Current Affairs

Orang Asli communities are asking why they have not been consulted over proposed amendments the Aboriginal People’s Act (1954). Free Malaysia Today reported that the community is “set to lose about 645,000 hectares of their native land if an amendment to the [Act], which will be tabled during the current parliament session, is passed.” Comprising less than one percent of the population, the Orang Asli community of the Peninsular have some of the worst social and economic indicators of any community. Their literacy rate is half that of the rest of the nation, and some 70 percent of the community lives in poverty.

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So when Siti Zailah, PAS Muslimat chief, called on the government enacts laws to prevent women from wearing "indecent" clothing, in order to curb sexual crimes, there was an understandable outcry. This controversy comes soon after a World Health Organisation report released at the end of June revealed some shocking facts about the global situation of violence against women: One third of the world’s women are subjected to physical or sexual violence by a partner or stranger.

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The Kuala Besut by-election is due on the 24th of July. We ask Ibrahim Suffian of polling center Merdeka Center is this by-election has national significance. We also continue our on-going conversation on the death penalty with the Executive Co-directors of the UK based organization The Death Penalty Project, Parvais Jabbar and Saul Lehrfreund. Did you know that some 900 people are on Death Row. Christopher Leong, President of the Malaysian Bar said that “The death penalty is an extreme form of punishment. Keeping a person on death row waiting indefinitely or for a long period of time adds to its cruelty. .. it constitutes inhumane psychological torture… Its made worse by the fact that they are kept in solitary confinement most of the time; which means that they have to face the suffering all alone.”

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The first paragraph on a new study of public perceptions of the mandatory death penalty  - launched on Monday the 8th of July - begins: “In Malaysia, the death penalty is the mandatory and, thus, the only punishment available to the courts for persons convicted of murder; for trafficking in narcotics in various amounts; and for discharging a firearm during the commission of various crimes, even if no-one is hurt. There is a growing political and public debate.”  According to the co- Executive Directors of The Death Penalty Project, Saul Lehrfreund and Parvais Jabbar, “This study, for the first time, provides unique data from a large scale and detailed analysis of the views of the general public on the mandatory death penalty in Malaysia. The findings suggest that there would be little public opposition to abolition of the mandatory death penalty, in particular for drug trafficking, murder and firearms offences. We hope that this evidence will urge the Malaysian Government to consider legislative reform – in line with both public sentiment and international human rights standards.”

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Over the weekend US President Obama’s decision to provide lethal aid to Syrian rebel forces has gained bipartisan support among American lawmakers. But will this move result in an escalation of the conflict or could be a way of bringing both sides to the negotiating table. Dr. Farouk Musa of the Islamic Renaissance Front questions popular explanations of the conflict in terms of a Sunni-Shite divide.

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What kind of changes will there be for Putrajaya if PAS wins that seat? BFM's Melisa Idris sits down with PAS vice president Husam Musa, who will be contesting in Putrajaya, and asks him how he plans to sway the electorate, 80% of which are civil servants. 

He also talks about the change in economic policy if PAS gets into power and the power dynamics within the Pakatan coalition. Will the hardline conservative party succeed in overcoming perceptions and fears of non-Muslims?

And watch the video to find out PAS' choice for Prime Minister.

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On 3 May 2013 UNESCO celebrates the twentieth year of World Press Freedom Day since it was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.

To commemorate the day, BFM's Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Tessa J. Houghton from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus on the election coverage monitoring project -- Watching the Watchdog.

She also speaks about the balance between good journalism practices and business considerations.

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Global democracy is at a standstill.

That’s the conclusion of The Economist Intelligence Unit's recently published annual report on the state of global democracy for 2012.

So why was there a stagnation of democracy? And where does Malaysia stand in the index?

Melisa Idris finds out more from Sumana Rajarethnam, senior analyst and the Asia expert for the EIU Democracy Index 2012.

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Online campaigning has taken a turn for the worse when mudslinging and vulgarities are more attention grabbing than truth and credibility itself. BFM’s Lim Soon Heng sits down with MCA Youth New Media Head, Neil Foo to discuss social media wars in the run-up to the 13th General Election as they fight to persuade public perception. How important is social media to MCA in the context of what happened in GE12? He also talks about MCA’s current plans to win votes via social media and what actions will be taken to bridge the credibility gap.

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Listen to the podcast for an extended version of the broadcast!

Associate Prof Dr Andrew Aeria, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak highlights and analyses the pressing economic and social issues in Sabah and Sarawak.

This interview is part of BFM's 'Battle For Malaysia' elections programming.

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