Evening Edition

Leaders from the G7 nations met last weekend in England, and discussed economic and international policies on matters like Covid vaccines, taxes on multinational corporations, and climate change action. We go through some of the key developments from the meeting. Image Source: J_UK, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the lockdown set to end at the end of this month, many sectors are preparing to deal with the repercussions. One sector that will be badly affected includes the property sector. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Pixabay ImagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A live converage of Denmark midfielder, Christian Eriksen, collapsing and receiving chest compressions during the Euro 2020 game has garnered worldwide criticism for displaying the distressing incident. We look at the impact broadcasting these situations has and what the media's responsibility is in reporting them. Image Source: Pexel ImagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mobile vaccination teams are being deployed on the State and Federal level in efforts to provide vaccinations to communities that are hard to reach, including elders, people with disabilities and those with comorbidities. We look at how outreach vaccination teams can effectively help those who are unable to get to vaccination centres. Image Source: hairul_nizam, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Delivery service Deliveroo has launched a new program which provides training for their couriers in spotting crimes. Shawn tells us more. Image Source: Thomas De Luze, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SPM 2020 results were released yesterday and along with it, the usual feelings of both celebration and anxiety. On social media, there has been a movement of sorts to look beyond SPM results and focus on how they’re not the be-all and end-all of success. We reflect on the impact SPM results have had in bringing us to where we are today. Image Source: Max Shilov, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Star reports that many companies are considering the decision to make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory for employment, even after the pandemic. We look into the legalities and ethics of making jabs mandatory for both existing employees and job applicants. Image Source: Steven Cornfield, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resort towns and regional communities near natural amenities in the US are attracting remote workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shawn Tanis tells us more. Image Source: cottonbro, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the dip in quality and profit of the delivery service sector, The Communications and Multimedia Ministry announced a new plan called PAKEJ (Pelan Accelerator Kurier Negara) to help upgrade the quality and reliability of the courier and delivery service sector. We hear from Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek about this new initiative. Image Source: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We see many people struggling as a result of the pandemic, with some even finding it difficult to provide food for their families. Initiatives have been set up by a number of individuals and organisations to set up food banks to help those in need. Shawn tells us more. Image Source: Melanie Lim, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With our daily Covid-19 positive cases declining in the past few days, experts have pointed out that testing efforts are also decreasing. We speak to Dr Lim Chee Han to understand this relationship and the importance of testing in our battle against Covid-19. Image Source: Mufid Majnun, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While it began as a satirical joke aimed at PAS, Parti Aspirasi Sains Malaysia (SAINS) may soon become a reality, after it submitted an application to the Registrar of Societies to be a national party. Its stated goal is to implement "evidence-based policies based on science and data". We speak with the founder, Kenneth Chai, who tells us more. Image Source: Parti Aspirasi Sains Malaysia (SAINS)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Nations General Assembly recently invited the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) to present a statement to UN member states at their headquarters in New York, on the topic of corruption. We speak to executive director Cynthia Gabriel to find out how it went. Image Source: Matthew TenBruggencate, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an effort to encourage vaccination registrations, a mayor in the San Luis district in Philippines has decided to host a cow raffle. Shawn tells us more. Image Source: cottonbro, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naomi Osaka announced that she was withdrawing from the French Open to prioritise her mental wellbeing, after receiving harsh sanctions for skipping her mandatory media obligations. We speak to a sports journalist to explore the relationship between media and athletes. Image Source: John Fornander, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past year, river care efforts have been met with setbacks brought on by movement restriction SOPs, alongside changing priorities in the minds of the public. However, segments of the community are continuing to monitor the health of rivers from their homes. We speak with Dr K. Kalithasan from GEC to find out more. Brought to you by Volvo Cars; Redefining freedom to move in a personal, sustainable, and safe way. Image Source: Naru Kiob, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This World Environment Day, we speak about a research published by RMIT that has shown that 3 million disposable masks can be recycled to make roads and could prevent 93,000 kgs of waste from going to landfills. We speak to Dr. Mohammad Saberien to learn more about this study. Brought to you by Volvo Cars; Redefining freedom to move in a personal, sustainable, and safe way. Image Source: Elizabeth McDaniel, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, a social media influencer received heavy backlash after making disrespectful jokes about the traditional Ngepun Iban clothing in a video he posted on Instagram. We learn about the Iban history and traditions with Janet Rata Noel. Image Source: Jasni, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we go through MCO 3.0, there have been reports of non-essential companies that seem to have received permission from MITI to remain open and operate. We discuss why this might be happening, and how the vetting process can be improved. Image Source: Jon Tyson, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With World Environment Day coming up, we speak with Nadiah Rosli, a freelance journalist and communications specialist who shares with us her experience writing about environmental matters in Malaysia. Brought to you by Volvo Cars; Redefining freedom to move in a personal, sustainable, and safe way. Image Source: Muhamad Rizal Firmansyah, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the announcement of ministers and civil servants to contribute their allowances to the Covid-19 fund, many have called for the corporate sectors to chip in as well. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Michael Longmire, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force detected 16 Chinese military transport planes intruding Malaysian airspace and carrying out "suspicious activity" yesterday. What makes this incident significant and what does Malaysia need to do to ensure this does not reoccur? We speak to a senior international affairs analyst to learn more. Image Source: Colin Lloyd, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of a passenger who was critically injured in the LRT collision last week is now taking Prasarana to court for negligence. We speak with the lawyer representing the family, Jazzmine Khoo, to find out more. Image Source: Sora Shimazaki, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several vending machines selling Covid-19 PCR test kits have been set up around Tokyo as a part of Japan's efforts to improve accessibility. Dhanya Nair gives us the details. Image Source: Mylène Larnaud, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many experts are questioning the efficacy of large-scale sanitisation of public areas and urging government officials to not waste time and resources proceeding with this move. This comes following an announcement made by Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin that large-scale disinfections are planned to continue in Selangor. We speak with a professor to understand the rationale behind these experts' call. Image Source: kalpesh patel, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Friday, the Federal Court dismissed an appeal by an 11-year-old boy to obtain Malaysian citizenship, saying that he was "illegitimate" at his time of birth. He was born to a Malaysian father and a Filipino mother. We examine the verdict and talk about whether our citizenship laws need to be changed to better protect the rights of children. Image Source: Arnain, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the UK, there have been an increase in demand for offices in a shed, or shoffices, as most employees continue to work from home. Dhanya Nair gives us more details. Image Source: Arno Smit, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past few days, there have been many updates to our vaccination programme including the possibility of mobile vaccination trucks, the opening of mega vaccination centres, and Sarawak's vaccination supply. We hear from Dr Kelvin Yii on how our vaccination rate can be sped up. Image Source: Mat Napo, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, there have been reports of snaking queues at Covid Assessment Centres (CACs), where patients have had to wait for hours to get assessed. We get a ground perspective of how CACs are coping with the surge in cases, and how they can be better managed. Image Source: Mat Napo, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Khairy Jamaluddin announced that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be re-included under the main vaccination programme, and that the government may soon allow the public to choose their vaccines on MySejahtera. We discuss the pros and cons of letting people choose their vaccines with Dr Lo Ying-Ru, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Image source: Mat Napo, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is calling for medical professionals to volunteer in helping the country to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. We speak with MERCY Malaysia about why it is important to volunteer during this time. If you are a medical professional and would like to volunteer, you can apply through this link or email [email protected]. Image Source: YewLoon Lam, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several people faced technical hurdles when trying to book a slot in the third round of AstraZeneca opt-in registrations yesterday. We hear from an applicant about her experience in helping to book vaccine slots for five of her relatives. BFM earlier today also explored the technical issues surrounding the third round of AstraZeneca earlier with Dr Lau Cher Han and Inbaraj Suppiah. Image Source: CanvaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia has said that the public would not be able to choose a private hospital for the Covid-19 vaccination. This came after the government announced that 12 private hospitals in three states would be operating as vaccination centres starting tomorrow. Image Source: Martha Dominguez de Gouveia, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employees who are forced to be physically present at work can now lodge a complaint to the Human Resources Ministry in a new category of the Working For Workers app. We speak to the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Human Resources about how this initiative can work to curb the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure employee safety. Image Source: Startup Stock Photos, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday, security guard S. Sivabalan died less than two hours after being arrested, another custodial death to make headlines this year. We speak with lawyer Datuk K. Ganesh for his thoughts on the case, and discuss why an inquest is important for both Sivabalan and A. Ganapathy, who died in custody less than a month ago. Image Source: Ehsan Habashi, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the new and tightened MCO, food businesses such as restaurants and roadside stalls will only be allowed to operate twelve hours a day up till 8PM. We find out how the shortened hours will affect restaurants, and what the public can do to continue supporting local businesses. Image Source: Melanie Lim, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AstraZeneca has been in the news a lot lately, with reports of recipients being underdosed and the second round of opt-in bookings opening yesterday. We take a look at those updates, and talk about how the community can play its part to ensure more senior citizens get vaccinated. Image Source: Sam Moqadam, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue looking into the issue on Orang Asli customary land rights this week, by exploring the role of state governments which hold jurisdiction over land and forest matters. We speak to Bukit Lanjan assemblyperson Elizabeth Wong, who established a task force under the Selangor state government in 2010 to gazette Orang Asli customary land.Image Source: Farris Noorzali, ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The uncommon sight of used face masks littering the streets has inspired a team of Australian researchers of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) to find a way to reuse them. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Thirdman, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whatsapp is launching a new feature to allow users to navigate through annoying chats, by introducing a way for them to hide and mute chats. We look at the intricacies of how people manage their personal and professional relationships on online spaces with Associate Professor Dr. Anasuya Jegathesan. Image Source: AARN GIRI, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been increasing calls to waive patent protections on pharmaceuticals amid the Covid-19 pandemic, including Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin promoting the production of cheaper generic versions of medication for critical diseases. We look at the challenges that come with waiving medication patent and how this move might impact health equity. Image Source: Volodymyr Hryshchenko, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has expressed aspirations to reopen international borders to tourists who have received the vaccine, as part of plans to prepare for the recovery of the tourism industry. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Cris Tagupa, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media has increasingly become the place to engage with political and social issues. How effective is this in creating actual change, and how does this impact our perception of these issues? We hear from Dr. Niki Cheong to learn more. Image Source: Cristian Dina, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid a re-emergence of claims that donations have not been reaching intended benificieries and comments made by a PAS member stating that donors should not question where their donations go in regard to Palestine, Malaysians online are stressing that transparency is important when it comes to donations. We explore the importance of NGOs being held accountable in order to increase public trust. Image Source: RODNAE Productions, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New online platform called Warungku was launched last month, to help local traders and small businesses continue surviving through online transactions. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Norma Mortenson, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two organisations are calling for the public to give their input for a People's Manifesto, an initiative for people to voice out their aspirations to the government. We hear from one of the intiative's organizers to get an understanding of what the manifesto aims to achieve. Image Source: Fred Moon, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 30 children were left unattended at an orphanage in Kajang, after one of the home's owners passed away due to COVID-19. We look at the challenges that care centres are facing under the pandemic, and what the public can do to help. Image Source: Flora Westbrook, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeweller company Pandora has revealed that they will no longer be selling mined diamonds, but will instead be producing diamonds manufactured in laboratories. Dhanya tells us more. Image Source: Danielle De Angelis, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 'long working hours' as a serious health hazard after finding that over 700,000 people deaths have resulted due to it in a global study. We look at the factors that push employees to work long hours in Malaysia and the importance of maintaining a healthier work life. Image Source: Ruslan Burlaka, PexelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A full-sized replica of the Titanic ship is in the works at a Chinese theme park, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year as a tourist attraction. However this has drawn mixed reactions from the public. Dhanya Nair tells us more. Image Source: K. Mitch Hodge, UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.