BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Trump’s Trade War Begins—Are We Ready?

Top 5 at 5: Trump’s Trade War Begins—Are We Ready?

Arividya Arimuthu, Senior Fellow, ISIS Malaysia

03-Feb-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Trump’s Trade War Begins—Are We Ready?

President Trump has imposed steep new tariffs—25% on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10% on Chinese goods—igniting fresh trade tensions. As global markets brace for impact, Arividya Arimuthu, Senior Fellow at ISIS Malaysia, unpacks what this means for the economy and whether the world is prepared.

Other stories we covered:

• The Hague Group unites against Israel's war on Palestinians: A new international alliance brings nine Global South nations, including Malaysia, together to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Palestine. We turn to James Dorsey, a Senior Fellow at RSIS, for his thoughts on what this coalition hopes to achieve.

• Trump’s aid freeze hits Malaysian wildlife conservation: The 90-day freeze on US foreign aid isn’t just affecting humanitarian efforts, it’s crippling conservation work in Malaysia too. Nor Arlina Amirah Ahmad Ghani, co-founder of Justice for Wildlife Malaysia, shares how the funding cut has disrupted ranger training and wildlife protection programs.

• Malaysia’s minimum wage rises to RM1,700: The new minimum wage of RM1,700 took effect last Friday, benefiting 4.37 million workers but posing challenges for businesses. Calvin Cheng, a Fellow at ISIS Malaysia, breaks down the economic impact and what this means for employers and workers alike.

• Carcosa Seri Negara to Reopen: After six years of closure, the government is set to reopen one of the mansions of the iconic colonial building, the Carcosa Seri Negara. Heritage conservation expert Elizabeth Cardosa discusses why preserving these national landmarks matters and what the revival could mean for Malaysia’s historical identity.

Image Credit: shutterstock.com

Produced by: Dashran Yohan, Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan

Presented by: Sharaad Kuttan


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

Categories:  politicsgovernmentinternationalLaw/Activismcorruptioneducationcontroversies

Tags:  Trump tariffsChinese goodsThe Hague GroupGlobal South nationsMalaysian wildlife conservationUS aid freezeminimum wage Malaysiahistorical identityCarcosa reopeningcolonial landmarkstrade tensionstrade warsglobal economyIsrael Palestine conflictforeign aid freezeJustice for Wildlife Malaysiawildlife protectioncarcosa seri negaraheritage conservationmalaysian history





Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

Today’s Shows



11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Peng T. Ong, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Monk's Hill Ventures talks about how to survive in an age where AI does everything for us.

12:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

(REPEAT) We review Sam Raimi’s survival-horror flick, Send Help, and then ask: What are the best depictions of survival, whether in movies or TV?

1:00 PM

Cruise Control

(REPEAT) Daniel shares his thoughts on what the 2026 Proton Saga MC3 is supposed to be for Malaysians after taking it out for a ride.

2:00 PM

Matt-Splained

(REPEAT) Matt and Richard unpack OpenClaw, aka Moltbot, and try to explain what a 2026 operated by agents is going to look like.

3:00 PM

Earth Matters

(REPEAT) This World Wetlands Day, we explore Kuala Selangor Nature Park, where mangroves, mudflats, and wildlife thrive just minutes from the city.

4:00 PM

Bar None

(REPEAT) Bowling legend, Esther Cheah joins us in the studio to reflect on her career after announcing her retirement recently.

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

Datshiane Navanayagam brings together two women from the US and Australia to discuss the art of writing a political biography and whether women in politics are placed under more scrutiny than men.