At the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 in Hanoi, leaders are tackling AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity. Elina Noor, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, weighs in on how ASEAN can balance innovation with security, given concerns over AI bias, misinformation, and job displacement.

Other stories we covered:

• 1MDB drops suit against Riza Aziz: 1MDB has withdrawn its civil suit against Riza Aziz over USD248 million allegedly misused for movie productions and real estate without explanation. With echoes of the 2020 DNAA verdict, what does this mean for accountability? Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, helps us unpack the implications.

• Migrant smuggling becoming a national crisis: Syndicates trafficking undocumented migrants into Malaysia are operating with alarming reach, from small-scale networks to high-profile cartels. Former Klang MP Charles Santiago, co-chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, shares his insights about what’s fueling this underground industry, and how it can be stopped.

• Roberta Flack passes but her legacy lives on: Four-time Grammy winner Roberta Flack has passed away at 88, leaving behind a musical legacy that shaped R&B and soul. From “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” to her battle with ALS, we look back at her remarkable career.

• Popek Popek Parlimen: We highlight Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's responses to flood mitigation efforts in Sungai Golok, as well as concerns that the Urban Renewal Act could lead to forced evictions and land status changes.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  technology,  Law/Activism,  corruption,  music,  government,  politics

Tags:  the first time i ever saw your face,  floods,  flood mitigation plans,  sungai golok,  urban renewal act,  1mdb,  riza aziz,  illegal immigrants,  smuggling,  roberta flack,  grammy awards,