Current Affairs

Last week the Prime Minister weighed in on public debate on the proposed changes in the withdrawal age for contributions to the Employees Provident Fund. One of 3 options would extend the retirement withdrawal age from 55 to 60. The PM said that contributors would retain their right to take their money out at 55. But is his public announcement the last word on the matter? The EPF is in the midst of a stake-holder consultation exercise. We asked them what the rationale behind the proposals are.

This is a report by Melanie Abraham with contributions from Keith Kam and Sherilyn Goh.

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The Health Ministry has announced that they plan to enforce the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act, also known as TCM, within the next few months. This is to professionalize traditional and complementary medicine which is widely practiced in the country. The Ministry aims to ensure that these services are safe and efficacious for the public. We ask why its taken so much time since the Act was passed by Parliament in 2013 to get it enforced.

This is a report by Melanie Abraham.

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United States-based cyber security company FireEye recently released a report alleging that a group of hackers responsible for a decade-long espionage operation in South East Asia, are in fact sponsored by the government of China. We take a critical look at the report - “APT30: The Mechanics of a Decade Long Cyber Espionage Operation”. We also ask to what extent cyberspace spying is a threat to the region and why governments and companies have to be alert to the problem.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

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Later this morning Sir David King the British Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change of will be giving a keynote at a forum sustainability and green growth.Tonight he talks to young Malaysians about his concerns about climate change.  What would have otherwise been a welcomed intervention raised eye-brows among some because a flyer advertising the evening talk notes seemed to diminish Malaysia’s efforts, noting that our emission levels were 80% of the UK’s and rising. Is this just a storm in a teacup or does it signal underlying dynamics of climate change politics?

This is a report by Sharaad Kuttan.

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The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system, has come, unsurprisingly with various teething problems. Most complaints from consumers are centered on the issue of service charge. Despite having been in practice for decades, consumer groups are now calling for a review of the service charge. We explore the mechanics of service charge, the grievances of consumer groups as well as the plight of service sector employees.

This is a report by Sherilyn Goh. 

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A survey by Merdeka Center in collaboration with BFM finds that more than half of voters polled across Peninsular Malaysia, do not know what 1MDB is all about. Respondents were also asked if they are familiar with the role of the Finance Ministry-owned company, as well as if they feel they are personally affected by it. We explore the whys and wherefores of public perception of 1MDB.

Sharyl Kaur contributed to this report. 

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Putting some clarity and perspective into finance-related issues, we find an explanation about what Malaysia's sovereign credit ratings mean. We learn about how these assessments of Malaysia's ability to pay back foreign loans can affect how business is done in the country. We also talk about the trickle down effects of any re-rating of these assessments on corporates and the rakyat, vis-à-vis current issues like 1MDB, declining crude oil prices and how the current government is handling taxpayers' money.

This is a report by Keith Kam.

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On the first of April Thailand’s military junta lifted martial law in a presumed step towards a return to full democracy. This comes after almost a year after the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinwatr was deposed in a coup. But does the lifting of martial law marks a return to democracy? And were the military the neutral arbiters in the decade long conflict that they claimed they were. History professor and author of the classic “Mapping Siam”, tell us why he thinks the endgame of the coup is to create the conditions for royal succession.

This was a report by Sharaad Kuttan. 

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On April 2nd, Somali militants from the al-Shabaab group attacked a university in the Kenyan town of Garissa, killing nearly 150 students. Malaysian police are familiar with this organization, having arrested an al-Shabaab terrorist posing as a student, last year in Selangor. Professor Samuel Makinda is a security analyst at Murdoch University and a Kenyan national himself. He gives insights into why the group carried out the attack, elaborating on the security lapses by the Kenyan government, which led to the high death toll. Dr Makinda also speaks on the lessons learnt from the tragedy, and how it could have been prevented, had the government heeded warnings beforehand.

Jason Lim contributed to this report.

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Tomorrow is the day when Datuk Lee Chong Wei will finally have his case heard before the Badminton World Federation panel. This follows a failed doping test at the World Championship in Copenhagen last year, in which traces of Dexamethasone was found in his urine sample. That saw the former world number one provisionally suspended from his badminton career since November. We give you a chronology of events in the run-up to tomorrow's trial and explore possible scenarios. 

Audrey Raj, Shawn Tanis and Sherilyn Goh contributed to this report.

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