• Malaysian urban dwellers 'reclaim' city land, one garden at a time
• Malaysia group teaches refugee women how to read and write
• With 'unforgettable' bag, Malaysian shoppers paid to cut plastic waste

• Malaysia's Peace Palace, Yogic Flyers creating coherence and harmony
• Penang, Malaysia: First ladies' World Peace Assembly creates coherence, bliss in collective consciousness
• Malaysia: Global Mother Divine Organization holds first ladies' World Peace Assembly

• Swamped with plastic waste: Malaysia struggles as global scrap piles up
• Interpol: Database not checked on ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight
• In Malaysia, online election battles take a nasty turn

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Malaysian urban dwellers 'reclaim' city land, one garden at a time
10 June 2021 - Amid the high rises that tower over the Malaysian capital, tiny community gardens are taking shape in a trend that has seen urban dwellers staking claims to the city -- one plot at a time. ... The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) promotes urban farming as a way to ensure food security amid rapid urbanization, while in fast-ageing countries like Singapore, it is also used to tackle loneliness among the elderly. (more)

Malaysia group teaches refugee women how to read and write
20 November 2020 - In a bare room, students seated on the floor recite the alphabet. But these are not children. The students are refugee women in Malaysia, some in their late 50s, who for the first time are learning how to read and write, both in Malay and English. The weekly classes in a dingy neighborhood outside Kuala Lumpur are offered by the Women for Refugees group, which was formed in September by two law students to help illiterate migrant women integrate into the local community and empower them to be more than just passive wives. (more)

With 'unforgettable' bag, Malaysian shoppers paid to cut plastic waste
3 April 2018 - British supermarket group Tesco has launched a scheme in Malaysia based on bags with barcodes, giving customers discounts on their shopping every time they reuse the bags. The 'unforgettable bag' was launched in 11 Tesco stores in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur and the southern state of Johor on Tuesday (3 April) in an effort to shift away from single-use plastic bags and reduce waste. (more)

Glimpse of Lunar New Year: Lion dance tradition thrives in Malaysia
4 February 2016 - The traditional art of the Chinese lion dance is nowhere near perishing in Muslim-majority Malaysia. It's a centuries-old tradition dating back the Han Dynasty. These days, it is kept alive by an ethnic Chinese minority that makes up 22 percent of Malaysia's 30 million people -- and by people like master craftsman Siow Ho Phiew. Siow isn't worried that the tradition will die out. 'This lion dance is a culture. It's not something new, it dates back for thousands of years,' he said. 'I believe that if it is good and beautiful art, I'm sure there will be people who will continue it.' (more)

Malaysia: Kinta River water now cleaner, safer under water quality index
28 September 2014 - The Kinta River water is now recognised as cleaner and safer after it recorded improved quality under the Water Quality Index. The River Carnival is a biennial event to encourage and educate the local and business communities on the importance of river conservation, and to recognise and celebrate local champions for their contributions in river and environmental conservation. (more)

Malaysian Negara-Ku 'people's movement' aims to counter misinformation, division
14 July 2014 - A new 'people's movement' has been launched in Malaysia, saying it aims to counter misinformation and racial division. Negara-Ku -- which means 'My Nation' and is also the name of the Malaysian national anthem -- is made up of 68 non-government organizations (NGOs). Organizers say it aims to reach all Malaysians with information that will dispel untruths, rumours, and unfair statements. (more)

Malaysia eases auto curbs to woo foreign makers
20 January 2014 - Malaysia unveiled a new auto policy Monday, offering incentives and easing curbs on the production of small, energy-efficient cars to vie for investment with neighbouring rivals Thailand and Indonesia. Trade Minister Mustapa Mohamad said new manufacturing licenses will be issued for carmakers producing green vehicles. It is a significant change in policy as the government previously only issued new manufacturing licenses for vehicles with engine size of 1.8 liters and above to protect national car makers Proton and Perodua. Malaysia is trying to play catch up with its neighbours. Thailand has a lead with its 'Eco Car' programme launched five years ago while Indonesia introduced its 'Green Car' scheme last year, both focusing on small, fuel efficient cars. (more)

Malaysia's opposition signals willingness to work with government
30 August 2013 - Malaysia's opposition indicated on Friday it was softening its stand towards the government for the first time since a disputed May election, saying it was willing to help tackle a range of problems. The opposition led by former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim has refused to accept the election victory of the ruling coalition, which extended its 56-year rule but saw its parliamentary majority reduced. Anwar said in an Independence Day message that the opposition maintained its 'strong protests about the validity' of the vote, but, for the first time, he indicated willingness to heal divisions the election brought. (more)

Malaysia to reform election body over bias concern
3 June 2013 - A senior member of Malaysia's opposition has cautiously welcomed a new bi-partisan committee which will oversee the country's Election Commission. The commission currently answers to the prime minister's office and the opposition has accused it of being biased towards the ruling Barisan Nasional. Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced that an independent, bi-partisan parliamentary committee made up of government and opposition members would be formed to oversee the Election Commission. (more)

Malaysia's economy to grow 5-6 per cent in 2013
20 March 2013 - Malaysia's central bank says it expects economic growth to be sustained at between 5 and 6 per cent this year after a better-than-expected expansion in 2012. Gross domestic product rose 5.6 last year, partly boosted by government spending ahead of general elections expected by June. Central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz says Malaysia's economy will remain on a steady growth path, anchored by robust domestic demand and improving exports. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Malaysia's Peace Palace, Yogic Flyers creating coherence and harmony
27 October 2010 - A new Maharishi Peace Palace in Malaysia has become a centre of harmony and coherence for the nation through daily group practice of the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme, including Yogic Flying, and World Peace Assemblies to be held every two months. (more)

Penang, Malaysia: First ladies' World Peace Assembly creates coherence, bliss in collective consciousness
7 November 2009 - During a recent World Peace Assembly conducted by the Global Mother Divine Programme in Penang, Malaysia, 25 ladies enjoyed the restful, rejuvenating effects of the nine-day in-residence course, including group practice of The Transcendental Meditation Programme and Yogic Flying. The especially blissful atmosphere created by being together with all ladies added to the influence of coherence, harmony, and peace created by the assembly in the collective consciousness of their own country and of the entire region. (more)

Malaysia: Global Mother Divine Organization holds first ladies' World Peace Assembly
28 October 2009 - The Global Mother Divine Organization of Malaysia recently held their first World Peace Assembly in Penang, during a special nine-day Vedic festival, with 25 ladies attending. All the course participants enjoyed the restful, rejuvenating influence of the World Peace Assembly, in the especially blissful atmosphere created by being together with all ladies. (more)

Malaysia: Launching a successful eco-environmental cleanup with help from Penang's enlightened citizens
19 September 2009 - The Album of Events page of Global Good News is now featuring colourful photos of 'Malaysia: Enlightened citizens of Penang help launch world's first ''million mudballs'' eco-environment cleanup'. The project was implemented in August to clean up and revitalize rivers in Penang; the nation's Transcendental Meditation Teachers and practitioners contributed greatly to the success of the event. (more)

Malaysia: Enlightened citizens of Penang help launch world's first 'million mudballs' eco-environment cleanup
30 August 2009 - Malaysia's Transcendental Meditation Teachers and practitioners contributed greatly to the success of a recent large eco-environmental project to clean up and revitalize rivers in the state of Penang. The project used an innovative technology involving naturally-occurring microorganisms, developed in Japan and promoted in Penang by a local practitioner of the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme. (more)

Maharishi's historic visit to Malaysia in 1958 planted seeds of current successes
24 July 2008 - Dr Pat Barrett, Raja of Malaysia and Singapore for the Global Country of World Peace, reflected on the special history and current successes of Maharishi's programmes in those countries. (more)

Malaysia progresses towards invincibility
28 September 2007 - Dr Aileen Foo, National Leader and Founder of Invincibility for the Global Country of World Peace for Malaysia, reported substantial continuing successes in her country. (more)

Malaysia: Going traditional with treatment
21 August 2007 - Traditional, natural healthcare is becoming increasingly mainstream in Malaysia. The Malaysian government will soon open a Wellness Centre in Putrajaya that will offer modern medicine along with a variety of natural healthcare including Ayurveda and the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

Malaysia: Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care and Peace Palace
11 August 2007 - Dr Eileen Fu, National Leader and Founder of Invincibility for Malaysia, reported on progress in the region, including ground-breaking ceremonies recently held in Malaysia and Vietnam, and also the rise of Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care in Malaysia. (more)

Rising Invincibility in Malaysia
23 May 2007 - Invincibility is rising in Malaysia where plans for Invincibility Schools, Centres of Invincibility, and a Peace Palace are progressing. (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Swamped with plastic waste: Malaysia struggles as global scrap piles up
25 October 2018 - Hundreds of sacks filled with plastic waste from the United States, Britain, South Korea, and Spain spill onto the streets of an industrial zone in Pulau Indah, an island town just an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur and home to Malaysia's biggest port. The stench of burning plastic and fumes from nearly a dozen recycling factories wafts through the neighborhood, even as more container-loads of plastic waste are unloaded. (more)

Interpol: Database not checked on ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight
9 March 2014 - Even though the Interpol has been sounding the alarm about passport fraud for years, people have managed to board flights a billion times without having their passports checked against its stolen-documents records, France-based agency Interpol said. In an interview with The Associated Press in January 2010, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K Noble had warned that 'the greatest threat in the world' was that at the time, a half-billion international air arrivals worldwide took place in which travel documents were not compared against Interpol databases. (more)

In Malaysia, online election battles take a nasty turn
4 May 2013 - Ahead of Malaysia's elections on Sunday, independent online media say they are being targeted in Internet attacks which filter content and throttle access to websites, threatening to deprive voters of their main source of independent reporting. Independent online news sites have emerged in recent years to challenge the dominance of mostly government-linked traditional media. The government denies any attempts to hobble access to the Internet in the run-up to a close-fought election. 'During the 2008 election we were wiped off the Internet,' said Premesh Chandran, CEO of independent online news provider Malaysiakini. 'Our concern is that we'll see a repeat of that on 5 May. Can we really live without independent media on election night, given that both sides might not accept the result?' (more)

Malaysia's plan to dam its frontier for energy generates dismay
13 December 2012 - A staggeringly ambitious plan to block many of Malaysia's Sarawak state's major waterways by 2020 to tap cheap energy envisages creating up to 12 dams. It could leave the state with more than 20 times more energy than it now needs, and critics, including opposition politicians, say that Sarawak simply does not need so many hydro-power dams. The plan is also attracting growing opposition from environmentalists and groups representing indigenous tribes, who say it is an environmental disaster in the making that will enrich an elite few. The wave of dam-building in Sarawak has brought more scrutiny to links between environmental damage in Malaysia's two Borneo island states and global financial institutions. Global Witness, a British-based investigative group, has criticised HSBC Bank's role in funding companies it said were logging illegally in Sarawak, saying it was against the bank's environmental guidelines. Swiss prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into UBS in August after the bank was accused of laundering money from illegal logging in Sabah, another Malaysian state that borders Sarawak. Environmentalists fear that the dams could deliver a final blow to Sarawak's forests, which they estimate have shrunk to 5 per cent of land cover. The state says forest cover is 70 per cent, but activists say it uses a broad definition that includes rapidly expanding palm-oil plantations. (more)

Over 1,400 arrested, tear gas fired in Malaysia protest
9 July 2011 - Malaysian police fired repeated rounds of tear gas and detained over 1,400 people in the capital on Saturday as thousands of activists evaded roadblocks and barbed wire to hold a street protest against Prime Minister Najib Razak's government. 'We have made our point that we want free and fair elections,' said Chan Mei Yin, a 32-year old accountant who joined the protest. 'The police are just showing that they are brutal to Malaysians. I will not vote for this government.' President Najib's approval ratings have risen from 45 per cent to 69 per cent in February, according to independent polling outfit Merdeka Center. But analysts said recent ethnic and religious differences have undermined his popularity. (more)

Malaysia's Mahathir: racial divide deepening
7 July 2011 - Malaysian Chinese have stopped supporting the government because they no longer feel they are getting their share of projects, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said. The former Prime Minister looked back on his two decades in power in a May interview at his office in Putrajaya, the showcase administrative capital he built in the 1990s and one of the 'mega-projects' that helped define his regime. Chinese and Indians make up a third of the population but have become increasingly unhappy about an official policy that discriminates against them in favour of majority Malays. (more)

Study shows rapid deforestation in Malaysia
1 February 2011 - New satellite imagery shows Malaysia is destroying forests more than three times faster than all of Asia combined, and its carbon-rich peat soils of the Sarawak coast are being stripped even faster, according to a study released Tuesday. The report commissioned by the Netherlands-based Wetlands International says Malaysia is uprooting an average 2 per cent of the rain forest a year on Sarawak, its largest state on the island of Borneo, or nearly 10 per cent over the last five years. Most of it is being converted to palm oil plantations, it said. 'Total deforestation in Sarawak is 3.5 times as much as that for entire Asia, while deforestation of peat swamp forest is 11.7 times as much,' the report said. Scientists say the destruction of the Amazon, the rain forests of central Africa and in Southeast Asia accounts for more than 15 per cent of human-caused carbon emissions blamed for global warming. (more)

In otherwise tolerant Malaysia, Shiites are banned
14 January 2011 - In this Muslim-majority country, it's OK to be Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu. But not Shiite. Malaysian religious police detained more than 100 Shiites who had gathered to mark the death of one of their most beloved saints, Prophet Muhammad's grandson, who was killed in the year 680. It was one of the largest such sweeps in years, sparking outrage and fear in the country's small but growing Shiite community. Some religious scholars see it as a worrying sign that Islamic authorities are becoming more hard-line. Despite its reputation for religious tolerance, Malaysia has been quietly discriminating against its own for years. The government recognizes only the Sunni branch of Islam and prohibits all others including Shiites, the world's second largest Islamic group. (more)

Old rebellion, harsh foe swell Myanmar exile camps
16 August 2010 - Half a million Karen tribespeople were driven from their homes by the Myanmar military, the sagas of their suffering etched on their faces as they live in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Aid workers call the regime's campaign against the Karen rebellion 'the hidden Darfur.' To Christians who work with refugees from the country they still call Burma, it's 'the Calvary of the Karen.' Families are financially ruined, many refugees say, because the military demands 'taxes'-- sometimes nearly half a villager's already minuscule income -- for avoiding the draft or forced labor, or for no reason at all. Farmers are kept from their fields doing long stretches of unpaid labor, hauling supplies, building military bases, and repairing roads. some are used as human mine swepers (more)

Church attacks in Malaysia deepen racial tension
11 January 2010 - Malaysia strongly condemned attacks on nine Christian churches and sought to assure foreign governments Monday of its commitment to religious freedom for minorities. The unprecedented attacks have strained ties between minority Christians and the majority Malay Muslims, denting Malaysia's image as a moderate Muslim-majority country and raising questions about its political stability. The attacks are also a blow to racial unity espoused by Prime Minister Najib Razak under his '1Malaysia' slogan since taking power in April, and pose a new challenge for him as he seeks to strengthen his ruling coalition after its losses in 2008 general elections. (more)