Singapore firm in Nvidia scandal; India on US ‘double standards’: 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. Nvidia scandal, China chip claims put Singapore firm Megaspeed under scrutiny

A little-known Singapore-registered company is embroiled in a mounting love scandal surrounding Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and US allegations of Chinese espionage.

2. Diploma dispute fuels speculation of growing Prabowo-Widodo rift in Indonesia

A growing push among Indonesian lawmakers to investigate Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s academic credentials is raising questions about the influence of his father, former leader Joko Widodo, as signs of a rift within the country’s ruling elite grow.

3. Malaysia’s Najib to stay in prison as legal issues linger despite fine payment

Malaysia’s disgraced former prime minister Najib Razak moved closer to house arrest after Umno on Friday paid a 50 million ringgit (US$12.3 million) fine required under the terms of his royal pardon.

4. India questions US ‘double standards’ as Pakistan secures F-16 upgrade deal

Washington’s decision to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets has drawn accusations of double standards from critics in India, who question why the United States is strengthening a nuclear-armed ally while waging war against Iran over its nuclear programme.

5. ‘There could be anarchy’: Bangladesh’s garment sector unrest threatens disaster

Garment workers in Bangladesh, the world’s second-largest clothing exporter after China, are demanding that their wages more than double – and their protests have brought a halt to production in factories supplying global brands including H&M, Zara and Walmart.

6. Vietnam edges ahead of Indonesia on per-person GDP. Is Thailand next?

Vietnam’s average economic output per person is set to overtake Indonesia’s, according to the International Monetary Fund.

7. Malaysia’s halal chicken scandal exposes hygiene breaches at filthy plant

Malaysia’s halal safeguards are under scrutiny after filthy conditions and suspected slaughtering breaches at a chicken plant sparked demands to explain how it ignored warnings and operated for years without certification.