The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 passed in Dewan Rakyat with strong support, except for Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. We speak with Maalini Ramalo, Director of Social Protection at DHRRA, about the quiet response from progressive MPs and the next steps for civil society to address the bill's contentious provisions.

Other stories we covered today:

· Holding restaurants accountable for smoking: Should restaurant owners be held responsible for diners who smoke? Deputy Health Director-General Datuk Dr Norhayati Rusli believes so. So we reached out to consultant physician, Dr Amer Siddiq Nordin, on how this new directive could impact public health and what it means for restaurant owners.

· EPF's intergenerational transfer scheme: A new EPF intergenerational wealth transfer scheme has been introduced in Budget 2025, but it's receiving mixed reactions. Chai Sen Tyng, senior research officer at the Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing at UPM, discusses why this scheme may not add value for contributors, despite claims that it ensures financial security for future generations.

· Malaysian scientist wins MIT award: Dr Kong Xin Ying, a chemical engineering researcher, won the MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific Award for her breakthrough in upcycling plastic waste into fuels and chemicals. We hear from her former supervisors Dr Soo Han Sen, Associate Professor with the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at NTU, Dr Chai Siang Piao, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Monash University Malaysia as well as Weng Dun Xin, a zero-waste campaigner from Greenpeace, about the significance of her work in waste management.

· Popek Popek Parlimen: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that poorly managed GLCs would no longer receive hefty bonuses and addressed concerns about political appointments in GLCs and GLICs. Raub MP Chow Yu Hui also raised questions regarding police compliance with the Peaceful Assembly Act following a recent protest by Raub durian farmers.

Image Credit: Reggie Lee, Shutterstock

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri, Tee Shiao Eek, Alena Nadia

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  international,  government,  Law/Activism,  controversies

Tags:  Constitution Amendment Bill 2024,  citizenship bill,  smoking in restaurants,  public health impact,  EPF intergenerational transfer scheme,  financial security,  MIT Innovators Under 35,  upcycling plastic waste,  waste management,  GLCs bonuses,  political appointments,  peaceful assembly act,  Raub durian farmers protest,