BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: Why We Must Prioritize Public Healthcare Funding

Top 5 at 5: Why We Must Prioritize Public Healthcare Funding

Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, President, Malaysian Medical Association

25-Sep-24 17:00

Top 5 at 5: Why We Must Prioritize Public Healthcare Funding

With the national budget approaching, we take a closer look at the health sector and how it should be prioritized. Members of the medical fraternity are urging the government to increase public healthcare spending to 5% of Malaysia’s GDP. Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, President of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), shares his insights on this crucial issue.

Other stories we covered today:

· Unpaid PTPTN loans: Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir revealed that 430,000 borrowers collectively owe the government RM6 billion in unpaid PTPTN loans. Many of these borrowers are employed but have yet to start repayments, putting immense pressure on PTPTN’s resources. We revisit two conversations we've had about this, one with Dr Amirul Rafiq, a research associate from the Khazanah Research Institute and another conversation with economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams.

· Chinese Tourists At All Time High: Between January and August, Malaysia welcomed over 1.8 million visitors from China, according to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. We get insights from Hannah Pearson, founder of Pear Anderson, on what’s driving this tourism boom. Then, we hear from Nigel Wong, President of the MATTA about where these tourists are going.

· Bigger Budget For Petaling Jaya: Bukit Gasing ADUN Rajiv Rishyakaran is advocating for a larger 2025 budget for the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). His proposals include more funding for tree pruning, playground upgrades, abandoned vehicle depots, and new software to streamline council services online. Rajiv explains why these improvements are necessary.

· Australia's Social Media Ban: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to restrict social media access for minors, following growing concerns from parents about its impact on children. We speak to Aleesha Rodriguez, a tech-sociologist from Queensland University of Technology, about the potential implications of this move.

Image Credit: Nanausop, Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan, Alia Zefri, Sudais Ferhard

Presented by: Sharaad Kuttan


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

Categories:  politicsgovernmentinternationalLaw/Activism

Tags:  Malaysian healthcare spendingpublic healthcare GDPMMA President Kalwinder Singhunpaid PTPTNDatuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd KadirDr Amirul Rafiqeconomist Geoffrey WilliamsChinese tourists in Malaysia2024 Chinese tourism statisticsHannah Pearson Pear AndersonPetaling Jaya budgetMBPJ budgetAustralian social media banminors social media restrictionAleesha Rodriguez tech sociologistptptn loanskhazanah research instituterajiv rishyakarananthony albanese





Play / Pause

Listen now : Enterprise Explores: Dr Chin Chee Seong, National President, SME Association of Malaysia,...

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

Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter 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

Adam Slater, Lead Economist at Oxford Economics on the impact if the AI boom fails to deliver.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Ayesha Khurshid, Public Sector Specialist for the World Bank on Malaysia's digital transformation.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Dan Wang, author of Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future discusses China’s domestic policies and their broader implications for global power, business, and geopolitics.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Jamie Tan, Managing Director, JLL Malaysia discusses measures that should be included in Budget 2026 for Malaysia's property sector.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Richard Wee, Managing Partner of Richard Wee Chambers, weighs in on Malaysia’s football scandal after seven players were found using forged documents.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter 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

The Property Show

Rueben Teoh, founder of the Fire Preventors Society shares key tips to prevent and respond to fires at home.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Kenneth Lee, CEO, Global TechSolutions, on its growth journey, adapting to industry shifts, and opportunities for local players in the global semiconductor race.

11:00 AM

The Workplace

Sheila Singam, Managing Partner, Human Equation, shares what businesses can do when employee purpose clashes with performance metrics.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Dr Chin Chee Seong, National President, SME Association of Malaysia, on what SMEs want and need ahead of Budget 2026.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Our flagship show, we feature both game-changers and groundbreakers in the hot seat.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

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

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

A recent tiger poaching case in Johor highlights the urgent threats facing Malaysia’s national icon. We speak with Rimau founder Lara Ariffin about her organisation’s fight to protect the last Malayan tigers.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

We look back at the edited highlights of the ‘Mind, Body, Years: A Lifelong Health Journey’ forum, where we challenged the myths of ageing.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

6:00 PM

Big Issue

We speak to Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan and policy analyst Tricia Yeoh about Malaysia’s national budget, not just the numbers, but the power, priorities, and political choices behind them.

7:00 PM

Stories of KL

8:00 PM

Cruise Control

Daniel Fernandez, Managing Editor, dsf.my