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 : Top 5 at 5: A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of...

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

Peter Lim, Founder & Chief Research Officer, Trident Analytics Sdn Bhd 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

Jerry Goh, Asia Equities Investment Director, Aberdeen Standard Investments gives us his outlook on Indonesian equities for next year.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

: Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Bureau Chief of the Singapore Straits Times discusses Dato' Sri Najib Razak’s verdict in the 1MDB-Tanore saga.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

We review how streaming, AI and the Malaysia Media Council are shaping the future of media and entertainment.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Nigel Wong, President of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), discusses the outlook of the tourism sector in 2026.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) : Shannon Teoh, Malaysia Bureau Chief of the Singapore Straits Times discusses Dato' Sri Najib Razak’s verdict in the 1MDB-Tanore saga.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Peter Lim, Founder & Chief Research Officer, Trident Analytics Sdn Bhd tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Jerry Goh, Asia Equities Investment Director, Aberdeen Standard Investments gives us his outlook on Indonesian equities for next year.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Daniel Woodroof, Co-founder of Pandan Social discusses how he cultivates a Gen Z-focused workplace culture while driving effective leadership.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

(REPEAT) Mahesh Kumar, CEO, Asia Digital Engineering

11:05 AM

P&L

(REPEAT) Chan Qi Yang & Chang Lih Yen, Co-Founders, FinKnight

12:00 PM

Enter prise Explores

(REPEAT) Roshan Thiran, Founder & CEO, Leaderonomics

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

We review how streaming, AI and the Malaysia Media Council are shaping the future of media and entertainment.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

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

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

In this ‘Best of 2025’ replay, we hear from anthropologist Dr. Christine Padoch about her book Return to Nanga Jela, which revisits an Iban longhouse community in Sarawak lost beneath the Batang Ai Dam.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

In this ‘Best of 2025’ replay, we hear about the challenges of taking on the role of a full-time caregiver when you’re an older adult yourself.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

(REPEAT) How do I argue against conspiracies?

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture