BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Questions Arise About "Sabah for Sabahans"

Top 5 at 5: Questions Arise About "Sabah for Sabahans"

Ariff Adi Putera, Research Officer, Research Associate, Institute for Development Studies (Sabah)

19-May-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Questions Arise About "Sabah for Sabahans"

Sabah UMNO Chief Bung Moktar Radin recently called out Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR)’s president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan about whether he is truly dedicated to his “Sabah for Sabahans” rally cry. This comes after Kitingan defended his slogan against other politicians who might consider it divisive. Ariff Adi Putera, a research associate at the Institute for Development Studies in Sabah talks to us about what the slogan truly means and calls for, alongside Sabah’s autonomy demands.

Other stories we covered:

• Rafizi and Izzah face off for PKR: PKR’s deputy president race has narrowed to a showdown between incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Rafizi’s recent remarks — including urging delegates to vote for Izzah while also criticising her candidacy — have drawn mixed reactions, with some seeing him as divisive and others as principled. As tensions build ahead of voting day, we revisit an interview on the Morning Run, where they spoke to Syaza Shukri, associate professor of political science at IIUM about what Rafizi's response indicates about internal party dynamics.
Badminton highs and sepak takraw lows: Malaysian shuttlers Aaron Chiah and Soh Wooi Yik, along with Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, claimed gold at the 2025 Thailand Open, with Pearly and Thinaah making history as the first Malaysian women’s doubles team to win the title. Meanwhile, the national sepak takraw team faced disappointment, losing to Thailand in the 2025 Asia Cup Sepak Takraw Championship team regu event — extending a 34-year drought in team victories. We speak with sports journalists Haresh Deol from Twentytwo-13 and Sandru Narayanan from Scoop to unpack the significance of these results.
Dumping pets at a shelter is counterproductive: Footage from an SPCA security camera recently went viral, showing a couple trespassing and climbing over shelter gates to leave two dogs in an attempt to “rescue” them. The SPCA condemned the couple’s actions, emphasizing that dumping animals at shelters without proper coordination does more harm than good. We speak with Kelvin Cheah, general manager of SPCA Selangor, to learn what responsible actions the public should take instead.
• "Tupai king" the new top durian?: The new darling for durian lovers, Tupai King, is selling for up to RM250 per kilo in Hong Kong and is reportedly outpricing Musang King in the local market. We uncover the origins of this rare durian variety and explore the reasons behind its rising hype with Professor Khoo Gaik Cheng, deputy dean of research and sustainability at Sunway University.

Image Credit: Bung Moktar Radin Official X @MyKinabatangan

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan

Presented by: Sharaad Kuttan


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

Categories:  technologyeconomymanagingpoliticsgovernmentinternationalenvironmentcorruptionLaw/ActivismeducationcontroversiescultureHistory/HeritageFamily/Parentingfood

Tags:  umno sabahsabah for sabahansparti solidariti tanah airkuaaron chiahm thinaah2025 thailand openpet dumpingtupai kingbung moktarjeffrey kitinganstarrafizi ramlinurul izzahpkrdeputy presidentsoh wooi yikPearly Tanbadmintonsepak takrawspcaanimal sheltersdurianmusang kingblack thorn





Play / Pause

Listen now : What's The Focus: We wrap up the week’s biggest conversations to keep...

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

Tim Mulholland, President, TJM Limited, Chicago 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

Sam Fazeli, Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the impact of US policy on the pharmaceutical industry.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Ismet Yusoff, Chief Executive Officer, Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG) discusses the fiduciary duties of company directors.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dato’ Sri Azmar Talib, CEO of TRX City discusses plans for the 10th tower at Tun Razak Exchange and how it reinforces Malaysia’s status as a financial hub.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid, Criminologist and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya discusses Malaysia's anti-trafficking efforts and its progress.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Raymon Ram, President of Transparency International Malaysia on MACC's performance and challenges.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tim Mulholland, President, TJM Limited, Chicago tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Sam Fazeli, Bloomberg Intelligence discusses the impact of US policy on the pharmaceutical industry.

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

Miranda Yeoh, Co-Founder, Paolo Paolo Gelato

11:00 AM

Mattsplained

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Halim Hong & Quek's legal experts break down the SC's new Social Exchange guidelines, a regulated platform for funding social impact projects in Malaysia.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Dato' Sri Azmar Talib, Chief Executive Officer, TRX City Sdn Bhd

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

3:05 PM

Front Row

3:20 PM

Front Row

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Doctor in the House: Public hospitals are packed and private healthcare is increasingly expensive. Will Budget 2026 bring relief and will private hospitals play their role?

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

Bar None

9:00 PM

The Selector