Evening Edition BFM Media

Today's countdown includes:

5. After a small town in England is finding apostrophes missing from street signs, a NYT article has brought up scepticism on the need of apostrophes in modern times. We hear a clip from Andrew van der Spuy, a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics from the University of the Witwaterstrand speaking to eNews Channel Africa, about whether apostrophes really matter, and if it can be considered an endangered species.
4. UTM has gotten backlash for denying the enrolment of an autistic person into their chemical industry degree programme. On this, we received a voice note from an autistic member of SIUMAN Collective, who is also an Augmentative and Alternative Communication user, on the question of inclusivity for persons with disabilities in higher education.
3. Following the release of the 2023 Global Adult Tobacco Survey showing e-cigarette use among young adults, the Health Ministry is committed to put the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024. We hear a clip from the Bigger Picture's interview with Assistant Professor Dr Farhan Rusli, a Public Health Medicine Specialist from IIUM on how enforcment should look like.
2. An attack on a police station in Ulu Tiram, Johor in the name of Jemaah Islamiyah has. Dina Zaman, co-founder of Iman Research, comments on the deadly incident, the rise of extremist groups, and the influence of geopolitical events in shaping radical sentiments.
1. Experts are psuhing for better media literacy to navigate today's vast information scenario. We interview Darshini Kandasamy, co-foudner of Malaysian Information Education (MILE) and CEO of Between the Lines, about how we can adapt.

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Today's countdown includes:
5. Two ancient Malay manuscripts — The Genealogical History of Kedah State and the Royal Correspondence of Baginda Omar — has been listed in UNESCO's Memory of The World registry for Asia and the Pacific. Ros Mahwati Ahmad Zakaria, the Head of the Malay Manuscript Research Center at ATMA UKM helps us understand the significance of the manuscript, and their recognition.
4. Is Thailand, the top holiday destination for Malaysians? Last year, 4.56 million Malaysians spent over RM4.6 billion in Thailand. Hannah Pearson, founder of Pear Anderson comments on what draws tourists to Thailand, and how Malaysia can compete.
3. We discuss the #CelebrityBlockout, where social media users are calling for a mass block on celebrities and influential people who are not speaking up against the atrocities in Gaza.
2. A crash victim of the 2021 Kelana Jaya LRT collision who is seeking RM113,000 in damages from Prasarana and Rapid Rail, will only be getting a trial hearing in 2028. Jeremy Balang, a lawyer who specialises in medical and personal injury, tells us what victims of similar incidents can legitimately claim.
1. And our top story of the day: Sarawak's push to embrace English as a medium for math and science subjects in secondary schools, contrary to how the dual-language programme is hotly-debated here in the Peninsula. For this, we speak to Associate Professor Dr Adelina Asmawi, the Head of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the Faculty of Education in Universiti Malaya.

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Today's countdown includes:

5. Lee Hsien-Loong's official resignation as Prime Minister of Singapore.
4. Sabah's crocodile-hunting licence, which was introduced back in 2017 to curb the increasing crocodile populations, has not been popular with locals. So, we get into why that is, and what it takes to get a crocodile-product industry going. 3. Sarawak is being urged to preserve the culture and histories of the Sihan, Ukit and Lahanan communities of Sarawak’s Belaga district which are among the rarest ethnic groups in the region dating back over a thousand years. Yet, these communities are shrinking year by year.
2. Data leaked to a journalist consortium reveals that 300 Malaysian business-owners and corporate players own holdings in Dubai’s property market, worth up to RM710 million. Koh Jun Lin, Deputy News Editor of MalaysiaKini comments on the media outlet's role in uncovering this leak.
1. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's meeting with Hamas leaders, Ismail Haniyah and Khalid Mashal during his visit to Qatar has raised eyebrows, particularly from US analysts who say ,"Malaysia is playing a dangerous game.". We discuss the optics of Anwar's meeting with Julia Roknifard, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham

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Today's countdown includes:
5. The number of Malaysians looking for jobs in Singapore from January to March this year has gone up from 28,000 to over 46,000. We look back at a conversation we had with Joelle Pang, General Manager of FastCo Malaysia, on whether Malaysians are set on staying in Singapore for work, or if they do consider returning home.
4. Tan Sri Azam Baki's appointment as the chief commissioner of MACC, has been criticised by C4, the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism. Pushpan Murugiah, the CEO of C4 weighs in on how this will impact MACC's credibility, and the delay in expediting an alternative process to the appointment process.
3. Brickbats for Pahang ruling government's appointment of five assemblypersons following the amendment of the state constitution in 2020. Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director of Bersih comments on whether Pahang's unity government reneged on a promise, sacrificing broader representation for policial expediency.
2. Craun Research, a government agency which specialises in crop research, has developed a rice alternative from sago starch. Professor Datin Sri Paduka Dr Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, Research Fellow at the Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies of UPM comments on whether Sarawaks’s sago rice will be more widely accepted.
1. Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung's call for the MBPJ to appoint arborists, in light of recent incidents of trees uprooting in public spaces and endangering lives. We interview Terrence Tan Teck Seng to understand how this decision can be best implemented.

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Today's countdown includes:

5. Following a severe geomagnetic solar storm, an Aurora Australis lights up the skies of the southern hemispheres in Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand. Dr Chong Hon Yew, an astronomer at the Penang Astronomical Society tells us how these lights emerge, and the great Carrington Event of 1859.
4. Malaysians looking to get an Australian student visa now need to show they've got at least 29,710 Aussie dollars, or over RM100,000 in savings. This is the second change in the past seven months of the Australian government increasing saving requirements, affecting around 15,000 Malaysians who are already studying or planning to study Down Under.
3. Grab Drivers Malaysia Assocaition is pushing back on the growing popularity of bidding on e-hailing apps, raising concerns about fair prices. We reached out to Muhammad Shaani Abdullah, the honorary secretary of the Malaysian Digital Economy Consumers Association, to comment on this.
2. On its 54th anniversary: What can we learn from the tragedy of May 13th, 1969? Aizat Shamsuddin, a security analyst and founder of INITIATE.my shares his thoughts on how learning from the tragedy can strengthen national unity.
1. We take a look at Pakatan Harapan's win in the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-elections with Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, Associate Director of Vriens & Partners.

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Today's countdown includes:
5. A debate on whether the posting of book excerpts on social media violates copyright laws. This is coming after an X user posted a criticism of Daiyan Trisha's new book, along with pictures taken from the pages of the book. This prompted the publisher to demand it to be taken down, saying it violated copyright laws. Syamsuriatna Ishak, a former lawyer, tells us whether there are grounds for legal action.
4. With seven Bersatu lawmakers switching allegiance to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government, more by-elections may be on the cards. Wong Chin Huat, a Professor of Political Science from Sunway University, comments on what this means for Bersatu moving forward.
3. Ahead of the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-elections, we hear messages from Parti Rakyat Malaysia candidate, Hafizah Zainuddin and Pakatan candidate Pang Sock Tao.
2. The passing of Dewan Negara president, Datuk Mutang Tunggal at the age of 69-years old, who was the first Dayak to hold the position.
1. The Madani village adoption programme, which was tabled with a RM100 million allocation, is being touted as the best solution to resolve issues faced by rural communities. For this, we speak in-depth with Maalini Ramalo, Director of Social Protection, Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas.

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