According to Bernama, Rafizi’s podcast will be called “Yang Bakar Menteri”, a play on the term “Yang Berhormat Menteri” accorded to ministers, with the first episode to air on Jan 8.

The minister said this platform would allow anyone to hold discussions with him without the use of government funds, noting that appearing on television, for example, would require public funds.

“Besides those who wish to appear voluntarily to ‘roast’ a minister, I will also look for opposition cybertroopers and activists who have been playing up things about me to appear (on the podcast).

“They’ll have their chance to ‘roast’ me, and vice-versa,” he said in a Facebook post.

Rafizi, the PKR deputy president, said such face-to-face discourses would be a far better “culture” than petty bickering on the internet.