Malaysians have reacted with sarcasm and disbelief to an Indonesian official’s claim that his country provides the region’s oxygen, as toxic smoke from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan chokes neighbouring nations. Syahganda Nainggolan, head of Indonesia’s government communications agency, prompted the backlash after invoking his country’s forests when questioned on Saturday about the severe smog that has forced school closures and triggered health warnings across Malaysia and...

With his reformist credentials battered by coalition compromises and a looming general election, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has used his 2027 budget to launch a fresh wave of anti-corruption measures. But as his government nears its four-year mark, analysts warn that restoring public confidence will require more than additional funding and tighter legislative oversight. The measures, announced when Anwar presented Malaysia’s 2027 budget on Friday, include 1.1 billion ringgit (US$269...

Singapore again ranked as the world’s most polluted city on Monday, according to Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir, as the fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands – intensified by a turbocharged El Nino weather phenomenon – keep emitting toxic haze. The city state has rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and schools were closed in parts of neighbouring Malaysia, as both countries grapple with persistently unhealthy air quality due to fires in nearby Indonesia. The fires have...

Before a Vietnamese shopper adds anything to a cart these days, there is a good chance a chatbot has been consulted. As many as 62 per cent of Vietnamese buyers use AI, including generative AI, to research purchases before they buy, according to a new survey by Ho Chi Minh City-based market research firm Q&Me. […] The post Vietnam’s shoppers are asking AI first, but Google still gets the last word appeared first on e27.

Ask a Singapore small business owner what AI has done for them, and the answer is time. Ask whether their systems are ready to let AI run more of the business, and the answer gets a lot less certain. Also Read: Beyond automation: How AI is reshaping the SME landscape in Southeast Asia That tension […] The post Singapore SMEs buy back time with AI, but messy data keeps pilots stuck appeared first on e27.

Malaysia has put a number on its startup ambitions: MYR450 million (US$110.4 million). That is how much the National Fund of Funds Jelawang Capital and Dana Perintis, the startup vehicle of the Retirement Fund (KWAP), will invest in developing startups, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in his Budget 2027 speech to parliament on Friday. “Startups […] The post Malaysia’s Budget 2027 hands startups US$110.4M but the bigger cheques go elsewhere appeared first on e27.