BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Meta Removes Independent Fact-Checkers

Top 5 at 5: Meta Removes Independent Fact-Checkers

Dr Benjamin Loh, Director, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Impact Lab, Taylor’s University

08-Jan-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Meta Removes Independent Fact-Checkers

Meta is replacing their third-party independent fact checkers with community notes in the style of X to promote freedom of expression. This move comes just before US President-Elect Donald Trump, noted critic of Meta's fact-checkers, takes office later this month. Benjamin Loh, Director for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Impact Lab at Taylor's University weighs in on this decision.

Other stories we covered:

· New cybercrime bill to replace Computer Crimes Act of 1997: Set to be tabled in Parliament in October, this new bill aims to strengthen Malaysia’s cybersecurity framework in preparation for Malaysia’s contribution against cybercrimes. We spoke to Raymon Ram, managing principal of Graymatter Forensic Advisory, for his insights on the bill.

· Is our public transport getting costly?: Transport Minister, Anthony Loke shares that current electricity costs for public transport have been financially challenging to sustain. We reached out to experts; Associate Professor Dr Masria Mustafa, from the school of civil engineering at UiTM & transport consultant, Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, for their thoughts on whether reducing costs on electricity works in the long run.

· Sun Bears are Visit Malaysia’s new mascots: Wira and Manja, the two sun bear mascots, were revealed on Monday in conjunction with the launch of Visit Malaysia Year 2026. While netizens have responded positively to the mascots, we discuss the effectiveness of the branding and how it could be extended to promoting ecotourism and conservative efforts in Malaysia.

· Master Mak Yong practitioner passes away: At 74 years old, Abdul Kadir bin Dollah, recognised as Poksu Kadir, left a legacy of keeping the art of Mak Yong alive in Malaysia and Singapore. We reached out to Pauline Fan, the creative director of PUSAKA for more on Poksu Kadir’s legacy.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Produced by: Lim Sue Ann, Dashran Yohan, Alia Zefri, Christine Yong, Sudais Ferhard

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politicsgovernmentinternationalenvironmentcontroversiesLaw/Activism

Tags:  fact checkercommunity notescybercrime billelectricity costssunbearswildlife conservationmetamak yongmak yong theatrepublic transportationpublic transportcybercrimecybercrimes





Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Imran Yusof, Head of Research, MBSB Research gives us an outlook for Malaysia's oil & gas sector in 2026.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Sabrina Firdaus Aloysius, Senior Executive of Research from IDEAS, shares insights into how influencers shape Malaysia’s political conversations.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

H.E. Gerhard Eisl, Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia, discusses how Austria’s culture, innovation, and opportunities are strengthening ties with Malaysia.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Joanne Orlando of Western Sydney University discusses the impact of Australia’s historic under-16 social media ban.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh, President of the Association Private Hospitals Malaysia, discusses the government’s ongoing review of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) We take a look at the FBM KLCI as well as regional capital markets.

9:35 AM

Ringgit & Sense

Kimberly Law, co-founder and licensed financial planner at Uno Advisers discusses what to do and what not to do with your first salary.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Weisheng Neo, General Partner, Qualgro

11:00 AM

Tech Talk

Bala Kumar, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Jumio

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Prashant Kumar, Founder, Entermind

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

H.E. Gerhard Eisl, Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia, discusses how Austria’s culture, innovation, and opportunities are strengthening ties with Malaysia.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

Malaysia’s interethnic income inequality story is marked by decades of inconsistent policy focus and overly broad ethnic categories. We speak to Dr Lee Hwok-Aun about a better way to understand and frame the issue.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

For years, lung cancer has been a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. We hear about some lung health developments in Malaysia which may bring hope to patients.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Talkback Thursday

Have you ever experienced burnout?