Current Affairs

A report from the UK-based research house, Oxford Economics, has ranked Malaysia the "riskiest country in Asia” — more so than India, Indonesia and even Thailand. It argues that although on the surface, all's well with the Malaysian economy, things are not as rosy as it seems.

To address these concerns and more, the Perdana Leadership Foundation is organising its sixth CEO Forum on Wednesday the 24th of September, at the Berjaya Times Square Convention Centre. This year's theme is: "Malaysia: Surviving The Next Global Financial Crisis.

Here’s your chance to exchange views and ideas with more than 30 prominent Malaysian CEOs and industry experts, such as Tan Sri Nor Muhammad Yackop of Khazanah, Tengku Zafrul Aziz of CIMB, Dr Zakariah Abdul Rashid of MIER, and Mark Chang of Jobstreet.

For more information, or to register, go to www.perdana.org.my/ceoforum

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“It’s the people who will have to decide to resolve the issue. They want to have local council elections; they want to elect their local leaders -- if that is prevented by the federal government and the existing laws, then probably only a change of government could pave the way for local council elections,” said P. Ramakrishnan after the Federal Court made the judgment that the Penang state government cannot conduct local council elections. In Selangor, alternative initiatives have not progressed either. Whither the campaign to restore the third tier of democracy?

This is a report by Alexandra Lok.

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Last month, the Industrial Court of Malaysia passed a landmark judgement in a case involving the minimum wage. The dispute centered on the hotel’s unilateral attempt to use monies from the service charge as way to reach the minimum wage threshold. The hotel’s employees had insisted that their salaries be structured in line with the Minimum Wage Act and that it be separated from monies owing to employees from the service charge that hotels collect. We get the a workers' union perspective.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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Following the sacking of six PKR and DAP state excos, Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim has successfully retained the support of four PAS exco members to help run the state. And to leave no one in doubt, Khalid has declared that his government is no longer a Pakatan Rakyat administration. So what is it, and for how long can he continue with this particular configuration of support? We go through the key challenges for Khalid's administration as it seeks legitimacy.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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The sacking of six PKR and DAP Selangor exco members by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has left everyone in shock. The termination was based on the coalition's refusal to support him prior to the palace giving him consent to continue with his duties as Menteri Besar. The sacked exco members refuse to acknowledge the termination, calling it illegitimate. Will this divide leave the Pakatan-controlled state in tatters? We explore the ongoing crisis.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim emerged from the Selangor palace with consent from the Sultan to continue his duties as Menteri Besar. He is now independent of any party and will continue to do so until, and unless, the state assembly removes him through a no-confidence vote. While Khalid is legally secure, his political legitimacy in tatters. We explore political scenarios.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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Japan's attitude towards regional security has undergone significant changes since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in 2012. Last Tuesday, the Japanese Cabinet approved the annual Defence White Paper, increasing defence emphasis against China's aggression in the region. This is contrary to Japan's post-World War II constitution that disallows the country from taking up arms as an option to resolve conflict. BFM spoke to Professor Kei Koga about the Japan's constitutional interpretation of self-defence.

This is a report by Lim Li Ann.

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The deadlock in the Menteri Besar crisis in Selangor continues with PAS being the last in the 3-party coalition to make its stand final. Analysts says that the key question for the PAS Central Committee is either strengthen Pakatan Rakyat by acceding to Parti Keadilan Rakyat's decision or support embattled MB Khalid Ibrahim and risk the breakup of the coalition. The meeting first scheduled for Sunday has now been postponed till next Wednesday*, suggesting PAS itself fears a rift in its ranks. Today we explore the internal dynamics of PAS as they approach this major crossroads.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

*Since the airing of the report, the meeting has been postponed to Sunday (17 August 2014).

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Critics of the government's efforts in raising the living standards of low-income households often talk about concerns over dependency to handouts, sustainability of these programmes, and the need to develop an exit strategy to poverty.

So what types of intervention can and should the government engage in when helping the poor?

BFM looks at the government's efforts in poverty eradication, which includes the 1AZAM programme -- implemented to increase the revenue stream for the poor.

This segment is brought to you by Pemandu and the Government Transformation Programme.

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A war of words has broken out between Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz and MCA Secretary General Leong Sim Koon. This is because Nazri has come out in support of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng’s proposal to restrict cooks in hawker stalls to Malaysian nationals. “We should be looking at enforcing the workforce with locals and not foreigners. We need to protect our employment market, culture and heritage,” Nazri was quoted as saying. Leong countered with his own interpretation of the problem: “If foreign and local cooks can whip up a meal with the same tastes and standards, then the problem lies in training of the foreigners and whether the local employers are willing to pass down the original recipe.” We sought clarification from YAB Lim Guan Eng CM of Penang on what was the thinking behind the move.

Interview conducted by Arlene Teo.

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