BFM :: Current Affairs

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission may be given more power to monitor social media activity and take actions against parties who are deemed to be “jeopardising national harmony.” We speak to Gayathry about MCMC’s authority and whether concerns over national security threats make up a sufficient justification for regulating social media use.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission may be given more power to monitor social media activity and take actions against parties who are deemed to be “jeopardising national harmony.” We speak to Gayathry about MCMC’s authority and whether concerns over national security threats make up a sufficient justification for regulating social media use.

According to Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community development, Hannah Yeoh, there is a growing trend of children abusing their elders. Her ministry is working on a legislation to address this issue. We speak to Professor Dr Tan Maw Pin, Consultant Geriatrician at Universiti Malaya on whether legislation is actually the most helpful measure and what holistic approach can the government introduce to address this issue. Listen in

00:23 - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the spotlight for judicial interference on the bribery case involving engineering firm, SNC Lavalin, who paid 48 million Canadian dollars in bribes to Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya between 2001 to 2011 06:27 - Canada has approved U.S extradition proceedings against the CFO of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou and will now face trial in the US. Meng has denied wrongdoing and has been fighting extradition. 08:06 - The CEO of Vale, Fabio Schvartsman, has resigned after the dam in Brazil owned by the company collapsed in January causing nearly 200 deaths.

According to Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community development, Hannah Yeoh, there is a growing trend of children abusing their elders. Her ministry is working on a legislation to address this issue. We speak to Professor Dr Tan Maw Pin, Consultant Geriatrician at Universiti Malaya on whether legislation is actually the most helpful measure and what holistic approach can the government introduce to address this issue. Listen in

Barisan Nasional's win in the Semenyih by-elections was a stunning blow to incumbents Bersatu. Following the record-high voter turnout, we ask Amir Fareed, the Director of Strategy at KRA Group for his thoughts on the elections, the play of racial politics, and if Pakatan Harapan's complacency led to their downfall in the seat.

00:23 - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the spotlight for judicial interference on the bribery case involving engineering firm, SNC Lavalin, who paid 48 million Canadian dollars in bribes to Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya between 2001 to 2011 06:27 - Canada has approved U.S extradition proceedings against the CFO of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou and will now face trial in the US. Meng has denied wrongdoing and has been fighting extradition. 08:06 - The CEO of Vale, Fabio Schvartsman, has resigned after the dam in Brazil owned by the company collapsed in January causing nearly 200 deaths.

Barisan Nasional's win in the Semenyih by-elections was a stunning blow to incumbents Bersatu. Following the record-high voter turnout, we ask Amir Fareed, the Director of Strategy at KRA Group for his thoughts on the elections, the play of racial politics, and if Pakatan Harapan's complacency led to their downfall in the seat.

Ahead of the Semenyih by-election this weekend, we glean insights from Ben Suffian of the Merdeka Center on voter sentiment and what’s at stake for all parties involved.

Ross Tapsell, an expert in Southeast Asia and lecturer at the Australian National University talks to us about the perceived communication problem that Pakatan Harapan has and discusses how the coalition can communicate better as a government.

Ahead of the Semenyih by-election this weekend, we glean insights from Ben Suffian of the Merdeka Center on voter sentiment and what’s at stake for all parties involved.

Ross Tapsell, an expert in Southeast Asia and lecturer at the Australian National University talks to us about the perceived communication problem that Pakatan Harapan has and discusses how the coalition can communicate better as a government.

With expectations of a joint agreement signing between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi running on high, we speak to David Heidelberger from the Foreign Policy Association who is on the ground covering the story to discuss the possible outcomes of this summit.

Pakistan and India are facing their worst conflict in almost half a century. On Wednesday, an Indian military jet was shot down over disputed Kashmir territory and an Indian fighter pilot was captured by Pakistani forces. This follows India’s “pre-emptive strike” on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan on Tuesday, in response to a suicide attack on Indian police earlier this month. Both sides are escalating tensions, where will this go? We speak to geopolitical analyst Ankit Panda for some insight.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, took to Instagram yesterday to announce that he is stepping down, which was then rejected by the President. We ask James about the background here and how it got here.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, took to Instagram yesterday to announce that he is stepping down, which was then rejected by the President. We ask James about the background here and how it got here.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed that she will quit as leader before the next election in 2022. But it appears she may have changed her mind. On a recent trip to Egypt, May said “There is still a domestic agenda I want to get on and deliver,” hinting at a bid to stay on in government. We speak to Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London for thoughts on her prospects, and more broadly on the looming Brexit deadline.

The anti-vaccination movement is gaining momentum and to combat it, the government is considering making immunisation vaccination mandatory. Over the weekend, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Health Ministry will consider a proposal to make immunisation vaccination compulsory. We speak to Azrul Khalid from the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy for his thoughts.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed that she will quit as leader before the next election in 2022. But it appears she may have changed her mind. On a recent trip to Egypt, May said “There is still a domestic agenda I want to get on and deliver,” hinting at a bid to stay on in government. We speak to Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London for thoughts on her prospects, and more broadly on the looming Brexit deadline.

The anti-vaccination movement is gaining momentum and to combat it, the government is considering making immunisation vaccination mandatory. Over the weekend, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Health Ministry will consider a proposal to make immunisation vaccination compulsory. We speak to Azrul Khalid from the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy for his thoughts.

We ask Jahabar for his thoughts on the Malaysian Media Council proposal, specifically whether there’s a need for it, what he’d like to see and the challenges the council faces

We ask Jahabar for his thoughts on the Malaysian Media Council proposal, specifically whether there’s a need for it, what he’d like to see and the challenges the council faces

Sirul Azhar refugee application in Australia was declined and the extradition request from Malaysia will depend on the decision from the parliament to abolish the death penalty sentence in Malaysia. Sirul Azhar who was convicted of Altantuya murder fled to Australia since since 2015. Latheefa Koya gave her insights as to the current situation on the abolishment of the death penalty in Malaysia.

After a period of speculation about the fate of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has now come out to say that talks are “in the last mile.” He adds that he is optimistic about an outcome that is favourable to Malaysia, most notably in terms of negotiating a less hefty price tag. We speak to former diplomat and commentator on Malaysia-China relations, Datuk Dennis Ignatius, about how the talks might pan out as well as about the state of Malaysia’s current relationship with China.

Sirul Azhar refugee application in Australia was declined and the extradition request from Malaysia will depend on the decision from the parliament to abolish the death penalty sentence in Malaysia. Sirul Azhar who was convicted of Altantuya murder fled to Australia since since 2015. Latheefa Koya gave her insights as to the current situation on the abolishment of the death penalty in Malaysia.

After a period of speculation about the fate of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has now come out to say that talks are “in the last mile.” He adds that he is optimistic about an outcome that is favourable to Malaysia, most notably in terms of negotiating a less hefty price tag. We speak to former diplomat and commentator on Malaysia-China relations, Datuk Dennis Ignatius, about how the talks might pan out as well as about the state of Malaysia’s current relationship with China.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok says the French embassy in Malaysia is coordinating a programme involving the Institute of Higher Studies for Science and Technology in France on understanding the palm oil industry, the results of which will be tabled in the French National Assembly. We discuss with Yu Leng the dialogues that Malaysia will be having with France on palm oil to address misconceptions. Listen in.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok says the French embassy in Malaysia is coordinating a programme involving the Institute of Higher Studies for Science and Technology in France on understanding the palm oil industry, the results of which will be tabled in the French National Assembly. We discuss with Yu Leng the dialogues that Malaysia will be having with France on palm oil to address misconceptions. Listen in.

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran launched Malaysia’s first National Wage Index (NWI) yesterday. However, the implementation of the index is not compulsory and functions more as a guide. We ask the opinions of Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan, President of the Malaysia Employers Federation, MEF and Abdul Halim Mansor, the President of the Malaysia Trade Union Congress, MTUC about how the national wage index would impact businesses and workers.

Given current local employment opportunities and wage levels, many more Malaysians may soon choose to migrate for a chance at better wages and an improved quality of life. We spoke to Oh Ei Sun for more insights on the issue.

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran launched Malaysia’s first National Wage Index (NWI) yesterday. However, the implementation of the index is not compulsory and functions more as a guide. We ask the opinions of Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan, President of the Malaysia Employers Federation, MEF and Abdul Halim Mansor, the President of the Malaysia Trade Union Congress, MTUC about how the national wage index would impact businesses and workers.

Given current local employment opportunities and wage levels, many more Malaysians may soon choose to migrate for a chance at better wages and an improved quality of life. We spoke to Oh Ei Sun for more insights on the issue.

Warisan has accepted the fact that Bersatu will be expanding into Sabah, despite their prior agreement not too. Nevertheless, with UMNO support waning down, there is a gap to be filled, and Bersatu might just fit the bill. We speak to Dr Arnold Puyok from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak on this latest development Listen in.

With the Indonesian elections just a couple of months away, the two hopefuls, incumbent Joko Widodo, and opposition leader, Prabowo Subianto, face off in a lively debate in a bid for public support. The Presidential candidates put forth their views on the most pressing matters, such as agriculture, infrastructure and energy. We speak to Keith Leong about both Jokowi and Prabowo’s policy proposals.

Warisan has accepted the fact that Bersatu will be expanding into Sabah, despite their prior agreement not too. Nevertheless, with UMNO support waning down, there is a gap to be filled, and Bersatu might just fit the bill. We speak to Dr Arnold Puyok from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak on this latest development Listen in.

With the Indonesian elections just a couple of months away, the two hopefuls, incumbent Joko Widodo, and opposition leader, Prabowo Subianto, face off in a lively debate in a bid for public support. The Presidential candidates put forth their views on the most pressing matters, such as agriculture, infrastructure and energy. We speak to Keith Leong about both Jokowi and Prabowo’s policy proposals.

A global spotlight has been put on the recent arrest of Maria Ressa, an acclaimed journalist in the Philippines. Ressa is chief executive of Rappler, a news site known to have been critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Because of that, the cyber-libel charges against her have raised questions about government encroachment on media freedom. We speak to Rappler journalist Gemma B. Mendoza about the significance and implications of Ressa’s arrest.

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is on an Asian tour this week, beginning in Pakistan, followed by stops in China and India. We discuss how Saudi Arabia and the crown prince have been mitigating the fallout from the Jamal Khashoggi murder, and the current state of play in Malaysia - Saudi bilateral relations.

We spoke to N. Surendran, Lawyers for Liberty advisor, who has came out to say that Lawyers for Liberty shed evidence of judiciary interference after the shocking revelation by Court of Appeal judge, Justice Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer on some members of the judiciary have been working with private parties to defraud public funds.

A global spotlight has been put on the recent arrest of Maria Ressa, an acclaimed journalist in the Philippines. Ressa is chief executive of Rappler, a news site known to have been critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Because of that, the cyber-libel charges against her have raised questions about government encroachment on media freedom. We speak to Rappler journalist Gemma B. Mendoza about the significance and implications of Ressa’s arrest.

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is on an Asian tour this week, beginning in Pakistan, followed by stops in China and India. We discuss how Saudi Arabia and the crown prince have been mitigating the fallout from the Jamal Khashoggi murder, and the current state of play in Malaysia - Saudi bilateral relations.

We spoke to N. Surendran, Lawyers for Liberty advisor, who has came out to say that Lawyers for Liberty shed evidence of judiciary interference after the shocking revelation by Court of Appeal judge, Justice Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer on some members of the judiciary have been working with private parties to defraud public funds.

We speak to independant pollster and the programme director of Merdeka Center Ben Suffian to get his take on the candidates that are being field for the Semenyih By-Elections and also some insights into the sentiments of the Semenyih voters as well as his take on the recent Umno MPs jumping over to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia

Today 15th February, marks the final day for the three-week extension of government funding that President Trump approved on January 25th. To help fill in the blanks on what’s been happening over the past three weeks, we have Kathrynn Dunn Tenpas, Non-Resident Senior Fellow of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.

We speak to independant pollster and the programme director of Merdeka Center Ben Suffian to get his take on the candidates that are being field for the Semenyih By-Elections and also some insights into the sentiments of the Semenyih voters as well as his take on the recent Umno MPs jumping over to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia

Today 15th February, marks the final day for the three-week extension of government funding that President Trump approved on January 25th. To help fill in the blanks on what’s been happening over the past three weeks, we have Kathrynn Dunn Tenpas, Non-Resident Senior Fellow of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.

Indira Gandhi's court challenge of the unilateral conversion of her child has been a long saga. Finally, she has won her case but her 11-year-old is still with her husband. An arrest warrant has been issued for him back in 2014, and five years on, her missing daughter has still not been found. We speak to Indira Gandhi today about the status of the search of her missing daughter, Prasana Diksa.

We speak to Amir Fareed of KRA Group to discuss the issue of the seven former Umno MPs jumping ship to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Amir gives his insights on the benefits and drawback of this move and how this could affect Pakatan Harapan moving forward.

Indira Gandhi's court challenge of the unilateral conversion of her child has been a long saga. Finally, she has won her case but her 11-year-old is still with her husband. An arrest warrant has been issued for him back in 2014, and five years on, her missing daughter has still not been found. We speak to Indira Gandhi today about the status of the search of her missing daughter, Prasana Diksa.

We speak to Amir Fareed of KRA Group to discuss the issue of the seven former Umno MPs jumping ship to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Amir gives his insights on the benefits and drawback of this move and how this could affect Pakatan Harapan moving forward.

Guy Raz has a storied career in radio journalism. At the age of 25, he was named the host of National Public Radio’s Berlin Bureau Chief. He then went on to be a Jerusalem correspondent, a defence correspondent and a Pentagon reporter, reporting from over 40 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Most know him today as the hosts of popular NPR podcasts, "Ted Radio Hour" and "How I Built This". Shazana Mokhtar speaks to Guy about his career and what he has learned from having interviewed thousands of people over the years. He also lends insight into the craft of audio storytelling and the future of media.