Asia in 3 minutes: Tycoon runs afoul of law in Thailand; new law protects king of Cambodia from slander

The ‘proof’ is in the Poo: Thai building tycoon pinched for animal poaching

Thai officials are testing human faeces found at a campsite in a wildlife sanctuary to try to prove their case against a tycoon accused of illegal poaching. Construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta has denied poaching charges against him and three others. They were arrested this month in Thungyai Naresuan national park, where rangers stumbled upon their camp and found illegal guns and animal carcasses. The slain animals at the campsite were a black leopard, a Kalij pheasant and a red muntjac or barking deer – protected species under Thai conservation law.

What next? A wildlife official said the discovery of the excrement was important because it was near the camp and he did not believe Premchai would wander deep into the woods to do his business. He said it was suspiciously close to used bullet casings and the place the panther was skinned.

Ethnic Chinese rapper in doghouse over ‘offensive’ video in Malaysia

A rapper in Muslim-majority Malaysia was arrested on Thursday for allegedly insulting Islam with a Lunar New Year video that features dancers wearing dog masks and performing sexually suggestive moves. The video features Chinese rapper Wee Meng Chee, known by his stage name Namewee, sitting on a chair in front of a domed building and barking. There have also been claims that it was filmed in front of a mosque.

What next? Police have launched an investigation into the artist for hurting religious feelings and “transmitting offensive communications”. Namewee faces a year in jail if found guilty. In a YouTube video, the rapper denied insulting Islam and said the domed building in the background was the prime minister’s office, not a mosque.

Singaporean in City Harvest Church fraud case tries to flee on boat

A Singaporean man convicted over a high-profile fraud case at a megachurch was caught trying to flee the country in a boat before he was due to start his sentence, police said. In a case that gripped the city state, six leaders of City Harvest Church were convicted in 2015 of pilfering tens of millions of dollars to promote the pop career of the pastor’s wife. Among them was investment manager Chew Eng Han, 57, who was sentenced to three years and four months but had his imprisonment delayed by appeals. He was to start serving his sentence on Thursday.

What next? Police caught Chew around 8.45am on Wednesday in a small fishing boat off eastern Singapore allegedly trying to flee to Malaysia with another man. The men were carrying Sg$5,000 (US$3,800) in cash, three mobile phones and fishing gear. Chew was charged with trying to leave Singapore unlawfully.