WHEN press conferences are held, reporters will field all kinds of questions, ranging from the pertinent to the off-topic, and from questions to opinions.

NEARLY half of the world's population still lacks access to even basic diagnostic tests. Currently, diagnostics account for only a tiny fraction of global health spending despite their central role in clinical decision-making. At the same time, the World Health Organization now treats access to medicines and health products as a core pillar of universal health coverage. This underscores that without affordable solutions, the wider population will never benefit from most medical innovations.

Malaysia's National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has been working hard towards achieving WHO's stringent Listed Authority status, leveraging its status as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Regulatory Control of Pharmaceuticals to reach the highest global standards of regulatory practice for approving medical products.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi's recent remarks on Taiwan are not merely controversial; they strike at the heart of the post–World War II international order in Asia. By challenging the One-China policy, her comments implicitly question one of the foundational outcomes of Japan's defeat in 1945 - that Taiwan, liberated from Japanese colonial rule, was returned to China.

THE Prussian field marshal, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, renowned for having laid the groundwork for modern warfare, is said to have observed that no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

Malaysia's innovation story has long been told in the language of aspiration, the familiar refrain that the country stands on the cusp of becoming a knowledge-driven economy. However, real progress begins with truth, and the truth is that Malaysia's innovation journey has reached a point of uncomfortable clarity, revealing structural weaknesses that can no longer be ignored. The Global Innovation Index (GII) for 2024 and 2025, as well as the deeper indicators beneath it, make this point unmistakably.

On April 16, 2025, during the visit of China's President Xi Jinping to Malaysia, the two nations formalised an agreement through a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in services trade and industrial sectors. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total bilateral trade reaching RM484.12bil in 2024.

THE Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) held a series of engagements on Friday (Nov 7) to examine the implications of the recently signed US–Malaysia Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART).

BEIJING: China has set its development priorities and policy directions for the next five years, and the world's second-largest economy will bring new opportunities for shared growth with global partners and investors.

From ancient cities to multicultural food, islands to mountains, and shopping that rivals the best in Asia, Malaysia has everything going for a traveller. With Visit Malaysia Year 2026 just around the corner, the outlook for our tourism calendar is promising.

The world has woken up to an uncomfortable truth — we are dangerously dependent on one island — Taiwan — for the chips that power our lives.

THERE are moments when protocol collides with principle. Trump's visit to Kuala Lumpur, staged with spectacle, was one such moment. To many Malaysians, it felt like the surrender of moral authority. EMIR Research has consistently argued that Malaysia's strength lies in credible neutrality, dignity in the Global South, and policy anchored in justice.