Malaysia Roundup: Missing airline found, Prime Minister charged, travel

Prime Minister charged over comments

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged with sedition for allegedly insulting the country's former king, according to his lawyer, Channel News Asia reports. This charge stems from remarks he made questioning the king's role in government formation after the November 2022 elections, during a speech on August 15. The monarchy is highly respected in Malaysia, and negative comments about royalty can result in prosecution under the Sedition Act. Muhyiddin, leader of the opposition party Bersatu, served as prime minister from March 2020 to August 2021.

Promotion of Malaysian products

Fresh Malaysian durians are now available in China at select retail outlets across six provinces, following approval from the General Administration of Customs on June 19. Malaysia's Ambassador to China announced the launch during the Taste Of Malaysia 2024 program, which runs from August 23 to September 1 and aims to promote quality Malaysian products. This marks a shift from previous exports of frozen durians and agro-food products. According to Malaymail, the program will highlight various Malaysian items, including durian and traditional snacks.

Travel

Saudi Arabia is enhancing spiritual travel for Malaysian visitors by hosting its largest trade networking event, NUSUK, on August 27 at the Mandarin Oriental, featuring over 40 Saudi stakeholders and around 500 Southeast Asian travel agencies. According to Eturbonews, His Excellency Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan AlRabiah, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj & Umrah, will oversee discussions on key collaborations. Notable initiatives include Andalusia's unique travel package with WeXpress launching in December, which provides exclusive itineraries and travel recommendations. Mitra Kembara and Grab are also facilitating Umrah for over 300,000 Grab drivers through specialised packages funded by Grab and supported by SAUDIA.

Social media licensing

Tech giants, including Google and Meta, have urged Malaysia to pause its plan requiring social media platforms with over eight million users to apply for licenses, citing unclear regulations and a lack of public consultation. The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) expressed concerns that the proposed rules could hinder Malaysia's digital economy and noted the tight timeline for compliance could leave platforms unprepared, Dunya News reported. The Malaysian communications regulator had announced potential legal action for non-compliance by January 1, 2025. The government has reported an increase in harmful social media content and called for enhanced monitoring of platforms.

Missing Malaysia Airline

A scientist from Australia's Tasmania believes he has figured out the location of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in March 2014. The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people, mostly from China, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite an extensive search covering 120,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean, no trace of the plane was found, leading to the suspension of the Australian-led search in January 2017. The scientist, from the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, suggests that MH370 might be located where the longitude of Penang airport intersects with a flight path from the Pilot-in-Command's home simulator—a track previously dismissed as irrelevant by the FBI and other officials, Livemint reports.