Current Affairs

Historian, Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim tells us the early history of Chinese settlement and migration in part one of the series "Pendatang, Loyal Citizen". The early Chinese came to Malay land as traders and not with the Hang Li Po delegation as what history books suggest. The Ming records do not show that a princess Hang Li Po was married to Sultan Mansur Shah, and Hang Tuah and his friends were only a legend. Khoo also talks about the various ethnic Chinese groups and their economic contributions. The Hokkiens were the early settlers and became a wealthy community as they were involved in international trade and subsequently owned tin mines, and employed the Hakkas. The Hainanese were also working class and were naturally inclined to Communism. The Cantonese were petty traders.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dato' Mashal Ahmad, Managing Directo

and

Professor Ismail Bahari, Radiological Advisor of

Lynas Malaysia, discuss:

- Reasons - response behind Lynas’ initial classification of its waste as 'industrial', with only it fourth submission to include “radioactive”;  
- Reasons behind the Gebeng LAMP facility being built on peat soil with the underground water level at less than 1 metre, with the risk of a leacheate contaminating groundwater;
- Lynas' radiological survey, and the radioactivity risk to local residents;
- Reasons for choosing Gebeng, Kuantan, despite the economic justification;
- Lynas’ long-term waste management plan;
- The perception that Lynas' public engagement has been one-way, and that its public documents are inaccessible.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lowering the banner bearing the likeness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the UMNO headquarters was a sign of protest, says Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) student activist Adam Adli, who was suspended for 18 months by Sultan Idris Education University (or UPSI) for his actions. The incident took place after a group of SMM and Movement for Academic Freedom (BEBAS) student activists had handed over a memorandum on academic freedom to Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on December 17th.

Adam stands by his actions, saying that prior to the rally that day, their previous memorandums had gone unnoticed in the past. "It was a sign of protest, and to show we are serious, we have to do it in a way that people will actually notice and pay atention. It's about getting attention from everyone - the students, the society, ministers and the Prime Minister, who as the head of the country, needs to pay attention to what we are demanding for," he tells BFM in a recent interview. "Without lowering the banner, how can I raise the flag of academic freedom?" he says.

In the following interview, Adam talks about previous flag-lowering incidents in Malaysia, whether being a student activist has affected his studies, as well as the cause he is fighting for. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia student activist Adam Adli, who lowered a flag depicting Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Umno headquarters on December 17th, has been suspended for one and a half years by Sultan Idris Education University or UPSI.

UPSI vice-chancellor Professor Dr Zakaria Kasa says the decision to suspend 22-year-old Adam -- a second-year TESL student at UPSI -- for three semesters was not harsh, as Adam had violated his "Aku Janji" promise to not act in way that will bring disrepute to the university. Zakaria says that prior to the incident, Adam had been issued a warning before, so a suspension was the next course of action. He adds that expulsion is the most severe form of disciplinary action to be taken by the university.

In the following interview, Zakaria discusses why he believes Adam's actions has damaged the university's reputation, his response to Adam's claims as well as the university's stand on student demonstrations. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been acquitted by the High Court on a charge of sodomising his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan due to a lack of corroborative evidence.

In light of the verdict, Current Affairs speaks to his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, on the emotional impact the acquittal has had on their family. Nurul Izzah, who is also the Vice President of PKR, talks about the next step for the party and discusses whether the acquittal has taken the wind out of PKR's sails. We also explore an alternate reality -- what if her father had been found guilty? -- and discuss how the family would have dealt with that outcome. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians should care about the verdict of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's trial because every person deserves a fair trial -- something which Anwar did not enjoy since he was charged in August 2008, says Lim Chee Wee, president of the Malaysian Bar Council. 

While the second trial was generally considered to be fairer than the first in 1999, Lim says "it doesn't make it [the second trial] right".

In the following interview, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee discusses why Anwar should be acquitted, whether Free Anwar 901 could constitute subjudice, as well as whether the Prime Minister should have been subpoenaed to testify in the trial.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the government set to decide on Lynas Corp's fourth application for the pre-operating license of its Gebeng rare earth plant on January 30th, Kuantan member of Parliament Fuziah Salleh has highlighted several points of contention with LAMP (Lynas Advanced Material Plant).

In the following interview, she discusses the suitability of LAMP's location in Gebeng, the classification of Water Leach Purification (WLP) solid residue as radioactive waste, Lynas' long-term waste management plans as well as the nature of Lynas' communications efforts to the public.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the following interview, Daniel Martin, member of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Forecasting Team discusses EIU's predictions for the year in its World in 2012 outlook.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent child abuse case involving a single father chaining his two children at home has highlighted the issue of single fathers in Malaysia.

Lee Wee Min, executive director at Focus on The Family Malaysia says that single fathers face a number of challenges, such as the lack of support from a spouse, the inability to provide a mother's role model to his children as well as problems facing dual-parents, including work stress and life's challenges.

"It's instinctive, in most cases, for mothers to be parents... fathers have to be more intentional [in parenting]. And the law seems to gravitate to giving mothers the rights to take care of the children. However, some fathers do play excellent roles as the single parent, and in those cases, the  courts award these cases to the fathers," he tells BFM in a recent interview. 

Commenting on the case in Penang, Lee says the different stress factors do not justify a crime, but the public needs to try to understand the cause of certain behaviours and the crime, rather than simply casting judgment on the father.

"Among the challenges single fathers face, aside from providing for the needs of the children, is coping with the child itself. Nobody is trained to be a parent, especially when you are not brought up by the best role models."

He says that relationship issues also contribute to the stress of a single parent. "There's the oxygen mask principle - when our needs are not met, it's hard to meet the needs of those we love," he says.

In the following interview, Lee also discusses affordable childcare, support available for single fathers as well as best practices of single father support overseas.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia's 13th General Elections is likely to take place this year, with Opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat expected to give Barisan Nasional a tough fight to deny the latter a two-thirds majority in parliament

Dr Ong Kian Ming, political analyst and lecturer at the faculty of economics and policy science at UCSI, believes that GE is likely to take place around March or April, as the ISA repeal is expected to be tabled in Parliament then.

Unlike the last GE in March 2008, there will be no "political tsunami" time time around, he says. 

He says that BERSIH 2.0 will not have the effect of shifting more voters towards the Opposition or away from BN, as "those most likely to be affected by BERSIH have shifted their vote in 2008". "What Bersih 2.0 may have done is to hold on to that vote, at least on the side of the Opposition."

"I think what is interesting to see is whether there will be other rallies held in 2012,  especially if (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim is convicted, and that would be a good test of not just the Peaceful Assembly Act but the police reaction to these rallies as well," Ong says.

In the following interview, Ong also talks about his predictions on the Anwar trial, the importance of young votes in the upcoming GE, which states will be hotly contested in the 13th GE as well as whether Pakatan Rakyat will be able to hold on to its four states.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.