A by-election in Ayer Kuning, Perak will be taking place tomorrow, following the death of BN’s incumbent. The seat, held by BN since 1986, sees a three-cornered fight between Umno, PAS, and PSM. With turnout expected to drop, the race could hinge on non-Malay voters and rural frustrations. We spoke to Danesh Prakash Chacko, director of Tindak Malaysia, to unpack what’s at stake.

Other stories we covered:

• Petros-Petronas industrial espionage: A former Petronas manager has been charged with trying to leak a confidential report to Sarawak’s state oil firm, Petros. While Petros hasn’t been implicated, the case comes amid ongoing negotiations between the two companies. We spoke to Amalina Anuar, senior director of FMT Business, about how this case may affect investor trust and regulatory credibility.
• Rise of underage sexual abuse cases in Kelantan: Over 250 sexual abuse cases involving minors were recorded in Kelantan last year—most involving perpetrators and victims as young as 11. Police point to changing patterns and lack of supervision at home. But civil society groups say systemic failures are to blame. We spoke to Rozana Isa, Executive Director of Sisters in Islam, on the need for a dedicated Children’s Commission.
• Make Penang Turf Club a green space: With Penang Turf Club shutting down after 160 years, civil society group Penang Forum is urging the state to preserve the 93-hectare site as public green space. The call comes amid growing pushback against high-density development plans. We spoke to Lim Mah Hui, economist and former Penang city councillor, on why this fight matters.
• Is tackling the climate crisis the government's job?: A new Ipsos survey finds Malaysians overwhelmingly agree that climate change is urgent—but most say it’s the government’s responsibility, not theirs. While confidence in national plans is relatively high, concerns about economic impact and energy stability remain. We discuss this.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Sharaad Kuttan, Dashran Yohan, Sneha Harikannan, Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri, Tee Shiao Eek

Presented by: Sharaad Kuttan, Dashran Yohan

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Categories:  technology,  economy,  managing,  politics,  government,  international,  environment,  corruption,  Law/Activism,  education,  controversies,  culture,  History/Heritage,  Family/Parenting

Tags:  malay voters,  industrial espionage,  turf club,  public green space,  ayer kuning,  perak,  by elections,  bn,  umno,  pas,  psm,  non-Malay voters,  petronas,  petros,  sarawak,  fossil fuels,  child sexual abuse,  kelantan,  penang,  climate crisis,  malaysian government,  sustainability,  trust in government,