of the 2026 sporting event. Does it have a future?
SportsApril 16, 2024
Malaysia | Meeresschildkröte

Malaysia's sea turtles are edging towards extinction

Warmer temperatures at nesting beaches are threatening sea turtle populations.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 4, 202401:48 min
Palm oil farmer loading palm oil seeds onto a truck in Kampar, Riau province

EU palm oil ban: Malaysia, Indonesia seek trade justice

The WTO has backed the EU in arguing that biodiesel made from palm oil should not count as a renewable biofuel.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 18, 2024
Family members stand and kneel at the memorial event dedicated to MH370

MH370: 10 years later, families hold out hope for answers

Years of searching have turned up nothing, but families of those who were on board say they still want closure.
CatastropheMarch 7, 2024
A woman writes a message during an event held by relatives of the passengers and supporters to mark the 10th year since the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370

Malaysia says search for missing flight MH370 must go on

The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 is one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.
CatastropheMarch 3, 2024
File photo of MH370 passenger relative Jiang Hui holding a map.

Relatives of MH370 passengers still hope for answers

After the most extensive search in aviation history, the plane's disappearance remains a mystery.
CatastropheMarch 3, 202402:30 min
A vehicle with a diplomatic license plate enters Sultanah Maliha Hospital, where Norway's King Harald has been admitted with an infection, on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi

Norway's king gets temporary pacemaker in Malaysia

The 87-year-old Norwegian monarch had fallen ill during his vacation on the Malaysian island of Lagkawi.
HealthMarch 2, 2024
Myanmar refugees from ethnic Rohingya are seen at wet market near their house in conjunction with World refugees day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 21, 2018.

Malaysia: Over 100 Rohingya flee migrant detention center

One of the migrants who fled the immigration center was killed in a road accident.
Human RightsFebruary 2, 2024
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks to supporters outside the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya.

Malaysia: ex-PM Najib has jail sentence halved

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was convicted of money laundering.
PoliticsFebruary 2, 2024
Buddha protected by the Naga at the Guimet Museum, Museum of Asian Arts, France (2013)

Will Europe ever return 'looted' Asian artifacts?

There is growing pressure on European museums to return artifacts taken from Southeast Asia during colonial times.
CultureFebruary 1, 2024
Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrives to take part in the oath taking ceremony as the 17th King of Malaysia at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sultan Ibrahim of Johor sworn in as Malaysia's 17th king

Sultan Ibrahim of the state of Johor began his five-year reign as king under Malaysia's unique rotating monarchy system.
PoliticsJanuary 31, 2024
Annalena Baerbock deboards a plane in Kuala Lumpur

Germany strikes balancing act in Southeast Asia

Foreign Minister Baerbock has sought to balance Germany's position on Israel with fostering better economic ties.
PoliticsJanuary 16, 2024
A glass building with the Country Garden logo at the bottom

Built on sand: Malaysia's mega ghost town

Chinese developer Country Garden is in a desperate debt crisis sparking fear among residents of Forest City in Malaysia.
BusinessNovember 28, 202303:05 min
MH370 Karte

Chinese families of flight MH370 victims seek compensation

Hopes of finding their loved ones wane after 9 years. Over 40 families claim compensation of up to €15million each.
Law and JusticeNovember 28, 202302:10 min
An Indonesian palm oil farmer pushes a wheelbarrow

Malaysia, Indonesia seek allies in EU deforestation row

Southeast Asian agricultural producers say incoming rules from the EU will harm small-scale farmers.
PoliticsNovember 27, 2023
Protesters shout slogans and wave Palestinian flags during a rally in support of the Palestinians at the National Monument in Jakarta, Indonesia

Israel-Hamas war strains Indonesia, Malaysia ties with West

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is driving a wedge between the EU, the US and Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia.
ConflictsNovember 20, 2023
A worker loads palm oil fruit bunches at an oil palm plantation

Malaysia: Is boosting palm oil flow to China defeat for EU?

Malaysia wants to increase palm oil exports to China to counterbalance an EU push to reduce imports of palm oil.
BusinessSeptember 26, 2023
Political Security Community Council (APSC) Meeting ahead of the ASEAN Summit

ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia urge staying out of global rows

The summit comes at a time when ASEAN is struggling to convince world leaders of its role in the region.
PoliticsSeptember 5, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Malaysia: Corruption charges against deputy PM dropped

Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi faced 47 various charges of criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering.
Law and JusticeSeptember 4, 2023
Malaysian drag queen Carmen Rose puts on make-up.

Malaysia's LGBTQ community comes under pressure

Growing conservatism leaves Malaysia's LGBTQ community alone and under pressure.
EqualityAugust 21, 202302:43 min
Malaysia Protest against Quran burning in the Netherlands

EU image suffers in Malaysia, Indonesia over Quran burning

The EU's attempts to bolster free speech in parts of Asia have taken another setback over Quran desecration in the bloc.
PoliticsAugust 14, 2023
The Indonesia Miss Universe Competition in 2018

Miss Universe severs ties with Indonesia franchise

Half a dozen women have accused Miss Universe Indonesia of sexual harassment, with Jakarta police launching a probe.
CrimeAugust 13, 2023
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on August 12, 2023

Malaysia: PM Anwar thwarts opposition threat in state polls

Anwar Ibrahim's coalition retained control of three states, but a conservative opposition gained in popularity.
PoliticsAugust 13, 2023
Lead singer of 1975, Matty Healy sings on stage

Malaysia: Music festival canceled over same-sex kiss onstage

Matty Healy, 'The 1975' band's frontman criticized the country's strict LGBT laws and kissed his bandmate on stage.
CultureJuly 22, 2023
A carrier ship anchored at sea

Malaysia probes Chinese ship suspected of looting WW2 wrecks

Shipwrecks are considered war graves. The looting of the shipwrecks has been condemned by Britain.
CrimeMay 30, 2023
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Global 3000 — The Globalization Program

Residents fight pollution in South Africa and the global construction boom is endangering monuments in Malaysia.
GlobalizationMay 12, 202326:06 min
A protester in Malaysia holds a sign that reads: "Stop the execution"

Malaysia scraps mandatory death penalty

Judges will have the option to impose alternative punishments such as lengthy prison sentences or whipping.
Law and JusticeApril 3, 2023