Malaysia is one of the most important regional countries in Southeast Asia, the important geopolitical arena where the strategic competition between the United States and China has been intense in recent years.

The Palestinian cause is a major political issue in Kuala Lumpur, where renewed supportive demonstrations took place on May 4, 2024, with some participants wearing Palestinian keffiyeh in support of Hamas.

An old border dispute was revived by an official map issued by China on August 28, 2023, in which it clarified its international borders and showed territorial claims to a number of disputed border areas with its neighbors.

The veteran Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad lost the race for a parliamentary seat in the Malaysian general election.

From former prime minister to prisoner, Najib Razak will now spend 12 years in jail for graft after charges related to a multi-billion dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).