Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has officially resigned from UMNO and declared his intention to join PKR. With his Senate term ending in December, the move raises questions about his political future amidst talks of an impending cabinet reshuffle. Professor Wong Chin Huat, Deputy Head of Strategy at the Asia Headquarters of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, shared his insights on how this move might affect dynamics between allied political parties.

Other stories we covered:

• Californian cannabis in Johor?: US-based company Ispire has been granted an interim license to manufacture nicotine vape products in Senai, Johor. However, concerns have also been raised as the company also produces cannabis-related products which are strictly prohibited in Malaysia. We hear from Professor Mohamad Haniki Nik Mohamed, leader of the Smokefree Sejahtera Campus Community Flagship 3.0 at IIUM, on the importance of approaching this issue with a whole-of-government approach.
• Locals not happy with KL Local Plan 2040: The Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 will be gazetted on June 11 despite pushback from the community. They raised concerns particularly around the reclassification of open spaces and the protection of heritage sites like the Vivekananda Ashram. We spoke to P. Tamilwanan and lawyer Kunjari Sambanthan, representatives from the Save Vivekananda Ashram action group on their concerns and the importance of preserving heritage sites in the city.
• Veteran sign language interpreter receives royal star: Sign language interpreter Tan Lee Bee has been conferred the Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara by the Agong, in recognition of her over 40 year career. Known for her work on RTM news bulletins since 1996, she has also interpreted in courtrooms, medical settings, and for corporate clients. We reached out to Lee Bee herself, to get her reaction to this honour.
• Malaysia ranked 6th most potty-mouthed: A recent linguistic study across 20 countries reveals surprising global patterns in how, and why, we swear on the internet. The findings put Malaysia in an unexpected top 10 spot, tied with Ireland, and just behind swearing heavyweights like Australia, the UK and the US. We discuss what our digital potty mouths say about culture, emotion, and censorship.

Image Credit: Tengku Zafrul Official Facebook

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

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  technology,  economy,  managing,  politics,  government,  international,  environment,  corruption,  Law/Activism,  education,  controversies,  culture,  History/Heritage,  Literature/Philosophy,  travel

Tags:  ispire,  vape factory,  cannabis vape,  kl local plan 2040,  sign language interpreter,  tan lee bee,  kunjari sambanthan,  bintang ahli mangku negara,  malaysian ranking,  tengku zafrul,  umno,  pkr,  senate,  gazettement,  swearing,  the internet,