Top 5 at 5: Alleged Chromium Poisoning in Kelantan

MalaysiaKini has published a special report about how heavy metals have been found in the blood of Temiar villagers in Kampung Kelaik in Kelantan. This report has prompted Health Minister to launch an investigation on these claims. We dive into this case with S. Vinothaa, journalist at MalaysiaKini, who led the report.

· S’gor gov’t ramps up flood mitigation: Spurred by the Sultan Selangor’s rebuke, the Selangor government has allocated RM1.77 billion and formed a special taskforce dedicated to streamline efforts. Kennedy Michael, co-founder of the NGO, Alliance of River Three, on our efforts in managing our floods.

· Alleged mishandling of deceased baby: A private hospital has been accused of mishandling a deceased baby’s body by keeping in a freezer for two weeks before releasing it to the family. This was reportedly due to the family not being able to afford the hospital bill, though the hospital has denied any misconduct on their part. Dato’ Dr Hartini Zainudin weighs in on this.

· PN Treasurer’s surprise step down: Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has resigned from his position as Perikatan Nasional treasurer, amidst tensions over the coalition’s next prime ministerial candidate. We spoke to Syaza Shukri, Associate Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University Malaysia, to understand the impact of this resignation.

· Popek Popek Parlimen: In this year’s final session in the Dewan Rakyat, MPs discuss efforts to promote STEM among students, and the worrying numbers of farmers affected by the recent floods signing up for aid provision. The development of a bill to establish a Malaysian Ombudsman body was also in discussion, after much anticipation.

Image Credit: Farris Noorzali, Shutterstock