BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Fighting Drugs on International Drug Abuse Day

Top 5 at 5: Fighting Drugs on International Drug Abuse Day

Palani Narayanan, Director, Drug Policy Program Malaysia

26-Jun-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Fighting Drugs on International Drug Abuse Day

26th June is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking meant to raise awareness about global drug problems internationally. We speak to Palani Narayanan, director of the Drug Policy Program Malaysia about drug laws, communicating an anti-drug message, and more.

Other stories we covered:

• Pro-Palestinian direct action group to be labelled as terrorists: Britain’s Home Office wants to outlaw Palestine Action under terrorism laws for their recent protest which targeted airplanes at a military base. We talk to Saeed Taji Farouky, member of the group and a Palestinian-British filmmaker about the possible ban as well as the British government’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests.

• Pahang forest project infringing on Orang Asli land rights: The Pahang Peatland Restoration Project being spearheaded by the private firm Enggang (Pekan) Sdn Bhd, says it is restoring forest reserves while generating carbon credits for the voluntary offset market. The Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) alleges that the firm's intentsions are misleading and exploitative, considering they had not gotten proper consent from the OA community. We talk to Colin Nicholas, founder of COAC about what changes are needed to resolve this conflict.

• KDN officers seize books from Fixi: Four officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs visited Buku Fixi’s KL store to confiscate Jelik and Jelik 2 by Isma Fa Ismail for further inspection. Unfortunately, book confiscations at independent bookstores aren’t uncommon, so we hear from Fixi founder, Amir Muhammad, about what happened and lawyer Kee Hui Yee about why officers have power to seize books.

• Hadi Awang's son-in-law shares racist FB post: Zaharuddin Muhammad, son-in-law of PAS president, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, shared a Facebook post about a dystopian future with a Chinese prime minister, after Johnny Lim Eng Seng became the first Chinese-Malaysian lieutenant general in the armed forces. We talk about the controversy surrounding the post.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Sneha Harikannan, Alia Zefri, Sudais Ferhard, Lim Sue Ann, Juliet Jacobs

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan


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

Categories:  controversieseducationLaw/ActivismcorruptionenvironmentpoliticsgovernmentinternationalcultureHistory/Heritage

Tags:  tan Sri abdul hadi awangKDNseizing booksrestoration projectpro-palestinefacebookpasracismbookbuku fixipahangorang asliorang asli rightscentre for orang asli concernsunited kingdompalestineterrorismactivismdrug abuseinternational day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking





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

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst, KCM Trade 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

Ibrahim Suffian, Merdeka Centre discusses the future of Bersatu.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Pankaj C. Kumar, Business Commentator will be sharing his thoughts on the SC clarifying oversight on cash trust schemes.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Cheam Tat Inn, Managing Director of Equinix Malaysia discusses the country’s rise as a regional data centre hub and its economic impact.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Jeremy Lim of Persatuan Pemilik Restoran & Bistro shares how Malaysia’s F&B sector is gearing up for Chinese New Year and Ramadan.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

P. Gunasegaram, independent business writer, discusses the recent allegations against the MACC and its chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst, KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research at Maybank Securities, Singapore discusses Singapore's Budget 2026 and how it will affect markets.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Lee Yee Keng, Head of Healthcare at KPMG discusses Malaysia’s medical tourism sector.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Remote Jumpstarts? How VXI is Fixing the Downtime Problem. A dead battery is more than a nuisance for a logistics firm; it’s a broken timeline and lost revenue. Dennis Yong of VXI Crest is disrupting the battery industry with a subscription model that promises 100% uptime. From remote jumpstarts to IoT-enabled LFP technology, tune in to find out how VXI is turning an unplanned breakdown expense into a predictable, budgeted line item.

11:05 AM

P&L

LHDN to Creators: Free Holidays & YouTube Are Taxable. To the taxman, that free hotel stay isn't a perk, it's income. If you create content for a living, you aren't just a creative; you are a business, and that comes with a specific set of tax traps. TraTax’s Renganathan Kannan joins us to debunk the dangerous myths of the gig economy: from why AdSense isn't tax-free foreign income to why your "gifts" need a market value. Tune in to learn how moving to Form B can actually save you money by unlocking deductions for everything from makeup to studio rent.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Locked in Coal? The Rules Killing Clean Energy. Renewables are cheaper than ever, so why are we still building coal plants? The answer lies in the "Take or Pay" contracts and rigid market rules that dominate Southeast Asia. Alexandre Salesse of BCG joins us to explain why our current power structures are now the biggest barriers to the green transition. From unbundling state utilities to creating a regional ASEAN grid, we explore the four levers that can unlock clean energy growth without crashing the system. Tune in to find out why the "Single Buyer" model needs an upgrade before we're left with the world’s most expensive, and dirtiest, electricity.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Cheam Tat Inn, Managing Director of Equinix Malaysia discusses the country’s rise as a regional data centre hub and its economic impact.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

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

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

4:05 PM

Health & Living

As both Chinese New Year and Ramadan approaches, what does mindful eating during this period look like? Can you indulge while also eating healthily? Tune in to find out.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture