A new wage initiative in Johor will see fresh graduates earn a minimum monthly salary of RM4,000, with higher rates for TVET graduates under a new talent development push linked to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. We spoke to Geoffrey Williams, economist, about whether this is a step in the right direction for Malaysia’s long-standing wage stagnation, how to ensure such gains translate into sustainable, high-quality jobs and meaningful reductions in brain drain.• Reefs at Risk Report: Nearly all of Malaysia’s Marine Protected Areas are found to overlap with oil and gas concessions, according to a new report mapping sensitive marine ecosystems against offshore industrial activity. We hear from Adam Farhan, Director and Co-Founder of RimbaWatch, about what the findings reveal about marine protection in Malaysia and the implications for conservation policy. (Starts at )• Petition to remove Rohingyas sparks backlash: A controversial petition calling for the removal of Rohingyas from Malaysia has gone viral, gathering hundreds of thousands of signatures and sparking backlash from rights groups who call it discriminatory and misleading. We talk about anti-Rohingya sentiment in Malaysia and the broader implications of escalating rhetoric against refugees. (Starts at )• MetMalaysia lifts tsunami warning on Sabah: A 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines briefly triggered tsunami warnings across several countries, including Malaysia, before MetMalaysia lifted its advisory for Sabah. We speak to Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Komoo, an engineering geologist and Head of Sustainability and Planetary Health Cluster and to explain his considerations.• Are we speaking less to each other?: A recent study has found that Americans are speaking far fewer words each day than they did two decades ago. We discuss this shift in people of different age groups and what is driving the decline, from changing lifestyles to growing technology use. (Starts at )Top 5 @ 5 is brought to you by Luno: A smarter way to cryptoImage Credits: Pexels
