BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Are We Taking Freedom of Information Seriously Enough?

Top 5 at 5: Are We Taking Freedom of Information Seriously Enough?

Kumaran Menon, Lawyer

07-Feb-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Are We Taking Freedom of Information Seriously Enough?

Aliran has criticized the Penang Island City Council for failing to respond to an FOI request, raising concerns over transparency and accountability. As Malaysia drafts a federal FOI law, we explore the challenges of enforcing existing state-level FOI legislation with lawyer, Kumaran Menon.

Other stories we covered:

• Civil rights groups urge action on Pannir Selvam's death row case: With all legal avenues exhausted, Pannir Selvam faces imminent execution in Singapore under its strict drug laws. Rights groups argue Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, has both the leverage and responsibility to intervene—Dobby Chew, CEO of Hayat, weighs in.

• Student arrests spark allegations of police abuse: Activists claim police abused their powers when they detained eight people outside the Wangsa Maju police station in connection with a Palestinian solidarity protest. We speak to Danny Villenguez from student group AKSI about what happened and why it matters.

• Viral influencer disappearance exposed as a hoax: Malaysian TikToker Eyka’s reported disappearance in Indonesia turned out to be a hoax staged for views. With Indonesian authorities cracking down on false news, we unpack the implications with talent manager TC Yap and criminal lawyer Jayananda Rao.

• Singapore Tourism Board collaborates with Coldplay: Coldplay’s latest music video, Man in the Moon, showcases Singapore’s Marina Bay with a floating stage and local youth audience. We discuss its impact as part of Singapore’s tourism-driven collaborations with global artists.

Image Credit: shutterstock.com

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Tee Shiao Eek, Sneha Harikannan

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politics,  government,  international,  Law/Activism,  corruption,  environment,  education,  controversies

Tags:  student activist protests,  police abuse,  palestinian solidarity protest,  Influencer disappearance hoax,  coldplay music video,  freedom of information,  aliran,  pannir selvam pranthanam,  death row,  social media influencers,  coldplay,  singapore, 


Latest Podcasts




Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Tony Nash, CEO, Complete Intelligence tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Sanjay Mathur of ANZ Bank discusses the economic outlook for South Asia.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr Law Teik Hua of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) discusses the issues of road safety and how tragedies could have been prevented with urgent reforms.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dr. Rosli Dharmawan, Director General of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, explains how nuclear technology supports key sectors and if Malaysia is ready for nuclear power.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Paul Samson, President of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, shares key takeaways from the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) Jose Rizal, Chief Activist, Malaysian eHailing Association (GEM) gives his thoughts on the planned mandatory Socso contribution.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tony Nash, CEO, Complete Intelligence tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Imran Yusof, Head of Research, MIDF gives us some investment ideas from the Energy Asia forum.

9:35 AM

Ringgit & Sense

Ku Sim Ling, HR expert gives her tips on how to negotiate for increments and promotions.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Kyan Liew, Founder, ParkIt

11:00 AM

Tech Talk

Benjamin Soh, founder of ESGpedia, a platform born from fintech firm STACS that’s now helping businesses across the region turn ESG data into real action, discusses how to make ESG less about talk, and more about doing.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Malaysia officially became an ageing society in 2020 and is projected to be an "aged" society by 2044. A new comprehensive report from the Institute for Capital Market Research (ICMR) argues that at the heart of this new economy is AgeTech—technology designed to support the health, independence, and well-being of our senior population. We explore this with two of the lead authors of the ICMR report, "Building Financial Security." We speak with Alea Nasihin, Vice President of Research & Development, and Sabreena Zahri, Research Analyst from ICMR.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dr.Rosli Darmawan, Director General, Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

Sevan Doraisamy reflects on his 25 years of human rights activism and speaks about the tasks that lie ahead for the next generation of activists.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

What happens when older adults are abandoned by their families at the hospital? We explore the physical, mental, financial, and social implications.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Talkback Thursday

Did you study abroad, or did you always want to?

8:00 PM

BBC World Service

On this episode of Crowd Science, the team discovers the origins of predators and prey, and finds out what all this ‘eat or be eaten’ stuff is really about.