US and Israel's war on Iran has caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz which resulted in an energy crisis in many parts of the world, Malaysia included. And while the government has begun to take measures to cushion the impact on consumers and preserve our energy supply, Malaysia will soon have to reckon with dwindling supply and war-time price spikes. We discuss the state of our energy security with S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) & Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Water and Energy Sustainability (CWES). (Starts at 24:01)


• Fuel subsidies adjusted again: This comes from a special announcement Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made yesterday. Starting April 1st, the monthly subsidised quota for Budi95 will be reduced from 300 litres to 200 litres. RON97 and diesel prices will also be increased to RM5.15 and RM5.52 per litre respectively. We hear a conversation from Beyond the Ballot Box where Yin Shao Loong, Deputy Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute discusses if the measure is sustainable. We also reached out to transportation consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan to find out how diesel price changes will affect industries. (Starts at 18:21)

• Who pays for the past?: The UN General Assembly has just voted to officially recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity”. The resolution was almost unanimously agreed upon, save for a few countries like the US, Israel and Argentina. Though its a symbolic move, it raises the questions about how countries deal with historical injustices in the present, what does accountability look like, and who decides? We get into it. (Starts at 12:51)

• How the heatwave is affecting workers: Malaysia has been experiencing a heatwave that is expected to last until June, with northern states projected to hit temperature highs of 40 degrees. A coalition of trade unions known as the Building and Woodworkers’ International Malaysia Liaison Council wanted to shed some light on the way this will affect outdoor workers. We hear their concerns and unpack their demands with Wong Yan Ke, Building and Woodworkers’ International Asia-Pacific Regional Climate & Forestry Officer. Read the full report for more information. (Starts at 6:13)

• OpenAI deal with Disney dead in the water: OpenAI canceled a planned billion-dollar deal with Disney for its Sora video generation AI, citing a strategic shift towards "agentic" AI capable of performing real-world tasks. Since its launch, Sora has faced criticism for generating misinformation and copyright violations. Hollywood critics also voiced concerns over AI replacing human talent and the potential decline in artistic originality. We discuss. (Starts at 0:23)


Image Credit: Shutterstock

US and Israel's war on Iran has caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz which resulted in an energy crisis in many parts of the world, Malaysia included. And while the government has begun to take measures to cushion the impact on consumers and preserve our energy supply, Malaysia will soon have to reckon with dwindling supply and war-time price spikes. We discuss the state of our energy security with S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) &amp; Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Water and Energy Sustainability (CWES). (Starts at 24:01) • Fuel subsidies adjusted again: This comes from a special announcement Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made yesterday. Starting April 1st, the monthly subsidised quota for Budi95 will be reduced from 300 litres to 200 litres. RON97 and diesel prices will also be increased to RM5.15 and RM5.52 per litre respectively. We hear a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bfm.my/content/podcast/oil-shocks-to-inflation-how-should-malaysia-respond-to-the-usisraeliran-war">conversation</a> from Beyond the Ballot Box where Yin Shao Loong, Deputy Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute discusses if the measure is sustainable. We also reached out to transportation consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan to find out how diesel price changes will affect industries. (Starts at 18:21)• Who pays for the past?: The UN General Assembly has just voted to officially recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity”. The resolution was almost unanimously agreed upon, save for a few countries like the US, Israel and Argentina. Though its a symbolic move, it raises the questions about how countries deal with historical injustices in the present, what does accountability look like, and who decides? We get into it. (Starts at 12:51)• How the heatwave is affecting workers: Malaysia has been experiencing a heatwave that is expected to last until June, with northern states projected to hit temperature highs of 40 degrees. A coalition of trade unions known as the Building and Woodworkers’ International Malaysia Liaison Council wanted to shed some light on the way this will affect outdoor workers. We hear their concerns and unpack their demands with Wong Yan Ke, Building and Woodworkers’ International Asia-Pacific Regional Climate &amp; Forestry Officer. Read the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bwint.org/BwiNews/NewsDetails?newsId=568">full report</a> for more information. (Starts at 6:13)• OpenAI deal with Disney dead in the water: OpenAI canceled a planned billion-dollar deal with Disney for its Sora video generation AI, citing a strategic shift towards "agentic" AI capable of performing real-world tasks. Since its launch, Sora has faced criticism for generating misinformation and copyright violations. Hollywood critics also voiced concerns over AI replacing human talent and the potential decline in artistic originality. We discuss. (Starts at 0:23) Image Credit: Shutterstock

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