Current Affairs

Yesterday, June 4th was the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

For 25 years, the Chinese government has tried to expunge the massacre in 1989 from history; denying its citizens any knowledge of the event and forbidding citizens from discussing the movement.

So where does the Tiananmen incident stand in China’s public consciousness? BFM asked Professor Steven Levine, a professor of history, whose interest in China has spanned some 40 years. Prof Levine is also the founder of the Tiananmen Initiative Project, a move to commemorate that fateful night 25 years ago.

BFM's Melisa Idris and Lim Li Ann contributed to this report.

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Election strategy chief for DAP, Dr Ong Kian Ming, who is also the Member of Parliament for Serdang, yesterday wrote a media statement on his take on the Teluk Intan by-election results, raised pertinent questions about Pakatan Rakyat’s future strategy, especially "if voters are turned off by the problems affecting PR now".

There has also been several critical analyses after the by-election, on DAP’s choice of candidate and campaign. Melisa Idris gets his response to the criticisms.

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BFM's Melisa Idris speaks to Bridget Welsh, associate professor of Political Science at Singapore Management University, to analyse the Teluk Intan by-election and the mismatch in DAP's strategy.

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Sultan Nazrin Shah was sworn in yesterday as the 35th Sultan of Perak, succeeding his father, the late Sultan Azlan Shah. Underscoring the accession is the structure and the role of our constitutional monarchy. Will the new Sultan be able to strike a balance between tradition and modernity? We speak to a historian and Fellow of the Perak Academy.

This report was put together by: Sharaad Kuttan & Aziff Azuddin

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Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak passed away yesterday at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy in many fields including his chosen profession of the law. He reached the pinnacle of his legal career as Lord President in 1979. Landmark judgments studded his 17-year career on the bench. We explore Sultan Azlan Shah's reputation as a legal luminary.

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of then Prime Minister Tun Razak's diplomatic mission to China. In 1974 Tun Razak signs a Communiqué with Mao Zedong which started official ties. Then, like now, the relationship had its challenges including China’s support of the Communist Party of Malaya. Michael Chen was one of many who helped lay the groundwork for ties including involvement in China’s ping-pong diplomacy. Today we get a glimpse into those volatile times.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

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“The house believed that deeper integration, similar to the European Union’s experiences, is the best way for ASEAN to safeguard its political and economic future.” Analysts Bunn Negara and Ruhanas Harun joined former Human Resources minister Fong arguing against the motion, while Irish Ambassador Declan Kelly lead EU’s Andreas List and academic Lili Yulyadi Arnakim supporting the motion. 

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin and Alexandra Lok.

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De facto Minister of Law, Nancy Shukri defends the Sedition Act, and its use despite, an announcement by the Prime Minister in 2012 that a National Harmony Act would replace it. We ask why the new law is taking so long to enact and if the Sedition Act is being used against the ruling government’s democratic opponents. We also speak to former student activist Adam Adli about his trial for sedition – just one of several on-going high profile sedition cases.

This is a report by Alexandra Lok.

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The Thai army has declared martial law following the resignation of PM Yingluk Shinawatra. Amidst the conflict between the Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts, the military has instructed the country's media to suspend normal programming. Information control has extended to both traditional and digital media, carving a polarized political divide between the two opposing sides. We explore the implications martial law has in the Land of Smiles.

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The Thai army’s declaration of martial law across the country grabs headlines this morning. But what will its impact be on the long-standing crisis? And why, despite a tradition of military intervention, has the Army refused to describe this move as a coup. We speak to the author of “Democracy and National Identity in Thailand” who notes that it was the 2006 coup against the then Prime Minister that has precipitated this crisis in the first place.

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