Law & Paneir

The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held in Tianjin, China, may be remembered as a pivotal moment in the slow dismantling of U.S.-centric global supremacy. Originally conceived as a regional security forum, the SCO is now rapidly transforming into a geopolitical and economic bloc with ambitions far beyond Central Asia. The presence and active engagement of China, Russia, and India: three nations that collectively account for over a third of the world’s GDP (in purchasing power parity terms) and more than 3.5 billion people signal a coordinated challenge to the prevailing Western-led international order. These powers, bound by mutual distrust of Western economic coercion and frustrated by what they see as the moral hypocrisy of Western diplomacy, are consolidating around a new vision of global multipolarity. For Malaysia, this evolving landscape presents both opportunities and significant challenges. Situated at the crossroads of global trade routes and diplom...

Allegations that Malaysian military officers and journalists may have sold classified information to a smuggling syndicate have shaken public confidence and raised the spectre of internal espionage. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has responded swiftly, affirming a zero-tolerance approach and granting full authority to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate. But as alarming as this domestic breach is, Malaysia is not alone. Across the globe, insider espionage has repeatedly proven to be one of the most damaging threats a country can face. Learning from these international cases is crucial if Malaysia is to protect its sovereignty and reinforce its national security framework. One striking example is the case of Dickson Yeo Jun Wei, a Singaporean who was convicted in the United States in 2020 for acting as an undeclared agent for Chinese intelligence. Yeo targeted American military and government personnel through LinkedIn, gathering sensitive infor...

As the world’s geopolitical landscape shifts, Southeast Asia faces a critical juncture. The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit and the growing alignment between China, Russia, and India are reshaping international relations, urging ASEAN to rethink its position. While the U.S. continues to exert economic pressure through mechanisms like tariffs and dollar dominance, the need for ASEAN to maintain regional autonomy has never been more apparent. Among the various strategic options available, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to lead ASEAN towards a future of digital sovereignty: an area of both immense potential and significant geopolitical importance. Digital infrastructure and governance have become key instruments of geopolitical influence in the post-pandemic world. With China’s ambitious Digital Silk Road Initiative and the U.S.’s digital multinationals shaping the global landscape, the digital realm has become a new front in the great power rivalry. However, ...

Organised crime is undergoing a dangerous transformation, and Malaysia is not immune. Recent reports by Europol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveal how criminal networks are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to scale operations, evade detection, and exploit legal and technological gaps across borders. AI is not just an enabler but it is now the engine behind a new era of digital-first criminal enterprises. According to Europol’s 2025 Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment, criminal groups are rapidly integrating AI into their operations. The report highlights that over 86% of criminal networks active in the European Union use legal business structures to support their illicit activities, often hiding behind complex digital fronts. AI tools such as deepfakes, AI-generated voice impersonation, and chatbot-assisted scams are being deployed to commit fraud, manipulate victims, and conduct cyberattacks at unprecedented scale and speed. Eu...