With everyone driving back to their hometowns for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, staying safe on the road becomes more important than ever. The Malaysian Highway Authority has said that they expect traffic to surge to 2.77 million vehicles per day on major expressways. Dr Law Teik Hua joins us to share road safety tips.

Other stories we covered:

• Bumiputera status for Sarawakian-Chinese: Parti Bangsa Malaysia president Datuk Larry Sng wants to extend Bumiputera status to Sarawakian-Chinese families, citing their 150-year history in the region and the complexities of mixed heritage classifications. His call has sparked debate, with pushback from Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations. We hear from Datuk Larry himself about his perspective.
• Anaesthesiologist Shortage in Malaysia: Malaysia faces a critical shortage of anaesthesiologists, with only 3.32 specialists per 100,000 population, far below the recommended ratio of five. Dato’ Dr Yong Chow Yen, President of the Malaysian Society of Anaesthesiologists joins us to unpack this issue.
• Save A Bookstore campaign: Independent bookstore Tokosue in KL, known for championing zine culture and alternative narratives, has launched a 90-day Save A Bookstore campaign to tackle financial challenges and prevent closure. Tokosue’s owner, Sue Ahmad joins us to talk about the campaign and the importance of independent bookstores in Malaysia's literary scene.
• Malaysian Inmates Celebrate Raya with New Opportunities: Over 600 inmates were released under the Ihsan MADANI programme to celebrate Hari Raya, highlighting efforts to reintegrate prisoners and strengthen family ties. Additionally, inmates selling Raya cookies at Kajang Prison saw a massive surge in demand following a viral video. We get into it.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan

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Tags:  inmate release,  inmate raya,  tun laila,  malaysian prison system,  save a bookstore,  financial hardships,  small publishers,  frozen kuih,  anaesthesiologist shortage,  sarawakian chinese,  non-bumi,  peak season,  rnr,  road blocks,  late night driving,  kajang prison,  Kuih raya,  independent bookstores,  Tokosue,  malaysian literature,  malaysian healthcare system,  specialist doctors,  flying doctor service,  telemedicine,  bumiputera,  larry sng,  race politics,  parti bangsa malaysia,  hari raya,  balik kampung,  congestion,  motorcyclists,  traffic jams,  jpj,  road safety,  road accidents,