Current Affairs

August 23 is designated as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition - a day typically used to reflect on slavery's historical consequences. That being said, the recently published Global Slavery Index has indicated, slavery may still be a problem in Malaysia today. The report estimates that nearly 129,000 people in the country live in conditions equivalent to modern day slavery, with the majority being women and children who came to the country as domestic workers.

If you know of any migrant domestic worker in need of assistance, please call the Women's Aid Organization hotline, which is available on their website.

This is a report by Lyn Mak and Jason Lim.

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The federal government has extended the moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang to mid September, the second such extension. This is because of the large bauxite stockpiles that have yet to be cleared and exported from Kuantan port. But will lifting the moratorium, or alternatively extending it further, solve the underlying problems with mining the aluminum ore?

We learn of some challenges the authorities have faced in making the industry sustainable and environmentally safe, including rehabilitation of former bauxite mining land, and the grey areas which arise when it comes to regulating the industry.

This is a report by Jason Lim.

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Over seven hundred million women alive today were married as children, according to statistics from civil society partnership Girls Not Brides. If nothing is done to curb this practice, it is estimated that the global number of child brides will hit 1.5 billion by 2050.

Child marriage in Malaysia is an ongoing struggle, and one that has caught the public’s attention once again with the case of Ahmad Syukri Yusof.

This is a report by Azlyn Balqis and Lyn Mak.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has recently remarked that Malaysia's new regional counter-messaging centre will be the key to winning the battle against the Islamic State or any other terrorist group. The center which is designed to diffuse terrorist groups' influence on the internet is expected to follow the model launched by the US in the United Arab Emirates last year. Today, BFM explores the roles of the counter-narrative centre as part of the government's deradicalisation campaign.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis.

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The Philippines has, for the past three decades, been deeply entrenched in political dynasties, embodied in the likes of Ferdinand Marcos, Beningo Aquino III, and Gloria Arroyo. A nation’s frustration with establishment politics, and the emergence of a politician vowing to relieve it - has culminated in the form of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency.

Duterte positions himself as an anti-establishment figure and a new breed of politician. We explore if he really is revolutionary, or just another version of the Philippines’ political dynasties.

This is a report by Wang Junmey and Keith Kam.

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Malaysia has more medical graduates than ever before and the nation is on track to meet the desired doctor to population ratio of 1:400 by 2020. However grouses persist of a houseman glut, limited training positions for medical graduates and a lack of quality among medical graduates. We explore some of the reasons for the perceived surplus of local medical students, whether a moratorium on medical schools has been effective, and some shortcomings faced by Malaysian medical students who return after studying abroad.

This is a report by Jason Lim.

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Malaysian party politics has seen some upheaval in recent times, with the establishment of a new bumiputera-only party set to go up against Barisan Nasional in the next general election. The party’s bumiputera-only status is not unexpected, as it falls in line with Malaysia’s longstanding political culture.

Azlyn Balqis has the story.

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Malaysia has seen a worrying trend emerge in the new cases of HIV AIDS infection, with heterosexual transmissions having overtaken intravenous drug use in the number of transmissions. On Current Affairs today, we continue the discussion, on the long-running lack of awareness in Malaysia, what issues have caused this problem to persist and worsen, as well as what needs to change to tackle the spread of the virus.

This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.

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Thailand will face a new political test this weekend, as the country heads to the polls to vote on a new draft constitution.

Leading up to the referendum, the Military Junta have imposed further restrictions on Thai citizens, to avoid them going against the draft charter. Reports have stated that over 100 individuals, including activists and journalists, have been detained, and the campaigning of the ban for the referendum has also been barred, contradicting the military’s stated aim to push Thailand towards the democracy. Thai media have also been threatened with closure under the guise of national security.

Today on Current Affairs, we take a look at what’s been happening in the streets of Thailand ahead of the Sunday's referendum.

This is a report by Wan Irdina and Keith Kam.

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The Election Commission (EC) announced this week that Sabah will see the creation of an extra 13 state seats, as part of its nationwide redrawing of constituencies.

Also known as redelineation, the practice is ideally meant to balance out disproportionate constituencies and ensure fairer representation of voters.

We explore the EC's past redelineation trends, how its affected electoral outcomes, and what this could mean for GE 14.

This is a report by Wang Junmey and Azyln Balqis.

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