Current Affairs

In March, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission uncovered a syndicate that allegedly siphoned off 100 million ringgit from the Youth and Sports Ministry. In the wake of the discovery, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin highlighted procedural weaknesses, such as not obtaining higher level approvals for government payments. This scandal has reignited many questions about the management of government funds and the effectiveness of audit practices in the Ministry. Today on Current Affairs, we explore best practices in other countries to achieve transparency and accountability in government institutions. This is a report by Nadiah Aziz and Yuen Yuen Tan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, Nigeria’s auditor-general unearthed a disturbing discovery that over USD$16 billion was found missing from the accounts of Nigeria’s state-oil company, known as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.  The findings may seem staggering, but in Nigeria the news came hardly as a surprise to the country that has been dogged by massive corruption scandals and a plunge in oil prices.  As the country races against time to fight corruption & rejuvenate its economy, President Muhammadu Buhari who celebrates one year in office also has to contend with violence in the country and repair a system broken by the previous Administration.  This is a report by Lee Sheung Un and Nadiah Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigeria’s Presidential elections which concluded on March 29th, are considered a milestone not only for that country but for the African continent as a whole. In a region where many governments and leaders have done their best to cling on to power, outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan’s graceful acceptance of defeat, is an exception to the rule. President-elect Muhammadu Buhari won on a promise to fight corruption and his All Progressives Congress party has since won the governorship elections in most of Nigeria’s states. David Doepel, the Chair of the Africa Research Group at Australia’s Murdoch University, explains why these polls were one of Nigeria’s most orderly  and fair in recent memory, and what other developing countries like Malaysia, can learn from this watershed election.This is a report by Jason Lim.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has seen a 35 percent drop in total HIV AIDS cases since the year 2000, with related deaths decreasing 42 percent since 2004. At the same time, heterosexual transmissions have overtaken transmissions via intravenous drug use - a worrying trend in the country. We explore the level of public awareness of the disease, whether or not current efforts to tackle the spread of HIV AIDS is outdated, and the real situation behind the statistics.This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has seen a worrying trend emerge in the new cases of HIV AIDS infection, with heterosexual transmissions having overtaken intravenous drug use in the number of transmissions. On Current Affairs today, we continue the discussion, on the long-running lack of awareness in Malaysia, what issues have caused this problem to persist and worsen, as well as what needs to change to tackle the spread of the virus.This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Within corporate Malaysia, it is not uncommon for local businesses to treat high-ranking executives with fancy dinners and expensive corporate gifts. But where do you draw the line - before it turns to something more sinister and becomes a bribe? PriceWaterhouseCooper's (PwC) latest Global Economic Crime Survey highlighted an increase in bribery & corruption cases locally from 19% in 2014 to 30% in 2016. Alex Tan, Senior Executive Director of PwC discusses the key points of the report and also highlights the main control deficiencies that it found among Malaysian businesses, including the need for a robust whistle-blowing policy. This is a report by Lee Sheung Un and Nadiah Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State of Households 2 report recently released by Khazanah Research Institute came under intense scrutiny, with many parties disputing the collated data, accusing it of being doctored to suit the government's agenda. We continue the conversation on the lack of savings among Malaysians, household debt, and how to match productivity gains to wages.This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State of Households 2 report recently released by Khazanah Research Institute has come under intense scrutiny, with many parties disputing the collated data, accusing it of being doctored to suit the government's agenda. We continue the conversation on the B40 lower income group, youth unemployment, and housing issues. This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State of Households 2 report recently released by Khazanah Research Institute has come under intense scrutiny, with many parties disputing the collated data, accusing it of being doctored to suit the government's agenda. Today on Current Affairs we have a frank discussion on whether these allegations have any merit. This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to recently launched World Bank report, governments around the world have reacted differently to new technologies, the adoption of which can greatly fuel growth and development. Today we take a closer look at where Malaysia stands in this era of rapid digital expansion. This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to recently launched World Bank report the benefits of rapid digital expansion has been skewed towards the wealthy, skilled, and influential around the world who are better positioned to take advantage of the new technologies. Where does Malaysia stand in this picture, and how can improvements be made? Today on Current Affairs we take a closer look at the meaning of “digital dividends” in a Malaysian context. This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Land Public Transport Commission has faced a great deal of criticism of late, particularly as the authority regulating public transport in the country. Blamed for the recent ERL, LRT and KTM fares hikes to name a few, SPAD now has to defend itself after implementing a revamp of bus routes. Today we ask how commuters in the Klang Valley have been affected commuters at a time when rising costs of living.This is a report by Nadiah Abdul Aziz.For more information on the Greater KL and Klang Valley public transport plan, listen to :Transport Masterplan Crossroads - First aired on 4th of August 2015 :Urban Transport - Too Many Cooks? - First aired on 3rd of August 2015:See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Current Affairs we discuss the problems that come with having too many cars on the road, the resulting traffic congestion and accidents and the means to tackle this problem. This includes taking a closer look at issues related to affordable housing, the lack of efficient urban planning, an all encompassing public transport system, and the need to bring the relevant authorities together to look at the Transport Master Plan as a whole.This is a report by Nadiah Aziz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week the Court of Appeal sentenced nine Filipino citizens to death, overturning the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s life sentence on them last year. Their crime? Being part of the 2013 armed intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah. Fifty-six militants of the so-called "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo", nine Malaysian security officers and six civilians were killed in the conflict. Today we try to understand the implications of this sentence might have for  stability in the Sulu region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission may be given more power to monitor social media activity and take actions against parties who are deemed to be “jeopardising national harmony.” We speak to Gayathry about MCMC’s authority and whether concerns over national security threats make up a sufficient justification for regulating social media use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community development, Hannah Yeoh, there is a growing trend of children abusing their elders. Her ministry is working on a legislation to address this issue. We speak to Professor Dr Tan Maw Pin, Consultant Geriatrician at Universiti Malaya on whether legislation is actually the most helpful measure and what holistic approach can the government introduce to address this issue. Listen inSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

00:23 - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the spotlight for judicial interference on the bribery case involving engineering firm, SNC Lavalin, who paid 48 million Canadian dollars in bribes to Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya between 2001 to 2011 06:27 - Canada has approved U.S extradition proceedings against the CFO of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou and will now face trial in the US. Meng has denied wrongdoing and has been fighting extradition. 08:06 - The CEO of Vale, Fabio Schvartsman, has resigned after the dam in Brazil owned by the company collapsed in January causing nearly 200 deaths.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barisan Nasional's win in the Semenyih by-elections was a stunning blow to incumbents Bersatu. Following the record-high voter turnout, we ask Amir Fareed, the Director of Strategy at KRA Group for his thoughts on the elections, the play of racial politics, and if Pakatan Harapan's complacency led to their downfall in the seat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the Semenyih by-election this weekend, we glean insights from Ben Suffian of the Merdeka Center on voter sentiment and what’s at stake for all parties involved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Tapsell, an expert in Southeast Asia and lecturer at the Australian National University talks to us about the perceived communication problem that Pakatan Harapan has and discusses how the coalition can communicate better as a government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.