BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Syed Saddiq Walks Free. What's Next for MUDA?

Top 5 at 5: Syed Saddiq Walks Free. What's Next for MUDA?

Amira Aisya, Acting President, MUDA

25-Jun-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Syed Saddiq Walks Free. What's Next for MUDA?

The former Youth and Sports Minister and founder of MUDA has been acquitted of all charges of money laundering, misappropriation of assets, and criminal breach of trust. We talk to Amira Aisya, acting president of MUDA about what his acquittal means, and what his future in the party might look like.

Other stories we covered:

• Trump unhappy with Israel and Iran: The United States president announced a ceasefire earlier in the day but later accused both countries of violating the agreement. Despite conflicting reports, the ceasefire seems to be holding for now. We talk to Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University about Trump’s influence and what could potentially threaten the ceasefire.

• UM fee hike for medicine and surgery degrees: A few months ago, the Universiti Malaya Student Union revealed that fees for the Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery have increased for the 2025-2026 intake. While this is meant for students who miss the deadline for the UPU admission system, there is still a significant monetary jump. We reached out to the president of the UM student union, Lee Yu Dong, about how the increase will affect future students.

• Sabah students arrested, then released: Police in Sabah arrested three student activists due to their involvement in the Gempur Rasuah Sabah 2.0 rally last week. They have now been released on bail but are still being investigated by the authorities. We talk to Qistina Qaisara Syahril Akmar, Vice President of Suara Mahasiswa and one of the coordinators of the rally to find out more about the arrest and the state of the students now.

• Burning of PM’s image inspired by his past actions: When Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was still a student in the 1970s, he burnt a book in an act of public protest. Following the burning of his caricature in last week’s Sabah student rally, Suara Mahasiswa UMS says their act was to incite a reminder in the prime minister of what he once stood for. We talk about this and the government’s response to the banner burning.

Image Credit: Parti MUDA Facebook

Produced by: Dashran Yohan, Lim Sue Ann, Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan, Sudais Ferhard

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:  managingeducationcontroversiesLaw/Activismcorruptionpoliticsgovernmentinternational

Tags:  gempSabah student rallysuara mahasiswa umsUniversiti Malaya student unionbachelor of medicinebachelor of surgerydatuk seri anwar ibrahimPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahimsabahuniversiti malayatuition feesdonald trumppresident donald trumpiranisraelceasefiremudasyed saddiqyouth and sports minister syed saddiq syed abdul rahmancourtacquittal





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

Gogulan, Asran and Arvind join Kam Raslan as they dissect the matches from the FA Cup weekend.

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture

Does good always triumph over evil? Kam, Sheryll and Dhanya will unpack that, as well as talk about AI caricatures and whether it's cool to show off your partner on social media.