Malaysia Pulse delivers breaking news, politics, business, sports and lifestyle coverage from Malaysia and Southeast Asia — trusted, timely and independent.
South Korea's national police will conduct intensive operations from Monday through October 31, targeting organised crime by younger gang members engaged in fraud and money laundering, alongside international drug trafficking operations.
Malaysia faces an escalating scam epidemic with over 66,000 cases and RM2.97 billion in losses last year. Experts warn that artificial intelligence and sophisticated social engineering tactics require a comprehensive national response beyond enforcement alone.
Malaysia's anti-corruption agency, police and tax authority have intensified coordinated investigations into suspected wrongdoing at Tabung Haji following a damning Royal Commission report detailing systemic irregularities.
A joint investigation by The Straits Times and OCCRP has identified Chen Sokly, a key lieutenant in the Prince Holding Group scam syndicate, who accumulated significant assets in Singapore and the US while orchestrating money laundering and corruption networks.
Malaysia's anti-corruption agency has completed an exhaustive nine-hour questioning session with a former senior finance official at Tabung Haji, marking a significant development in the ongoing graft investigation.
Germany experienced a surge in phone scam losses during 2025, with fraudsters impersonating police officers and relatives stealing nearly €100 million combined, according to federal crime data.
Malaysian police have initiated five separate investigations into alleged commercial crimes highlighted by the Royal Commission of Inquiry examining Tabung Haji's financial records, signalling formal enforcement action following the public inquiry.
A High Court proceeding revealed that a key financial investigator in the 1MDB case failed to verify whether US$620 million returned by former Prime Minister Najib Razak was actually rerouted to other destinations, raising questions about the probe's thoroughness.
Financial institutions must shift to data-driven, risk-based compliance as digital crimes become faster and more sophisticated, Labuan FSA warns at international conference.
Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing former PM Najib Razak, rigorously examined a key financial investigator's work in the 1MDB case, probing the boundaries and completeness of the fraud investigation.
1MDB has initiated a civil lawsuit against former Prime Minister Najib Razak, seeking US$5.64 billion in damages. The sovereign wealth fund alleges that Najib orchestrated fraudulent transactions resulting in RM51.4 billion in losses, with assistance from fugitive financier Jho Low.
The state investment fund 1MDB has commenced civil proceedings against former Prime Minister Najib Razak, claiming he orchestrated a deliberate fraud scheme resulting in approximately RM51.4 billion in losses through systematic misuse of his executive authority.
South Korean authorities have brought charges against eight individuals, including six journalists from a business daily, for orchestrating an elaborate stock manipulation scheme that generated illicit profits exceeding 9 billion won over several years.
Indian police have escalated their search for West Bengal businessman Tulu Mondal, who allegedly fled to Dubai before election results. Authorities have frozen Rs93 crore in bank accounts and seized 242 vehicles as investigations into smuggling and money laundering deepen.
Capital One has defended its decision to close bank accounts belonging to the Trump Organisation, stating that the closure followed a thorough review by anti-money laundering compliance specialists.
Three company directors have been charged at Shah Alam Sessions Court with laundering millions of ringgit allegedly siphoned from a non-governmental organisation. The case underscores vulnerabilities in NGO financial oversight.
Malaysia's anti-corruption agency will spearhead an ASEAN-wide training course on recovering criminal assets, leveraging lessons from the 1MDB scandal to help regional partners combat corruption and cross-border financial crime.
A former unit trust consultant has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and fined RM2 million for defrauding investors, signalling Malaysian authorities' tougher stance on financial crimes.
A Canadian citizen has been handed an eight-year prison sentence after being caught attempting to illegally transport over US$111,000 and Canadian currency out of Pakistan. The court rejected his defence, finding he deliberately circumvented customs regulations.
A former bank analyst has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for conducting unlicensed securities dealings and falsely claiming the Unit Trust Consultant designation.
Authorities at Miri airport have apprehended a foreign national wanted by Brunei for allegedly orchestrating an ATM skimming scheme that compromised customer payment cards and enabled fraudulent withdrawals.
Argentina's football association has rejected reports that its president Claudio Tapia was ordered to testify in US courts, though authorities are investigating over $300 million in AFA-related contracts.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested an NGO's secretary and treasurer in connection with the alleged laundering of RM5 million in funds, signalling stepped-up enforcement against financial crimes within the non-profit sector.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has detained a Sabah NGO leader accused of mishandling RM2 million in funds designated for building a community cultural facility.
India's securities regulator has issued an alert about a growing cyber fraud scheme where criminals impersonate senior company executives to manipulate employees into transferring funds to fraudster-controlled accounts.
A corporate services provider in Singapore has been sentenced to 32 weeks in jail for fabricating financial records and helping foreign nationals establish shell companies as part of the city-state's largest money laundering operation valued at S$3 billion.
Malaysian authorities have dismantled a sophisticated investment fraud operation in Melaka, arresting 21 Chinese nationals suspected of running a non-existent investment scheme. The operation highlights growing concerns over transnational financial crime in the region.
Three brothers have been charged in separate proceedings at Kuala Lumpur Sessions Courts for engaging in unlicensed capital market operations, marking another regulatory enforcement action by the Securities Commission.
The Securities Commission Malaysia has charged three brothers—Anuar Hassan, Mohd Amin Hassan, and Amir Hassan—across multiple Kuala Lumpur Sessions Courts for operating an unlicensed securities dealing business between March and October 2019.
A former company director has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for operating an unlicensed fund management scheme and money laundering, with victims losing over RM1.26 million in the scheme that operated between 2018 and 2020.
Japanese authorities have arrested nine people for running a payment system that facilitated illegal online gambling activities within Japan. The suspects allegedly processed approximately 340 billion yen in wagers.
Indonesian police raids in Jakarta uncovered US$26.3 million in gold bars and foreign currency linked to former deputy attorney general Febrie Adriansyah. The dramatic searches have reignited debate over anti-corruption mechanisms and investigative jurisdiction.
Singapore police are investigating 550 people, including teenagers as young as 16, over involvement in more than 1,800 scam and unlicensed moneylending cases resulting in losses exceeding $17 million.
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Malaysia's anti-corruption watchdog has taken decisive action against a suspected syndicate operating within the foreign affairs ministry, freezing multiple bank accounts and impounding significant assets worth RM1.4 million.
Singapore's police force played a key role in Operation First Light 2026, a coordinated Interpol action spanning 97 jurisdictions that resulted in 5,811 arrests and the interception of US$293 million in illicit assets between January and April.
Malaysia's anti-corruption watchdog has moved against suspected immigration graft by freezing 14 bank accounts belonging to multiple individuals and firms, securing approximately RM1.1 million in assets pending investigation.
The MACC is moving forward with recommendations to charge 69 individuals implicated in Daya Kerjaya 2.0 scheme abuse, while reaffirming its pursuit of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho remains an active priority.
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Malaysia's anti-corruption watchdog has commenced a formal inquiry into an overseas property acquisition valued at US$13 million, which authorities suspect may involve funds diverted from the troubled state investment fund 1MDB.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has frozen RM3.4 million held in company bank accounts while investigating allegations that false documents were submitted to fraudulently obtain roughly RM20 million in development financing.
A water utility company worker in Seremban has been charged in magistrate's courts with defrauding two women of a combined RM108,500. The accused faced separate charges relating to the two victims.
The founder of Abu Dhabi-based AppliedAI has pleaded guilty to insider trading in a scheme involving lawyers at major US law firms tipping traders about confidential merger information, with charges affecting dozens of people.
Authorities have arrested three individuals suspected of orchestrating a RM20 million fraud scheme involving falsified documentation presented to a financial institution.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has called for fugitive businessman Jho Low to face trial in Malaysia, asserting the country's legal independence and noting the severe economic damage caused by the 1MDB scandal.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to pursuing fugitive financier Jho Low through its legal system, stating that any pardon granted by the United States would not deter Kuala Lumpur's efforts.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has clarified that Tan Sri Azam Baki's appointment to the NFCC Advisory Board is independent of his previous role as MACC chief, with his tenure extending until 2027.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that only Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, possesses the constitutional authority to revoke Tan Sri Azam Baki's appointment to the National Financial Crime Centre advisory board.
A former kindergarten teacher has appeared in Shah Alam Sessions Court on three money laundering charges involving RM133,550 in cash and jewellery allegedly from unlawful sources. She pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The owner of a popular Singapore porridge restaurant has been charged with tax evasion totalling nearly S$3.8 million and money laundering involving a Lamborghini, property, and over S$2.4 million in cash.
Malaysia's opposition leader has demanded the government clarify why former MACC chief Azam Baki was appointed as an adviser to the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre, particularly given his ongoing legal scrutiny.
Singapore's High Court has rejected Standard Chartered's attempt to block a US$2.7 billion lawsuit linked to the 1MDB scandal. The case alleging dishonest assistance and anti-money laundering failures can now advance to trial.
Ronnie Liu has publicly questioned why former MACC chief Tan Sri Azam Baki attended a National Financial Crime Prevention Centre advisory board meeting, raising questions about institutional governance and potential conflicts of interest.