For the first time, Kuala Lumpur has made public a full list of 494 gazetted green and open areas under a new open data initiative. We speak to Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh about how this move aims to boost transparency and encourage public participation in protecting the city’s urban lungs. (Starts at 22:41)

• Kelantan’s first prosecution on gender surgery: A transwoman has been prosecuted in Kota Baru Syariah Court under Kelantan’s criminal code that bans gender reassignment surgery, marking the first enforcement since the law was gazetted in 2020. We speak to syariah lawyer Nizam Bashir and SIS Forum Malaysia’s Rozana Isa about what this precedent means for constitutional rights and the future of transgender protections. (Starts at 15:36)

• Is this the rise of AI chatbots?: A new platform called Moltbook claims to be a social network where only AI agents can post, with bots debating philosophy, creating their own religion and joking with each other. But is this really a sign of AI becoming sentient? We dive into it. (Starts at 11:32)

• Zamri Vinoth’s rally against “illegal houses of worship”: Controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth is pressing ahead with a rally in Kuala Lumpur against what he calls “illegal houses of worship,” despite nearly 900 police reports lodged against him and growing criticism from MPs and rights groups. We speak to Jerald Joseph, director of Pusat Komas, about the concerns. (Starts at 05:23)

• Sakura festival in Japan cancelled: This comes after years of overtourism overwhelmed the town, with residents citing traffic, littering, trespassing, and even more extreme nuisances. The decision highlights Japan’s growing struggle with surging visitor numbers, fueled by a weaker yen, and raises questions about how travellers can balance their photo-op dreams with respect for local communities. (Starts at 00:22)

Image Credit: Hannah Yeoh Facebook

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan, Lee Chwi Lynn

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan

This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  environment,  Law/Activism,  controversies,  travel,  technology

Tags:  illegal houses of worship,  overtourism,  transgender,  protecting urban green spaces,  artificial intelligence,