BFM 89.9
The Business Station
Top 5 at 5: One Too Many Deaths in Immigration Detention
45 mins·17:00, 23 Jul 2026
Top 5 at 5: One Too Many Deaths in Immigration Detention
45 mins
·
17:00, 23 Jul 2026
·
Recommended
1 hr 23 mins
45 mins
43 mins
Guest: Melissa Akhir, Commissioner, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
The Home Minister says 465 people, including 12 children, died in Malaysia’s immigration detention depots between 2021 and 2025. This reflects a mortality rate of 0.13% among nearly 350,000 admissions. The figures have raised questions about conditions inside these facilities and whether enough is being done to protect detainees in government custody. We speak to Melissa Akhir, Commissioner at SUHAKAM, about the detainees' access to healthcare, the detention of children and who should be held accountable when someone dies in custody. (Starts at 24:40)
• Rawang residents question incinerator approval: A proposed waste-to-energy incinerator in Batu Arang has cleared a major hurdle after its Environmental Impact Assessment was approved, despite several earlier submissions being rejected. Residents have been fighting the project for years, raising concerns over the site’s geology, public health and environmental impact. We speak to Abdul Hanan of Jaringan Rawang Tolak Incinerator about the unanswered questions surrounding the approval and what this decision could mean for Malaysia’s future waste management. (Starts at 15:25)
• Did the BUDI95 cut influence our driving habits?: The Budi95 fuel subsidy quota has been reduced, but a survey by market research firm Rakuten Insights Malaysia suggests many Malaysians are still driving just as much as before. We discuss whether higher fuel costs are actually changing our habits and what people are doing to cut down on their energy use. (Starts at 11:10)
• Where are the asset declaration rules for MPs?: Malaysia has tightened asset declaration rules for civil servants, but anti-corruption watchdog C4 Center says elected representatives still face no legally binding requirement to declare their assets. We speak to C4 Center’s Arief Hamizan about the gaps in Malaysia’s current system and what a comprehensive asset declaration law for MPs, senators and state assemblypersons should look like. (Starts at 06:03)
• On the menu tonight? Ants!: The owner of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea could face up to a year in prison after being charged with serving ants as a dessert garnish, despite ants not being approved for human consumption under the country’s food safety laws. We discuss how unusual ingredients are regulated in regard to food safety and the strictness of food laws in different countries. (Starts at 00:28)
Top 5 @ 5 is brought to you by Luno: A smarter way to crypto
Image Credits: Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (Facebook)
Presenter: Lee Chwi Lynn, Susan Tam
Producer: Sudais Ferhard, Juliet Jacobs, Susan Tam, Lim Sue Ann
custody deathsrawangbudi 95unusual foodsimmigration detention centresuniversal declaration of human rights (udhr)waste managementenvironmental impactwaste incinerationfuel subsidiesdriving habitspolitical reformasset declarationanti corruptionfood safetyfood regulation
Share:
Recommended
Jul 23
·
1 hr 23 minsPunishment or Rehabilitation for Malaysia’s Drug Problem?
Jul 23
·
45 minsTop 5 at 5: One Too Many Deaths in Immigration Detention
Recent episodes
0
Latest stories
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 10:00AM
Punishment or Rehabilitation for Malaysia’s Drug Problem?
1 hr 23 mins
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 1 hr 23 mins
Punishment or Rehabilitation for Malaysia’s Drug Problem?
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 9:00AM
Top 5 at 5: One Too Many Deaths in Immigration Detention
45 mins
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 45 mins
Top 5 at 5: One Too Many Deaths in Immigration Detention
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 8:00AM
Picky Or Sensitive? Decoding Sensory Processing Difficulties
43 mins
Podcasts · Jul 23 · 43 mins
Picky Or Sensitive? Decoding Sensory Processing Difficulties