General

In an unexpected development in today's special Parliament sitting, de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan announced that the Emergency Ordinances have been cancelled for the last five days. We find out the ramifications of this by first understanding what this actually means and its impact. Then, we explore the political fallout from this. And lastly, we explore how this might change the government’s Covid-19 strategy.

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The Penang state government is launching the Wanita Jana Rezeki 2.0 program to help women from the B40 group earn an income and gain financial independence using their available skills. Dhanya Nair tells us more.

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The much-awaited special Parliamentary sitting commenced today, with heated exchanges among MPs defining the day's proceedings. We go through the highlights which include arguments over how the sitting is conducted, and the surprise revoking of the Emergency Ordinances.

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As more cases and deaths related to COVID-19 are reported every day, healthcare frontliners – whether junior or senior, contract or permanent – are clocking in exhausted, having borne the brunt of the pandemic since it began. On this show, we feature the voices of healthcare workers on the frontlines, who have spoken to BFM over the past 17 months about what they face every day and how things have gotten worse in the past few months.

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For July's look-back, the Co-Founders, Co-Editors and Writers of Macaranga.org, Wong Siew Lyn & Law Yao Hua, have plants on their minds. First up, it was recently reported that Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths Limited is considering a new site to build their permanent disposal facility for their radioactive waste, from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant. The company is reportedly planning a smaller disposal facility just next to their current facilities in the Gebeng Industrial Park. Will this new plan meet the public’s concern for human and environmental safety? 

Next, a new plant has been discovered in Malaysia by Malaysian Dome Nikong, in the Hulu Nerus Forest Reserve in Terengganu. Named after the discoverer’s mother, we find out more about Fairy lantern Thismia sitimeriamiae, the latest addition to a group of around 90 species worldwide. We also discuss why this is an example of a good collaboration among international scientists, and the value of protecting natural forests.

Image source: Shutterstock, Dome Nikong Facebook 

Mangroves are described as rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea, which contribute to the wellbeing, food security, and protection of coastal communities worldwide. But reports estimate that 67% of mangroves have been lost or degraded to date, and an additional 1% is lost each year, putting mangroves at a risk of being destroyed altogether. In conjunction with this year's International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we're doing a two-part special on mangroves, and in this first part, we discuss the immense ecological and economic importance of these ecosystems with Dr Ahmad Aldrie Amir, a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and he is currently heading the Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability Research Centre there too. Dr Aldrie is also the coordinator of the Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network (MyMangrove).

Listen to the second part of our coverage on International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem here

Image source: Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network Facebook 

It’s been slightly more than 10 years since the iconic BERSIH 2.0 rally that took place on the 9th of July 2011. Authorities fired tear gas and water cannons. Close to 1700 people were arrested. But it did not break the spirits of those who were protesting, who marched on nonetheless. 

Today, in light of its 10th anniversary, we speak to activists Nalini Elumalai and Ivy Josiah, important figures in the Bersih 2.0 rally.

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Eatery operators and retailers still hold out hope in light of discussions on eased restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals.

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On July 6, a new law was passed in Singapore introducing digital birth and death certificates, legislation that will potentially render paper documents of this nature a thing of the past. With a high level of concern for security risk and a lingering distrust in State-run digital solutions due to contact tracing apps, experts believes it is critical to explore the potential privacy concerns that could arise from digital birth certs.

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A proper vaccination programme and an adoption of digital solutions for safe travel are the only ways towards restarting tourism globally, according to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

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