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.

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 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.

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. 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

With expectations of a joint agreement signing between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi running on high, we speak to David Heidelberger from the Foreign Policy Association who is on the ground covering the story to discuss the possible outcomes of this summit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, took to Instagram yesterday to announce that he is stepping down, which was then rejected by the President. We ask James about the background here and how it got here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed that she will quit as leader before the next election in 2022. But it appears she may have changed her mind. On a recent trip to Egypt, May said “There is still a domestic agenda I want to get on and deliver,” hinting at a bid to stay on in government. We speak to Patrick Diamond, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London for thoughts on her prospects, and more broadly on the looming Brexit deadline.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.