Public transport remains one of Malaysia’s most persistent infrastructure challenges, especially as the country aims to move beyond car dependency. Yet debates over who should foot the bill remain unresolved. We speak with Dato’ Professor Ahmad Farhan Sadullah, Vice Chancellor and Professor of Transport at Universiti Putra Malaysia, about the roadblocks and possibilities ahead.

Other stories we covered:

• Bangladesh wants to join ASEAN: One year after political upheaval reshaped Bangladesh’s leadership, interim head Muhammad Yunus renews calls for Malaysia’s support in joining ASEAN. We speak with Professorial Fellow Niaz Asadullah to unpack what Bangladesh hopes to gain and what ASEAN could stand to benefit.

• Family of deceased Dutch model awarded RM1.1 million: Eight years after Dutch model Ivana Smit was found dead in Kuala Lumpur, the High Court has ruled that police failures in the investigation amounted to negligence. The court has awarded RM1.1 million to her mother. We go over the case and speak to criminal lawyer Sreekant Pillai.

• Mislabelled whey protein supplements: What’s really inside your protein powder? A recent exposé revealed some budget whey brands are packing far less protein than advertised—some with just 4 grams per serving instead of the promised 30. We speak to Associate Prof Dr Wong Jyh Eiin, Head of the Nutrition Science Programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, on this.

• Lions, the new housecat?: The number of captive lions in Thailand has tripled since 2018, fueled by demand from the country’s elite and social media influencers. With cubs selling for up to RM60,000 and lion farms offering short-term ownership models, the trade is booming, but at what cost? We get into it.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan, Lim Sue Ann

Presented by: Sharaad Kuttan, Susan Tam

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Categories:  environment,  economy,  controversies,  Law/Activism,  corruption,  government,  politics,  international,  food,  sports,  travel

Tags:  lions,  whey protein,  thailand,  malaysian high court,  bangladesh,  public transport,  privatisation,