Around 150 residents from seven villages in Sungai Siput, Perak, handed over a memorandum demanding recognition of land they have lived on for decades, with many descended from former rubber estate workers who were never given formal title to their homes. We speak to Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairman of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, about why these land disputes have persisted for years, the Perak government’s latest commitments, and the wider struggle faced by former plantation communities across Malaysia. (Starts at 21:11)

• Kelantan's push to expand Syariah Law: Kelantan has passed a new syariah criminal offences bill to replace 16 provisions struck down by the Federal Court in 2024, with the new law narrowing state offences to religious matters involving Muslims. We speak to syariah lawyer Nizam Bashir about how the new provisions seek to address broader moral and social code, and what this means for Kelantan’s wider enforcement powers. (Starts at 16:38)

• Malaysia caps passport validity at 10 years: Malaysia is capping passport validity at 10 years after a recent case involving travellers to Zimbabwe raised concerns over Malaysians holding passports valid for longer than a decade. We discuss what the change means for Malaysians, including those affected by the policy, and what travellers should know before renewing or replacing their passports. (Starts at 13:36)

• The pushback against GMO rice: A proposed field trial of genetically modified MR219 rice in Perak is facing opposition from 61 farmer, consumer and environmental groups, who have raised concerns about gene contamination, herbicide use and protections for farmers. We speak to Nurfitri Amir Muhammad, coordinator of the Malaysia Food Sovereignty Forum and a rice farmer, about why the groups are opposing the trial and what alternatives Malaysia could pursue to strengthen food security. (Starts at 06:37)

• Study linking Covid vaccines to excess deaths retracted: A controversial 2024 study suggesting that excess deaths remained unusually high in the West after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been retracted after concerns were raised about its methodology. We discuss how the study was used by vaccine sceptics despite not directly linking vaccines to excess deaths and whether retracting flawed research is enough to undo the damage caused by its initial publication. (Starts at 00:28)

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Image Credits: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (Facebook)