KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli is planning to host a podcast every fortnight entitled "Yang Bakar Menteri” (YBM), which will allow the public to hold discussions with him.

The YBM podcast will kick off on January 8, 2024, he said, adding that it allowed anyone to talk to him without using public funds, compared to him appearing on television, something he said would use the public’s monies as it involved air time.

"I have planned to start a podcast (called) YBM (Yang Bakar Menteri, a pun on the official term Yang Berhormat Menteri).

The YBM podcast is open to everyone — academicians, government supporters, ordinary Malaysians, especially opposition cybertroopers.

"Besides those who wish to appear voluntarily to ‘roast’ a minister, I will also look for opposition cybertroopers and activists who have been playing things up about me to appear,” he posted on Facebook today, adding that he would find them and invite them to have a chance to talk to him "face-to-face”.

"They’ll have their chance to ‘roast’ me, and vice-versa,” he said, adding that such a culture was far better than the culture of sniping and petty bickering championed by opposition cybertroopers currently. — Bernama