Evening Edition

We delve into the latest updates surrounding SRC International's trial involving former Prime Minister Najib Razak and the misappropriation of RM42 million in funds...starting with what prima facie means.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Tun Mahathir's recent statement on the arts deserving the same benefits as the sciences, we discuss what the arts bring to a country, beyond only economic gain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The e-commerce behemoth surpassed the US$30 billion mark it set last year, setting a record for the 11th consecutive year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As yet another member of parliament collapses in the Dewan Rakyat, the Health Ministry considers having health checkups for all lawmakers. Other highlights today include healthcare costs and reactions towards developments in Datuk Seri Najib Razak's trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National House Buyers Association called out the government recently for continuing a practice of giving property developers EOT or extensions of time without valid reasons. We ask if you have ever been affected by these delays as a homebuyer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's called the Blue Dot Network concept and it aims to provide a globally recognized seal of approval for high quality infrastructure projects.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss a article from The Atlantic which argues that parents should focus on raising kind children, instead of successful ones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine the Tax Identification Number announced in Budget 2020, and how it can help to widen the scope of taxation into the shadow economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should the task of appointing the country's leader be up to the people or the people in charge? We look at our current system for selecting the Prime Minister, and catch up on the politics around Tun Mahathir's promised succession plans with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should the task of appointing the country's leader be up to the people or the people in charge? We look at our current system for selecting the Prime Minister, and catch up on the politics around Tun Mahathir's promised succession plans with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some highlights from today's sitting in Dewan Rakyat include fishy financial aid in the lead up to the Tanjung Piai by-elections, a possible take back on repealing the Official Secrets Act and the appointment of Yusry KRU as the Human Resource Ministry's TVET Icon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is in line with Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, where one of the key economic activities outlined was making Malaysia a renown Islamic hub.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We consider the debate of who owns historical artefacts, in light of an accusation by human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson that museums exhibit “pilfered cultural property”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the highlights in the Dewan Rakyat today include surcharges by Touch n' Go, prevention of child sexual abuse, and encouraging senior citizens to return to the workforce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss an article on The Guardian about how Tik Tok is being used by school students to retell historical events, and then speak with a lecturer on how she incorporates social media in her teaching process.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss what Malaysia will gain and lose from the RCEP, and how India's choice of sitting out from the trade pact will affect the remaining countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent confusion around Touch n' Go reloads and surcharges might signal how going cashless may come with some added regulations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss an AFP report which looks at how nationalism seems to be on the rise, 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at who will be affected by the government's plans to reduce the country's dependence on foreign labour, and what measures are being taken to incentivize companies to have more local participation in the workforce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Details on the pilot project for bike hailing services, an update on the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, and the revelation that thousands of Malaysians have fled to other countries to seek aslyum were part of today's Dewan Rakyat round up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK arm of the baby goods retailer has just announced that it is going into administration, having failed to adapt to changes that technology has brought to the retail landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reports have surfaced stating that Jho Low obtained a Cypriot passport back in 2015. We discuss what this means for the Malaysian government's attempt at bringing him back to the country. After the publication of this podcast, BFM received the following note from Alina Morais, Head of Public Relations (South-East Asia) of Henley and Partners.  "While we are aware of the numerous misleading articles that have mentioned Henley & Partners in connection to Jho Low, we would like to state that Henley & Partners was not approached to provide comment on the story by any media organisation in advance. We have not therefore had the opportunity to engage with the articles or the “evidence” presented, which has been taken entirely out of context to fit a narrative that does not represent an objective assessment of the situation. Contrary to what has been stated in multiple articles, Mr Low has never been a citizenship client of Henley & Partners. Whilst he approached Henley & Partners’ in 2015, the firm declined to accept Mr. Low as a client. It is therefore false to state that “Henley & Partners helped Jho Low acquire Cypriot citizenship. Over the past twenty years, Henley & Partners has invested significant time and capital in creating a corporate structure that is wedded to best practice governance and the highest levels of due diligence, even before passing a client over to the consideration of a sovereign state. It is also important to note in the context of the apparent acquisition of Cyprus citizenship by Mr Low as well as in all other cases, that it is the Government of Cyprus which is responsible for the processing and approval of applications for citizenship. Moreover, governments are in a position to annul any citizenships granted under their programmes if there has been any misrepresentation by applicants. Secondly, we wish to make it very clear that Henley & Partners does not “own Cambridge Analytica”. We do not, and have never had, any formal working relationship with Cambridge Analytica or its parent company, Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL Group). We believe that the interaction between our firm and Cambridge Analytica/SCL has been consistently, and at times deliberately, misrepresented by certain parties. You can read our full statement on that here." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could kimbap potentially be a substitute for ketupat? We talk about specialized food and walking the fine line between erosion or evolution of culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at analyst sentiments about Hong Kong's prospects in the long term and whether investors are still confident of its economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss whether our favourite childhood books have a profound impact on our worldview and psyche.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's parliament highlights issues of the palm oil industry, the safety of Malaysian footballers and supporters as well as bauxite mining and export licences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government will be launching the National Cleanliness Policy. We discuss our habits and attitudes, personal experiences and strategies to improve cleanliness in Malaysia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it helpful to have the feature, or will it ruin the integrity of the art of filmmakers?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ride-hailing services have helped make food ingredients cheaper in Indonesia, and this could affect inflation in the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cambodia has banned property developers from using Google translate for sign boards and trademarks. We've seen poorly-translated menus, shop names and museum displays before. So we explore the importance of well-translated sign boards especially to the tourism industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Hallow's Eve, we examine the value of fear and talk about the things that frighten us most.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the highlights today include the welfare of firefighters, the Malaysian embassy for Palestine, and a report by IDEAS on the restructuring of GLCs benefiting Bersatu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look at the history of batik, what defines Malaysian batik and how we can further promote its use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An attempt at on-screen inclusivity may have backfired - some people have pointed out that the icons serve to indicate how gender-nonconforming should look like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We speak with an enthusiast about the appeal of modified bicycles, and how the issue of safety might be addressed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent report by IDEAS found that the government's reconfiguration of GLCs may be benefiting specifically Bersatu as well as Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Delhi government is fully funding this initiative for women in the capital, with plans to extend the same service to senior citizens and students in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all hats officially in the ring, we go through each alliance's nomination and assess the political signifance of this upcoming by-election.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allowing members of Parliament to wear batik, lowering the threshold for foreign ownership of luxury property and spicy shouting matches were some of what was discussed in Dewan Rakyat today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A US military operation has led to the death of IS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. We look at who he is, how the military operation was done, and what Al-Baghdadi's death means for other countries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tanjung Piai by-election is coming up, and all kinds of funding have been announced for the constituency. This has attracted criticism. We discuss political and electoral funding, and whether our current laws are equipped to deal with those who may take advantage.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look back in history to understand more about insurgencies and long-running conflicts, by examining the Afghan-Anglo Wars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the reports and predictions that show the huge market potential that space tourisms could have in the next decade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the highlights today were attire for athletes, decriminalising drug addiction, and rate of road accidents among the youth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does that mean, and what are the concerns traditionally tied to falling fertility in a country?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We examine how DAP is doing, amidst the ongoing controversies and disputes that the party is facing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Post Budget 2020, we wanted to know how accessible and how effectively utilized our government grants are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is despite Thai authorities took measures to control the strength of the Baht, as it is seen to be stifling the country's economy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the hositility and vitriol that the community receives with our resident office vegan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a look at the legal aspects behind banning books, and discuss whether or not doing so is ever justified.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.