Malaysians’ foreign-policy satire, Japan’s fighter jet project boost: 7 Asia highlights

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by SCMPJanuary 20, 2026 at 05:45 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

This week's Asia highlights include a satirical response in Malaysia to a US embassy post, where citizens humorously denied having oil reserves. Japan's Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a next-generation fighter jet project with the UK and Italy, is poised to benefit from delays in a competing European project. In Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong removed Pritam Singh, the Workers' Party chief, from his position as Leader of the Opposition. This action followed Singh's conviction for providing false testimony to a parliamentary committee. These events represent key developments across the Asian region, reflecting political shifts and international collaborations.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Workers’ Party 50% UK 50% Italy 50% Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) 60% United States 60% Singapore ×370% Japan ×270% Lawrence Wong 80% Pritam Singh ×380% Malaysia ×280%

Keywords

foreign policy 80% satire 70% fighter jet 70% malaysia 60% japan 60% leader of the opposition 50% global combat air programme 50% singapore 50% pritam singh 40%