BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

Dr Timothy Cheng, Chairman, Malaysian Medical Association’s Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (MMA SCHOMOS)

21-Mar-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has indefinitely postponed the ePlacement process for over 2,000 medical officers, delaying their May reporting dates. The decision follows a system crash on February 27th, which was overwhelmed by 19 million hits. The ministry is now working on 'ePlacement 2.0' with enhanced security to prevent future disruptions. We speak with Dr. Timothy Cheng, Chairman of MMA SCHOMOS, about the impact of this on young doctors and MOH’s handling of placements.

Other stories we covered:

Hindu temple still standing: DBKL has temporarily halted the demolition of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Masjid India, which has been at the center of a decade-long land dispute. The temple committee, which was only informed of the sale two years later, is proposing a solution to coexist with the new development instead of relocating. We spoke to lawyer N. Surendran and Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek about the legal battle, the temple’s historical significance, and possible resolutions.
• Malaysian schools going vertical: The Education Ministry is moving forward with a pilot project for multi-storey schools in KL, Penang, and Putrajaya to address overcrowding and optimize land use. While this could reduce costs, concerns remain over student safety and learning environments. We spoke to Alice Sabrina Ismail, associate professor of built environment and surveying at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, about the benefits and challenges of vertical schools.
• Astronauts return to Earth after nine months: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after an unplanned nine-month stay on the International Space Station due to technical failures with their spacecraft. Their extended mission raised concerns over long-term space travel’s effects on the human body. We spoke to Chong Hon Yew from the Penang Astronomical Society about the physical impact of prolonged space missions.
• Malaysia ranked eighth happiest Asian country: The latest World Happiness Report places Malaysia as the eighth happiest country in Asia, with Finland taking the global top spot for the eighth consecutive year. While Malaysia ranks high in freedom, social support and corruption perception remain weak points. We discuss what contributes to national happiness and how Malaysia compares globally.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Tee Shiao Eek, Sneha Harikannan, Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri

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:  technologyeconomymanagingpoliticsinternationalgovernmentenvironmentcorruptionLaw/ActivismcontroversieseducationcultureHistory/Heritagemedical advanceswellness

Tags:  ePlacementePlacement 2.0malaysian doctorshindu templeDewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Templemulti-storey schoolschool overcrowdingvertical schoolSunita WilliamsButch Wilmoreinternational space stationmalaysians happycorruption perceptionmohmedical officersmedical graduatesmalaysian healthcare systemmalaysian hospitalsdbklmasjid indialand disputejakeleducation ministrylearning environmentnasaastronautsissspace travelworld happiness reportfinlandfreedomsocial supportsociety





Play / Pause

Listen now : Top 5 at 5

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

Brian Arcese, Portfolio Manager & Equity Analyst, Foord Asset Management, 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

George Chen, partner and co-chair of the Digital Practice at The Asia on the future of the tech industry.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Hafiza Abdul Samath of Women Aid Organization (WAO) discusses teenage pregnancy and what more can be done to support at-risk teens.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Jason Fong of Invest Hong Kong discusses the department’s strategy for attracting family offices to the territory.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Amit Ranjan, National University of Singapore gives us an update on Bangladeshi politics.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Brian Arcese, Portfolio Manager & Equity Analyst, Foord Asset Management, tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

What's The Focus

We wrap up the week’s biggest conversations to keep you in the know.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Yoann Gueguen & Onno Pfeiffer, Co-founders of Diolko, on building Southeast Asia’s first urban logistics-on-rail system to cut delivery emissions and congestion.

11:00 AM

Mattsplained

Matt Armitage, Founder, Kulturpop

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Kiranjit Singh, Regional APAC Lead at Ipsos Strategy3, on why Malaysians are redefining “old age” and showing greater optimism about later life.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Jason Fong of Invest Hong Kong discusses the department’s strategy for attracting family offices to the territory.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

3:05 PM

Front Row

Award-winning playwright Adriana Nordin Manan's "Wacky Double Bill: Borong & Encyclopedia" explores the wit, warmth, and weirdness of two scenarios: colleagues vying for their boss's approval and a cross-cultural encounter gone wrong. We speak with Adriana and producer/designer Sidhart Joe Dev.

3:20 PM

Front Row

"Fragments of Tuah," a new documentary theatre work, deconstructs the historical figure of Hang Tuah through music, performance, and archival research, exposing gaps and contradictions in the familiar tale. Co-creators Mark Teh and Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri discuss their collaborative process.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Are MRI machines safe? We explore the unusual death of a man sucked into an MRI machine and how to improve safety.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

This week we review the latest creepy-child horror film to hit the scene, Zach Cregger’s Weapons, followed by a discussion about the different types of horror movies out there.

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

The 2025/26 Premier League kicks off with Manchester United hosting Arsenal amid blockbuster signings across the top clubs, as Liverpool reload, City splurge, Chelsea splash out, and Spurs reboot—all covered in this week’s Just For Kicks.

8:00 PM

Bar None

Lauren Hoh Ruyi joins us to share her football journey so far and her observations of the women's game here.

9:00 PM

The Selector

Covering all styles of music from indie, dubstep, folk, soul, electro and everything in between.