After weeks of speculation, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor announced the dissolution of Sabah's legislative assembly, saying that this will give Sabahans the power to exercise their democratic rights in the upcoming State state elections. We speak to Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate for the Institute for Development Studies, for some insight into this situation.

Other stories we covered:

• Pannir Selvam's imminent execution: Singapore is set to execute the Malaysian on Wednesday, with the notice of execution only issued to his family this past Saturday. We go over the case with lawyer N Surendran, who is representing Pannir’s family, and discuss the legal resources at their disposal in these dire times.

• FRIM turns 40: The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is marking its 40th year as a statutory body, but we delve further into its history which dates back all the way to 1926. We speak to Andrew Sebastian, a naturalist and CEO of the Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia, who has a special connection to FRIM.

• Japan's female Prime Minister?: Sanae Takaichi was elected as the head of Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, so she is poised to become the country’s new leader. Considering she is a divisive figure in the discussion of female empowerment, we discuss these opinions with Saul Takahashi, Professor of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Osaka Jogakuin University, and Aaron Denison, a Doctoral Candidate specialising in Japanese politics at Hiroshima University.

• Malaysians on Global Sumud Flotilla to return: After the flotilla’s vessels were illegally intercepted by Israeli naval forces last Thursday, 23 Malaysian delegates were detained at the Ketziot Prison. With the Prime Minister announcing a welcome gathering, we discuss some of the reactions from the public and the mission itself.

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