Evening Edition BFM Media

Today's countdown includes:
1. Huge pushback from several quarters on the dance party that happened recently on KTM's rental service coach. KTM has said they would "improve" their guidelines.
2. Climate change and extreme weather conditions putting this year's durian crops behind schedule.
3. A group of students have been fined for cooking using a gas stove at a petrol station in Genting. Khoo Gaik Cheng, Associate Professor of the School of Media, Languages and Cultures at the University of Nottingham Malaysia weighs in on how this would impact our durian exports.
4. A Perak family who has been stateless for generations, has officially been granted Malaysian citizenship. We hear thoughts from Professor Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Commissioner of Suhakam.
5. The International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants against top Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes. This has prompted criticism from both parties, as well as US president Joe Biden, who claimed that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.

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Today's countdown includes:
5. Singaporean comedian Sharul Channa's show in Malaysia was cancelled, after police reports were made against her, over a video of her show back in 2018. In the video, she was seen to be making jokes that alluded to 3R issues. We hear from Phoon Chi Ho, the chief executive of Laugh Labs Entertainment and the organiser of the event Sharul was supposed to performed at.
4. The government has announced that the Online Safety Bill is about 60% complete now. The bill aims to ensure platform providers to adhere to SOPs and help authorities when they conduct investigations related to online security.
3. FIFA is considering the suspension of Israeli teams from their events, after the Palestinian Football Association said the Israeli team had violated FIFA statutes. Haresh Deol, editor of TwentyTwo13 weighs in on this.
2. The Health Minister has announced a grading system for sugary drinks, in an attempt to reduce sugar consumption. This is following the result of The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023, which revealed that diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the country.
1. Iran president Ebrahim Raisi has died after a helicopter crash, in the Varzaqan region, when he was returning with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and several others from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan.

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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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