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

Presenter: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

Producer: Lim Sue Ann, Dashran Yohan, Alia Zefri, Christine Yong, Sudais Ferhard

fact checker

wildlife conservation