Commercial fishing fleets are playing a key role in trafficking parts of tigers poached in Malaysia as the boats are able to carry larger consignments, are cheaper and are less likely to be checked by customs than land or air routes.

Southeast Asia’s economic growth is expected to go into overdrive in 2025, with Asean markets leading the way. According to an Asia House report, Vietnam and Philippines will remain key growth drivers.

Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN presents a pivotal opportunity to strengthen the regional bloc’s relevance and centrality in an increasingly multipolar and competitive world. Vietnam’s Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies director-general Trinh Minh Manh said Malaysia’s leadership is not only crucial for sustaining regional stability and prosperity but also for ensuring ASEAN’s continued significance on the global stage.

He says Malaysia may have border issues with neighbours, but still manages to cultivate good relations. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (Angkasa) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam Halal Cooperative (COOPHVN) to expand the halal sector and strengthen cooperative relations between Malaysia and Vietnam.

Malaysian football legend Datuk Jamal Nasir has recommended naturalization as a short-term strategy to strengthen the national team, citing a lack of quality among native players.

Singaporean and Vietnamese youths are also the most optimistic and satisfied about their countries’ political systems, law enforcement and economic future than their peers in four other Southeast Asian countries,

The fishing boats are part of a network of routes, including overland and by air, used by sophisticated teams of Vietnamese poachers.

After a stellar year in terms of traveller numbers and new products, industry leaders wish to capitalise on the forward momentum. Hoteliers spoke to VIR’s Hoang Dan about their optimism for the sector in 2025.

For Coi and Lan Pham, the journey to becoming successful restaurateurs was anything but easy after fleeing Vietnam and moving to Canada.

In a year that saw China import US$7 billion of the fruit – a record – upstarts Vietnam and Malaysia are eyeing Thailand’s top spot.

Chinese travelers are canceling plans to visit Thailand during the Lunar New Year holiday, as fears over human trafficking reverberate across the country.