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02/01/2026

Batam’s Economic Momentum: Strong Investment Performance Amid Global Uncertainty in 2025.

Batam recorded a positive economic trajectory throughout 2025, with growth reaching 6.89 percent year-on-year by the third quarter. This performance was achieved despite global volatility affecting trade, capital flows, and industrial supply chains. According to the Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority or BP Batam, economic activities across the island remained active and stable.

The growth was primarily driven by investment, followed by manufacturing, trade, and logistics. These sectors reflect real economic activity rather than short-term stimulus, highlighting Batam’s role as a production and distribution hub within Indonesia’s industrial ecosystem.

02/01/2026

Malaysian Politics at a Crossroads: PAS Reasserts Islam as Core of Governance.

Malaysia’s Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, or PAS, has reiterated its determination to restore Islam as the primary foundation of governance. In a Facebook post dated Dec. 31, PAS central election director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said only Islam can save Malaysia and the world from oppression and injustice caused by non-Islamic systems of rule, according to Malay Mail.

02/01/2026

Public Safety Incident: Rooftop Fire Erupts During New Year Fireworks at Our Tampines Hub.

A fire erupted on the rooftop of Our Tampines Hub shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026, coinciding with the venue’s New Year’s Day fireworks display. Videos circulating on Instagram and Facebook showed visible flames on the rooftop while fireworks continued in the background, raising concern among members of the public attending the countdown event.

31/12/2025

Early Screen Exposure: How Infant Screen Time Shapes Brain Development And Teen Mental Health.

Screens have become an easy fix for calming restless babies, but new evidence suggests the habit may leave lasting marks on the developing brain. A landmark Singapore study now reveals how screen exposure in infancy can shape mental health outcomes years later, while also pointing to simple, powerful ways parents can reduce the risks.

Singapore scientists have found that children exposed to high levels of screen time before the age of two show measurable changes in brain development linked to slower decision-making and higher anxiety during adolescence. The research, led by Assistant Professor Tan Ai Peng from A*STAR’s Institute for Human Development and Potential and the National University of Singapore, is the largest local birth cohort study to examine how early screen exposure affects long-term brain and mental health outcomes.

31/12/2025

Faith and Power: Coal Mining Deal Splinters Indonesia’s Largest Islamic Group.

Indonesia’s decision in 2024 to allow religious organizations to manage mining concessions has deeply divided Nahdlatul Ulama, the country’s largest Islamic organization with an estimated 80 million members. NU was awarded a 26,000-hectare coal mining concession in East Kalimantan, previously held by a Jakarta-based company. Although mining operations have yet to begin, the concession has already sparked open conflict within the organization.

31/12/2025

Malaysia Launches First AI-Generated Historical Film.

Malaysia is stepping into cinematic history with the theatrical debut of its first fully AI-generated feature film, signaling a bold leap in both creative storytelling and technological ambition.

Local audiences will be able to watch Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao in cinemas nationwide starting January 1. The 76-minute historical epic is produced by Future Studio in collaboration with Singapore-based FizzDragon and is set to screen at major cinema chains including TGV and GSC. The film is also positioning itself as the world’s first AI-generated movie to receive a full theatrical release.

30/12/2025

Indonesia’s Free School Meals Programme Faces Delays and Safety Scrutiny.

Indonesia’s free school meals programme is now expected to reach around 80 million recipients by April, falling behind earlier targets, according to Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan. Speaking after a government meeting on food reserves for 2026 on Dec 29, he said the government had initially aimed to reach about 55 million recipients by early January.

30/12/2025

Sacred Space at Sea: Singapore Opens Sheltered Hindu Ritual Facility at Changi Beach.

The Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) officially launched Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam on Dec 29, marking the completion of a project first announced five years ago. Located next to Carpark 2 at Changi Beach, the one-storey facility provides a sheltered environment specifically for post-death Hindu rites, addressing years of community feedback.

29/12/2025

Compassion Beyond Borders: A Singaporean’s Relentless Fight for Johor Bahru’s Stray Cats.

During the December school holidays, a routine drive across the Causeway into Johor Bahru took on a different purpose. Instead of shopping or leisure, the journey centered on feeding starving stray cats. Leading the effort was Nur Amira Jumali, 34, a Singaporean marriage counsellor who has made weekly trips to Johor Bahru since late 2022. What started as occasional feeding soon expanded into regular trap-neuter-return, or TNR, operations aimed at controlling the stray population humanely.

29/12/2025

Digital Oversight in Indonesia: Personal Data Protection Faces Rising Risks.

Between October 2024 and November 2025, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs through the Directorate General of Digital Space Supervision recorded hundreds of potential violations related to personal data protection. According to the 2025 Directorate General Data Report, the PDP service received 342 public complaints, with 41 percent directly related to personal data protection issues. During the same period, 483 public consultations were logged, with 89 percent focusing specifically on PDP governance.

26/12/2025

Rising Gold Prices: How Household Gold Holdings Strengthen Malaysian Financial Resilience.

Gold ownership has long been embedded in Malaysian household financial practices, often through inherited jewellery and small savings accumulated for emergencies. As global gold prices climb, these holdings quietly appreciate in value, strengthening household balance sheets without requiring speculative investment or exposure to volatile markets.

Gold price movements reflect more than global investor sentiment. In 2025, higher prices have translated directly into increased household asset values, offering relief amid inflationary pressures. At the time of writing, global gold prices stood at US$4,491.30 per ounce, with the US dollar trading at RM4.04, reinforcing the value of locally held gold.

26/12/2025

Design And Civic Action: How One Young Singaporean Is Rethinking Wayfinding.

Ask Vareck Ng what defines good design and he will point to a chair. No instructions, no confusion, it simply works. That same philosophy guides his approach to wayfinding in Singapore’s public transport system, where he believes signage should be intuitive rather than instructional. At just 23, Mr Ng has become known as Singapore’s self-described “guerrilla wayfinder,” designing and installing unofficial signs to fill gaps he feels formal planning often misses.

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