New data from the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) shows a sharp rise in cases of gender-based violence handled in 2025, jumping from about 5,200 the year before to nearly 8,000. Many of these involve domestic violence, alongside reports of harassment, stalking, rape, and technology-facilitated abuse. In response, WAO is calling for reforms to the Domestic Violence Act 1994. We speak with Nazreen Nizam, executive director of WAO, about what the data reveals and what policy changes are needed. (Starts at 23:29)

• Is all fair in religious hate enforcement?: Two incidents involving religious symbols have reignited debate about how authorities handle cases of religious intolerance in Malaysia. One involves a man accused of stepping on a Hindu soolam in Langkawi, while another concerns the brief sealing of a Datuk Kong shrine in Seri Kembangan. We hear from Jerald Joseph, director of Pusat KOMAS, on what a clearer policy framework around hate speech and religious intolerance should look like. (Starts at 16:42)

• The billionaire boom: The latest Forbes World's Billionaires list shows global wealth hitting a record 20.1 trillion USD, with more than 3,400 billionaires worldwide. Elon Musk, who tops the list for the second time in a row, is also set to be the world's first trillionaire. We discuss how rich is too rich, and what govenrment's are doing about wealth. (Starts at 11:50)

• Exodus of capital and labour from the Gulf: As the US-Israel war against Iran drives oil prices above USD100 and disrupts shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, fears are growing about the long-term stability of Gulf economies. Political economist Manishankar Prasad explains why the conflict could trigger capital flight and labour disruptions (Starts at 5:58)

• Govt cancels Raya open house: Amid economic uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has cancelled government Hari Raya open houses and urged GLCs and GLICs to follow suit, framing it as a signal for more prudent spending. We discuss. (Starts at 0:24)

Image Credit: Pixabay

Produced by: Lim Sue Ann, Alia Zefri, Juliet Jacobs, Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan, Susan Tam

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Categories:  Law/Activism,  controversies,  international,  government,  politics,  markets,  wellness

Tags:  religious intolerance,  straits of hormuz,  gulf economy,  anwar ibrahim open house cancellation,  gender based violence,  domestic violence act 1994,  hate speech,  elon musk,  forbes,  malaysia government,