Current Affairs

The Asean on the Move media roundtable is being held in Jakarta this week. BFM's Sharaad Kuttan brings us highlights from the roundtable including the question of the role of the media and its key role in taking part of change in the region's political and cultural landscape.

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The Data Protection Act 2010 was gazetted last year November, with businesses given three months since to comply. This month marks the final month for compliance. The Act is aimed to the protection of personal customer data against the prying fingers of businesses although the extent of this law remains to be seen. Just how far are we protected and from who?

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Some 400 Malaysian students gather in Manchester, UK, for a 1-day conference entitled “Globalising the Youth of Malaysia”. On the agenda were discussions about civil society and the corporate world. Also given their take on the issues of the day were former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Minister of Sports and Youth Khairy Jamaluddin. Students asked Tun Mahathir about the government’s Bumiputera policy, the Sabah IC issue, the Operasi Lalang crackdown and one even accused him of being a dictator during his 22-year administration. We speak to a student who spent a day in Manchester.

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The Business Development Director (Asia-Pacific and Ocenia) of Hydrogenics Corporation speaks to BFM’s Khoo Hsu Chuang on the costs of and policy architecture for developing energy efficient vehicles (EEVs). The Nasdaq-listed Hydrogenics Corp works on hydrogen fuel cells, one of several possible EEV futures. While the recently announced National Automotive Policy states that the country should aim to become a hub for the production of energy efficient vehicles, do we really have what it takes to achieve this policy goal?

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Yet another storm in a teacup hits us in the run-up to the Kajang by-elections. It follows a recent online news report, which suggested that the editor of Suara Keadilan – an organ of Parti Keadilan Rakyat – has come under pressure. The paper published a comment piece by 70s student power icon, Reformasi-era activist and blogger, Hishamuddin Rais, who was apparently 'overly' critical of PKR’s top leadership. PKR’s Communications Director, Fahmi Fadzil has denied that any pressure was put on the editor. In the comment piece, Hishamuddin names members of PKR as having what he calls “DNA UMNO”. We explore.

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Our moderate majority is increasingly caught between wanting to see an end to hateful speech especially in the media and their abhorrence of censorship, a remnant of our authoritarian past. What are the trade-offs; how can democratic space expand without being hijack by the forces of reaction; and do we have to come to terms with the uncomfortable notion that we have to angry, often hateful speech, which does not amount to incitement to violence, must have its space in a democratic society.

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The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) – first introduced in 2003 but enforced in the year 2005. Some 168 countries are party to this convention to which they entered voluntarily. Malaysia signed the convention in December 2003. It was then ratified it in September 2008 and went into force the next month. What real value does the Convention and its mechanisms add to the fight against corruption in Malaysia?

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“Where else in KL can we find over two dozen religious institutions, schools, associations supporting the deaf-blind, and other social and welfare organisations within a square mile, all with a history of at least 50 years, many almost a century old.” This line is taken from a statement by heritage advocacy organization, Badan Warisan Malaysia, responding to news of the impending demolition of the historic 100 Quarters building in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. We explore the issue from the heritage perspective.

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Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Selangor State exco on Local Government, gives us an update on the dengue epidemic in the state. Nation-wide deaths from dengue fever have tripled this year compared with the same period last year. The total number of deaths stand at 22 for 2014. BFM’s Aziff Azudin spoke to Teng, who co-chairs a weekly meeting on the dengue epidemic in the state.

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Following calls by the Democrat Party and the Pheu Thai Party to have each other dissolved, the Elections Commission said a new election would be arranged if rulings by the Constitutional Court or the Ombudsman's Office found that results of the February 2 poll were invalid. Where now? We speak to Michael K. Connors author of a book on Thai politics titled Democracy and National Identity in Thailand.

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