Malaysian scam kingpin walks free; Lee Kuan Yew’s pen up for auction: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. Anger in Malaysia as Liow pays fine, has money-laundering charges droppedThe revelation that an alleged Malaysian scam kingpin was released after paying 10 million ringgit (US$2.4 million) fine has sparked public outrage over claims of preferential treatment for a man at the centre of a controversial photo-op with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.2. Thai teen kills at least 5 in school, after shooting grandparents at homeFamily members of a teacher who was killed in a school shooting are led to an ambulance in Bang Kruai district, Thailand’s Nonthaburi province, on Friday. Photo: TNSAt least five people were killed at a school near Thailand’s capital Bangkok after a student went on a gun rampage, with the tragedy shocking the nation and reopening questions over access to firearms.3. North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heatA waitress shows dishes made of dog meat at a restaurant in North Korea in 2018. Euphemistically known as “dangogi”, or sweet meat, dog has long been believed to be a stamina food in North and South Korea and is traditionally eaten during the hottest time of the year. Photo: APNorth Korea’s state media has recommended dog meat soup as protection against summer heat, reviving Pyongyang’s long-running effort to promote the controversial dish as record-high temperatures grip both sides of the Korean peninsula.4. Philippine sailor on South China Sea outpost under investigation for drug useA Philippine Navy personnel who previously served aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, one of Manila’s most sensitive military outposts in the South China Sea, is under investigation over alleged illegal drug use, sources have told This Week in Asia.5. Vietnam pays the price at home for sending workers abroadVietnam’s seafood and garment sectors are facing a labour shortfall even with raised wages, as Hanoi expands a drive to send more workers overseas for higher-paying jobs.6. Lee Kuan Yew’s fountain pen valued at US$23,000-US$39,000 up for auctionA silver Montblanc Meisterstuck No 146 fountain pen belonging to Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew is valued at S$30,000 (US$23,000) to S$50,000 (US$39,000). Photo: HandoutA silver Montblanc fountain pen owned by Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew is up for auction with a starting bid of S$20,000 (US$15,600).7. Are Indonesia’s Prabowo and ultra rich ‘9 Dragons’ on a collision course?Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s push to reorganise Southeast Asia’s largest economy around a stronger, more interventionist state has put him increasingly at odds, analysts say, with the country’s so-called Nine Dragons.Further Reading