Current Affairs

Following criticisms of the National Service, the government halted the training programme for a whole year in order to reassess its purpose and operations. Stake-holder meetings were held to aid the reassessment and the result is an expanded programmed and the introduction of new objectives including skills and marketability. Today we hear what the government intends for the improved National Service programme.

This is a report by Aisyah Tajuddin and Navin Nair.

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The government’s initiative to regulate vaping has been welcomed with open arms by the industry. The stakeholders however want any regulation to the billion Ringgit industry to be fair. Today BFM explores the divergent stands taken by pro-vaping groups, the Ministry of Health and the Cabinet on this issue.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis

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With the monsoon season now well underway, daily reports of flash flooding have become a normal occurrence in the city, as flood evacuee numbers rise in rural areas. Today we discuss the issue of flash flooding, and whether the country has implemented enough measures to prevent rather than just manage flash flooding, that will ultimately allow the government to save billions of Ringgit that are spent on mitigation plans.


This is a report by Nadiah Aziz and Ashraf Zein

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The monsoon season has just started and with it comes many dangerous problems, including landslides. There are over 600 high-risk slopes detected in the KL alone. We explore solutions engineers have come up to solve the landslide problem and early warning signs the public can look out for to prevent it from happening.

This report is by Sharyl Kaur,Nadiah Aziz and Ashraf Zein.

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The government’s recent move to restrict the use of e-cigarettes or vape devices has triggered a public backlash, especially among vapers who see e-cigarettes as a solution to their smoking and health problems. Today we explore some arguments raised by the vape community amid widespread claims about the hazards of e-cigarettes.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis

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What barometer could we use to gauge if our representative democracy is working? Could it be the responsiveness of elected officials to inquiries through electronic means like email, Facebook and Twitter a fair test. We look at a survey of 165 Peninsular-based Members of Parliament and its surprising results.


This is a report by Sharaad Kuttan.

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A number of initiatives have been implemented over the years by the government and Bank Negara, to cool speculative activities in the property market. These have finally taken effect, but has it been a case of too little too late? With many middle and lower income earners still unable to afford homes, we discuss the long running issues plaguing the real estate sector, and whether Budget 2016 will help tackle the problem.


This report is by Nadiah Aziz.

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Since 1971, only around 3,900 Orang Asli obtained a tertiary education, over a 43 year period. There is only one Teacher Training Institution exclusively for Orang Asli in the whole country. However numbers have picked up in recent years, with over 1,500 OA students currently studying at tertiary level, including 28 post graduate students. Still, why is there a lack of graduates from this group, despite millions of ringgit being allocated for Orang Asli affairs yearly? We explore the problems faced by Orang Asli graduates, why they rarely return to contribute to the rural community, the role of the Orang Asli Department (JAKOA) and best practices Malaysia can learn from other countries, in educating their indigenous people.


This is a report by Jason Lim.

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US President Barack Obama attended the 27th Asean Summit and related summits over the weekend, aiming to sell the TPPA to the Asean nations who are part of the trade deal, including Malaysia. We bring you the highlights of his speech at the ASEAN Business & Investment Summit, including how the trade agreement has important strategic and geopolitical benefits, as well as how the TPP will help fight forced labour and corruption.


This is a report by Sharyl Kaur.

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The rise in case of baby dumping cases some years ago lead to the establishment of a baby hatch system by the OrphanCARE foundation. Its a proven strategy to give parents with unwanted babies a secure way of giving their babies away. But can this system address the underlying causes that lead to baby-dumping? Today, BFM explores the effectiveness of the baby hatch system.


This report is by Sharyl Kaur and Wan Irdina Fizlie. 

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