Sabah’s long-simmering mining scandal has taken a fresh turn. Since 2023, two state assemblypersons have been charged, with more figures under scrutiny. Now, whistleblower and businessman Albert Tei has released a video allegedly capturing a conversation with Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, who also heads the STAR party, raising fresh questions about political entanglement and accountability. We hear thoughts from Oh Ei Sun on Sabah's political state amidst this storm. We also hear clips from Fadhil Kassim, Coordinator of Gempur Rasuah Sabah about public sentiments.

Other stories we covered:

• Singapore executes K Datchinamurthy: The convicted drug trafficker was initially granted a reprieve last night. However, his family was kept in the dark about it until 2pm today when they were told the execution will continue as planned. This has caused backlash from local activists who campaigned for his sentence to be commuted. We hear from lawyer N Surendran, who represented Datchinamurthy and his family.

• Luxury car owners avoid road tax: RM35.7 million was racked up in arrears for unpaid road tax, all belonging to high profile individuals such as politicians and businessmen according to transport minister Anthony Loke. We unpack the issues with enforcement with Dr Law Teik Hua, Associate Professor of the Road Safety Research Centre at University Putra Malaysia and learn about another method to evade road tax with Daniel Fernandez, managing editor of dsf.my.

• Visionary Chinese architect passes away: Kongjian Yu, best known for his 'sponge cities' urban planning model, was killed in a plane crash while filming a documentary in Brazil. We remember his legacy and discuss how his models could apply to Malaysian landscapes with Dr. Camelia May Li Kusumo, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Building Design at Taylor’s University.

• Durian causes small panic in British town: Our King of Fruit set off panic in the town of Lythan St Annes in Lancashire Britain. Authorities were informed of a “strong smell of gas” as locals were worried about a potential gas leak. We discuss the lasting smell and impact of the iconic fruit.

Image Credit: Bernama

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

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  food,  international,  History/Heritage,  economy,  Cars/Motoring,  Law/Activism,  controversies,  politics,  government

Tags:  lancashire,  kongjian yu,  Sabah mining scandal,  durian,  architect,  sponge cities,  luxury cars,  road tax,  K. datchinamurthy,  singapore,  execution,  jeffrey kitingan,  whistleblower,