A new study has revealed that nearly half of respondents borrowed money for wedding expenses, with many spending upwards of RM40,000. Financial strain is mounting; some couples allocate up to 20% of their monthly income to wedding-related costs. So what does this mean for a couple's finances heading into marriage? We discuss this with Rafiq Hidayat, Managing Director of Wealth Vantage Advisory.

Other stories we covered:

• Who protects security guards?: A security guard in Jalan Ipoh died hours after being assaulted by a tenant who had lost his access card. CCTV footage shows the guard was punched, slapped, and possibly threatened with a pistol. This has raised questions about the safety of security guards. We hear from Geetha Anbalagan, KL coordinator of Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s Workers Bureau.

• TikTok trend glorifying violence: Following the fatal school stabbing in Bandar Utama, a disturbing TikTok trend has emerged with teens posting videos captioned “just accept or get stabbed.” Despite police clarifying that the suspect never confessed his feelings, early rumours have sparked a wave of misogynistic commentary. We get into it with Alyssa Pong Le Ann, Assistant Advocacy Officer with the All Women’s Action Society.

• Tuberculosis on the rise in Kelantan: Kelantan has recorded 636 tuberculosis cases and 35 deaths between January and July, with Kota Bharu leading in outbreaks. We get into it with Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, a pulmonologist and the head of the Lung Centre at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

• Pay your traffic fines fast to pay less: Starting January, Malaysians who settle traffic summonses quickly will get tiered discounts—50% if paid within 15 days, 33% within 30. After that, it’s full price or court action. We unpack the new system, its fairness, and whether it’ll actually change driver behaviour.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan, Lim Sue Ann, Sitara Darini, Susan Tam

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Susan Tam

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Categories:  Cars/Motoring,  managing disease,  health policy,  wellness,  culture,  controversies,  technology,  Law/Activism,  corruption,  financial wellness,  young finance

Tags:  traffic summons,  discount,  tuberculosis,  kelantan,  tiktok,  violence,  security guards,  wedding planning,  wedding expenses,  debt,