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Top 5 at 5: The Surge of Investigations Under the Sedition Act

Zaid Malek, Director, Lawyers for Liberty

05-Feb-26 17:00

Top 5 at 5: The Surge of Investigations Under the Sedition Act

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told Parliament today that in 2025, police opened 142 investigation papers under the Sedition Act 1948, with around a dozen cases proceeding to court. We explore this with lawyer Zaid Malek.
(Starts at 23:23)

• E-waste ban and enforcement challenges: MACC bans e-waste imports effective immediately, amid corruption probes in the Department of Environment. Honorary secretary of Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Mageswari Sangaralingam, weighs in on enforcement gaps and the fight against hazardous dumping. (Starts at 16:54)

• Sexist ad face backlash: Astro faces criticism after MRT ads for Pak Su Ammara featured sexist quotes that went viral, sparking outrage from NGOs and women’s rights groups. The posters were removed, but questions remain about accountability in advertising. (Starts at 11:44)

• National food security plan and future farming: The government unveiled its National Food Security plan last week. Cultural anthropologist Elizabeth Gimbad joins us to talk about the aspects of the plan, including child malnutrition, import dependence, and promoting regenerative agriculture, as well as support for small-scale farmers. (Starts at 6:01)

• Japan has sumo wrestlers.. What about Malaysia?: Japan has long used sumo wrestlers as powerful cultural ambassadors. But what about Malaysia? Could our own symbols, from wildlife like the Malayan tiger to traditions like batik or even our food, serve as equally distinctive cultural calling cards abroad? (Starts at 0:22)

Image Credit: Shutterstock and Rajsurian Pillai

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan, Lim Sue Ann, Alia Zefri, 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:  corruptionLaw/ActivismgovernmentcontroversiesfoodcultureenvironmentpoliticsHistory/Heritage

Tags:  Malaysia current affairsSedition Act MalaysiaFreedom of expression MalaysiaE-waste enforcement MalaysiaEnvironmental corruption MalaysiaSexist advertising backlashWomen’s rights MalaysiaNational food security planSustainable agriculture MalaysiaMalaysia cultural soft power





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