Current Affairs

While doping in sports is nothing new to the world, the sudden spike of cases locally - five cases within two months – is cause for concern. And while these cases have been highlighted in the media, the possibility that international badminton star, Lee Chong Wei, could be the athlete who tested positive for a banned substance while competing in the World Championship in Denmark in late August, has raised the visibility of the issue exponentially. Could this be a watershed in local sports when it comes to doping?

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We move into the seventh day of the Sodomy Trial II of what was scheduled to be a two-day long process. We do a quick recap of the chronology of the case that began in mid-2008. Today the defence submits its rebuttal to the prosecution's case. BFM's Aziff Azuddin takes the temperature on the ground, and the anxieties that dominate both camps of supporters.

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One of the ways to maintain a fair election, or exploit it, is through redelineation. The drawing of proper electoral boundaries to accommodate voters within the constituency is crucial for a healthy election process. The Election Commission promised a review on redelineation exercise that is long overdue; the last exercise was in 2003. We speak to the founder of an electoral reform group on their proposals for a fairer distribution of voters.

This is a report by Haniff Baharudin

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At a recent Selangor UMNO Convention, Prime Minister Najib Razak expressed his frustration at Barisan Nasional’s (BN) status as the coalition in opposition in what is probably the Federation’s most industrialised and urbanised states. Embarrassed, he called for the coalition to grab the state in the next general election. But how does the party and the coalition it leads going to accomplish this? BN had its presentation at the state assembly slashed to 20 seats in 2008, and suffered a further decline in 2013 to 12 seats (all won by UMNO). We speak to UMNO leaders who are banking on younger voters and a more youthful leadership.

This is a report by Haniff Baharudin

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The latest survey by Merdeka Center reveals a dip in Prime Minister Najib Razak's approval rating. The number dropped to 48% from 54% at the end of August. Does the fuel subsidy cut, as well as the impending GST next year contribute to the dip? We also look at the people's perception towards the direction the country is heading, economic concerns, and their confidence in the judiciary.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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We are into Day 3 of the Sodomy 2 proceedings, the conclusion of which might see the leader of the Federal Opposition jailed for years. We spoke to three observers to weigh on the implication of Anwar Ibrahim being sent to jail. We asked if we will see a repeat of the late 90s Reformasi movement. However wider Malaysian society will respond, it is clear that as a central leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat his absence will be felt. Will it paralyze the part? After the bruising factional fighting in PKR and the very public tensions over the Mentri Besar of Selangor saga, will Anwar’s jailing break the coalition? And what about the international fallout? We explore.

This is a report by Sharaad Kuttan & Haniff Baharudin

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Starting with a considered response to a report by Rashmi Banga, a senior economist working for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Nurhisham unpacks a range of issues for us to reflect on when discussing the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Concerns over the loss of our long-standing trade surplus blindside us to the fact that trade surpluses often mean a policy of wage suppression. Also to consider are benefits coming from increased competition domestically and access to markets internationally. Nurhisham also blogs at Economics Malaysia.

This report is by Melisa Melina Idris and Haniff Baharudin.

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Although Malaysia has made great strides in reducing poverty among all the races since Independence, the latest figures still show that income inequality is highest among the Indian community. The government has attempted to level out this imbalance in the recent Budget 2015, with allocations for skills training and entrepreneurship, but many issues remain.

BFM speaks to P.Ramasamy, Deputy Chief Minister of Penang, to outline the economic challenges faced by the Indian community in Malaysia.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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Indonesia recently approved a plantations bill, with a controversial foreign ownership clause dropped from the final version. The draft bill would have retroactively limited foreign ownership of plantations to no more than 30 percent, down from the current maximum of 95 percent.

Melisa Idris speaks to Gerald Tan, Plantations Practice Leader at KRA Group, to find out how the bill that was passed is different from the draft, why was it passed in such a hurry, and what this now means for foreign investment risk.

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After a 16-year absence, Malaysia returns to the UN Security Council after intense lobbying. The first question is what the government will do with this two-year term? Having utilised its finely cultivated “moderate Muslim” image on a global scale, will there be increased pressure to keep its increasingly authoritarian rule in check? Also of concern is how a small nation like ours can position itself strategically between China and US in their global rivalry.

This is a report by Haniff Baharudin

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