Current Affairs

As the haze continues to choke Peninsular Malaysia, we turn our focus to the east coast, where the states hard-hit by the massive flooding of late 2014 are still struggling to recover, and must now brace for the annual natural phenomenon. The monsoon season traditionally starts in October, but can Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang handle another flooding if it reaches the scale of last year's disaster? Today we find out the latest situation in Kelantan, and whether the state government has fulfilled it's responsibility to the people.

This report is by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.

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Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is threatening to suspend the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), in the wake of Harimau Malaya's disastrous 10-0 defeat to the UAE, in a World Cup qualifier recently. Doubts about the capability of the national football governing body after over 30 years has never been more certain. Today we explore what caused this decline, and how the FAM can be saved for the sake of football.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis.

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Local media recently highlighted a story on the sale of illegal stun-guns in Malaysia, proving how easy and cheap it is to acquire these devices. The police may also introduce the X-26 Taser gun to their arsenal, in the hopes of reducing the number of suspects injured or killed by lethal weapons. But can tasers be used to combat crime? We explore the pros and cons of stun-guns, the training needed for their effective use, along with other non-lethal options available to local enforcement officers.

This is a report by Ashraf Zein.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama, met at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, to debate the ongoing Syrian conflict. Russia has increased its military involvement in Syria, sending troops and advanced equipment to aid its ally, the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. Washington, however, sees Assad as a brutal dictator, accusing him of war crimes against his own people. We explore the reasons for Russia’s intervention in Syria and its possible endgame, how this may affect Syria’s short and long term future, and the repercussions of Moscow’s moves on US foreign policy and Europe’s refugee crisis.

This is a report by Jason Lim.

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Since 1997, the region has been blanketed in thick smoke from burning peat forest on an annual basis. The haze, as we have experience it, is not merely a health risk, disruptive to daily life but has had costs for the economy as well. This is true for Indonesians too. The cause of the problem is clear: plantations in Kalimantan and Sumatra which burn forests to clear the land. While ASEAN-level transboundary pollution control initiatives have been discussed its been of little effect. Today we look at how Indonesia is handling the haze and Malaysia’s contribution to mitigate the worst of its effects locally.

This is a report by Wan Irdina binti Mohd Fizlie.

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The problem is simple. For a variety of reason, political players on both sides of the divide do not want increased scrutiny of money flowing through their coffers. Having published academic work looking at the issue of political financing in Malaysia, Gomez notes that ‘Malaysia is one of the very few countries where parties own corporate enterprises’ and that other distortions to our system involve money-based factionalism, known as ‘money politics’, which is shaping how parties themselves operate.

This is a report by Sharaad Kuttan.

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In May, two International Islamic University Malaysia (UIA) students organised a GST forum on campus grounds, which featured opposition figure Rafizi Ramli. The duo were then suspended for two semesters, on charges they intentionally brought shame to the university's image. BFM spoke to fellow UIA student Afiqah Zulkifli about the incident, as well as lawyer New Sin Yew, on the laws used to clamp down on student activism.

This is a report by Aisyah Tajuddin.

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The Health Ministry has recently urged the public to stop using e-cigarettes and vaping devices, until the findings of a study on the risks are announced in a few months. While health professionals remain divided over the risks of e-cigarettes, various agencies have argued for more regulation of the vape industry in Malaysia, which is said to be the second largest after the United States. BFM explores the benefits and the perils of vaping.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis.

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IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar announced the Royal Malaysia Police will start using drones for surveillance purposes and to monitor illegal rallies by the end of this year. This has raised concerns of privacy violations. How will this machinery be used? BFM explains. 

This is a report by Sharyl Kaur and Wan Irdina binti Mohd Fizlie. 

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