Malaysia Roundup: Ibrahim as king, Tiktok denies Malaysia claims, Rare earh Lynas, and Malaysian PM

Sultan Ibrahim designated as Malaysia's forthcoming kingThe royal families of Malaysia have chosen Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, a prominent and outspoken figure from the southern state of Johor, to assume the role of the nation's next king, Reuters reported. Malaysia follows a distinctive system where the leaders of its nine royal families take turns serving as the monarch for a five-year period. In this Southeast Asian parliamentary democracy, the monarch serves as the head of state.

TikTok denies Malaysian claims that it censors content supportive of the Palestinian cause

Social media platform TikTok declared on Friday that the Malaysian government's allegations of blocking pro-Palestinian content were without merit. Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, issued a warning on Thursday to social media companies TikTok and Meta, asserting that their platforms had been accused of limiting content that endorsed the Palestinian cause. In response, Meta stated on Thursday that the accusation had no basis in fact and that it had no intention of intentionally suppressing voices on its Facebook platform.

Rare-earths Mining Co. Lynas surged in its stock price

Lynas Rare Earths (LYC.AX) saw its stock reach a one-month high, surging after Malaysia granted the company permission to continue operating its flagship refinery locally with a modified operating license. Shares climbed by as much as 5.6% to reach A$7.2, their highest value since September 19, positioning the company as one of the top 10 gainers in the ASX 200 benchmark index (.AXJO), according to a report from Reuters. Malaysia's government announced on Tuesday that it would permit Lynas Malaysia, which has been active in the central state of Pahang since 2012, to import raw materials containing natural radioactive substances and process rare earths until March 2026, marking the resolution of a prolonged regulatory dispute. This decision comes despite previous concerns raised by Malaysia about radiation levels during the processing of raw materials through cracking and leaching operations.

Malaysian PM stands with thousands to denounce Israel and Western allies

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined a gathering of 16,000 pro-Palestinian supporters in Kuala Lumpur to strongly condemn Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, which they described as "barbaric." The demonstration also aimed to denounce Israel's Western supporters. This event in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, was the largest in a series of recent demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine.