Today is Human Rights Day, which is celebrated annually on December 10th to commemorate the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In light of this day, several civil society groups have made specific demands in relation to the state of human rights in Malaysia. So we hear from them, including Jerald Joseph, director of Pusat Komas and Rozana Isa, executive director of Sisters in Islam. Then, we speak to Charles Hector, about the perennial issue of torture and custodial deaths.

· Selangor approves increased assessment rates: The Selangor government has approved a 25% hike in assessment rates starting January 1, citing rising costs and outdated property valuations, some dating back decades. Exemptions apply to low-cost housing and traditional villages, with revenue expected to fund waste management and at least five public projects per council next year. We reach out to property lawyer Khairul Anuar Shaharudin to get his thoughts on the matter.

· Malaysian breakfast on the world stage: Malaysia’s breakfast culture has been added to UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage list, celebrating its role in promoting diversity and unity through traditional foods like nasi lemak, roti canai, and teh tarik. We hear from Nadge Ariffin, Tourism Consultant and Heritage & Gastronomy Historian, on how our breakfast foods reflects the diversity and history of our region.

· Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: An unknown flu-like disease has infected over 400 people and claimed 31 victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo since October. While dubbed "Disease X" by some media, its cause remains unidentified, highlighting the challenges low-income nations face in addressing outbreaks amid food insecurity, low vaccination rates, and limited healthcare resources. We hear from Andrew Lee, a professor of public health at the School of Medicine and Population Health, from the University of Sheffield to find out more about the outbreak's impact.

· Popek Popek Parlimen: Today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim addressed questions on controlling medical insurance premium hikes, ensuring affordable medicine procurement, and implementing new guidelines to standardize healthcare costs. Anwar also responded to a purported addendum in Najib Razak’s pardon application, which allowed Najib to spend the rest of his jail sentence under house arrest. Meanwhile, Rafizi Ramli announced some updates on how assistance will be challenged for RON95 petrol subsidies.


Image Credit: IZWAN IS, Shutterstock

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

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  politics,  government,  international,  Law/Activism,  controversies,  corruption

Tags:  assessment rates,  disease outbreak,  malaysian breakfast,  human rights day,  activism,  human rights defender,  popek popek parlimen,  democratic republic of congo,  unesco,  unesco world heritage,  selangor government,