BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: US Govt Shutdown Nears End

Top 5 at 5: US Govt Shutdown Nears End

Derick Becker, political scientist

11-Nov-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: US Govt Shutdown Nears End

The longest government shutdown in US history may finally be ending, but not without political fallout. Eight Democratic senators broke ranks to advance a compromise bill, triggering swift backlash from their own party. Derick Becker joins us to unpack the tensions, the stakes, and what this moment reveals about legislative fracture.

• Thailand-Cambodia peace deal suspended: A landmine blast on the Thai-Cambodia border has derailed a fragile peace deal. Thailand blames Cambodia; Phnom Penh denies it. We speak to former ambassador Datuk Ilango Karuppannan on his assessment, as well as what Asean and Washington can do.

• Bye bye Malaysian 5 cent coin: As Malaysia leans further into a cashless future, the humble 5 sen coin may be on its way out. Experts say it’s rarely used in real transactions and costs more to mint than it’s worth. We explore the economics, the sentimental value and whether

• No bonus for pollution: In the UK, six major water companies have been barred from paying executive bonuses after repeated pollution breaches. In Malaysia, a recent five-day water disruption in Johor triggered a 15% rebate, but is that enough? We get into it with S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia.

• Malaysians HATE walking: A Stanford University study has revealed that Malaysia is the third least active country in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. And it might have to do with the fact that many of us might not enjoy walking (and in this weather, who can blame us?). We discuss.


Image Credit:

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan, Susan Tam

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Susan Tam


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

Categories:  politicsinternationalgovernmentenvironmentculture

Tags:  ofwatstanford universitywalkabilitywater disruptionsspanmoneycoinscurrencyaseanusa





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

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade 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

Dr. Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research shares his thoughts on political meetings held over the weekend.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Sulaiman Saheh of Rahim & Co discusses the outlook for Malaysia’s property market amid Johor’s residential boom and Kuala Lumpur’s office market challenges.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Yeo Tien Seng, Executive Director of Guan Huat Seng Holdings Berhad discusses his company's upcoming listing on the ACE Market.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Cheah Wai Seng, Energy, Resources and Industrials Leader at Deloitte Malaysia, shares insights into Malaysia's energy utilisation and power availability.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Ragunath Kesavan, Former President of the Malaysian Bar Council, provides insight into the Attorney General’s Chamber's decision over Zahid Hamidi's Yayasan Akalbudi legal case.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Ahmad Maghfur Usman, Equity Analyst at Nomura Malaysia discusses the impact of US tariffs on ports.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Hamish Munro, CEO of IPSOS APEC, shares insights into Malaysians' expectations and sentiments heading into 2026.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Sagtec Global’s Kevin Ng on listing on the NASDAQ, the 50% stock drop, and their planned expansion to "Robot-as-a-Service" and AI analytics for their F&B customers.

11:05 AM

P&L

Startups have speed; scale-ups have bureaucracy. But with the right AI tooling, can a mature company of hundreds fight with the agility of a solo founder in a garage? StoreHub’s Fong Wai Hong shares his experience.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

IIAM’s Suhailah Abdulla and Philip Rao discuss their Risk in Focus 2026 report, getting into why cyber and AI breaches persist despite boards being aware of the risks.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

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

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

4:05 PM

Health & Living

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

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture