Top 5 at 5: Unpacking Sarawak's Biggest State Budget

Sarawak has tabled a budget of RM15.8 billion for 2025, the largest in the state's history with a focus on wellbeing and infrastructure investment. We speak to Sri Murniati Yusuf, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Research Director at IDEAS Malaysia about the budget allocations, Sarawak's ambitions to become a larger contributor to Malaysia's GDP, and how Sarawak should manage it's increasing debt from alternative funding.

· Vape-related lung injuries cost millions: Evali, a condition caused by e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injuries, has been reported to cost the government millions to cure. We hear clarification from Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who spoke during a press conference in parliament about why the cost to treat Evali is so high. We also reached out to Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, consultant respiratory physician, who spoke about the longer-term effects of vaping.

· The case against constructive dismissals: Two similar cases involving dismissals of employees have been in headlines recently, one of which involves a former senior manager who was dismissed from Heineken Malaysia due to what the company claims is poor performance. The other case involves a former pilot who was put on temporary leave and had his salary reduced, leading to his forced resignation. In both cases, industrial court ruled against their employers. We hear thoughts from labour lawyer Sunitha Ruthram, and senior human resource manager Canna Tan.

· Taking necessary breaks from work: Sports equipment manufacturer Asics has reminded us not to be chained to our desks through their recent advertisement starring Succession actor, Brian Cox. Dr Eugene Tee, an organisational psychologist, talks about why taking breaks are essential.

· Week of Italian Cuisine in the World: The 9th edition of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is happening next week, where Malaysians can get a taste of authentic Italian with over 26 Italian restaurants participating. We speak to Adele Di Lullo, a Commercial Attachè from the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur to share what the week has in store and the dish that makes Mediterranean cuisine special.

Image Credit: Abdul Razak Latif, Shutterstock