Beyond the Ballot Box Podcast: Recent Episodes
Beyond the Ballot Box
As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.
Following a series of electoral defeats in Sabah, Johor and most recently Negeri Sembilan, questions are being asked about the future and direction of Pakatan Harapan, including what they’ve been doing wrong and what needs to be done moving forward. In a recent post, Rajiv Rishyakaran, DAP member and ADUN for Bukit Gasing, argued that PH needs to define its core purpose and develop a stronger political narrative to counter the rise of divisive identity politics. We speak to Rajiv about what that means.
Image Credit: Rajiv Rishyakaran Facebook
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Our student movements have fed our parties for generations, from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of UM and ABIM to Adam Adli, who now sits in Cabinet. But every activist who makes that crossing faces the same question. Do you change politics, or does politics change you? We speak to Zaim Zulkifli, member and campaigner for Parti Bersama who currently sits right at that crossing.
Listen to the rest of the episodes of the series here.
Image Credit: Zaim Zulkifli Facebook
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One of the big stories coming out of Pakatan Harapan’s defeat in the recent Negeri Sembilan state elections is the loss of DAP’s secretary general, Anthony Loke, in the Chennah seat. He first won the seat in 2013 from Barisan Nasional’s MCA and, after 13 years, lost the seat to MCA again. In light of this defeat, yesterday, in a press conference, Loke announced that he will be stepping down as the Chief of DAP Negeri Sembilan after 22 years.
In this episode, we discuss Anthony Loke’s defeat and what that signifies moving forward. Joining me to unpack this is Dr Khoo Ying Hooi, Associate Professor of International Relations and Human Rights, Universiti Malaya (UM). She recently wrote an article for Malay Mail titled Anthony Loke’s first defeat in 22 years and what it tells us.
Image Credit: Anthony Loke Siew Fook Facebook
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How does a youth member rise to leadership within a political party? What is the ladder? Who holds it? And how long is the climb? We speak to Azman Azeez, Exco of Pemuda UMNO Malaysia in charge of leadership and membership development, to learn how our oldest party recruits its young talent.
Image Credit: UMNO Online
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The Selangor state government has announced a free breakfast programme for schoolchildren, which is scheduled to begin in August. It is aimed at ensuring students have access to nutritious meals before they begin their school day with a target of reaching 120,000 pupils in 965 schools.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has argued that the initiative should not be limited to Selangor, but expanded into a nationwide programme as part of a broader effort to tackle child hunger, food insecurity and the rising cost of living faced by families. So, on today’s show, we speak to Charles Santiago about the case for free school meals, what it would take to scale up such a programme at a national level, and why ensuring every child starts the day with a proper meal should be seen as a national priority.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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City councillors are the unsung champions of local politics, covering a wide range of jurisdictions such as infrastructure and development. Is serving the community a good first step into national politics for youth? We speak to Nalina Nair, Petaling Jaya City Councillor and Publicity Secretary for DAP Women Selangor on the viability of councillors as a pathway into politics.
Image Credit: Nalina Nair Facebook
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Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Description: Socialism has been gaining renewed attention around the world. In the English-speaking world, figures like Zohran Mamdani in the US and Zack Polanski in the UK have brought socialist ideas back into mainstream political conversations. At the same time, there are growing calls for higher taxes on the wealthy and a fairer redistribution of resources, with voices like Gary Stevenson highlighting the deepening inequalities within modern capitalism. But it isn’t just the Anglosphere. From Spain and France to Brazil and Mexico, socialist and left-wing ideas continue to shape political debates.
But in Malaysia, that has not been the case. Many mainstream parties, including those that carry social democratic branding, have largely embraced neoliberal ideas. There is, of course, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, which continues to offer a clear alternative centred on class politics. Yet despite decades of organising around issues such as workers’ rights, housing, and inequality, PSM has found it difficult to break through politically, often losing deposits when contesting elections.
So what is the future of socialism in Malaysia? What strategies does the movement need to grow?
We speak to Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, who’s a Central Committee Member at Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
Image Credit: Gandipan Nantha Gopalan Facebook
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A social media arena can make or break a political party’s success in modern elections. However, is going viral enough to make a breakthrough in Malaysian politics? Na’Im Brundage, Exco of ARMADA, which is Bersatu’s youth wing and TikTok influencer, shares his journey from content creator to political maverick.
Image Credit: Na'Im Brundage Facebook
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Reluctant Capital: Essays on Kuala Lumpur is a new book which explores how KL and the Klang Valley has grown into a modern capital while grappling with deep social, political, and economic tensions. Through a series of essays combining urban theory with on-the-ground research, author Badrul Hisham Ismail examines how neoliberalism, government-controlled development and Malaysia's ethnic politics have shaped the city's landscape and who benefits from it.
In this episode, we speak to Badrul about this book. We’re discuss a whole host of things including shopping malls, gated communities and the indigenous population that was here before most of us.
You can purchase Reluctant Capital: Essays on Kuala Lumpur by clicking here.
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The average age of members of Parliament in Malaysia is a staggering 52.4 years old. So, why would young people want to join politics? What motivates them?
In the second episode of Ones to Watch, we speak to Cassel Krishnan, Melaka DAPSY chief and a violin teacher on his journey into politics, and the challenges youth face in rising in party leadership.
Listen to the first episode here.
Image Credit: Cikgu Cassel Facebook
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We're just a few days away from the Johor state election on the 11th of July. As Johor positions itself to become one of Malaysia's most important economic engines, with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone aiming to attract major investments and high-value industries, questions are also being asked about who stands to benefit from that growth.
Will these investments translate into better wages, better jobs and higher living standards for ordinary Johoreans, or will the gains be unevenly shared? So, on the road to the elections, we discuss Johor's political-economic trajectory, and what kind of future the state is really building, with Dr Francis Hutchinson, Principal Fellow & Coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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1.2 million youth became eligible voters when Malaysia lowered the voting age to 18 in 2019. As Malaysia enters another season of elections, are youth ready to step up to participate in national politics? Nurul Rifayah, a youth activist and Ahmed Faris, CEO of Impact Integrated, walk us through reflections on the past four years of youth in politics.
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The big perennial problem in Malaysia is wages. A lot of Malaysians today feel they're working harder but not getting ahead—they're either experiencing stagnant incomes or finding themselves worse off than the generation before—because wages remain stubbornly low. Despite years of economic growth, many households continue to struggle with the rising cost of living, raising fundamental questions about whether the benefits of that growth are being shared fairly. So, what’s the deal with wages in Malaysia?
In this episode, we unpack this topic with Dr Matthew Dornan, Senior Economist at the World Bank. The World Bank has recently produced a study called Raising the Ceiling, Raising the Floor: The Jobs Agenda as a Productivity Agenda for Malaysia.
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According to UNHCR, there are about 117 million asylum seekers worldwide as of 2025. In Malaysia, approximately 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with UNHCR, with estimates suggesting the actual number may be significantly higher. In past interviews, we’ve talked extensively about some of the challenges faced by refugees.
The truth is, whether we “like” them or not, so long as people in parts of the world are getting bombed, ethnically cleansed and facing severe persecution, there will be refugees. And they will go wherever that makes the most sense geographically and logistically, for safety.
In this episode, we explore a few angles, including why there’s been a rise of anti-Rohingya sentiment in recent weeks, if refugees are a strain to public services and whether the new DPP – Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian or Refugee Registration Document – by the government is a step in the right direction.
We speak to Aira Azhari, CEO, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS).
Recommended reading:
The Economic Impact of Granting Refugees in Malaysia the Right to Work.
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Since the end of World War II, the world has been underpinned by a particular global economic system: Liberalism. This has solidified further since the end of the Cold War and has remained largely unchanged for decades. However, for various reasons that we will unpack throughout this conversation, that world is fading. So, amidst the increasingly fluid geopolitical landscape, will a different order take shape?
Arividya Arimuthu, a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, wrote an article titled From progressive liberalisation to strategic protection: The quiet rewriting of trade doctrine, which explores exactly this. She joins me on the show today to unpack this further.
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Many Malaysians are familiar with the story of how colonial powers used divide-and-rule policies to reshape Malayan society, creating ethnic and class structures whose effects continue to reverberate today.
But how should we understand our political and economic development post-independence?
How did neoliberalism reshape society? Why, despite decades of economic growth, do so many Malaysians continue to struggle with stagnant wages, rising living costs, debt, housing affordability and more? As Malaysia faces the challenges of the 21st century, a different kind of political and economic model is needed to build a society that is both prosperous and fair, but what should that look like?
So many big questions.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia. He has written a paper for the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research titled Contemporary Challenges for the Malaysian Left.
Image Credit: Tricontinental Asia
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An extensive new report by the criminal justice system reform NGO Hayat contends that Malaysia’s anti-drug framework has evolved into a system that often punishes low-level couriers who are deceived and manipulated rather than kingpins that run the show. It traces this problem to two key legal mechanisms: statutory presumptions in the Dangerous Drugs Act and the doctrine of wilful blindness. Together, these rules shift the burden onto accused persons to prove they did not know they were carrying drugs, even in cases involving hidden compartments, forged travel arrangements, romance scams, or fraudulent job offers. A major focus is the landmark case of Herlina Purnama Sari, an Indonesian woman sentenced to death after drugs were found in her luggage.
In this episode, we unpack this and more with Tham Jia Vern, who's a researcher at HAYAT and one of the authors of the report.
Image Credit: Hayat
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The Strait of Hormuz has been blocked for a few months now, which has resulted in a global energy crisis. While some hope things will return to the way they were, many geopolitical experts think this is the new normal.
So it's all the more reason for us to understand the conflict between Iran and the West at a deeper level.
In his paper titled The Intimate Enmity: Iran and the West, Yin Shao Loong, who’s the deputy director of research at the Khazanah Research Institute argues that the US-Israeli illegal war on Iran and Iran’s subsequent retaliation cannot be understood simply by looking at the past few months, as it is only the latest chapter in a much longer history of imperial intervention and regional power struggles.
In this episode, Shao Loong joins us to unpack his paper.
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Dr Chee Soon Juan is one of Singapore’s most prominent opposition politicians and has served as secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) since 1993. Despite not having a seat in Parliament, Chee has spent decades advocating greater political pluralism, civil liberties, democratic reform, and stronger social welfare policies in Singapore. Like most in Singapore who choose to actively battle the PAP in the political arena, Dr Chee’s journey has been an uphill one, marked by legal troubles, arrests and prison time.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Chee on the realities of being part of the opposition in Singapore and the challenges the country faces despite years of good governance by the ruling PAP. We also talk about his new book, Unbroken: The Power of Resilience.
Image Credit: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Facebook
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Saul Takahashi is a Japanese human rights lawyer and academic known for his work on Palestine, international human rights law, and Islamophobia research. He served as Deputy Head of Office of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Occupied Palestine from March 2009 to May 2014. He’s currently a Non-resident Fellow at the Hashim Sani Centre for Palestine Studies, University Malaya.
In this episode, we speak to Saul about his personal journey, what he learned about the limits of the United Nations while working there, what he witnessed while living and working in Palestine, post-war Japan and more.
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Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research. This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the 8th and final episode, we explore the rise of China as a global powerhouse and whether its soft power is shaping the identity and political views of young, local Chinese. We also interrogate whether its soft power is any different from how Hong Kong and Taiwan captured the imagination of Malaysian-Chinese back in the 80s-2000s, or how the English-speaking community is often shaped by American pop culture and politics.
We speak to Liew Liang Hong, Researcher, IMAN Research.
Listen to the rest of the episodes of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the seventh episode, we unpack a bit of the history of one of the most well-organised far-right organisations in the world, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and explore whether it has spread its wings to Malaysia. We also talk about actor-turned politician Vijay (who recently won the Tamil Nadu elections and became its chief minister) and how he is capturing the political imagination of the diaspora community in ways others can't.
In this episode, we are once again joined by Shalini Muniapan, who is a researcher at IMAN Research.
Listen to the rest of the episodes of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the sixth episode, we explore the key priorities of Malaysian-Chinese youth, including infrastructure and social harmony.
We speak to Liew Liang Hong, Researcher, IMAN Research.
Listen to the rest of the episodes of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the fifth episode, we unpack why young Malaysian Indians feel disconnected from politics in the country, how they feel about race based political parties and what meaningful political re-engagement could look like.
Listen to rest of the episodes of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the fourth episode, we unpack how young Malaysian Chinese relate to politics of the country, as well as their yearning for community third spaces.
Listen to rest of the episodes of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the third episode, we unpack if Malaysian-Indians feel shortchanged by the education system, with Shaleen Surendra, Researcher at IMAN Research.
Listen to Episode 1 & 2 of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a new mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In the second episode, we explore what it means to be Malaysian-Chinese today — not just as an ethnic category, but as a lived identity shaped by history, language, class, geography, religion, politics, and global culture.
We unpack this with Violet Lee, Researcher, IMAN Research.
Listen to Episode 1 of the series here.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kami Orang Sini Juga is a new mini-series in collaboration with IMAN Research.
This series explores how young Malaysian Indians and Chinese understand identity, belonging, and their place in Malaysia today. It builds on IMAN’s earlier project, Orang Kita, which focused on Malay Muslim youth.
In this first episode, we provide an overview of the diversity within the Malaysian Indian community and how language and class shape how Indians relate to one another and to other communities.
In this episode, we speak to Shaleen Surendra, Researcher, IMAN Research.
And if you missed it, we previously covered IMAN’s Orang Kita project on Malay-Muslim youth. Here is the list of episodes -
The Malays Are More Politically Diverse Than You Think
Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
What Do Malay Youths Want?
Image Credit: Shutterstock
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Gerakan Gabungan Anti-Imperialis or GEGAR is a progressive youth-led movement that aims to build a left-wing, multicultural, and transnational front in Malaysia against Zionism and U.S. imperialism. Since their formation in 2023, they’ve been organising and mobilising against U.S. interventionist aggression in the Global South, with a special focus on the liberation of Palestine.
We speak to Kamal Aarif K, organising committee member of GEGAR, about the organisation, what it means to organise against Western imperialism in Malaysia, the consequences of the US-led global order, and more.
GEGAR is also one of the organising groups of this year’s Labour Day rally happening tomorrow, the 1st of May. The march will begin at Masjid Negara at 3 pm and end at Dataran Merdeka.
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Labour Day is observed every year on the 1st of May. It’s a holiday in most countries around the world and perhaps one of the most important ones. However, most of us don’t think about its significance and even take it for granted. Behind the holiday lies a legacy of protest, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for workers’ rights, even in here in Malaysia.
In this episode, we discuss the significance of Labour Day as well as the upcoming Labour Day rally happening in KL this Friday. The march will begin at Masjid Negara at 3pm and end at Dataran Merdeka. We speak to S. Arutchelvan, Deputy Chairperson, Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
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MPs skipping parliament has long been a problem in Malaysia. It’s not uncommon to turn on the TV to watch a parliamentary sitting and notice droves of empty seats. The most mind-boggling aspect is that an MP, which literally stands for Member of Parliament, can be absent from parliament for a period of six months before Parliament may – not must, but may – declare their seat vacant.
In response to this, political activist and pro-democracy advocate Roshinee Mookaiah recently launched a ‘Dilarang Ponteng Parliament’ campaign. She’s collecting at least 500 petition signatures, which would make the petition eligible for an MP to sponsor and table it in Parliament. We speak to Roshinee about her campaign and more.
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In April, Palestinians observe two very important days. The first is Palestinian Children’s Day, which takes place on the 5th and was established in 1995 by the late Palestinian liberation activist and politician, Yasser Arafat, to highlight the rights and welfare of Palestinian children. April is also the month of Palestinian Prisoners Day to honour Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of both those days with Baha Hilo, who’s a Palestinian educator and activist currently in Malaysia.
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Charles Hector is a Malaysian lawyer and prominent human rights advocate known for his long-standing activism on issues such as labour rights, migrant worker protection, and campaigning against the abolition of the ISA back in the day. He’s also been closely associated with civil society groups like Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET), frequently speaking out on legal, political, and justice-related matters in Malaysia, sometimes facing legal challenges for his advocacy work. We speak to Charles about his journey as an activist and how he thinks about the state of labour rights in Malaysia today.
Image Credits: Charles Hector Facebook
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A Dialogue Across Civilisations: The Polis and the People by Tan Wah-Piow is a short work of political philosophy that stages an imagined conversation between major thinkers from different eras and traditions, including ancient Greek Philosopher, Socrates, revolutionary German thinker, Karl Marx to ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius. It explores enduring questions about justice, democracy, power, and civilisation. We unpack the book with its author.
Image Credits: Shutterstock
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If you’re someone who lives in the Klang Valley or in other major cities in the country, chances are you’re at least somewhat aware that there is racial discrimination in the rental market. You may have your own lived experience, heard a story from a friend, or perhaps seen a sign online or walked past one in real life that reads “No x race" or "no y race” or maybe… “Chinese only.”
But just how serious is the issue of discrimination in Malaysia’s rental market? And what can we do about it?
Architects of Diversity is a non-profit that has been conducting extensive research in this field for a few years. Their latest paper is titled Room Rental Discrimination and highlights in detail patterns of racial exclusion in listings on the platform, iBilik. We unpack this with Jason Wee, who’s the co-founder of Architects of Diversity.
To support the call for a Residential Tenancy Act, sign the petition at: https://chng.it/kHnxhmnR2t
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Dr Ilango Karuppanan is a former Malaysian diplomat who has witnessed firsthand how war and conflict can shape conditions on the ground, including how businesses adapt.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Ilango about some of the lessons he has learned over the years about diplomacy and how the US & Israel’s illegal war of aggression in Iran is impacting international relations and perceptions about American leadership.
Dr Ilango also runs a YouTube channel called Diplomatify, where he talks about global affairs and diplomacy in informative and easily digestible videos.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) has once again come under fire following reports that several minors were detained under its provisions in a recent security operation. The case has sparked concern among human rights groups, including SUARAM, over potential violations of child protection laws and allegations of abuse while in custody. The incident has also reignited calls for urgent reforms of the law to better balance national security with fundamental rights. But how exactly do we strike that balance?
We speak to Azura Nasron, who is the executive director of SUARAM, about why this happens and what needs to be done moving forward.
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The world is changing at a pace few expected. From the ongoing Russia–Ukraine War to the devastation in Gaza Strip and Israel’s broader regional expansion, the foundations of the post-Cold War order appear increasingly unstable. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mark Carney warned that there is a "rupture" in the global order. Meanwhile, European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron have called for greater strategic autonomy, arguing that Europe must be prepared to act independently in an era of intensifying great-power competition. Together, these shifts raise pressing questions about the future cohesion of the NATO alliance and force a reconsideration of Europe’s role, whether as a junior partner to the United States or as a more assertive, sovereign entity in a polarised world.
We speak to Frederik Holst, Fellow of the Research Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Democracy in Germany.
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In late February 2026, the United States and Israel carried out coordinated illegal military strikes on Iran, which is a sovereign country. Within the first few days, they bombed a school full of young Iranian girls and assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian head of state. This set off a rapidly escalating regional conflict, with Iran attacking US military bases in neighbouring Gulf countries, as well as restricting ships from entering the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries of the global economy.
So what does this escalation mean for global energy markets, trade, and economic stability. Where does ASEAN and Malaysia stand in all of this? After all, in Malaysia, our subsidies maintain how much we have to fork out for fuel as consumers, but the actual price has skyrocketed which will have tremendous ripple effects.
We unpack all of this and more with Yin Shao Loong, Deputy Director of Research, Khazanah Research Institute.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Today, we’re living through what often feels like a constant stream of disruptions, from wars, economic instability, the climate change, and even loneliness and a loss of meaning and purpose in life.
In an article for For Pol India, political analyst Manishankar Prasad argues that these crises are not isolated but intertwined and due to late-stage capitalism. So, in this episode, we speak to Manishankar about how these overlapping crises may be a structural feature of neoliberal capitalism, driven by inequality, financialization, and the concentration of power in the hands of the elites. They also examine how automation and AI, rather than liberating people, often displace workers and deepen insecurity, contributing to a broader loss of meaning, and so much more.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Timor-Leste is a relatively young nation with an incredibly rich history and culture that many, even within the region, may not be very familiar with. It is also the newest member of ASEAN.
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Rui Maria de Araújo. Dr Rui, who's a member of the revolutionary centre-left political party Fretilin, is a physician, public health specialist, and statesman, and also served as Prime Minister of Timor-Leste between 2015 and 2017. He has been a long-time public health leader, playing a key role in rebuilding the country’s healthcare system and shaping Timor-Leste’s development path.
We discuss what comes next now that the country has officially joined ASEAN – from striking a balance between trade and development to investing in human capital. We also talk about the country’s rich history and culture.
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Petaling Jaya was originally developed in the 1950s as one of Malaysia’s first planned suburbs, built to house residents moving out of the crowded city centre of Kuala Lumpur.
Decades later, many of its neighbourhoods are ageing even as demand to live in PJ remains strong because of its central location and economic activity. Now, a new local plan aims to transform the city from a low-rise suburb into a denser, more vibrant urban centre that can attract younger residents while remaining liveable for existing communities.
In this episode, we unpack that vision and what it could mean for the future of Petaling Jaya, with Kusaaliny Mahendran, Councillor, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). Kusha is also a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and is on the committee of the DAP’s socialist youth wing. We also spent some time talking about some of the heightened racial and religious tensions recently involving temples.
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Malaysia’s fight against corruption remains one of the country’s most persistent political and institutional challenges. While the latest results from the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index show Malaysia improving slightly to 52 points and ranking 54th globally, the broader picture remains complicated. Progress in rankings does not necessarily mean corruption has been meaningfully reduced, especially as major controversies continue to surface around powerful institutions, corporate interests, and the very bodies tasked with enforcing anti-corruption laws.
We speak to Raymon Ram, President, Transparency International Malaysia, about how the government is doing in its fight against corruption.
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MANDIRI is a youth-driven civil society organisation founded in 2024 that aims to strengthen democratic participation, social justice, and civic engagement among young people. It is established by a group of activists, namely Amir Hadi, Mohamad Alshatry and Dobby Chew – names you probably recognise if you’ve been listening to the show for some time.
In this episode, we speak to Dobby Chew about what the organisation is all about, the state of civil society in Malaysia today, and the upcoming MUDA elections in which Dobby is contesting.
Image Credit: MANDIRI Malaysia
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Malaysia today finds itself at an important juncture. For starters, the MADANI government is currently led by a reformist coalition and a Prime Minister who has championed good governance and institutional reform for decades.
The past few weeks have been especially pivotal, though. On the one hand, you’ve got a recent Bloomberg investigation into alleged “corporate mafia” behaviour within the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including controversy surrounding Chief Commissioner Azam Baki. This has reignited public concerns about integrity and continues to impact public trust in the government and institutions.
At the same time, the government has tabled major reform initiatives from the long-debated Attorney General–Public Prosecutor split to a constitutional amendment to introduce a two-term limit for the Prime Minister.
So, how do we make sense of the government’s reform agenda so far, particularly when it comes to prosecutorial independence and the structures of the MACC?
We speak to Maha Balakrishnan, Parliamentary and Policy Advocacy Specialist.
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Two days ago, the U.S. and Israel launched massive joint air operations against Iran, saying they were targeting military infrastructure and seeking regime change. Hundreds of civilians have been killed, including more than a hundred young Iranian girls, whose school was bombed. Several senior Iranian military figures and politicians have also been killed, including the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has since launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases across the Gulf. The confrontation is ongoing and continues to escalate.
The death of Ayatollah Khamenei has invited a spectrum of responses from outright condemnation of what many see as illegal aggression, to support from those who argue that removing authoritarian regimes may create space for democracy.
In this episode, we step back from the headlines to examine the first principles of geopolitics: who has the right to decide, and on what grounds.
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For the longest time, particularly since the late 90s, then-opposition parties from PKR to DAP to PAS campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and anti-cronyism, against the Barisan Nasional. This only intensified during former, disgraced Prime Minister Najib Razak’s time in power and the 1MDB scandal. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.
The question is, how much do these parties actually practice the transparency and accountability they once demanded of others?
Recently, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), published a paper on the transparency index of political parties in Malaysia.
In this episode, we speak to one of the co-authors of the paper, Dr Haris Zuan, from UKM, about what the findings reveal regarding internal democracy and financial transparency within Malaysia’s major political parties.
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We often hear about neighbourhoods being evicted, houses being torn down, and communities organising against the state or private developers, demanding fair compensation, proper consultation, and the right to remain on their land.
Development, Displacement and Democracy: The Place of Eviction Protests in Malaysia is a paper that examines how these eviction protests function as an important but often overlooked form of democratic participation in Malaysia’s development process. The paper argues that eviction protests should be recognised as legitimate democratic actors and recommends stronger legal protections, institutionalised public consultation, and formal inclusion of CSOs to ensure more participatory and just development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this episode, we unpack the paper with its author, Jeremy Lim.
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Take One Action is an initiative based in Scotland that uses film as a tool to help people make sense of the world. The organisation curates documentaries and features that explore themes like inequality, climate justice, human rights, and collective action, often pairing them with discussions, workshops, and conversations with activists, academics, and filmmakers.
In this episode, we speak to Daisy Crooke, Events and Communities Coordinator, Take One Action, about the power of film in helping us make sense of the world and politics.
Daisy Crooke is also working together with the Malaysian Freedom Film Network on their Emerging Curators Lab. For more information, visit: freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab
Image Credit: Take One Action
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For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.”
So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?
In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author, and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force.
In part two of the conversation, we focus on:
- What are the possibilities of World War III with Taiwan as the flashpoint?
- Is it time for China to put the 1949 revolution behind it and accept Taiwan as a sovereign nation?
- The human rights violations in Xinjiang
- Should China put its principle of non-interference aside and actively defend its allies militarily
- What should ASEAN keep in mind as China continues to rise
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For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.”
So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?
In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force.
In part one of the conversation, we focus on:
- The key features of a unipolar US-led world order
- What shifting towards a multipolar world means
- How China went from a poor country to the second largest economy
- Popular misconceptions of China
- What does democracy mean in China?
- Significance of Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney’s speech at Davos
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Jeffrey Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender whose network spanned the worlds of finance, politics, academia, and celebrity.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released what is now known as the Epstein Files. There are over 3 million pages, 2,000+ videos, and 180,000+ images, so far, including flight logs, emails, court filings, and internal notes detailing his activities and connections.
Two rounds of document releases have so far painted an incredibly repulsive picture of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and elite complicity. Some of the highlights include: US President Donald Trump, who is mentioned in over 38,000 references, with the most serious allegation being a withdrawn 2016 federal lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl at Epstein’s Manhattan residence.
Silicon Valley billionaires, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and others, appearing hundreds of times. There are also emails and exchanges suggesting an international political network involving countries such as Israel, India, and Russia.
All of this is merely scratching the surface of the Epstein files. To try and make sense of it all, we speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
Image Credit: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, 1993 via Picryl
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We often discuss the exploitation of labour, especially at the very bottom of the chain, namely the migrant workers who are frequently trapped in conditions that resemble modern-day slavery.
But one thing we haven’t really interrogated is the role of business schools: what they teach, what they leave out, and whether the lessons and curriculum deal primarily with managing a boardroom and ensuring profitability, or if they reflect realities on the ground, where wealth and corporate success are often also built on the backs of exploited labour.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Priya Sharma about exactly that. She is the Head of the Commercial Law & Justice Centre at the Sunway Business School. She’s also the co-editor of a book called Combating Modern Slavery: A Global Perspective.
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Recently, Bloomberg published an in-depth investigation into the recruitment of Bangladeshi migrant workers into Malaysia, exposing how inflated fees, cartel-like recruitment structures and political protection have trapped thousands of workers in debt, exploitation and, in some cases, human trafficking. The article explicitly names individuals linked to these cartels.
We speak to Charles Santiago, co-chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), who was quoted in the article.
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Most of us know that elections are important. After all, they shape who governs us and how decisions get made. But we rarely stop to think about what actually happens behind the scenes: the hundreds, sometimes thousands of workers and volunteers who make sure polling day runs smoothly, especially polling staff on the ground.
In this episode, we speak to Danesh Prakash Chacko, Chairperson of Persatuan Bertindak Pilihan Raya Bebas Dan Saksama (Tindak), about exactly that. Tindak is currently running a petugas programme that trains and mobilises citizens to serve as polling and counting agents.
Click here if you’d like to sign up for Tindak’s Petugas program: https://sites.google.com/view/petugas-tindak-malaysia/home
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Malaysia is incredibly polarised right now, especially across racial and religious lines. Perhaps that has always been the case to some degree, given the ethnocentric political parties and culture that have dominated a bulk of our history since independence and especially so post 1969. Things seem to be getting worse. You often get the sense that every community feels that they’re marginalised or that they don’t have a place in this country, or maybe that’s just the social media comment section.
Of course, there’s no silver bullet to solving this. In this episode, we speak to Jason Wee, the founder of Architects of Diversity. We talk about some of the drivers of our racialised politics, if things are indeed getting worse and even the role of social media.
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Three things we often hear about Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley at large is that it’s incredibly congested, not walkable and that it is becoming increasingly unaffordable. But why do these problems persist? We speak to Aziff Azuddin, associate researcher at IMAN Research, about the greater Klang Valley’s urban design philosophy and key principles on building an equitable and inclusive city.
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It’s been a turbulent start to 2026. To kick off the year, the United States kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Just days later, some of the biggest protests in Iran in decades erupted and continue to unfold. Some leaders, particularly in the West, have framed the unrest from the perspective of human rights and are calling for intervention, while others advise caution and warn against meddling in the business of sovereign nations.
All of this is unfolding on top of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the protracted war between Russia and Ukraine, and many other unfolding crises that continue to shape global politics and public imagination.
How do we make sense of this convergence of crises?
What does it mean for the future of global order?
My guest on today’s show is Vijay Prashad. Vijay is a historian, journalist, and public intellectual. He’s one of the most important thinkers in the world when it comes to geopolitics and understanding power. He’s written numerous books, including Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations, On Cuba, and The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World. And he’s the director of the Tricontinental Institute For Social Research.
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You are probably already familiar with Teach For Malaysia, the education nonprofit that does incredible work by placing committed young leaders in under-resourced schools and developing them into long-term advocates for educational equity. It is one of, if not the most important, education nonprofits in the country.
What many may not realise is that Teach For Malaysia is part of a global network called Teach For All, which traces its roots back to the late 80s. In 1989, Wendy Kopp founded Teach For America while still a university student herself. She later co-founded Teach For All, which has grown from strength to strength, expanding its wings across the globe.
In this episode, we speak to Wendy Kopp about Teach For All’s origin story, the challenges they face, understanding global education inequities, and more.
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Lim Yi Wei is the ADUN for Kampung Tunku and DAP Wanita national assistant publicity secretary. Yi Wei, whose parents were both teachers in public schools, is a social democrat at heart and believes in building a fairer and more equitable Malaysia for all.
Recently, she penned an article titled "What Next for DAP," where she argued that the party’s social democratic roots have increasingly been overtaken by neoliberal thinking, and called for a clearer, values-driven return to politics centered on justice, equity, and the common good.
In this episode, we talk to her about her personal journey in politics, the importance of social democracy, the limits of neoliberalism, and the future of the DAP.
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We are all part of a system – a global capitalist neoliberal economy – that is geared towards profit maximisation over creating a fair and dignified world for everybody. Even the environment is seen as a commodity to be extracted and destroyed for profit. Technology is so advanced and we have created tremendous amounts of wealth, yet most people across the world do not earn enough to afford basic necessities. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and our nature is depleted further and further. Today, many young people struggle with stagnant wages, unaffordable housing, and healthcare.
In his new book titled Notes on the Way Forward: A Socialist Perspective, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, who’s also the chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), takes a sharp look at the structural failures of capitalism and the alternatives before us.
On today’s show, we speak with Dr. Kumar about how we can build a better, more sustainable, and dignified Malaysia for everyone.
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Where is Europe heading? This is one of the big questions as we shift towards a more fractured and multipolar world order. Europe is in a moment of deep political and ideological reckoning. After all, we’re seeing the rise of right-wing movements, anti-immigration sentiments, a yearning by some quarters to “go back” to a less multicultural imagined past.
In this episode, we have a conversation with Nikita Dhawan, who holds the chair in Political Theory and History of Ideas at the Technical University Dresden. Her research and teaching focus on global justice, human rights, democracy, and decolonization.
She is the author of many books, including Rescuing the Enlightenment from the Europeans: Critical Theories of Decolonization.
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From memes to heated exchanges in the comment section, feminism is often distorted through the lens of viral and even ragebait content on social media and reduced to caricatures and stereotypes. Today, feminism has even become a sort of ‘foul word’ in some quarters, with some women trying to distance themselves from the label, as well. But beyond the noise, lies a global grassroots movement against the patriarchy, shaped by history, economics, and everyday realities on the ground.
Maria Castro Varela is a feminist thinker and professor of Pedagogy and Social Work at the Alice Salomon University in Berlin. In this episode, we speak to her about some myths surrounding feminism, what the movement truly stands for, what some feminists get wrong, and why men should be part of the movement too.
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Ethnic affirmative action has shaped Malaysian policymaking and political discourse for more than five decades. The transformational New Economic Policy (NEP) and subsequent similar frameworks have anchored national debates on inequality, opportunity, and the country’s broader social contract.
Yet despite how central these policies are to our politics, our understanding of where interethnic inequality actually stands today is surprisingly patchy: we know the broad narrative, but not the details. We talk about progress or regress, quotas and meritocracy, but rarely examine who has moved up, who has stalled, and why.
In this episode, we speak to Lee Hwok-Aun, a Senior Fellow and Co-coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He recently published an article titled Interethnic income inequality in Malaysia: Revisiting Old Records, Exploring New Narratives, which takes a hard look at these questions and challenges some of our long-held assumptions.
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9% of Malaysian women who have ever been in a relationship experience domestic violence. 9% may not seem like much, but that essentially amounts to about 800,000 Malaysian women. These are the very realities that Eswari Varanarasamma from WAO confronts in her daily work.
Eswari Varanarasamma is a social worker at the Women’s Aid Organisation, where she works closely with women and children affected by domestic violence. In light of WAO’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence campaign, in this episode, we speak to Eswari about her journey as a social worker, some of the challenges she faces, and more.
If you’re experiencing domestic violence, here are some numbers you can contact. You are not alone.
- WAO Hotline: +603 3000 8858 (9 am – 5 pm)
- SMS/WhatsApp TINA: +6018 988 8058 (24 hours)
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United Nations experts have warned that there is “widespread and systematic” exploitation and deception affecting Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. In their statement, they highlight excessive and fraudulent recruitment fees, false job offers, passport confiscation, forced labour and forced return. Simply put, this is debt bondage, or to put it even more plainly, modern-day slavery.
But what is driving this? How much do poverty, desperation, the lack of opportunity in home countries, and the reliance on cheap labour in the Malaysian economy contribute to and maintain this system?
In this episode, we speak to Adrian Pereira, who’s the Director of the North South Initiative (NSI), about corruption, the imbalance of power, inequality and the international division of labour.
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Al Awda is a documentary by Singaporean Jason Soo that follows 22 activists from 15 countries as they sail on the Al Awda Flotilla in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza in 2018. Originally meant to leave the journey early, Jason ended up remaining on board, capturing the activists’ fears, strategies and decision-making as they approached an inevitable confrontation with the Israeli Occupying Force. Among the activists onboard were Malaysian academic Afandi Salleh and Singaporean exile Dr Ang Swee Chai.
In this episode, we speak to Jason about his personal journey in activism, his documentary and more.
If you'd like to watch Al Awda, do catch the screening happening on Friday, the 5th of December at 8.30pm at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC).
Entrance is by a minimum donation of RM30, with proceeds split between crowdfunding for Al Awda and Viva Palestina Malaysia’s winter campaign.
Registration for the event is available at bit.ly/AlAwdaKL.
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Malaysia’s latest labour force figures paint a mixed and intriguing picture of the economy in 2025. Unemployment has fallen to a decade-low of 3%, signalling a labour market that appears resilient on the surface. Growth is also being supported by strong investment flows and steady expansion across key industries, or at least that’s the impression we get from the headlines every time the government announces billions of dollars of investments coming from one country or another.
Yet, beneath that headline lie deeper problems. Large numbers of Malaysians are still working jobs that don’t match their qualifications, wages are still stagnating and there are serious concerns about the inadequacy of retirement savings among a vast majority of people.
So, what does this all tell us? And how do we ensure economic dignity and upward mobility for all Malaysians? As we slowly wind down towards the end of the year, in this episode, we unpack these questions with Dr Geoffrey Williams, Economist & Founder of Williams Business Consultancy.
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The 2025 Sabah state election is taking place this weekend on the 29th of November. There are close to 600 candidates representing various parties or running independently, contesting for 73 seats. There are multi-cornered fights everywhere.
Indeed Sabah is highly democratised and fluid politically. Its electoral history has been shaped by shifting demographics, the struggle over state rights, and cycles of political instability marked by strong personalities and frequent party defections.
Recently, Tindak Malaysia published a historical atlas of Sabah elections through the years, exploring the various forces that have shaped Sabah elections.
In this episode, we unpack key lessons from Sabah election history with Danesh Prakash Chacko, who's the director of Tindak Malaysia.
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Kampung Jalan Papan in Klang is a decades-old settlement where families have lived since before independence.
Over the years, the land was transferred, developed and contested, eventually leading a private developer to obtain court orders enabling eviction and demolition. Despite repeated promises of resettlement and affordable housing from both state authorities and the developer, residents say the offers were inconsistent and promises were never delivered.
In November 2025, eviction enforcement escalated into on-site demolitions, tense confrontations, and arrests of residents and activists, prompting human rights groups to condemn the operation as heavy-handed and a violation of due process.
In today's episode, we speak to S. Arutchelvan, Deputy Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). Arutchelvan was one of the activists who were arrested last week while organising and fighting alongside the residents of Kampung Papan.
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Markela Panegyres is an Australian performance artist, academic, activist and a member of the Socialist Alliance Australia. Known for her raw, provocative performances and video installations, she explores themes of trauma, memory, power, and resistance. Beyond the arts, she is a vocal left-wing organiser deeply involved in Palestine solidarity work, actively campaigns for the academic boycott of Israel, and has helped lead student and staff actions pushing universities to cut ties with Israeli institutions.
In this episode, we speak to her about her journey as an activist and discuss how the Palestine solidarity movement can evolve from winning the discourse to winning tangible changes.
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Neil Woods was once a dedicated narcotics officer. In fact, he spent 14 years working undercover, infiltrating drug gangs in Britain’s underworld. But something changed throughout that journey. Now, Woods is one of the leading advocates for drug policy reform, calling for the end of the war on drugs. He wrote a book titled Good Cop, Bad War, chronicling how his attempts to infiltrate and dismantle drug gangs gradually led him to question the entire system.
In this episode, we speak to Neil Woods about his journey, what he witnessed during his time as a narcotics officer and the drug policy reforms he’s championing.
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Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral election, defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.
Not only that, he also received more than 50% of the popular vote. He’s a proud Democratic Socialist, and notably, the first Muslim and South Asian to become mayor of New York City.
Billionaires reportedly spent over 22 million dollars trying to stop him, yet he won. Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly attacked him and endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Yet, Mamdani won.
Not only did he win, he won on an unabashedly, proudly, multicultural, people-centered platform focused on affordability, including pledges to freeze rents, provide fast and free public buses, and ensure universal childcare.
He plans to fund these initiatives by taxing New York’s wealthiest residents: multimillionaires and billionaires.
So, how did a Democratic Socialist become mayor in the heart of global capitalism? And what does it signal?
We speak to Professor Peter Beattie, who's a political economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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In the 2024 Oxfam report, it was revealed that the richest 1% in the Global North extracted US$263 billion from the Global South in 2023 — a stark reminder that inequality and neocolonial exploitation remain hardwired into the global economy. Meanwhile, far-right movements are gaining ground across continents, progressive spaces are grappling with internal contradictions, and even causes like Palestine are being twisted to justify bigotry.
In this episode, we speak to Jacob Andrewartha, a member of the Socialist Alliance, Australia. He’s also a childcare worker with history of involvement in the Pro-Palestine movement and Climate Justice. Also part of the discussion is Arveent Kathirchelvan, Coordinator of Policy Research Bureau, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
On a related note, an international socialism conference will be happening on 15–16 November, 9am-6pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH). The conference will feature socialist activists, academics, and thinkers from Malaysia and across the world.
Check out the lineup of speakers and get your tickets here: https://shorturl.at/ISOy1
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Around the world, money is increasingly a gatekeeper to political power. Malaysia is no different. If someone wants to step into politics from outside the elite circle, it’s a tremendous challenge. In two new reports by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the numbers speak for themselves. For example, candidates face mandatory deposits of about RM15,000 for parliamentary seats. Internal party contests and party-level advancement can also be expensive, costing tens of thousands. Then there’s the legal fees, sustaining an elected office, and on and on and on.
The two WFD studies argue these cost structures act as a “screening mechanism” that disproportionately excludes women, young people, independent candidates and persons with disabilities, which distorts representation and governance.
In this episode we speak to Dr Graeme Ramshaw, Director of Quality and Innovation, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, as well as Ooi Kok Hin, Country Director for WFD in Malaysia.
Links to read their full reports:
COP national study: https://www.wfd.org/what-we-do/resources/cost-politics-malaysia
COP and Women Candidates: https://www.wfd.org/what-we-do/resources/women-and-cost-politics-malaysia
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Recently, in Melaka, a group of 17-year-olds was accused of allegedly raping their schoolmate at a secondary school in Alor Gajah. In Kedah, there was a statutory rape case involving underage students. And very close to home, in Bandar Utama, Selangor, a 14-year-old boy has been charged with murdering his 16-year-old female schoolmate at SMK Bandar Utama (4).
These are only incidents that have been reported in October 2025. Not to mention, recently there was a case in Sarawak where a group of boys allegedly threatened to stab and sexually assault their classmate — an incident now under police investigation. So, why is this happening? What can we do about it?
In recent weeks, we’ve been hearing a lot from adult experts and stakeholders, be it teachers, parents, psychologists, academics, and activists. In this episode, we speak to Jessie Lee, who’s currently a form four student in a public school in the Klang Valley. She’s a Child Rights Advocate, a member of the UNICEF Young Persons’ Advisory Group. She’s also a part of SUHAKAM Consultative Child Council.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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The world is undergoing profound changes. China has become a global powerhouse. The US, while still the most powerful country in the world, is experiencing a relative decline in influence. There are constant conversations about moving toward a multipolar world. But what does this all mean for a middle power like Malaysia?
In this episode, we speak to political analyst James Chai. James has written a novel called Sang Kancil: A Tale about how Ordinary Malaysians Defied the Odds, has worked in Think Tanks and even in the Ministry of Economy, under former minister, Rafizi Ramli. He’s currently also a columnist for CNA, where he has written a number of articles on how to make sense of the changing world, as a Malaysian.
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Jagat, the highly acclaimed 2015 Malaysian film directed by Sun-J Perumal, is a coming-of-age story that captures the struggles of working-class Malaysian Tamils with sincerity and earnest reflection. Today, nearly a decade later, Jagat continues to resonate, both as a work of art and as a reflection of identity, displacement, and resilience.
The film was re-released earlier this year, and on top of that, the director is also releasing two spiritual sequels to the film in quick succession in November and December, titled Macai and Blues.
In this episode, we speak with Sun-J Perumal about his life, the Malaysian Tamil identity and how his own experiences growing up have shaped his storytelling.
Image Credit: Skyzen Studios
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Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse regions in the world, not just ethnically and culturally but also politically. It’s a region where Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians; democracies, monarchies, and communist states coexist side by side.
However, since the formation of ASEAN, there have been questions and narratives about its potential split or how it’s doomed to fail. But just how true is that? What are the important nuances concerning ASEAN that people need to be aware of?
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Ilango Karuppannan, a retired Malaysian Ambassador with 33 years of frontline diplomatic experience. He’s also an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He runs a YouTube channel called Diplomatify, where he recently posted a video titled 'Is ASEAN Really Breaking Up - or Just Being Framed That Way?'.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Myanmar’s devastating civil war grinds into its fourth year, following the 2021 military coup that ousted the country’s elected government. What followed was a nationwide civil disobedience movement, along with the rise of armed resistance groups. The revolutionary forces have been battling the junta for control of the country, not just to restore things as they were but to build something new altogether. According to reports, more than 5,000 people have been killed, over 3 million displaced, and the economy has been left in ruins.
Recently, as chair of ASEAN this year, Malaysia undertook a more active role, facilitating a series of stakeholder engagement meetings not only with the Junta but more importantly, with the National Unity Government and other key resistance forces and civil society groups.
After the series of engagements, the various pro-democracy forces, in a strongly worded statement, rejected the Junta’s “sham elections,” which are to be held in December.
So, where do we go from here? What does this mean for the future of Myanmar?
In this episode, we unpack these questions and more with Lilianne Fan, who's the Head of Secretariat for the Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar.
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Last Friday, the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the RM 419.2 billion Budget 2026. This is a slightly smaller budget than last year’s. While it isn’t an austerity budget by any means and does prioritise fiscal discipline, it begs the question: Does Budget 2026 address the needs of regular Malaysians, especially from the perspective of wages, housing, social protections and more? On top of that, does this Budget do enough to push us towards becoming an economically sovereign nation?
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Budi95 is a targeted subsidy scheme by the Malaysian government to give RON95 petrol at a reduced price to eligible Malaysian citizens, while phasing out blanket subsidy models that cover everyone including non-citizens and some businesses. However, this plan appears somewhat contradictory to what has been discussed and announced for months, which is a system where fuel prices would be floated based on the market rates and subsidies would be given out based on income levels. So, does this new plan make sense economically and politically?
In this episode, we speak to Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow, Malaysia Studies Programme and Regional Economic Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. We discuss how much the government can actually save with this new plan, consumer impact and the political will required to carry out important reforms such as fuel subsidy rationalisation.
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The Gender Budget Group (GBG), a coalition of civil society organisations and academics, has urged the Malaysian government to make bold, transformative investments in gender equality in the 2026 National Budget, highlighting that progress on women’s political representation, economic participation, social protection, and protection from violence remains slow. Their memorandum outlines seven key areas for action including strengthening governance and accountability with gender-responsive budgeting, boosting women’s labour force participation, reforming social protection systems and more.
In this episode, we speak to three representatives from the GBG, namely, Dr Ummu Atiyah Ahmad Zakwan, Lead Consultant, Engender, Dr Sulochana Nair, Vice Chancellor of Binary University and Datuk Ong Bee Leng, CEO, Penang Women's Development Corporation (PWDC)
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While domestic violence is still very much prevalent in society today, I think we at the very least live in a climate where committing violence against your spouse is culturally unacceptable (broadly speaking of course) and completely illegal. But this wasn’t always the case.
There was a time, though – not too long ago, in fact – when if a husband were to beat his wife, for example, it would be seen as a private/family matter. Authorities would close an eye or advise the abused spouse to find a way to endure or reconcile. This was the case until the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act of 1994.
So, what changed in the 90s?
In this episode, we're joined by Betty Yeoh, someone who has been at the forefront of women’s rights activism in Malaysia since the 80s. She’s also one of the founding members of the All Women’s Action Society (AWAM). We talk about how ordinary Malaysians came together and pushed the government back in the day, to outlaw domestic violence.
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We’ve seen how many regions around the world still suffer from hunger despite there technically being enough food to feed everyone globally. We also see how food like pork or beef is sometimes weaponised in the culture wars to sow division between communities.
Dr Elaine Pratley is a peacebuilder who does interfaith and intercultural dialogue. whose work explores how something as simple as food can be deeply political. Her thesis, Hungry for Peace, examines the ways food practices and food insecurity are tied to questions of power, identity, and belonging. She’s also the founder of Peace Kitchen, an initiative that brings people together over shared meals to spark dialogue and connection.
In this episode, we chat with Dr Pratley about how food can both heal and divide communities, and why tackling hunger isn’t just about filling stomachs but about challenging the systems of inequality and marginalisation that determine who gets a seat at the proverbial dining table.
Elaine will be speaking at ZafigoX 2025 Women's Festival, taking place on 11–12 October 2025 at Menara KEN TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. For more information, do check out the website zafigo.com
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Earlier this year, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government will be tabling the Freedom of Information Act in Parliament by the end of this year. This is a highly anticipated piece of legislation that Civil Society Organisations (and even the Pakatan Harapan political coalition) have been pushing for, for a very long time. It is said to be an important game-changer in the fight against corruption and for the democratisation of power.
In this episode, we speak to Wathshlah Naidu, who’s the Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), one of the key organisations pushing for this legislation. A number of CSOs, including CIJ, have also come up with a model RTI Bill, which details what a law of this nature should look like.
We also speak to Dr Punitha Silivarajoo, Deputy Director General of Policy and Development of the Legal Affairs Division, in the Prime Minister’s Department. She and her team have had in-depth discussions and meetings with CSOs since 2019, concerning this particular Bill.
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There was a point where progressive forces in the country could organise and mobilise hundreds of thousands of people on a multicultural platform. We are of course talking about movements like BERSIH. But after the historic 2018 general election, when the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was toppled for the first time in the nation’s history, everything changed. Progressive civil society organisations that had spent years as outsiders suddenly found themselves inside the halls of power, with unprecedented access to parliamentarians, ministers, and policymaking processes.
So, what does that mean? How much of influence did they have? And what does it mean that the streets were left to be filled by conservative forces?
This is exactly what Ooi Kok Hin explores in his paper published for the R. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, titled Influencing Power: Civil Society, Political Mobilisation and the Pursuit of Reforms. Kok Hin was the former executive director of Bersih and is currently leading the Malaysia office of a UK public body dedicated to making democracy and governance stronger. In this episode, we speak to Ooi Kok Hin.
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On the 9th of September 2025, tens of thousands of Nepalese people, led by Gen-Z students, took to the streets in anger against the establishment government. They stormed the Nepalese Federal Parliament building in Kathmandu and set it on fire. As of latest reports, sixty protestors, ten prisoners and three police officers died during the demonstrations. Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was forced to resign. Later, over 100,000 youth took to Discord to elect former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister, becoming the first woman head of state in Nepal.
So, what are the root causes of this uprising? And what does it mean for the future of Nepal? In this episode, we speak with Atul Chandra, Researcher, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.
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A new report by the Datum Initiative and ARROW – Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Womenexamines the systemic barriers faced by women with disabilities in Malaysia, particularly around sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Some of the findings published are shocking.
So, on today’s episode, I’m going to be unpacking the report with its co-authors, Dr Benjamin Loh, Dr Vilashini Somiah and Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar.
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The ISA, a draconian law that enabled detention without trial, was used in Malaysia for decades, most notoriously during the infamous Ops Lalang in 1987. But in 2012, it was finally abolished after years of public pressure and grassroots organising. We speak with Nalini Elumalai, one of the key coordinators of the Gerakan Mansuh ISA rally in the mid-2000s, about the long struggle to end the law, the challenges of mobilising under repression, and the lessons learned from this landmark victory for civil society.
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We have often heard about the role the elite mainstream political actors played in Malaysia’s independence struggle. But the reality is much more nuanced. Our independence is also a story about grassroots organising and resistance among workers, students, feminist groups and more.
Which is exactly what the exhibition called Seeds of Resistance: Journey Towards Independence is all about. The exhibition, organised by Raja Ahmad Aminullah, a prominent Malaysian poet, writer and activist, is currently ongoing until the 29th of September at GMBB Kuala Lumpur.
In this episode, we do a brief reflection of our journey to independence and discuss the ongoing exhibition with Raja Ahmad.
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If one wishes to understand how gender, power, and economic development intersect in shaping women’s lives and choices, and how women — particularly women in the Global South — renegotiate patriarchal structures in households, communities, and labor markets, look no further than Naila Kabeer. Professor Dr Naila Kabeer is a British-Bangladeshi feminist economist and an Emeritus Professor of Gender and Development at the London School of Economics (LSE). She has written a number of important books, including her latest, Renegotiating Patriarchy: Gender, Agency and the Bangladesh Paradox.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Naila Kabeer about feminist economics, what we can learn about women’s rights from the garment industry in Bangladesh, and some big-picture challenges faced by Malaysian women, including bridging the gap between education levels and labour force participation.
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As we approach the three-year mark since the formation of the MADANI government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, questions arise about what has been accomplished economically, the country’s trajectory and what the PM’s legacy will ultimately be.
Dr Geoffrey Williams has been exploring these very issues in his series of articles on Free Malaysia Today titled Creating Anwar’s Legacy, where he highlights several transformative ideas that the government can realistically pursue and achieve. We speak with Dr Geoffrey Williams about his series of articles and also do an economic check in of sorts to see if we’re on the right track.
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If you’ve been to a youth-led progressive protest or rally recently, chances are you may have seen student activist Alyaah Hani on the frontlines. As the coordinator of Liga Mahasiswa, she has been a vocal critic of student debt, academic restrictions, and state repression. Recently summoned under Section 509 of the Penal Code for her role in an anti-corruption rally, Alyaah speaks about the risks of dissent, the future of student movements, and what young people want from Malaysia.
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Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world that has attained parity across genders at the tertiary education level. In Malaysia, women make up about 52% of tertiary education enrolment, compared to 48% men, meaning women slightly outnumber men at this level.
So, why, despite this, does women’s participation in politics remain incredibly low? According to the folks behind KRYSS Network, one of the key reasons is due to gendered disinformation. They are running a Campaign is called Countering Gendered Disinformation with the support of EMPOWER.
In this episode, we discuss what exactly gendered disinformation is, its impact and how we can deal with it and encourage more women to participate in politics. We speak to Ayesha Sofia Faiz from EMPOWER and Abdullah Nishad from the KRYSS Network.
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According to estimates, there are around 4-6 million migrant workers in Malaysia, both documented and undocumented combined. There are also approximately 300 000 - 400 000 refugees in the country. They have limited labour rights and protections and hence are regular targets of exploitation, often receiving poor wages and forced to live in horrible conditions.
What’s also interesting is that despite this, migrants and refugees have been quietly building grassroots networks of solidarity and care. This is what some of the folks from the North South Initiative recently wrote about, for the Asian Labour Review, in an article titled, Rewriting the Politics of Care, Dignity, and Labour Justice.
So, what does that look like? And what is the impact of this grassroots solidarity?
We speak to Dr Asha Rathina Pandi, Head of Research and Lead Analyst, North South Initiative.
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Education of Ethnic Minorities: The Case of Indians in Malaysia by Dr Santhiram Raman examines how the Malaysian education system shapes the experiences and outcomes of the Indian minority, with a focus on students from Tamil-language primary schools. The book dives into some of the benefits of this school system, but also the historical marginalization, structural inequalities, and school environments that can perpetuate disadvantage. In this episode, we unpack the book and the key challenges faced by Indian students in Malaysia, with Dr Santhiram.
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If you’ve walked around your city, chances are you may have seen people skateboarding off the rails outside a shopping mall or doing parkour on a dingy rooftop of an abandoned building, or perhaps even kicking around a ball in an alleyway turned into a makeshift futsal court.
But what do these activities tell us about urban culture? Do they reveal anything about politics? And is there anything urban planners can learn from them?
In this episode, we’re joined by Duncan McDuie-Ra, whose latest book, Insurgent Play: Social Worlds of Urban Disruption, explores exactly those questions and more. Prof Duncan is also the Head of Monash University Malaysia’s School of Arts & Social Sciences.
To purchase his book, visit: anthempress.com/books/insurgent-play-pb
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We have often talked about the rise of right-wing populism with fascist tendencies across the world. From US President Donald Trump to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party UK, Marine Le Pen in France to the AFD in Germany, political parties and leaders that are proudly anti-democratic, espousing hatred for ethnic, religious or sexual minorities, and scapegoating migrants and refugees have gone from the fringes to the mainstream. It’s not just the West. We can also think of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil.
Make no mistake — the right-wing is winning, and winning big, both on the ground and at the ballot box.
At the same time, the popularity of the technocratic, neoliberal, so-called “centre” — represented by the likes of Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Keir Starmer — appears to be on a rapid decline, after four decades of rising inequality.
In response, something else seems to be emerging — or reemerging: left-wing economic populism. In other words, socialism. The likes of Zohran Mamdani are making waves in the US. Jeremy Corbyn is launching a new party in the UK explicitly on the platform of left-wing economic values and internationalism. Jean-Luc Mélenchon has seen a surge in popularity in France.
So, how are the likes of Zohran Mamdani cutting through in this political moment? And what does it mean that they are? What can progressives around the world learn?
We speak to Professor Peter Beattie, who’s a political economist and political psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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Khalsa Aid International is a humanitarian relief organisation based in the UK. It was founded in 1999 by Ravi Singh based on the Sikh principle of Sarbat da Bhala – the wellbeing of all. Today, this cross-border humanitarian agency operates across six continents and have done work in many conflict zones such as Iraq and Ukraine to natural disasters including the Türkiye earthquakes and Pakistan floods.
In this episode, we speak to Gurpreet Singh, Head of Operations for Khalsa Aid, Asia Pacific about the work he has done during the Covid-19 pandemic and coordinating refugee evacuation efforts.
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The 27th National Congress of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) was held in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, from July 25th to 27th. The congress, themed "Kuasa Ketiga, Kuasa Kita" was attended by around 150 delegates.
In this episode, we speak with Arveent Kathirchelvan, who’s a Central Committee Member and Coordinator of the Policy Research Bureau of PSM. We discuss some of the key motions they passed at their congress surrounding healthcare, pension and housing. We also unpack the various challenges faced by the left in the country, electoral politics, how they plan to elevate class consciousness and break through the wall of racial & religious politics that's holding the country back.
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Katrina Leclerc is an award‑winning peacebuilder, researcher, and advocate who specializes in the intersection of Women, Peace & Security (WPS). She serves as a respected expert advisor to governments, UN agencies, and civil society, supporting inclusive peace policy development and implementation across multiple regions and countries, including in Congo, Kenya, Lebanon, Rwanda and more. She was also here in Malaysia recently to meet up with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, as well as civil society.
In this epsiode, we speak to Katrina about the work that she does as a peacebuilder, what a feminist foreign policy would look like, and power asymetries between the global north and global south.
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It’s been 16 years since Teoh Beng Hock’s passing. Beng Hock was the political aide to an elected representative from the DAP, who was found dead after overnight questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2009, sparking public outrage and ongoing allegations of foul play.
Today, justice is yet to be served.
Last week, the MACC issued a public apology to Teoh’s family. This was followed by a public apology by the DAP. But rather than healing old wounds, it reignited long-standing questions — about accountability, institutional reform, the state of our democracy and the ability of political parties who promised change to actually make change when in power.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Khoo Ying Hooi, an Associate Professor of International Relations and Human Rights at Universiti Malaya (UM). She recently wrote an article titled ‘A Week Where Apologies Fell Flat and Lawyers Walked.’ We reflect on where we are today as a country, in terms of fighting for justice and protecting democracy.
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Malaysian ethnic Indians make up less than 7% of the country’s population — but this small community is disproportionately represented in some of the country’s most troubling statistics. Indians form a shockingly high percentage of the prison population, face persistent income and wealth gaps—both between ethnic groups and within their own community—and continue to grapple with access to quality education. These are not isolated issues; they reflect deep-rooted structural inequalities, legacies of colonial exploitation, and decades of policy neglect.
The question is, what can we do about it?
YB Charles Santiago is the former MP for Klang and has been passionate about this issue for years. Recently, he’s worked together with Yayasan Iltizam Malaysia and the Sustainable Initiative for Community Change to come up with some proposals which address this issue as well as how we can make Malaysia more inclusive and equitable for all. In this episode, we speak to Charles Santiago.
Click here if you’d like to find out more about the specifics of their proposal.
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It’s been 70 years since the first General Elections in Malaya in 1955, and 61 years since we voted for the first time as a new nation called Malaysia in 1964. From the era of one-party dominance under the Alliance and then Barisan Nasional, to the historic change of government in 2018, our electoral journey has been an incredible one.
In that time, we’ve gone from a nation that didn’t think it was possible to change a government to a nation that believes we can change our government at anytime.
In many ways, we’re still going through a maturing process—figuring out what kind of democracy we want to be. On today’s show, we’re taking a step back to reflect on 70 years of elections in Malaysia: how far we've come, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and the critical reforms we still need to build a fairer, more democratic future.
In this episode, we speak to Danesh Prakash Chacko, Director of Tindak Malaysia.
Tindak Malaysia has an event coming up called 70 Years of General Elections: Shaping Malaysian Democracy, happening on the 26th & 27th of July at the Trident Events (MCNCC) Event Hall.
Click here if you’d like to register for the event.
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In GE15, the surge of Malay youth support for Perikatan Nasional sparked narratives about a rising “green” or “theocratic wave” and urgent questions about the shifting political attitudes of younger Malays. Many were quick to blame the election outcome on the lowering of the voting age and even went as far as calling the constitutional amendment a mistake. But these narratives are simplistic and divisive and do not get to the heart of the problem.
Orang Kita: Politics of Acknowledgement and Resentment is a brilliant new paper by IMAN Research that dives into the minds of Malay youths, especially in the Malay heartland.
In this episode, we speak to Aziff Azuddin, the author of the report, about the insecurities, sentiments and political desires of the Malay youth. We also discuss how we can truly build a political project based on multiculturalism and democracy in polarised Malaysia, or at least, where to start.
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Tess Ingram is a spokesperson with UNICEF who has been on the frontlines of some of the most urgent crises in North Africa and the Middle East, including the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza due to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians carried out by the State of Israel. In 2024, while attempting to deliver life-saving aid to the North of Gaza, she was inside a clearly marked UNICEF convoy that came under live fire.
In this episode, we speak to Ingram about the challenges faced by aid workers in Palestine, the day her aid convoy was shot at by the IDF, what gives her hope and more.
Image Credit: UNICEF Supply Division's YouTube Channel
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Dr Peter Slezak is a Jewish Australian academic and outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. He’s a member of the Council of Advisers at the Hashim Sani Centre for Palestine Studies at Universiti Malaya and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. He’s also an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, Australia. For decades, he has used his platform and prominence to challenge dominant narratives around Israel-Palestine, often highlighting the moral responsibility of the Jewish community to oppose oppression and apartheid. He has written and spoken extensively about the genocide in Gaza and condemned the misuse and abuse of the term ‘antisemitism’ to silence dissent.
In this episode, we speak to Peter about what being the son and grandson of survivors of Nazi Germany taught him about how to view the Zionist project that is the State of Israel, how antisemitism is being weaponised by the right-wing and more.
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Invisible People by Jean Ho is an animated documentary series that shines light on the lives and struggles of people on the margins of society, namely the stateless and refugees. Through short interviews with people from the impacted communities, activists and academics, the series explores themes of identity, belonging, and systemic neglect, while also highlighting the resilience and dignity of those living in the shadows. It’s also a great introduction for people who are completely unfamiliar with the challenges faced by refugees and the stateless.
In this episode, we speak to Jean Ho about her documentary.
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Iskandar Fareez is from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), currently serving as the National Vice Chief of DAPSY, which is their youth wing. He’s also served as a Special Functions Officer to the Deputy Minister in two ministries, namely the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Originally from Shah Alam, Iskandar's political journey began while studying in Australia, where he was involved in student activism and connected with progressive Malaysian leaders who inspired him to enter politics. He's passionate about social justice, youth empowerment, and building a more inclusive, multiracial Malaysia.
So, in this episode, I'm gonna speak to Iskandar Fareez about his journey in politics and what it's like pushing for change from within the system.
Image Credit: Iskandar Fareez's X account
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Starting 1st of July, Malaysia’s expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) framework will kick in. Under this expansion, luxury and discretionary items like watches, yachts, and antique artworks will now be taxed at rates of 5% or 10%, while services such as private wellness treatments, construction, fee-based financial services, private schools, among others, will face a 6–8% service tax.
There was also a lot of discussion and backlash about imported fruits getting taxed. While that broadly still applies, the government did announce today that imported oranges and apples will be exempted.
The government says these new taxes are essential to fund public projects like new hospitals, especially in light of Malaysia’s low tax-to-GDP ratio (currently at 11-12%).
But is this the best path forward? Is it aligned with the Prime Minister’s rhetoric on taxing the wealthy (or “mahakaya”)?
We speak to Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). We discuss what works and what doesn’t about the SST, as well as alternative tax models that could be implemented, which will genuinely target the richest people in society, instead of middle class/upper middle class consumers.
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Temple Tracks: Labour, Piety and Railway Construction in Asia is a fascinating book by Vineeta Sinha, a professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the National University of Singapore. It explores how Indian migrant workers, brought to colonial Malaya and Singapore to build and maintain the railway system, were not just labourers laying down tracks — they were also community-builders and religion-makers.
In this episode, we speak to the author about the intersection of railways, migrant labour, and Hindu temples and how it resulted in interesting parallels and divergences in political thought between the South Indians, specifically the Tamils in Tamil Nadu and those in Malaya/Singapore.
Image Credit: NUS FASS/Berghahn Books
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Sevan Doraisamy is a veteran Malaysian human rights defender and activist who’s been fighting the good fight for more than 25 years. He also served as the Executive Director of SUARAM, one of the country’s leading human rights organisations for 10 years, before deciding to step aside this year.
Over the years, he’s been at the forefront of numerous human rights campaigns, from pushing to abolish ISA (which was eventually done in 2012), to advocating for police accountability and championing freedom of expression. He has faced consequences for his activism, including being detained by authorities numerous times.
In this episode, we speak to Sevan about his years of activism, how much Malaysia has progressed on the human rights front, where we’ve stagnated and the tasks that lie ahead for the next generation of activists.
Image Credit: SUARAM's Facebook
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Since the 2018 and 2022 elections, there has been renewed national focus on East Malaysia and the long-standing promises of MA63. But often, much of that focus has been on Sarawak — its political stability, development push, and dominant state government. Meanwhile, Sabah’s story is equally complex, shaped by decades of political shifts, unresolved questions of autonomy, persistent development gaps, and the long shadow of the alleged Project IC.
As Sabah heads towards elections in 2025, many of these issues are once again front and center. In this episode, we unpack the past, present, and perhaps even future of Sabah politics, with Ariff Adi Putera Anwar, Research Associate, Institute for Development Studies.
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Protests have spread all across America in solidarity with migrant workers and against US President Donald Trump’s immigration raids.
Last Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made the most arrests in a single day in its history, detaining more than 2,200 people. Even tourists were reportedly questioned and some were temporarily detained. Then on Friday, the federal agency arrested more than a hundred undocumented immigrants in workplace raids. This triggered spontaneous protests near those sites and in front of downtown federal buildings, especially in Los Angeles, California. Protesters accuse the Trump administration of targeting ordinary workers simply trying to make ends meet.
Trump deployed 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops without California’s consent, citing national security and calling these protests an “insurrection.” In videos circulating on social media, we see authorities using brute force, rubber bullets, and tear gas against protesters and journalists. As of now, close to 400 people have been arrested due to the protests, and that number is rising rapidly.
But this has only brought more people onto the streets, now all over the country. Thousands of people are taking to the streets in New York, Atlanta, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and more.
So, what is the significance of this moment?
We speak to Prof Peter Beattie, Political Economist & Political Psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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By November 2025, Kerala is set to become India’s first state to entirely eradicate extreme poverty. One of the key reasons is the highly successful Extreme Poverty Eradication Project that the state government embarked on. But the interesting thing about Kerala is that while this specific project is fairly new, the state has been the benchmark in the country for development and social wellbeing for decades.
The South Indian state has the highest literacy rate in the country, the highest literacy rate among women in the country, its infant mortality rate is on par with the most developed countries, it was the best state in India at managing the Covid-19 pandemic, it has the world’s first solar-powered airport, an incredible sustainable eco-tourism landscape, and the list goes on and on.
The question: how did they do it? What can we learn from them?
In this episode, we speak to Atul Chandra, Researcher, Tricontinental Research Institute. He also recently penned an article for the People’s Dispatch describing Kerala’s efforts in eradicating extreme poverty.
Image Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons
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Charles Santiago is a human rights activist, a member of the DAP, former MP for Klang, and a two-time chairman of Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission (SPAN). He first held the SPAN chairmanship from November 2018 until his removal in April 2020 (after Langkah Sheraton), and was reappointed in March 2023, serving until March 2025.
Beyond these roles, Santiago serves as the co-chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), where he has been a vocal advocate against systemic labour exploitation and debt bondage in the region, among other issues.
In this episode, we speak to Charles Santiago about his tenure at SPAN, the politics of water and labour rights violations in the region.
Image Credit: Charles Santiago, SPAN
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Sarawak’s Sovereign Wealth Fund was launched in 2022, to “to safeguard and invest the State's funds for the future generations of Sarawak.”
But what exactly is a sovereign wealth fund? How does it work?
And if it’s a useful tool or institution, would a state like Selangor—Malaysia’s most populous state with the highest GDP — benefit from one too? We speak to Geoffrey Williams, who’s an economist.
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Over the past couple of decades, far-right parties and leaders have moved from the fringes to the forefront of global politics. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, and Narendra Modi or parties like the AFD, who were once seen as outliers or shrugged off altogether, now command mass followings, win elections or come close to winning, and shape global political discourse in a big way. They are now in concretely the mainstream. Their rhetoric may differ across borders, but many share common strategies: scapegoating marginalised groups, exploiting economic anxiety, and leveraging democratic institutions to erode them from within. We see similar trends in Malaysia too.
The question is how did we get here?
The last time we spoke to German political scientist, Dr Frederik Holst, Associate Professor, Albukhary International University (AIU), we discussed Germany’s right-wing movement specifically. Today, we are once again joined by Dr Frederik to have an in-depth conversation about global far-right movements. In Part 2 we discuss the weaknesses of the left and if left-wing populism is the antidote to right-wing populism.
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Over the past couple of decades, far-right parties and leaders have moved from the fringes to the forefront of global politics. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, and Narendra Modi or parties like the AFD, who were once seen as outliers or shrugged off altogether, now command mass followings, win elections or come close to winning, and shape global political discourse in a big way. They are now in concretely the mainstream. Their rhetoric may differ across borders, but many share common strategies: scapegoating marginalised groups, exploiting economic anxiety, and leveraging democratic institutions to erode them from within. We see similar trends in Malaysia too.
The question is how did we get here?
The last time we spoke to German political scientist, Dr Frederik Holst, Associate Professor, Albukhary International University (AIU), we discussed Germany’s right-wing movement specifically. Today, we are once again joined by Dr Frederik to have an in-depth conversation about global far-right movements. In Part 1 we discuss the similarities and differences between various far-right movements and if fascism is the right word to categorise them.
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If you're ethnic-Indian—or if you have friends who are—chances are you've experienced first hand, or heard about racism in Malaysia’s rental market. Landlords rejecting tenants based solely on race. Ads that say “No Indians” or “Chinese only.” There are also instances where rental fee/pricing is clearly discriminatory.
But what can you do about it?
Right now, the truth is—not much. The rental system in Malaysia is under-regulated, with few protections for tenants.
So what would it look like to fix this?
So the NGO, Architects of Diversity (AOD) has launched a campaign calling for the enactment of a Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) in Malaysia, aiming to address long-standing issues in the country’s largely rental housing market.
We speak to Jason Wee, Co-Founder of Architects of Diversity.
To support the call for a Residential Tenancy Act, sign the petition at: https://chng.it/kHnxhmnR2t
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Many countries around the world are starting to become aging societies. In other words, there are more old people AND fewer people having babies. This demographic shift has important implications on the economy and politics of a country. The question is, what do we do about it?
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently published a report titled ‘The Rise of the Silver Economy: Global Implications of Population Aging.’ In it, they propose that governments consider raising the retirement age and encouraging people to work until the age of 70. They say this is what will help countries sustain economic growth.
But is that the right approach?
We speak to Prof Peter Beattie, Political Economist & Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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Raymon Ram has been appointed the new president of Transparency International–Malaysia. He will be serving in this capacity from 2025 - 2027. He succeeds Dr Muhammad Mohan, who stepped down after completing the six-year term limit.
In this episode, we chat with Raymon about battling the culture of corruption in Malaysia and what he hopes to achieve as the new President of Transparency International - Malaysia.
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The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), is urging the government of Malaysia to take a firm and principled stance against the ongoing human and labour rights violations in Myanmar by supporting the invocation of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.
The organisation, which consists of 12 million workers across 365 trade unions in 111 countries, stresses that Malaysia—as a Deputy Member of the ILO Governing Body and the current ASEAN chair —has a unique opportunity to demonstrate moral and regional leadership.
BWI is calling on Malaysia to support a draft resolution at the ILO’s 353rd Governing Body session at the 113th International Labour Conference in June, which seeks to hold the Myanmar military junta accountable for widespread abuses.
In this episode, we are joined by Apolinar Dong Tolentino, Regional Representative of BWI. We discuss how the Junta is cracking down on workers and what can be done about it.
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Dr Vilashini Somiah who’s a feminist anthropologist and a senior lecturer at University Malaya has been appointed as the next chair of the Southeast Asia Council (SEAC) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).
This is important in and of itself but also specifically because she will be the first Southeast Asian-based scholar to lead the council since 1970 – that means she’s also the first Malaysian to lead the council, since then.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Vilashini Somiah about her work, getting elected to chair the council, the challenges faced by marginalised communities in the region and so much more.
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Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) has released their 2024 human rights report. It’s a detailed report on the various human rights violations that have occurred throughout the year, some of the progress made and the changes that should happen moving forward.
We speak to Jernell Tan, who’s the Documentation & Monitoring Coordinator at SUARAM. Jernell also penned numerous chapters in the report.
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Labour Day is observed every year on the 1st of May. It’s a holiday in most countries around the world – and perhaps one of the most important ones. But most of us don’t think about its significance and even take it for granted. Behind the holiday lies a legacy of protest, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for workers’ rights.
In this episode, we discuss the significance of labour day, especially in Malaysia with Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
There is also going to be a Labour Day rally happening on Thursday, 1st of May 2025 at 9.30am. Participants will be marching from Pasar Seni (Central Market) to Dataran Merdeka. For more information, visit the Instagram page of Jawatankuasa 1 Mei (@malaysia.mei.1).
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There’s been a lot of talk lately about PTPTN’s ballooning debt and what to do about it. With a total outstanding debt of RM 40 billion, pressure is mounting on the government to act decisively. The instinctual reactions tend to focus on the defaulters, with many calling for harsh penalties like fines or travel bans. I mean, it’s only natural to think “you borrow, you pay back!”
But are we missing something here – something more fundamental and structural?
We speak to Geoffrey Williams, Economist & Founder of Williams Business Consultancy.
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Kanni Wignaraja is the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with over 25 years of experience in Sustainable Development. She has worked across Africa, Asia and is a prominent advocate for inclusive and people-centered development in the Asia-Pacific region.
In this episode, we talk to her about Malaysia’s economic and political trajectory over the past several decades, within broader ASEAN and global dynamics. As well as the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the country as we transition towards a high-income nation.
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The Ayer Kuning by-election will be taking place on the 26th of April and it is going to be a three-cornered fight between MADANI/Barisan Nasional’s Mohamad Yusri Bakir, Perikatan Nasional’s Abdul Muhaimin Malek and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s Bawani Kaniapan (Bawani KS). The election for one out of the 59 state seats in Perak is taking place due to the passing of incumbent Ishsam Shahruddin of Barisan Nasional.
The move by PSM to contest this election has been equally welcomed and criticised. Some mock them for being a party that regularly loses their deposit at the ballot box, while others say they have a pivotal role to play in elevating the class consciousness of the nation.
In this episode, we speak to Bawani about what she can offer to the people of Ayer Kuning.
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Basic Income – or Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it’s commonly referred to – is a policy where a government gives all citizens a regular sum of money periodically (i.e. every month), regardless of their employment status or income level.
You might think to yourself that this is idealistic and utopian, wondering if it’s even feasible or necessary.
In this episode, we speak to Guy Standing, a British economist and one of the world’s leading voices in advocating for Basic Income. He is a professor of development studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and a co-founder of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN).
The Basic Income Earth Network will be down in KL for an upcoming workshop & Conference called: Universal Basic Income in Malaysia: Insights and Possibilities. Click here if you are interested to find out more or register for the event.
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For the past several decades, most of the world has been part of the neoliberal economic model. It burst onto the mainstream with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the late 70s and 80s but gained even more prominence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of the United States of America as the global hegemon. This era was underpinned by the free flow of capital across borders, low tariffs and the financialisation of the economy.
But last week something changed when US President Donald Trump declared “Liberation Day” and hit every state with a slew of tariffs. Markets around the world reacted with shock and economists and diplomats from all corners of the globe are working overtime.
So what does this all mean for neoliberalism?
We speak to Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram. He’s a prominent academic, economist and public intellectual known for his extensive work in development economics and social justice.
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Last week, the world watched as U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines once again — this time by declaring “Liberation Day.” But instead of fireworks and parades, he brought out a sweeping new tariff regime. At the heart of it? A universal 10% tariff that spares no one — not even a remote, uninhabited territory like Heard Island and McDonald Islands, best known for its penguins.
Beyond the universal tariff, Trump also unveiled “reciprocal tariffs” — targeted duties that vary by country. China faces a crushing 54%, Vietnam 46%, Thailand 26%, and Malaysia 24%, among many others. Even supposed allies like the European Union received a 20% tariff.
But what do these numbers mean, exactly? How will they impact Malaysia and ASEAN?
To help us make sense of it all, we’re joined by Yin Shao Loong, Deputy Director of Research at the Khazanah Research Institute. He breaks down the "logic" (or lack thereof) behind Trump’s tariff policy, the impact it could have on the region, and how Malaysia should navigate the storm.
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It is no secret that Malaysia is a highly racialised country. Over the past decade, racial discrimination has not only persisted but evolved in new and complex ways. But are things getting better or worse? More importantly, are we getting better at understanding racism beyond simplistic framings of majority vs. minority?
Pusat KOMAS recently released Malaysia Racism Report: A Decade in Review. Basically, it’s a deep dive into how racism has shaped policies, institutions, and everyday life over the last ten years—covering everything from hiring discrimination to political narratives and even racism in private businesses.
We unpack the report with Jerald Joseph who’s the director of Pusat KOMAS.
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We're increasingly seeing the Uberization of the economy, where platform-driven gig work with wages based on algorithms, and precarious labor conditions have become the norm. Look around and you’ll see many young Malaysians as e-hailing drivers and food delivery riders. But people aren’t just doing this as part-time gigs in between jobs or while waiting for college to start – it is the primary source of income for many, including some who have Bachelor’s Degrees. Also, think about your consumer patterns. How often did you order takeout via a delivery app before the pandemic? How often do you do it now?
But why is this happening? What exactly is the impact of this phenomenon?
In this episode, we’re joined by Jeremy Lim who’s doing his PHD at University of Malaya, the editor of Jentayu and a Senior Data Analyst at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (Asia Office). He recently wrote an article for the New Mandala titled Malaysia can do better than “platform capitalism.”
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Over the years, especially since the 1MDB scandal, Malaysians have become more familiar with the term ‘corruption.’ Not only have we broadened our understanding of it (no longer do we think it’s just about bribery), it has also become part of mainstream political discourse.
Malaysians know that our country has an entrenched problem of corruption and that it is holding us back, eating us from the inside and eroding our trust in the system.
But just how deep is the rot? How does it manifest in ways beyond the obvious headlines of high-profile arrests? Why is it so challenging to reform the system?
In this episode, we’re joined by Edmund Terence Gomez, author of an insightful book titled Misgovernance: Grand Corruption in Malaysia. It offers an in-depth examination of the perverse entanglement of politics and business in Malaysia through something called the “Political-GLC Complex.” Unlike broad critiques that dismiss GLCs outright, Gomez looks at the intricate ways in which they are run in Malaysia and how specific policies and practices have turned an idea with egalitarian objectives into a vehicle for power and patronage.
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Defamation laws are incredibly important to protect individuals and organisations from false and harmful baseless statements. They help to curb falsehoods that could influence public opinion or even business markets. However, what happens when these defamation laws are abused by big corporations to prevent the public from holding them accountable? What if they hide behind defamation laws while exploiting workers? What if they use it to prevent people from speaking out?
Recently, Mohanarani Rasaiah (Rani) from Parti Sosialis Malaysia penned an article highlighting the troubling rise of defamation suits being used to silence activists and marginalized communities. She detailed how four ongoing lawsuits target their work advocating for farmers, cattle herders, migrant workers, and security guards—all of whom were merely seeking justice for labor rights violations and land evictions.
In this episode, Rani joins us to discuss all of this and more.
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EPF contributions will now be mandatory for migrant workers. This comes after the Dewan Rakyat passed amendments to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Act 1991 recently. The proposal was first announced in Budget 2025 and under this scheme, both the employer and employee contribution rate is set at 2%.
So, is this a step in the right direction for labour rights in Malaysia? Or does it just side step the core problem in Malaysia which is wage suppression?
We unpack this with Alex Ong from Migrant Care.
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Malaysia is politically fragmented and polarized. To make matters worse, this division is drawn along racial and religious lines, fueling deep and growing distrust between ethnic and religious communities. At the same time, discussions about race and religion remain lacklustre often framed as a highly sensitive issue that shouldn’t be talked about altogether OR oversimplified narratives.
So, how do we move forward?
Recently, The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Racial and Religious Harmony was officially established as a bipartisan initiative aimed at addressing racial and religious tensions in the country.
But what do they hope to achieve? And how will they be any different from the many “unity” initiatives we’ve seen over the years?
In this episode, we speak to two guests. Firstly, Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa who’s a senator in the Dewan Negara. He is Deputy President of Parti Amanah Negara and is the deputy chairperson of the APPGM-RRH. We’re also joined by Jason Wee, Founder of Architects of Diversity (AOD). AOD is the secretariat of the APPGM-RRH.
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The Urban Renewal Act is set to be tabled in Parliament in the first quarter of 2025. This is arguably one of the most prominent pieces of legislation that is set to be tabled by the MADANI government in their first term in power. It has certainly been one of the most hotly debated ones. The act ultimately sets out to facilitate the redevelopment of aging and abandoned urban properties, enable better planning and modernize city spaces. However, the core of the act, which will lower the consent threshold for en-bloc sales, has invited passionate responses. Some worry about the potential displacement of lower-income groups while others are concerned that their rights as landlords will be diminished, among others.
We unpack some of the key arguments for and against the act and discern if it’s something Malaysia needs. We speak to Nischal Muniandy, Senior Executive of Research, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), and a member of Transit Malaysia.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The benefits of the Urban Renewal Act and how it can revitalise the city and enable better town planning.
- How the current legal framework encourages NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard).
- How the proposed URA and land and development policies in Malaysia compare to other parts of the world known for progressive housing and development rights, such as Australia, China, Singapore and Vienna, which is the capital of Austria.
- Concerns that the URA could lead to gentrification or worse, the displacement of lower-income groups altogether.
- If "tyranny of the majority" is a valid argument.
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The recent German elections saw a big shift toward right-wing parties. The CDU, which is a Christian democratic and conservative party won, while the far-right Neo-Nazi party AFD came in second after making massive gains. This isn’t necessarily surprising. After all, for a while now, we’ve been talking about how far-right parties/movements are on the rise in many parts of the world, certainly in Europe and the US.
But what does this mean? What does it tell us about the direction of German politics?
We unpack everything with Frederik Holst who’s an Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Albukhary University.
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The Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) 2025 was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this week, by the Minister of Law and Institutional Reform, Dato Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The PSA was enacted in 1963 but was later repealed in 1992 during Tun Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as Prime Minister. This move reduced the autonomy of Parliament and concentrated more power in the office of the Prime Minister.
So, will the new PSA 2025 restore the independence of Parliament?
In this episode, we're once again joined by Ngeow Chow Ying, Convenor, Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia - also known as Projek SAMA.
We discuss if the bill that has been tabled actually addresses issues of parliamentary autonomy and independence, how the structures of parliament will change and if it will bring about an improvement in accountability and transparency.
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We often hear that human beings are inherently selfish; That we’re naturally driven by profit and personal wealth accumulation; That success is solely determined by one’s superior intelligence or work ethic, and that we love to compete. We say this is human nature.
But is this literally human nature from a scientific point of view or is it merely a perspective derived from a particular political-economic ideology, namely capitalism or perhaps even more specifically neoliberalism that rapidly permeated across the world since the 1980s?
In this episode, we unpack this topic with Karim Bettache, who’s a political/social psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He’s been researching and writing about this topic for many years now, including in a paper he wrote in 2024 titled Where Is Capitalism? Unmasking Its Hidden Role in Psychology.
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We often hear that the ultra-wealthy are as rich as they are because of their superior capabilities as entrepreneurs.
But is this actually true?
Not quite, according to Oxfam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty. In their latest report aptly titled Takers, Not Makers, they highlight that 60% of billionaire wealth is derived from inheritance, cronyism, or monopoly power.
We unpack the latest Oxfam report with Peter Beattie, who's a political economist & political psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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Pannir Selvam Pranthaman is a 38-year-old Malaysian on death row in Singapore for trafficking 51.8g of diamorphine. Pannir was not a kingpin nor a drug lord but a man caught in the web of poverty, desperation, and manipulation.
Back in 2020, I interviewed the sister of Pannir Selvam and human rights lawyer Latheefa Koya, about Pannir’s journey and the need to abolish the death penalty. Now, nearly four years later, the fight to save him has reached its most critical moment.
According to his former lawyer, M Ravi, Pannir will be executed this Thursday, the 20th of February. In a recent Facebook post, Ravi shared that Pannir’s sister had received a letter from the prison confirming his execution.
HAYAT, which is an NGO working on rehabilitative and restorative justice, released a statement that reads, "His status as a courier was acknowledged by Singapore courts, and he provided extensive information to authorities during the investigation. The information was also given to Singaporean authorities by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) through his family via a police report."
Despite the years-long efforts of his family and activists, his fate remains unchanged.
In this episode, we're joined by Dobby Chew, who's the CEO of HAYAT. We discuss if there’s still room left to save Pannir and also if the war on drugs and the death penalty solves the problem of drug trafficking.
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It’s been 33 years since the Malaysia repealed the Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) during Tun Dr Mahathir’s first administration in 1992. As a result, our once robust Parliament became a lot more muted – well not literally (screaming contests are still part of the regularly scheduled programming at the august house), but in terms of how it functions. It also lost its autonomy to the Prime Minister's Office.
Recently PKR MP Lee Chean Chung said that the government will be tabling a new Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) in the current session of the Dewan Rakyat. This is something civil society organisations and the Pakatan Harapan coalition have been pushing for, for a long time, as it would restore or at least increase parliamentary autonomy and independence.
But why is it important for us to have a stronger Parliament? What should a proper Parliamentary Services Act entail?
We speak to Ngeow Chow Ying who’s a legal expert and also the convenor at Projek SAMA.
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The rate of unionisation among workers in Malaysia is at an abysmal 6%. This is one of the key reasons why wages in Malaysia are incredibly low.
But why is this the case? What’s preventing workers in Malaysia from organising themselves to have greater bargaining power?
Recently, the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association (LLRC) published a paper titled The Challenges of Workers’ Organising in Malaysia. It’s a detailed report on the kinds of labour rights violations and union-busting tactics by big businesses and employers in Malaysia.
We unpack this paper with one of the authors, Ng Yap Hwa who is the Assistant General Secretary of the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association (LLRC).
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In an interview with the Financial Times, when asked about the reduced prison sentence for former Prime Minister Najib Razak, current Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he does not wish for Najib to suffer in “hell” as he once did. This is of course amidst ongoing conversations on the possibility that Najib could be granted house arrest for the rest of his sentence, although it has to be said that such laws do not yet exist in Malaysia.
In response to that, the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism released a statement recently saying “enough is enough! Why has the tone of the Madani government been so sympathetic to Najib Razak? Have they forgotten the sheer scale of his crimes?”
So, has the MADANI government, led by Prime Minister Anwar, forgotten its reformist roots or is it just smart and meticulous politicking to manage the political climate and maintain stability?
We speak to Pushpan Murugiah, who’s the CEO of Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).
In this episode,we discuss:
- The framing of Najib's reduced sentence as a human rights issue.
- The political challenges faced by the MADANI government. How to strike a balance between navigating a large coalition of varying interests and being steadfast in executing the anti-corruption agenda.
- Why the Prime Minister and his team must communicate with the people in a more transparent way.
- Does Malaysia need a 1977 Hong Kong-style Amnesty? In 1977, Hong Kong’s newly established ICAC granted amnesty for past corruption to quell police resistance, allowing strict anti-corruption enforcement moving forward.
- The three key areas of reform the government must implement.
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According to reports by Khazanah and EPF, most Malaysians do not have adequate retirement savings. As of 2024, only 36% of EPF members meet the current basic savings level of 240 000 at age 55. And that’s just basic savings that will allow you to survive from month to month for about 15 years post-retirement.
So, are we in a retirement crisis? And what can we do about it?
We speak to Geoffrey Williams, who's an economist.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What are the markers that indicate that Malaysia is undergoing a retirement crisis.
- The key factors driving the retirement crisis.
- Impact of the crisis towards individuals on the ground and overall health of the economy.
- The disparity between ethnic/racial communities and within, when it comes to retirement savings and what that tells us.
- What can Malaysia learn from other countries in the region who are facing similar challenges.
- A case for universal basic income, by a market economist.
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A couple of days ago, in a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) outlined economic challenges facing Southeast Asia and strategies to create an equitable region. The memorandum was received by one of the special officers to the PM.
We discuss the various challenges and opportunities ahead for ASEAN with Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj who is the Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
We Discuss:
- The biggest political and economic challenges currently plaguing the ASEAN region, from the decline in government revenue, suppressed wages and the climate crisis.
- Problems with institutions like the World Bank, IMF and WTO, and alternative strategies.
- How can ASEAN develop their internal markets and productive capacities? One of the reasons we rely so heavily on FDIs is because we have no choice due to our productive capacities.
- Why it’s important to develop a sense of regionalism and for ASEAN nations to negotiate with foreign powers (i.e. China and BRICS) as a unit.
- Unequal development in ASEAN and how it prevents economic cohesiveness in the region. As we know, Singapore is one of the most developed economies in the world; Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the likes are perhaps middle economies; Myanmar continues to endure tremendous hardship – there’s an ongoing civil war/revolution.
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Malaysia is the most politically and economically developed country that does not have a political financing act. This is the argument by Dr Magnus Ohman, Director of the Regional Europe Office of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). He’s right. Neighbouring countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia all have some form of laws that regulate political funding. We are an anomaly.
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Magnus who unpacks why this is a problem and why we need a Political Financing Act, right now.
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The world today is at a crossroads. We’re seeing an escalation in conflicts and wars – Russia and Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, are just a couple of prominent examples. We’re seeing the rise of China as a economic powerhouse and with that the rise of tensions between the US and China. But what do these shifts mean, for the world and for Southeast Asia?
In this episode, we speak to Professor Jeffrey Sachs. He’s an economist from the US and the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He’s been a key advisor to numerous heads of state and governments, including in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, providing guidance on economic reforms and development strategies. He’s also a passionate critic of US foreign policy.
In this episode, we discuss:
• The Doomsday Clock (by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) and how it’s inching closer to midnight.
• Some history and context for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• The slow decline of the American empire and a shift to a multipolar world, driven by the rise of China and Asia as a whole.
• What is the key divide between China and the US? When we look at post WWII and during the Cold War, the divide was between a free flowing capitalist system governed by Western financial institutions versus Marxist-Leninism that focused on strong central planning and closing off the economy to Western FDI. But today, even countries that carry red flags are part of the global capitalist system. What’s the differentiating factor in terms of development theory and practice?
• While ASEAN is friendly with China and recognizes its significance and the importance of South-South solidarity, there is also genuine concern about sovereignty, the South China Sea, etc. How should ASEAN manage China?
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Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse regions on the planet, encompassing over 650 million people across 10 member states with diverse cultures, languages, and political systems. Over the decades, the ASEAN region has transformed from a modest regional grouping into a significant economic powerhouse. Today, it is the fifth-largest economy in the world.
ASEAN is in an interesting juncture right now, with plenty of challenges and opportunities ahead – from navigating the civil war in Myanmar, unequal development across the region and the rise of China.
This month, Malaysia assumed Chairmanship of ASEAN. So, what could that mean for the country and the region?
In this episode, we’re joined by Dato Dr. Ilango Karuppannan, former Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore. He’s an academic and has also contributed to literature, with publications focusing on Malaysia's foreign policy, ASEAN, and Malaysia-Middle East relations.
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Landraub, directed by Kurt Langbein is a documentary that delves into the global issue of land grabbing, where vast amounts of land in developing countries in the global south, including countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are acquired by wealthy corporations from Europe and US. The film highlights the consequences of this practice towards local and indigenous communities.
Landraub will be one of the films screening at the upcoming film festival called Witness the Unseen. It’s now going to be a fully online festival happening on the 9th - 12th January 2025.
If you’d like more information or would like to attend or support the festival, you can contact the organisers Barathi (+60 16-377 9713) or Valter (+60 11-6357 9375).
Image credit: Langbein & Partner
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Have you watched a war film that was shot in an active war zone? The End Will Be Spectacular is a 2019 Kurdish-language film directed by Ersin Çelik, which tells the gripping story of the youth resistance in Sur, the historic district of Diyarbakır, Turkey, amidst the Turkish-Kurdish conflict.
The film is based on true events from 2015-2016, focusing on a young Kurdish woman named Zilan who returns to her hometown only to find it under siege. As she joins the local resistance, the film portrays the harsh realities of war, the spirit of defiance, and the sacrifices made by the Kurdish youth.
The End Will Be Spectacular will be one of the films screening at the upcoming film festival called Witness the Unseen. It’s now going to be a fully online festival happening on the 9th - 12th January 2025.
If you’d like more information or would like to attend or support the festival, you can contact the organisers Barathi (+60 16-377 9713) or Valter (+60 11-6357 9375).
Image credits: IMDb, Sheriff Cicek (IG)
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Sankara is Not Dead is a 2019 French documentary by Lucie Viver. The film follows Bikontine, a young poet from Burkina Faso, who embarks on a journey along the country's sole railway line after the uprising of 2014 against President Blaise Compaoré. Travelling from south to north, he engages with fellow citizens in cities and villages, exploring their dreams, disappointments, and the enduring legacy of former revolutionary left-wing president Thomas Sankara.
Sankara is not Dead will be one of the films screening at the upcoming film festival called Witness the Unseen. It’s now going to be a fully online festival happening on the 9th - 12th January 2025.
If you’d like more information or would like to attend or support the festival, you can contact the organisers Barathi (+60 16-377 9713) or Valter (+60 11-6357 9375).
Image credit: IMDb
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When many of us think of AI, we think of ChatGPT or self-driving cars. But with each passing day, AI is also used more and more in warfare. While proponents of the usage of AI in armed conflict cite operational efficiency, precision, and speed, the reality is often much different. It raises pressing ethical and legal questions including abuse and a lack of accountability. For example, AI has been used to speed up the Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. We discuss this with Nour Naim, who’s a researcher in AI Ethics and the Executive Director of AI Minds Academy.
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Everything Must Fall is a 2018 documentary film by Rehad Desai, centered on South Africa's #FeesMustFall movement. The film provides a gripping account of the student-led protests that erupted across South African universities in 2015, demanding free, decolonized education and an end to systemic inequalities within higher education institutions.
In this episode, we speak to Rehad Desai about his film and the student-led movement in South Africa.
Everything Must Fall is one of the documentaries that will be screened at the upcoming film festival called Witness the Unseen, happening at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on the 9th - 12th January 2025.
For more information, contact Barathi (+60 16-377 9713) or Valter at (+60 11-6357 9375).
*Update(7/01/2025): As per the organiser, Everything Must Fall will no longer be part of the Witness the Unseen film festival, due to unforeseen circumstances.
Image credits: MUBI, Rehad Desai (via The Left Berlin)
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We live in an increasingly polarised world. Ethnonationalism and other forms of right wing and ultra-conservative populist movements are on the rise in Malaysia and across the world. People are pushing further away from each other. Prejudice fuels political discourse. Why is this happening and what can we do about it?
Dr Tee Chen Giap and Chew Zhun Yee, co-founders of the Malaysian Philosophy Society, join the show to talk about the issue of polarisation as well as the upcoming International Think Big Summit 2024, happening on the 15th of December, where these questions will be addressed.
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Here are two important statistics you need to know. One, only 55% of working age women in Malaysia are part of the labour force, compared to 81% of men. Two, women receive RM 66 for every RM 100 in salaries and wages received by men.
This highlights profound economic disparities between the genders in Malaysia. But why is this the case? And what can be done about it?
These are some of the important questions that the Malaysia Women and Girls Forum will be addressing at this year’s event themed Women & Nation Building - The Foundations of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
In this episode, we speak to Tengku Aira Tengku Razif, Assistant Representative, UNFPA Malaysia and Tehmina Kaoosji, MWGF Head of Secretariat.
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EMPOWER, in collaboration with civil society coalitions like JAG, BERSIH, and CSO Platform for Reform, has launched the Projek30% campaign to push political parties to field at least 30% women candidates in the next General Election (GE16).
But why is there a lack of representation among women in politics and what is the impact?
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Ahmed Alnaouq, a Palestinian activist and journalist based in the UK, is the co-founder of We Are Not Numbers, a platform that empowers young Palestinians to share their stories and experiences with the world through storytelling and journalism.
In October 2023, Israel dropped a bomb on his family home, killing 21 of his closest relatives in the process, including his father, brothers and sisters.
On today’s episode, we have a heartfelt conversation with Ahmed about his childhood, feeling survivor’s guilt after the death of his family, if the world passed the Gaza litmus test of morality and more.
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Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant. They were charged with crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and inhumane acts, as well as the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, one of the top ranking military commanders of the Palestinian political party and armed resistance group, Hamas.
But what does all this mean in practice? After all, the genocide in Gaza by Israel is still ongoing and there are still illegal violent settler expansions in the West Bank. And considering Malaysia isn’t a member of the International Criminal Court, can we arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot on Malaysian soil?
We unpack this with Dr Jinan Bastaki, Associate Professor of Legal Studies, NYU Abu Dhabi.
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Dato’ Mohammed Hussein was with the Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) Group for 31 years. Prior to his retirement on 30 January 2008, he was the Deputy President/Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of Maybank Group.
He wrote a book recently— How Malaysia Missed 7 Chances at Nation-Building. In it, he analyses seven pivotal events in Malaysia’s history, including 13 May 1969 and the implementation of the NEP, and questions if these moments were opportunities missed in building a united and prosperous nation. We unpack the book with Dato’ Mohammed Hussein.
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Media freedom or freedom of the press is something journalists in Malaysia have been grappling with for many decades. For many years, draconian laws have been used to clamp down on journalists and the media. Many have also been arrested.
While there is no denying that the media has more freedom post-2018 elections and that journalists don’t get arrested as much today as they once did, little has changed in terms of legislation and structure. Draconian laws still exist and can be weaponised.
Now, advocates for freedom of the press have been pushing for a media council. But what exactly is it, how would it work and what good could come out of it?
We speak to Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director of the Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ).
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Malaysia is at an interesting juncture right now. In 2018, Malaysians voted out the Barisan Nasional government that was once thought invincible and had ruled the country since its independence. Then there was a period of political instability since Langkah Sheraton until about a week after GE15. Now, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the helm, things have finally stabilised.
In an article for The Lowy Institute, Ooi Kok Hin argues that Malaysia’s democratic transition is an important case for Southeast Asia and the Muslim-majority world and that the country has the potential to lead regional democratic discourse during its 2025 ASEAN chairmanship.
So, what are the opportunities that lie ahead? We speak to Kok Hin.
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Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America.
He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably. Heading to this year’s polls, all eyes were on the seven swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump managed to win every single one of these states. Not only that, but he is also the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
So, how did he do it?
We speak to Prof Peter Beattie, Political Economist & Political Psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
In part 2 of this conversation, we discuss:
• How progressives like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar won their seats despite not endorsing Kamala Harris and Joe Biden
• Is the Obama coalition finished?
• What’s the antidote to right-wing populism?
• What we can expect from Trump 2.0
Click here to listen to part 1.
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Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America.
He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably. Heading to this year’s polls, all eyes were on the seven swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump managed to win every single one of these states. Not only that, but he is also the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
So, how did he do it?
I speak to Prof Peter Beattie, Political Economist & Political Psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
In part 1 of this conversation, we discuss:
• How the rise of inequality in the US contributes to Trump winning
• Why some of Joe Biden’s progressive policies did not sway voters
• How the media landscape in the US shapes politics
• US government’s backing of Israel’s genocide in Gaza
• If the Democratic Party is too left-wing/progressive
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In October, the Parliament of Malaysia passed controversial amendments to the constitution’s citizenship provisions via a Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024. According to critics, the bill is a case of one step forward, a few unnecessary steps backward. While the bill seeks to grant citizenship to overseas-born children of Malaysian women, it also includes a whole host of regressive amendments which will worsen conditions for other categories of stateless people in Malaysia. This move was the last straw for Yap Xiang, who resigned in protest as vice-chief of PKR’s student wing Mahasiswa Keadilan Malaysia. The student wing had previously rallied with other NGOs against the regressive provisions of the bill outside Parliament in March. Yap Xiang, who’s also a member of Borneo Komrad, joins us in conversation.
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Everyone knows that politics in Malaysia is highly racialised. What’s usually missing from the discourse is how there is an aspect of class, material conditions and even land use that intertwines and even anchors racial politics. For example, did you know that people in areas with higher industrial and commercial activities tend to vote for Pakatan Harapan, while those residing in less developed or agricultural land tend to vote for Perikatan Nasional? This is especially pronounced in the Penang state. We speak to Aziff Azuddin who recently penned an article for The Star highlighting exactly that. Aziff has been researching the politics of Malay youths for quite some time now.
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Ask around and many will tell you that the biggest problem Malaysians face is wages. Wages in Malaysia have been stagnant for more than a couple of decades now. Inequality is on the rise. So, what could be a solution?
What if it’s a Universal Basic Income?
In this episode, we speak to some researchers who are pushing for universal basic income in Malaysia, namely Dr Sarath Davala, John Michael and Lee Seng Kiat from the Basic Income Earth Network, as well as Prof Geoffrey Williams, Economist and Director of Williams Business Consultancy. The four of them recently produced a paper on what a universal basic income could look like in Malaysia.
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Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The big positive is that this isn’t an austerity budget by any stretch of the imagination. The government is spending. But does this budget address the care economy? How much does it address the needs of caregivers and the care industry?
We speak to Lee Min Hui, a gender consultant at the United Nations Population Fund Malaysia.
This BFM Budget 2025 Special is brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The question is: Does the budget address the needs of the working class, particularly the B40 and the middle class?
We speak to Arveent Kathirchelvan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
This BFM Budget 2025 Special is brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, rising inequality and stagnating wages, Malaysians face mounting challenges. This is especially true if you’re working class, even if you’re middle class.
Since the tabling of Budget 2025 is just around the corner, on today’s episode, we take a look at what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
We speak to three labour rights activists, Adrian Pereira of North South Initiative, J. Solomon of National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) and Alex Ong of Migrant Care.
This BFM Budget 2025 Special is brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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Malaysia’s labour force participation rate among females has plateaued at around 55% for many years now, while the male labour force participation rate is more than 80%. But why is this the case and what can we do about it? With the tabling of Budget 2025 around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be talking about what Budget 2025 can do to address gender disparities in the Malaysian workforce. We ask Anis Farid from Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and Abinaya Dhivya from the Gender Budget Group, for their Budget 2025 wishlists.
Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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The death penalty not only impacts those on death row, but their families as well, causing emotional, psychological and economic strain as they navigate the uncertainties and stigma surrounding their loved ones’ fates. Malaysia has abolished the mandatory death penalty but the death penalty remains in its discretionary form. We speak to Hayati Mohamad, a founder of Pertubuhan Keluarga Kasih (KeKasih) and a family member of someone on death row, Norlia, also a member of KeKasih, and Tham Jia Vern, Research Lead of HAYAT.
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It’s been a year since Palestinian resistance fighters, led by Hamas, broke through the siege of Gaza and the beginning of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza by Israel. More than 41 000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel – which is 1 out of every 55 people. Hospitals have been bombed. Mosques and schools too. According to reports, more than 120 journalists have been killed. Israel doesn’t seem interested in stopping these attacks. In fact, they have only expanded their military campaign to other areas of the region, including bombing Lebanon, killing civilians in the process.
So, where are we right now and what can we expect moving forward?
Joining us to discuss is Muslim Imran, Founding Director, Asia Middle East Center for Research & Dialogue (AMEC).
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Azra Sayeed is a feminist from Pakistan. She’s an academic and activist known for her advocacy on issues related to the rights of marginalised communities, particularly women, peasants and farmers.
She’s the founder and executive director of the Roots for Equity, an NGO based in Karachi that focuses on working with communities at the grassroots level to attain political, economic, social, and environmental justice. Azra has also served as the Chair of the International Women's Alliance (IWA) and APWLD - Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, in various capacities since 1999.
She’s been fighting the good fight for decades. And for the longest of time, she has argued that to be a feminist is to be anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist.
In this episode, we discuss her political-economic views, organising women in farming communities and more.
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Last week, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) submitted a memorandum to the Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim, urging the government to increase the minimum wage to RM 2000. Currently, the minimum wage is set at RM 1500.
Earlier in March, Steven Sim mentioned that the government will review the minimum wage this year, but there have been no updates on the matter since.
We speak to Saratbabu Raman, chief of PSM’s Worker’s Bureau about their push for a higher minimum wage.
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Malaysia will be the chair of ASEAN in 2025.
Many have argued that this is an exhilarating time for the Asian region, particularly Southeast Asia. But while there is excitement and opportunities, there are also plenty of real challenges. One such challenge that ASEAN will have to continue navigating is the crisis in Myanmar.
As we know, Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government, leading to a civil war between the Junta and various pro-democracy and liberation forces. Some have even called it a revolution.
So, what should ASEAN’s role be in this crisis?
In this episode, we speak to Thomas Daniel, who’s a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. He recently wrote an article arguing that with Malaysia as chair, ASEAN should approach the situation in Myanmar much differently than the past few years.
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We often use the word Empire to describe colonial or imperial powers such as the British Empire pre-World War II. Today, more and more people are starting to use the word to describe the United States of America. Some also use the term to describe China. But what exactly does “empire” mean? How do they form? And how does the existence of an empire impact the common working person? We discuss this with Associate Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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Malaysia is quite a polarised nation right now, especially across racial and religious lines. The results of the 2022 General Elections tell us as much. While we cannot and shouldn’t place the blame of the polarization on our electoral system alone, we have to ask if our electoral system does more to bring people together or encourage further polarization. And if we change the system, what would it look like? Separately but on a related note, many have argued that Sabah & Sarawak should have 1/3 Parliamentary Seats or more than that. But how would that actually work in reality?
We speak to Wong Chin Huat who’s a political scientist with Sunway University and is also part of an initiative to advocate for institutional reforms to advance political stability and accountability called Projek SAMA. He has been a champion of moving away from the First Past the Post Electoral System.
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Syed Husin Ali's A People’s History of Malaysia is a brilliant book which offers an alternative narrative of Malaysia's history, centred on the experiences and struggles of ordinary people. The book challenges traditional, elite-centric historical accounts by highlighting the role of workers, peasants, and anti-colonial movements in shaping Malaysia’s development.
In this episode, we discuss the lessons that can be drawn from this book with Emeritus Prof. Abdul Rahman Embong, Sociologist and Anthropologist from UKM.
On a related note, there is an upcoming event by co-organised by Pusat Sejarah Rakyat & Gerakbudaya in memory of the late Syed Husin Ali and his contributions to Malaysian politics over the years. It’s happening on the 21st of September 2024.
Check out their Instagram page for more information and links to register:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DADXXk3p-wr
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It’s been slightly more than a month since the riots in the UK which happened from 30 July to 5 August 2024. The riots were far-right and targeted immigrants, Muslims and refugees, among others. Throughout the riots, there were racist attacks – both verbal and physically violent – arson and looting. This was considered to be the worst instance of social unrest in the UK in over a decade.
So, why did it happen? And what can we learn from it?
Katy Brown is an expert in far-right movements in the UK and Europe. In this episode, we speak to her about the root causes that ultimately triggered the riots, and what can be done to prevent this from happening again.
Photo credit: Monkey Butler Images / Shutterstock.com
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It’s been more than a year now since Malaysia abolished the ‘mandatory death penalty,’ a move that human rights organisations consider a milestone first step towards total abolition of capital punishment. But what has been the impact on the ground, in reality, since last year? Have we seen any real changes?
We speak to Dobby Chew, CEO of the human rights organisation, HAYAT.
Editorial credit: YuriAbas / Shutterstock.com
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S. Balamurugan was found dead on the 8th of February 2017, while detained at the North Klang District Police Headquarters. Arrested on suspicion of a crime, Balamurugan was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse by police officers, even after a magistrate ordered his release and medical treatment due to his poor condition. He was denied care and was later found dead in his cell. Multiple investigations revealed negligence and police misconduct, leading to a Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling in 2024. The court ordered the police and government to pay RM338,000 in damages to his family for negligence, assault, and breach of statutory duty.
This is just one of many cases of death in custody in Malaysia.
We speak to Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director, SUARAM.
There’s also an upcoming exhibition/event by SUARAM called “Ruang Khas” centred around S. Balamurugan and death in police custody.
Date: 27 – 29 September, 2024
Time: 11am to 6pm
Venue: Embrace Hall, Johor Bahru
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A couple of weeks ago, the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received criticism for the government's decision to bring back injured Palestinians for treatment in Malaysia. But were those criticisms justified? In this episode, we explore how Malaysia has been aiding Palestinians and what more needs to be done, with Nur Hafizah, an activist from Viva Palestina Malaysia.
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More and more states in Malaysia are feeling assertive and empowered, pushing the federal government to funnel more money to the state levels.
In light of the MA63 agreement, Sabah and Sarawak's negotiations with the federal government, as well as states such as Johor and Penang's demands for more, we explore this further with Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow at the Malaysian Studies Programme, at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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Right-wing movements are on the rise all over the world. In the past, we’ve discussed the rise of right-wing, ultra-conservative movements with fascist tendencies in Europe, the US and even India.
On today’s show, we continue to explore this phenomenon, this time with an academic from Pakistan.
Dr Taimur Rahman is an academic and the author of The Class Structure of Pakistan, for which he won the Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Award for the "best book on Social Sciences" about Pakistan in 2012.
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On August 9th, A 31-year-old trainee doctor’s dead body and bearing multiple injuries, was found at a government training hospital in Kolkata – a city in West Bengal, India. She was assaulted, raped and murdered. This triggered massive and widespread women-led protests across the country demanding the “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”
In this episode, we unpack the tragic incident and the subsequent women-led mass protests that are currently unfolding, with Srabani Chakraborty, Activist, All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA). She’s also a public policy researcher at Tricontinental Institute, India.
We discuss the the prevalence of rape culture in India, how the state, particularly the right-wing BJP government enables it and the powerful and unprecedented nature of the current waves of protests.
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On today’s episode we’re doing a check-in on the government’s anti-corruption efforts so far. After all, this is a government led by a Prime Minister who repeatedly stresses the importance of combatting corruption. So, what has the MADANI government done well so far and what are the gaps?
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The DEMO project, launched by Zikri Rahman, Jeremy Lim and Ooi Kok Hin, is a collection of interviews documenting the history of Malaysian contemporary protests. It’s an archive of stories on the lived experiences of protest organisers and activists of the past 15 years and aims to be a resource for future activists.
We speak to ⅔ of the brains behind DEMO Project.
DEMO Project Website: https://pusatsejarahrakyat.org/demo/
DEMO Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demoproject.my/
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Professor Kishore Mahbubani is a prominent Singaporean academic and the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in NUS. He’s an ex-diplomat who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and held various senior positions in Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He’s also an author known for his sharp commentary on global affairs, particularly regarding the rise of China and Asia as a whole, the decline of the American Empire and its implication for global political economy. He’s written books such as “Has China Won” and “Can Asians Think” and his latest one – Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir.
In this episode, Kishore Mahbubani joins us in conversation about his life and lessons from years of working as a diplomat. We talk about the rise of Asia, the curious case of Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, the strengths of ASEAN, US-China relations and if we're getting closer to World War III.
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Imagine a parent walking down the street with their 7-year-old child. They walk past a cleaner sweeping the road or perhaps it's someone cutting grass. The parent tells the kid, don't be lazy otherwise you will end up like that cleaner. There is a perception that the poor are poor and remain poor because they are lazy. That persistent poverty can be attributed to personal behaviour.
Political psychologist and political economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Assistant Professor Peter Beattie joins us today to debunk the myths and dive deep into the misconceptions behind this stereotype.
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It's been 79 years today since the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a moment that forever changed the course of history. This event has impacted people's perception towards nuclear, in terms of policy making over the several decades. We will be delving into the anniversary's significance, the impact on Japanese and Malaysian victims, and current reflections. Joining us on the show today to discuss this is Aaron Denison, a doctoral candidate at Hiroshima University.
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Sivaranjani Manickam has been elected the new secretary-general of Parti Sosialis Malaysia at its 26th national congress, which took place at the end of July. Sivaranjani who was formerly the Workers’ Bureau Coordinator of the party takes the reigns from Sivarajan Arumugam, who was the sec-gen for 9 years. She’s been an activist for more than 20 years, been a member of PSM for almost as long and has also worked for UNHCR.
We speak to Sivaranjani about activism and building left movements.
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On the 23rd of July, 12 Palestinian factions including Hamas and the PLO (led by Fatah) signed a “national unity” agreement. The agreement was signed in China and according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the deal was struck after three days of intensive talks and negotiations, laying the foundation for an “interim national reconciliation government.”
But why did this deal need to be struck in the first place? And what does it mean for the future of Palestine?
We speak to Muslim Imran, Founding Director, Asia Middle East Center for Research & Dialogue (AMEC).
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James C. Scott, a prominent American political scientist and anthropologist passed away at 87, on the 19th of July 2024. Scott was known for his work on how the working class and marginalized resist and evade domination by powerful groups, be it the ultra wealthy or the state.
Scott is best known for his book 1985 ‘Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance’ where he studied seventy families in a Malaysian village. Some of his other important books include ‘Seeing Like a State’ and ‘The Moral Economy of the Peasant.’
In this episode, we reflect on James C. Scott’s seminal works with Meredith Weiss, Professor of Political Science, University of Albany and Ooi Kok Hin, Political Sociologist.
Photograph courtesy of James C. Scott via The Regents of the University of California, 2017
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The hiring of migrant domestic workers has for many decades been one of the important options for a segment of Malaysian households to help with care responsibilities at home. At times, the hiring of migrant domestic workers creates an enabling environment for both parents to go to work.
However, the industry is often plagued by corruption, unethical practices, and even human trafficking. There’s also the lack of appreciation and mistreatment of domestic workers.
These are exactly the issues that Pinkcollar has been addressing over the past 5 years. Pinkcollar is an ethical recruitment agency for migrant domestic workers in Malaysia.
Joining me on the show to reflect on the past 5 years are the co-founders of Pinkcollar, Zenna Law and Sophia Jamal.
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National identity and memory are crucial elements of a nation's cultural fabric, reflecting its collective experiences and values. So, what does this mean for nations which were former colonies of empires, such as Malaysia? How does colonialism and periods like the Malayan Emergency continue to shape how we view ourselves in relation to each other and our country?
We speak to Dr Jessica Rapson, from King’s College London. She’s an expert in Cultural Memory and National Identity, as well as, Dr Sarena Abdullah, Art Historian, University Sains Malaysia.
This conversation is in collaboration with CounterArchive: Fictional Healing, a project co-curated by Ong Jo-Lene and Rebecca Yeoh, and involves activating British archival materials from the Malayan Emergency.
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There is a revolution ongoing in Myanmar. But where do the ethnic minority Rohingyas fit into this picture? After all, the Rohingya people have been subject to oppression, dispossession and genocide for decades, even before the recent coup.
Also, Malaysia will be taking up the role of chair of ASEAN from 2025. So, what can we do to push for peace and justice for the Rohingya community?
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Malaysia is polarised. Far-right, ultra-conservative majoritarian movements are gaining traction. This is reflected in the election results of GE15 but we’d be wrong to think that this is just about PAS or one political party. We’re talking about a movement that is rapidly capturing the imagination of young Malays, reshaping how they view themselves in relation to others and this nation.
A period like this requires an antidote in the form of a clear alternative vision for Malaysia – A progressive vision that can capture the hearts and minds of Malaysians. Is the MADANI concept that vision?
In a recent column on The Star titled ‘Nostalgia knot’, Aziff Azuddin argued that 2 years in and the MADANI concept still remains unclear to many Malaysians and that Malay youths, in particular, feel disconnected from it.
Aziff joins us in this episode for a conversation.
Image Credit: Cik Bak via Shutterstock
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It was a historic defeat for the Conservative Tory Party, led by Rishi Sunak at the 2024 UK General Election, losing more than half the seats they previously held. The Conservatives have been in power for 14 years.
In that same vein, the Labour Party led by Sir Kier Starmer saw a massive victory, winning 412 of the 650 seats available.
Separately, the second round of the French Legislative Elections saw the Left-wing coalition New Popular Front led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon defeat both the Far-Right led by Marine Le Pen and the neoliberal technocrats led by Emmanuel Macron.
We unpack the results with Katy Brown, Postdoctoral Fellow, Maynooth University. Katy focuses on politics in the UK and Europe.
Image Credits:
Sir Kier Starmer - Sean Aidan Calderbank via Shutterstock
Jean-Luc Mélenchon - Gerard Bottino via Shutterstock
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Teoh Beng Hock was once a promising young journalist and political aide to a member of the Selangor state legislative assembly from Pakatan Rakyat. In 2009, he was called in for a MACC investigation. He was later found dead on the rooftop of a building near the MACC offices. His unexplained death has sparked public outcry and ongoing calls for justice and accountability.
However, 15 years in, there is still no justice for Teoh Beng Hock and no closure for his family. On the 13-16 of July, the Teoh Beng Hock Association For Democratic Advancement will be having a Walk for Justice and a Memorial Night in honour of Teoh Beng Hock.
We speak to Kenneth Cheng from the Teoh Beng Hock Association For Democratic Advancement.
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Malaysia is becoming an ageing society and concurrently, there are changes in family structures. People are growing older, living longer, choosing to have less children or no children and unlike our grandparents' time, big families generally don’t tend to live under one roof anymore, for various reasons. This may not be an issue in and of itself but the problem arises because our current economic framework does not take into account these shifts, and unless changes happen quickly, there are going to be consequences. And the brunt of these consequences is going to be felt – or is already being felt – specifically by women.
ISIS Malaysia recently published a paper that seeks to address this very issue. The paper is titled Building a Cradle-to-Grave Care Economy for Malaysia and is written by Lee Min Hui, Calvin Cheng, Shazana Agha and Anis Farid. In this episode, Min Hui joins us to unpack the findings of their study.
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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a global grassroots movement aiming to end Gaza's blockade, address the humanitarian crisis, and support Palestinian rights. And they do so, interestingly… by sailing!
In this episode, we speak with James Godfrey, visiting from Australia, who volunteers on the international steering committee for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The latest FFC missions are preparing to sail to Gaza in the coming weeks. One is a small boat which is stopping in European and Mediterranean ports on the way. The other mission is three ships - two cruise boats carrying hundreds of participants, including approximately 20 Malaysians, and one cargo ship carrying 5,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid.
To keep up to date on both Freedom Flotilla missions and follow the Malaysian participants sailing to Gaza follow Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE) socials on Instagram (mycare.hq) and their telegram channel (MyCARE). All the relevant information and links will be in the podcast description.
Image Credit: Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)
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The European Union Parliamentary Elections took place from the 6th - 9th of June and saw far-right parties make big gains. The mainstream centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) maintained the most seats of any single group in the legislative body, but the far-right ultra-conservatives have now almost one-quarter of the total seats.
So, how did this happen, and what does it mean for the future?
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Recently, the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah were evicted from their homes by authorities. The Indigenous stateless population saw their stilt and boathouses demolished and burned down, leaving them with nothing and nowhere to go.
So, why was this done? Is it because of national and state security, a reason so often given by the political elites? Well, a few days after the eviction, news broke that a 21-acre Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB) land in Kampung Air, Semporna will be turned into a RM478 million township, to meet tourist demands.
So, what does peace and justice for the Bajau Laut community look like?
We speak to Wan Shakila Adiela Wan Azmi, Member of Borneo Komrad. Borneo Komrad is an initiative organization of students and young people from Sabah to build social advocacy such as education, culture and human rights. They run a school called 'Sekolah Alternatif' to empower Bajau Laut children and teenagers.
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There are about 189,340 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia. These are only the ones registered under UNHCR, which means the actual figure is likely much, much higher. And it’s only going to go up in the near future, given the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, genocide in Gaza and conflicts on the rise in various parts of the world.
The question is, what can and should we do about it?
We speak to Dr Melati Nungsari, Associate Professor of Economics and the Deputy Dean of Research, Asia School of Business. Dr Melati has done plenty of research on refugee rights. The Asia School of Business & UNHCR also recently held a conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu Supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a shocking setback in the recent general elections. The BJP is still the most popular party in India, winning 240 seats in Parliament. However, they fell short of the 272-seat majority needed to form the government by themselves. This contrasts the past two elections in which BJP won comfortable majorities.
Although the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 283 seats collectively, enabling them to form the next government and Modi as the PM once again, the BJP will now depend on coalition partners.
The opposition coalition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party and includes Tamil Nadu’s DMK, Kerala’s CPI-Marxists and various others, won 223 seats, surpassing expectations. The BJP has also continued to struggle to penetrate states in South India, winning only 1 seat in Kerala and 0 in Tamil Nadu.
So, what does this result mean?
We speak to Subin Dennis, an economist & policy researcher from Tricontinental Research India.
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On the 10th of June, the Malaysian government officially implemented the Diesel Subsidy reform, moving away from decades-old blanket subsidies. The Prime Minister has stressed that this move will save the government billions of ringgit annually and discourage smuggling and corruption. The government also said that the burden of removing these subsidies will only be felt by the T20 income earners and will not impact the B40 and M40.
So, what are the potential long-term benefits of this reform and are there potential downsides? And what should the government do with the billions of ringgit they are projected to save from this reform?
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Israel has continued its destruction of Gaza and refugee camps in Rafah. Around 40 000 Palestinians have been killed, half of whom are children. Besides “weak” statements about “red lines” The United States of America, currently led by Joe Biden, has continued to give their full backing to Israel.
But a couple of things for Malaysians to ponder. One, are we doing enough to help Palestinians? Two, why is it that in many parts of the world, the struggle for Palestinian liberation has reinvigorated progressive forces, but in polarised Malaysia, even this issue is used to sow division around racial lines?
We have a conversation with YB Nurul Izzah Anwar, Vice President of KEADILAN.
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Last week, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections held the Bersih Congress 2024. Close to 300 highly energetic people packed the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall to discuss the future of the nation. On top of panel discussions, there were also motions that were debated and passed. These motions will be part of Bersih’s agenda moving forward.
We discuss this with Wong Yan Ke, Deputy Chairperson of Bersih.
Image Credit: Facebook
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The mainstream narrative over the past several decades suggests that inequality is not a significant concern; That so long as the material conditions are going up on average, inequality doesn’t matter; That as long as you’re raising the income ceiling and the floor, the gap between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots does not matter.
But here’s the thing: It does matter!
Understanding inequality is incredibly important, not just to make sense of the economy as a whole but to make sense of political trends, as well.
Robert Reich is the former US Secretary of Labour, and has spent many, many years studying inequality. He is a Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He co-founded inequality media and is the author of books such as ‘The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It’ and ‘The Common Good’.
We speak to Robert Reich on why inequality matters.
Robert Reich will be a speaker at the International Social Wellbeing Conference 2024 organised by KWSP happening on the 4-5 of June.
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About 1 million Palestinians who fled the main city of Gaza due to Israel’s bombardment and acts of genocide are currently seeking refuge in Rafah. Rafah was supposed to be a safe zone. It was declared a safe zone by Israel. But guess what? The Zionist regime, currently led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invaded Rafah and is continuing its ethnic cleansing.
Just about a day ago, Israeli forces bombed a camp housing displaced Palestinians, killing 45 people.
Our guest in this episode is Eman Abdelhadi who’s of Palestinian heritage. She’s a Professor at the University of Chicago, an activist and the co-author of the book ‘Everything For Everyone.’
We speak to her about the Nakba, what’s happening in Rafah and Joe Biden’s chances of getting reelected at the end of this year.
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We are all part of a global capitalist system dominated by US hegemony – an imperialist force. This is especially true since the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was such a monumental moment that American political scientist Francis Fukuyama wrote a book called The End of History, in 1992.
Clearly, he was wrong. Fukuyama himself has admitted so.
Today, China’s rise among many other factors has challenged the global dominance of American imperialism and neoliberalism. However, some experts say an empire in decline is at its most dangerous. So, how do we make sense of this changing global political economy?
Our guest in this episode is Vijay Prashad. Vijay is an Indian historian, journalist, commentator, and prominent intellectual. He’s written numerous books, including some of my favourites Red Star Over the Third World, On Cuba and The Withdrawal, the latter two he wrote with Noam Chomsky. And he’s the director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, which recently published a paper titled Hyper-Imperialism: A Dangerous Decadent New Stage.
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Malaysia has a rich history of student-led movements. If we look at the period of pre-independence and after independence, student movements were radically progressive, vibrant and strong. While the 80s - 2000s saw suffocation of these movements, there was a revitalisation of student movements in the 2010s.
But what about today?
We speak to Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director of Bersih. Not only is he an activist himself, he’s also someone who has done and continues to do a lot of research and writing on the activism scene in Malaysia.
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Early in May, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming announced the 26-year-old housing woes of five estates in Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor have been resolved. 245 workers from Ladang Mary, Ldg Sg Tinggi, Minyak, Nigel Gardner, and Ladang Bukit Tagar will receive subsidised affordable landed housing.
But why did these workers have to struggle for 26 years for something that should be a fundamental human right – adequate housing? What can we learn from it?
We speak to S. Arutchelvan, Deputy Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
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The All-Party Parliamentary Group of Malaysia on Integrity, Governance, and Anti-Corruption (APPGM-IGAR) is once again calling on the government to enhance transparency and accountability in Malaysia’s democratic reforms.
What are the specific reforms that we need?
Joining me on the show to discuss this is Dr Tricia Yeoh, CEO of IDEAS – The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs. Dr Tricia is also a representative of the APPGM-IGAR.
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Pakatan Harapan retained its Kuala Kubu Bharu state seat at the by-elections which took place over the weekend. Before the elections, many pundits predicted that this would likely be an incredibly tough battle in which either side would win by the slimmest of majorities. Interestingly, Pakatan Harapan’s Pang Sock Tao from the DAP increased their vote share and won relatively comfortably with 57% of the popular vote, while PN’s Khairul Azhari Saut garnered 41% of the vote.
So, what does the KKB by-election result tell us?
Image Credit: DAP Website
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Last Sunday, the Zionist state of Israel voted to shut down Al Jazeera in the country, immediately ordering the closure of its offices and a ban on the company's broadcasts.
Over in the United States of America, peaceful university encampments and protests have been taking place all over the country. The state, the supposed land of the free, has responded to these protests by unleashing armed police officers in riot gear.
So, where does that leave us today?
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In 2020, Malaysia became an ageing society – in other words, people are living longer and having less babies.
On a separate but related note, women’s participation in the workforce has plateaued at 55%, with most citing “household and care responsibilities” as the primary reason.
These are big-picture problems that would require comprehensive policy intervention centred around something called the Care Economy.
But what exactly is the Care Economy? And what can Malaysia learn from other countries with more mature and robust care economies, such as Australia?
Image Credit: Shutterstock (Ai generated image)
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Malaysia dropped 34 places in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom rankings placing us at 107 out of 180 countries listed. For the first time in three years, Malaysia does not top the rankings for ASEAN countries as Thailand attained 87th place.
Nalini Elumalai of Article 19 (Malaysia) joins us to discuss this sharp decline in rankings.
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South Africans celebrate “Freedom Day” every April 27, commemorating the country’s first democratic election in 1994. It also marked the official end of racial segregation and apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid and racial segregation meant that there was a huge inequality and inequity gap between the ethnic groups in South Africa, namely the minority white population and the poorer majority black population. To tackle this, South Africa implemented an affirmative action policy which bears some resemblance to Malaysia’s New Economic Policy.
So, decades on, what has been the result of the affirmative action policy in Malaysia and South Africa?
Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, who’s a Senior Fellow of the Malaysian Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, has spent many years studying the ethnic majority-favouring affirmative action policy in South Africa and Malaysia. He joins us on the show today to share his insights.
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The Kuala Kubu Bharu by-elections will be held on the 11th of May. This comes at the heels of the unfortunate passing of KKB incumbent ADUN, Lee Kee Hiong from the DAP.
The by-election will see a four-cornered fight between Pang Sock Tao from Pakatan Harapan, Khairul Azhari Saut from Perikatan Nasional, Hafizah Zainuddin from Parti Rakyat Malaysia and Nyau Ke Xin running as an independent.
So, how closely contested will this election be? What can the voting trends of the past decade tell us? We speak to Danesh Prakash Chako of Tindak Malaysia.
Image Credit: YuriAbas, Shutterstock
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Right-wing parties are gaining traction and strength all over Europe. Germany is no different, where a far-right party called Alternative for Germany (AfD) is becoming increasingly popular and is said to command around 20% of the popular support.
So, why is this happening?
We speak to Dr Frederik Holst, an academic from Germany and an Associate Professor at Albukhary International University (AIU).
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On the 1st of April, there was a deadly strike by Israel on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. Iranian military commander, Major General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was killed in the attack, along with six other Iranian nationals, including another general, and at least six Syrian citizens.
In retaliation, on April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel in what they called ‘Operation True Promise’.
But what lies at the heart of this conflict and how will it impact the Middle East?
We speak to Dr. Assal Rad, a scholar of Middle Eastern history. She works on research related to US foreign policy issues, the Middle East, and contemporary Iran. She’s also the author of ‘The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran’.
Image Credit: Shutterstock (Ai-Generated Image)
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When discussing Malaysian politics, there is a tendency by many to look at “The Malays” as a singular block. On the one hand, there is a penchant for some to blame “The Malays” for our nation’s 99 problems. On the other hand, Malay political elites tend to propagate a narrative in which “The Malays” were “united” across racial lines once upon a time and so, there is a need to reunite the Malays once more.
But are the Malays a monolith? Have they ever been?
Producer's note: A couple of factual errors were made in the conversation -
- Concerning May 13, MCA was cited when it should've been Gerakan.
- The Memali incident took place in the 80s, not 50s.
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In what appears to be a massive blow to the rights of Malaysian workers, The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Malaysia's Industrial Court cannot hear the case of L. Subramaniam, a former security guard allegedly unfairly sacked by the US Embassy without reason. Previously, the Malaysian Industrial Court ordered the US Embassy to pay L. Subramaniam RM 66 000. The US Embassy then turned to the Malaysian civil court to quash the ruling. The US Embassy claims that it has absolute immunity.
So, what does this mean for Malaysians working in foreign embassies?
Image Credit: Parti Sosialis Malaysia
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Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) has released its 2023 human rights report. In this episode, we take a look at the various human rights violations that have occurred throughout 2023, here in Malaysia, and discuss changes that should happen in 2024.
We speak to Jernell Tan, Documentation & Monitoring Coordinator, SUARAM.
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Growing up, we read about the Holocaust and the Nazis and we think “How did people of that generation ever let this happen?” “How did the world stand and watch?”
Well, we’re living through a massive genocide right now. Since last October, Israel has killed more than 30 000 people, half of whom are children. This is on top of the illegal occupation, settler colonialism, dispossession, ethnic cleansing the Palestinians have faced at the hands of the State of Israel for the past 70 years.
We’re watching massacres happen live.
Yet, the most influential media companies in the world, from the West, still take the Pro-Israel stance. There are millions of people protesting all over the world, including in the US and the UK. Hundreds of thousands of people march against their governments in DC and London, yet the political class of the Western Empire do not budge from their Pro-Israel stance.
Many people around the world are feeling hopeless. There’s a sense of doomerism, understandably so. It feels like no matter what we do, we can’t defeat the bad guys.
So, how do we make sense of all of this?
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For months, the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA), constitutional experts and more have been pushing back against many of the proposed amendments by the Home Ministry due to its regressive and cruel nature that will only perpetuate statelessness. Last week, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 which concerns stateless people, was tabled in Parliament. Interestingly, the Bill wasn’t voted on in Parliament due to “lack of time.”
So, what is the content of the Bill that eventually hit parliament floors? What does it mean that the bill wasn’t voted on? What changes do we need to see before Parliament sits again in June?
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The government of Malaysia will be launching the Progressive Wage Policy voluntary pilot programme in June. The policy draws inspiration from Singapore’s Progressive Wage Model, albeit with some key differences. So, what are these key differences and what can Malaysia learn from the successes and flaws of the Singapore model?
Calvin Cheng and Kevin Zhang are two public policy researchers who recently wrote a paper for the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) titled Malaysia’s Progressive Wage: A Guide to Policy Design Considerations for Effective Implementation.
We unpack their paper in this episode.
Image credit: Shutterstock AI
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The Greater Klang Valley is a wonderfully diverse city of 8 million people and growing. And if there’s one thing the millions of people share is our frustration with the consistently congested streets. But what can we do about it?
SocDem Malaysia is a new centre-left Think Tank. They recently released a research paper arguing that the central problem is the lack of a complete public transportation network, anchored by buses. They argue that if we are serious about tackling this problem, the Klang Valley needs 7000 more buses on the road.
We speak to the co-founders of SocDem Malaysia, Rajiv Rishyakaran, (who’s also the ADUN of Bukit Gasing) and Kusaaliny Mahendran, (who’s also a Councillor at Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
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The government of Malaysia has announced its intention to abolish the popular pension system for future civil service recruits and switch to retirement funds by way of EPF savings.
But is this a good move – one that would benefit members of the civil service and the country as a whole or will this be detrimental to members of the civil service, especially those earning lower wages?
We speak to Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme, and Coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
Image credit: Shutterstock
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The Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim has announced that the government will review the minimum wage this year in accordance with the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011.
The question is, what should the new minimum wage be? How much should it increase from the current RM 1500? We speak to Alex Ong, Labour Rights Activist & Malaysian Coordinator of Migrant Care AND Sivaranjani Manickam, National Workers Bureau Coordinator, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
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There is a revolution ongoing in Myanmar. The people of Myanmar of various political ideologies and regions are engaging in civil disobedience and have also taken up arms against the military junta. There’s been talk about forging a new constitution and building a new Myanmar beyond and free from the junta.
But where do the ethnic minority Rohingyas fit into this picture? After all, the Rohingya people have been subject to oppression, dispossession and genocide for decades, even before the recent coup. Millions of displaced Rohingyas are refugees in various parts of the world. We speak to Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist, who’s currently based in Germany.
Image credit: Free Rohingya Coalition
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Bersatu has been on the news a lot lately largely because there have been many MPs from Bersatu who are now pledging support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani government. The party isn’t just bleeding MPs though but members at all levels. So, what does this mean for Bersatu’s future?
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Our global political economy is going through some massive changes. Many experts have said that we could be witnessing the slow decline of the US & Western Empire right now. Are we moving towards a multipolar world? What role will China play? And after more than 40 years of neoliberalism, why are we seeing growing fascist or right-wing populist movements across the globe?
These are big questions.
We speak to Professor Venkatesh Athreya, Economist & Activist from Tamil Nadu, India.
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For there to be a proper functioning democracy, we need a proper functioning media system – one that’s focused on the democratisation of ideas and robust debate between various viewpoints. However, the hyper-commercial media landscape today couldn’t be further from that. Fake news, half-truths, narrow perspectives, playing to the gallery and rage-baiting culture wars have greatly contributed to the polarisation we see across the world.
Peter Beattie, who’s a regular guest on this show, wrote a book titled Social Evolution, Political Psychology, and the Media in Democracy which focuses on problems with the media landscape today and what needs to be done to make it better. We unpack his book in this episode.
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Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian Theologian, academic and activist. He has written extensively on issues related to theology and politics in the Middle East and is an advocate for peace and justice in the region. He joins us in this episode to discuss the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, Palestine by the Zionist Israel regime, and how Palestinian Christians are often left out of the conversation to fit the narrative of Western powers.
Image credit: Shutterstock & Bethlehem Bible College
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In Malaysia, for every RM 100 in wages received by men, women only receive RM 66. This is according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM) Gender Gap Index for 2022, which is their latest report. But what exactly does this mean? What are its consequences?
In light of International Women’s Day 2024, we speak to Marina Abdullah, Head of Campaigns, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).
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24-year-old Kusaaliny Mahendran from the DAP, is one of the youngest councillors of Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). Kusha who comes from incredibly humble beginnings is a social democrat who’s passionate about expanding the common good – be it public healthcare, public transportation or public schools and redistributing wealth to the common good.
In this episode, we’re joined by Kusaalini to discuss her journey in politics, what she plans to do as a local councillor and her vision for a better Malaysia.
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The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution has said that the proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution on citizenship matters will be presented to the cabinet on the 8th of March which is this Friday. The cabinet will then decide if the bill is ready to be tabled in Parliament.
So, what are stateless people and NGOs working with the stateless concerned about? Well, the proposal by the Home Ministry is a mixed bag – one step forward, several steps back – with severe consequences. But it’s not too late to stop it.
In this episode, we’re joined by an expert in statelessness at an International level. She’s Associate Professor Radha Govil from the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness, University of Melbourne. She also wrote a chapter on women in the book ‘Nationality and Statelessness under International Law’ which is what this episode is centred around.
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Last week, in light of the passing of Taib Mahmud, we discussed the legacy of the Sarawakian strongman and how his policies shaped Sarawak over the years, for better or worse.
This week, we look to the future and explore how will Sarawak emerge from under the shadow of Taib Mahmud.
We once again speak to Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania.
Image credits: (Left: Shutterstock), (Right: Flickr, Ben Sutherland)
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The inequality between the haves and have-nots, has reached unprecedented levels. According to OxFam, a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty, since 2020 the five richest men in the world have seen their fortunes more than double, while almost five billion people have seen their wealth fall. Globally, men own US$105 trillion more wealth than women. The world’s richest 1% own 43% of all global financial assets. In other words, the wealthy got wealthier, everybody else got a lot poorer.
We speak to Peter Beattie, who’s a political economist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
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In December we did a show called Public Transport in the Klang Valley: Are We on the Right Track? In that episode, we took a look at our transit network in Greater Kuala Lumpur and the philosophy and policies that guide our public transport infrastructure development.
In this episode, we take a look at public transport beyond the Klang Valley.
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72-Year-Old Prabowo Subianto of the Gerinda party will be the new President of Indonesia, after defeating Ganjar Pranowo of PDI-P, and Anies Baswedan, independent candidate.
A few interesting things to note: Prabowo won emphatically in one round, receiving around 58%-60% of the votes – making him an incredibly popular president; Prabowo’s running mate, who will now be vice president, is Jokowi’s son, Gibran; While PDI-P’s candidate did not win the Presidential election, the party won the most seats in the House of Representatives.
So, what does all of this mean for the future of the Indonesian political economy?
Made Supriatma from ISEAS is back to share his insights.
Image credit: Shutterstock Inc.
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Former Sarawak governor Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud has passed away. He was 87 years old when he died in a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Taib Mahmud served as the Chief Minister of Sarawak from March 1981 to February 2014 – that’s 33 years, making him the longest-serving CM in Malaysian history.
He also served as the 7th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak from March 2014 to January 2024. Taib Mahmud was an incredibly important figure in Sarawak and Malaysian politics. But how will history remember him? And how will Sarawak emerge from his shadow?
In this episode, we discuss the legacy of Sarawak’s strongman, and next week, we take a look at the future of the East Malaysian state. We’re joined by Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania.
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Over the past few months, the Zionist regime of Israel has been carrying out a cruel campaign of bombardment and genocide against Palestinians in the city of Gaza. Close to 30 000 people have been killed, half of whom are children. More than 2 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes.
Israel claims that this is merely a response to the attacks by Hamas on October 7th 2023. However, we have to keep in mind that Israel has been engaged in settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing relentlessly for decades.
What’s interesting is, that some experts claim that despite killing thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, Israel is not exactly winning this battle. So, who’s winning? We speak to Muslim Imran, Asia Middle East Center for Research & Dialogue (AMEC).
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The Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024, themed “Positive, Progressive, Innovative” will be taking place from the 29th of February to the 2nd of March. It is organised by the Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.
But what exactly are Bumiputera Economic Congresses about? Why should Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras alike keep a close eye on this upcoming one?
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Real-life Abang Adiks are potentially in grave danger, as the government of Malaysia looks to make a bundle of highly regressive and immoral amendments to our citizenship laws. These amendments will perpetuate statelessness among children, condemning them to a life without identity, access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and more.
We must stress that one out of these proposed amendments is a step in the right direction. There are aspects of Malaysia’s citizenship laws that are highly sexist and discriminatory towards women as the Federal Constitution only grants automatic Malaysian citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian men with foreign wives, but not Malaysian women with foreign husbands. After years of advocacy by civil society groups, such as Family Frontiers, the government has been successfully pressured to make the changes.
But instead of just making this one change, the Home Ministry under the stewardship of Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution has decided to make one positive step forward, five cruel steps backwards.
We speak to Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Commissioner, Suhakam.
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The people of Indonesia – the world’s third largest democracy – will be heading to the polls tomorrow, the 14th of February.
The three main presidential candidates are Prabowo Subianto from Gerinda (who has current President Jokowi’s son Gibran, as his running mate), Ganjar Pranowo of PDI-P, and Anies Baswedan, independent candidate.
So, what are the key issues of this election? And how will it shape the future of Indonesia and ASEAN?
We speak to Made Supriatma, Visiting Fellow in the Indonesia Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
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Last week, the Pardons Board decided to halve corrupt former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s prison sentence. It was an anxiety-riddled week, filled with speculation, news reports that were subsequently retracted, silent politicians, curve balls, and a severe lack of transparency on the part of the government, as the public waited with bated breath for the decision from the Pardons Board. It’s a shame that Malaysians had to find out what was going on from the foreign press.
The public response to the decision by the Pardons Board has been loud and angry. Former Damansara MP Tony Pua is under investigation under the Sedition Act for his remarks concerning the Pardons Board decision. The NGO Bersih has held a press conference demanding that the government deliver reforms or face the wrath of the people on the streets.
In this episode, we discuss the political fallout of the Najib drama with Dr Francis Hutchinson, Coordinator of the Malaysian Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director, SUARAM.
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Recently, the world watched South Africa take Israel to the International Court of Justice for the genocidal acts Israel committed in Gaza. After hearing presentations from both sides, the court sided with South Africa. While there is still a long way to go before the case fully concludes at the ICJ, the court has issued a preliminary order barring Israel from further acts of violence against Palestinians. The fact that Israel isn’t complying is hardly surprising.
What’s interesting is Western mainstream media’s coverage of the whole ordeal – which is to pretty much twist the court’s ruling to suit their narrative and protect their interests.
We discuss this and more in this episode.
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When we look at the “Muslim World” – particularly, but not limited to the Middle East – there are many countries which exhibit high levels of authoritarianism or anti-democratic tendencies. There are also many regions which are underdeveloped and riddled with conflict. The Western and/or neoliberal narrative is that the problem is with Islam in and of itself.
This is an incredibly shallow way of looking at things.
In this episode, we have a conversation with Prof Ahmet Kuru, the author of Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison. The book is a deep dive into the rich history and politics of the Muslim World and dissects the issue in detail.
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The Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has been sworn in as the 17th Agong, for a five-year term. His deputy is Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak.
In light of that, we take a look at what exactly the role of the monarchy is according to the Malaysian constitution.
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We live in a globalised society. The world has gotten smaller, especially over the past 30-40 years. Then came the Covid-19 pandemic. Borders were closed for a prolonged period and there was a reduction in international trade. This intensified the process of deglobalisation, something that has been discussed in politics for more than a decade.
So, how has the pandemic influenced – or continues to influence – a local process of deglobalisation here in Malaysia? And what do we do to navigate this?
That’s exactly what the book titled Social and Political Deglobalisation: Covid-19, Conflict, and Uncertainties in Malaysia, seeks to answer. The book is by Associate Prof Dr Khoo Ying Hooi from University Malaya, Associate Professor Dr Anantha Raman Govidasamy from University Malaysia Sabah, and Kavitha Ganesan from University Malaysia Sabah, alongside other researchers. We have a conversation about this book.
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What's Politics is a series where we explore and break down political concepts and ideas.
In this episode, we discuss a concept called neocolonialism. Malaysia and many parts of the Global South may no longer be directly colonised by the British Empire or any other superpower – after all, we don’t see European soldiers marching down our streets with guns. But the truth of the matter is, we still are colonised today, just in different, perhaps more complex ways. So, what exactly is neocolonialism?
Our guest as always is Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, who’s a political economist and political psychologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He’s the author of Social Evolution, Political Psychology, and Media in Democracy.
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Why are our economic narratives often convoluted and incohesive? Malaysia is a capitalist country, but why do some economists say we don't have a cohesive capitalist class? We vote for MPs to sit in Parliament, but where else does power reside? What are the competing interests?
We often try to understand Malaysian politics by looking at it through the prism of race and religion. But to understand contemporary politics -- to understand why Malaysia is the way it is and who holds power in our society -- it is more important to look at political economy and how it has evolved over the years. It is important to understand the relationship between the state and the various classes.
Jeremy Lim, secretary of Imagined Malaysia wrote a paper for the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung titled Malaysia’s Incomplete Revolution: From Comprador Capitalism to State-Led Development to State-Dependent Development, which details the shifts in Malaysia’s political economy over the decades. We speak to Jeremy.
Also mentioned in this podcast:
Traditionalism and the Ascendancy of the Malay Ruling Class in Malaya, by Donna J. Amoroso.
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The Malaysian economy relies on the sweat and toil of migrant workers. Yet, every so often, there will be news about migrant workers who are exploited – underpaid, overworked, passports confiscated, bullied and placed in horrible living conditions. Rarely, if ever, do we hear about employers and recruitment agencies getting arrested for their modern-day slavery practices. Instead, what always ends up happening is the migrant workers themselves, who are already living in poverty and fear, get rounded up and arrested. So, why does this happen? We speak to Charles Santiago, former Klang MP and Co-Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights(APHR).
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Several investigations are being carried out by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) right now into various high-profile individuals. One of which is on former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, whose name was listed on the Pandora Papers in 2021. There’s also the case of the previous government which allegedly spent RM 700 million on publicity efforts. We speak to Raymon Ram who’s a certified fraud examiner & anti-money laundering specialist at Graymatter Forensic Advisory. He’s also a part of Transparency International–Malaysia.
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South Africa, the nation that fought and dismantled Apartheid in their backyard has once again emerged as a country that we should learn from, as they have taken the Zionist State of Israel to court. On the 29th of December, South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel in front of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), concerning Israel’s cruel bombardment of Gaza, Palestine.
Since October 7th, Israel has brutally killed around 25 000 Palestinians, half of whom are children. On top of that, about 1.9 million people have been displaced – which is 85% of the Gazan population. The bombardment and massacre have not stopped. We also have to keep in mind that the Palestinians have suffered 75 years of ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation by Israel.
So, how important are the documents submitted by South Africa, to the ICJ? What could be the outcome?
We speak to Dr Jinan Bastaki, Associate Professor of Legal Studies, at NYU Abu Dhabi. Dr Jinan is an international law scholar who focuses on human rights.
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The care economy is something that we need to take seriously, especially since we’re becoming an ageing nation. But are we on the right track? Not quite, says Edwin Goh, who’s an independent public policy researcher and a columnist at FMT. In one of his columns, he argues that we need new narratives for Malaysia’s care economy. We speak to Edwin Goh.
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
It’s the new year. So, in this episode, we look ahead and discuss some of the key things to keep our eye on in 2024 – the ongoing genocide in Palestine, the upcoming elections in the US and the UK, as well as how China is reshaping global politics.
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It’s been close to 3 years now since the military coup in Myanmar that took place in February 2021. A lot has happened since then. Immediately after the coup, millions took to the streets in a peaceful civil disobedience movement to call for the restoration of democracy. But when the military decided to respond by force, brutally assaulting and even killing protestors, civilians took up arms and formed armed resistance groups. So, what does the future of Myanmar look like?
We speak to Thinzar Shunlei Yi, pro-democracy activist from Myanmar. She’s also the advocacy Coordinator with grassroots coalition Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD).
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It’s the new year! On today’s episode, we reflect on the year that was 2023 and discuss the kind of reforms Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani government should prioritise in their second year in power, with Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director, Bersih.
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Redelineation is a constitutional process of drawing electoral boundaries to ensure that the value of one’s vote is equal irrespective of our geographic and demographic background.
Redelineation exercises can only be done no less than eight years after the last exercise – which means we’re in an incredibly critical juncture right now. Sarawak can begin redelineation exercises this year, Sabah in 2025 and Peninsular Malaysia in 2026.
One of the big questions on everybody’s mind is: Should East Malaysia be allocated 1/3rd of the parliamentary seats?
We speak to Danesh Prakash Chako, Director, Tindak Malaysia – an NGO focused on promoting democracy, good governance and active citizen participation in Malaysia.
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Malaysia is becoming increasingly polarised across racial and religious lines. And while the culture wars dominate political discourse, inequality is on the rise – the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen at an incredibly rapid pace.
On today's episode of '45 Mins With' we're joined by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). Dr Kumar believes that we’re so distracted by racial and religious sentiments, that we’re not talking about one of the biggest issues plaguing Malaysia right now – Transnational Capital and how we’re subservient to it.
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Education is a fundamental human right and should be free, or at least highly affordable for everyone. Unfortunately, the reality on the ground is that education, especially tertiary education, is becoming increasingly unaffordable and students are often forced to take loans just to pursue a bachelor’s degree or their diplomas. Upon completing their education, these students are saddled with massive debt that many cannot afford to pay, due to low wages in the country.
Dr Geoffrey Williams, an economist at the Malaysian University of Science and Technology is someone who believes student loans should be abolished in Malaysia. He joins us on the show today to unpack why we should abolish PTPTN loans and how we can finance our higher education sector.
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There are many different aspects and types of trains in our expanding Transit System in KL and the greater Klang Valley – LRT, MRT, KTM, to name a few. But why do we build public transport infrastructure in Malaysia? What’s our philosophy? Are we heading in the right direction? How do we compare to cities like Singapore, Hongkong, Sydney and Los Angeles? We spoke to Nischal Muniandy, a public policy researcher and committee member of Transit Malaysia.
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If there’s one thing Malaysians can agree on is that wages in this country have been pretty abysmal. We have a shrinking middle class, 35% of working people in the formal sector earn below RM 2000 and the median wage is only RM 2600 – which means 50% of the country earns less than that.
One policy initiative brought about by the Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli is the Progressive Wage Model, which draws inspiration from a similar system in Singapore. The minister recently tabled the policy whitepaper in Parliament and we unpack that with Kevin Zhang of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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The temporary ceasefire in Gaza has ended. Israel has continued its process of genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. In the first 24 hours since the ceasefire ended, Israel killed 700 innocent Palestinians. Israel has killed more than 20 000 people since the 7th of October, including journalists and medical personnel. 1.7 million people have been displaced. Just to keep in mind that the violence did not begin on the 7th of October. Israel has engaged in ethnic cleansing and settler colonialism for more than 70 years.
The question is, where do we go from here? How can peace and justice in Palestine be achieved when they’re going up against not just Israel but Israel with the full backing of the strongest military and economic might in the world, the United States of America?
We speak to Stephen Sizer, Palestinian rights activist, a former priest and the founder and director of Peacemaker Trust, and Saul Takahashi, Professor of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Osaka Jogakuin University.
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
If you’ve listened to this show over the past couple of years, you definitely would’ve heard us say “the past 4 decades of neoliberalism” numerous times over various topics and questions to try and understand various political-economic problems of today. But what is so significant about the past four decades? What is neoliberalism? How did it change the world? And why is it the reason you can’t afford to buy a house?
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Last weekend, PKR held their annual national party congress. This was the second PKR congress held after Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim became Prime Minister (the last congress took place a couple of weeks after Anwar became the PM). A running theme at the congress was maintaining stability, translating good ideas and empathy into concrete policies and implementing reforms. We unpack some of the key themes we picked up from the congress, with Dr Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Center.
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Apart from small pockets around the world, there is no denying that “The Left” or socialist movements are losing. Big time. The world is becoming increasingly polarised and right-wing, ultra-conservative populists are on the rise. But why is this happening, despite the rising cost of living, stagnating wages, the shrinking middle class, unaffordable housing and existential threats such as the climate crisis – events and phenomena that should be bringing people together?
We speak to Sarah Hathway of the Socialist Alliance, Australia – Sarah is also an elected local councillor in the City of Greater Geelong – and Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
On that note, there’s an international conference organised by PSM that’s taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of December at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH). The conference is called RISE RESIST REVOLT: SOCIALISM 2023 and will feature socialist activists, academics, and economists from Malaysia and across the world.
To find out more about the conference or get tickets, visit psm-socialism.webflow.io
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It’s been about a year since Anwar Ibrahim became the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Since taking office, the Prime Minister has promised to weed out corruption, improve the lives of the poorest people in the nation and strengthen institutions. So, how have the Prime Minister and his cabinet performed so far, and what should they focus on looking ahead? In this episode, we discuss institutional reforms and good governance with Syazwan Zainal of the Institute For Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS).
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
Something we tend to hear a lot in conversations is: “There’s no point getting involved in politics. We have no real power to change anything,” or “It’s a waste of time.” So, on today’s show, we will be discussing why you should get involved in politics and how. After all, politics affects all of us, whether we like it or not, whether we realise it or not.
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Civil Society organisations are once again calling on the government to halt the proposed “regressive” alterations to the nation’s citizenship laws. While they welcome some progressive aspects of the proposed amendments – something they’ve been fighting for, for decades – they’re pushing back against the regressive amendments that would only further worsen the issue of statelessness in this country.
The government has responded saying that they’re going to refer the proposed changes to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the council of rulers. And in response to that, a coalition of NGOs has said that they will submit a memorandum of objection to the YDPA and cabinet.
On the 7th of November, as reported by Malaysiakini, a spokesperson for the coalition Cikgu Siti Rahayu Baharin, Co-Founder, Buku Jalanan Chow Kit said the memorandum will be sent as soon as possible.
We speak to Cikgu Siti Rahayu.
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The basic principle of electoral democracy is one person, one vote. Unfortunately, this simple but profound principle is not adhered to by many countries, including Malaysia. What if I told you that the value of your vote and the value of your friend’s vote from a different constituency could be highly unequal? What if I told you that instead of one person one vote, it’s some people one vote, some people 10, depending on where you live?
To address this issue, Bersih alongside 30 election management bodies and civil society participants from 8 countries have come together in a conference and formulated a joint declaration titled ‘The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Apportionment and Boundary Delimitation.’
In this episode, we unpack the KL Declaration with Adhy Aman, Senior Programme Manager, International IDEA and Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director, Bersih.
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Earlier this year, the government of Malaysia took the highly progressive step to abolish the mandatory death penalty. Just to be clear, Malaysia still retained the death penalty but it’s now completely under the discretion of the judges. In other words, before this, there were several offences in which if you’re found guilty, you will receive the death penalty regardless of the circumstances or what the judge thinks. Whereas now, the judge will have the final say.
But is this enough? After all, in a world plagued by injustice and inequality, the death penalty – in any form – stands as a grotesque symbol of our society's flawed pursuit of justice.
We speak to Shreya Rastogi and Neetika Vishwanath from Project 39A, an organisation based in India focused on criminal justice reform and the abolition of the death penalty. We discuss feminism, Angela Davis and how the death penalty and the criminal justice system at large, criminalise the poor and marginalised.
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
In their 1988 book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman argued that mass communication media “are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion."
The book, which is more than 30 years old, still rings incredibly true today. In fact, things have probably gotten worse in some ways. But it’s not just the US. It’s the media across the world, or most parts of the world, at least.
In this episode, we talk to Peter Beattie about how and why the media manufactures consent?
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Israel has continued its bombardment and genocide in Gaza. The Zionist regime, which is a settler colonial military force backed by Western Imperial Powers… has killed at least 8306 Palestinians in Gaza since the 7th of October. UNICEF has said that approximately 420 children are killed every single day in Gaza. Journalists have been killed – doctors, nurses and United Nations staff too. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel. To remind everyone, this “conflict” did not start on the 7th of October 2023. The Palestinians have suffered ethnic cleansing and oppression by Israel for 75 years. Israel is an Apartheid state.
Now, colonialism and ethnic cleansing have led to the displacement of millions of Palestinians over the decades, many of whom have sought refuge in countries around the world, including Malaysia. But are we doing enough?
We speak to Heba Shehab, Palestinian Student in Malaysia and Lubna Sheikh Ghazali, Legal Services and Solutions Manager, Asylum Access.
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On the 24th of October, a Parti Sosialis Malaysia activist, Chong Yee Shan, was left with a bloodied face after being shoved by an officer from the Perak Land and Mines Office (PTG) at a farm in Kanthan, Tambun. This can be seen on videos released by PSM. On top of that, PSM chairperson, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, alongside a couple of other PSM activists and a farmer named Ho Pon Tien were arrested. This was after farmers and activists attempted to stop the officers who went to the location with bulldozers and excavators to evict six farmers.
But who are the Kanthan farmers? And what exactly are they fighting for?
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If you’re a Malaysian, you’ve probably heard of Sang Kancil and the many stories about the little mousedeer such as Hikayat Sang Kancil or Sang Kancil Dengan Buaya. Recently, James Chai – columnist at Malaysiakini, Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, he’s also been a guest on BFM on many occasions – wrote a book also on Sang Kancil. But no, it’s not quite about a mousedeer, per se. The book is called Sang Kancil: A Tale About How Ordinary Malaysians Defied the Odds. In this episode, we speak to James Chai about his book.
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
In this episode, we explore the concept of illegal occupation and Western colonial interests in Israel-Palestine. This is of course in light of the recent events in Palestine, where the State of Israel have been raining bombs on Gaza. More than 3000 Palestinians have been killed in what some experts have called an attempt at genocide and ethnic cleansing. As always, we are joined by Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong. But first, we hear from Areej Masoud, a Palestinian Christian, who’s a women’s rights activist. She’s the Program Director & Lead Educator at Khayari/My Choice: Women’s Leadership & Economic Empowerment Initiative in Palestine.
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Last Friday, the MADANI government tabled the largest budget ever in Malaysia’s history, with a total allocation of RM 393.8 billion. The question is does the budget address the needs of the working class, particularly the B40 and shrinking middle class?
Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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At one point, particularly the years following World War II, it seemed like Europe had defeated the Far-Right. But now, right-wing populist parties are marching into the mainstream again. Marine Le Pen in France and Catholic-Conservative party Vox in Spain are incredibly popular, Georgia Meloni, the current Prime Minister of Italy is the country’s most far-right Prime Minister since the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
So, how did the far-right go from the fringes into the mainstream? And how has this contributed to polarisation? We speak to Associate Professor Dr Fernando Casal Bertoa, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham UK.
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With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, rising inequality and stagnating wages, Malaysians face mounting challenges. This is especially true if you’re working class and middle class.
With the tabling of Budget 2024 just around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be taking a look at what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. We speak to Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
In this episode, we explore the concept of ideologies – what are they and what impact do they have on economic policies and decision making, as well as how various political ideologies have evolved over the years.
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SOSMA or the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act is a law that was enacted after ISA was abolished in 2012. The law provides authorities with enhanced investigative powers and allows for extended pre-trial detention, all in the name of national security.
Over the years, the law has faced criticism for its human rights abuses.
Recently, Siti Nurizzah Mohd Tazali, an independent researcher, wrote a paper on the socioeconomic impact of detention under SOSMA. We discuss the findings of her research.
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It is estimated that there are over a million non-Malaysians living in Sabah today, including undocumented and stateless people. They live among Sabahans. In fact, many of them are born in Sabah and have lived in Sabah all their lives. Yet, their existence isn’t legally recognised, which means they are denied basic rights – they’re not allowed to receive education in public schools, have no access to healthcare and are not allowed to be employed. In this episode, we explore the plight of stateless people in Sabah.
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
“Race” is a concept that has shaped how a large majority of people in many parts of the world see themselves and each other. However, as we learn more about this concept, it becomes evident that race is a man-made idea but with very real, pervasive and devastating impacts towards communities. We explore this with Peter Beattie, political economist and political psychologist at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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Every now and again we will hear news stories about groups of families facing eviction, for example, the case of Kampung Koskan a few months ago. Oftentimes, the people who are forcefully removed from their homes are known as “Peneroka Bandar.”
"Peneroka Bandar" in Malaysia refers to urban settlers or urban pioneers. These are individuals or families who have relocated from rural areas to urban or semi-urban areas in search of better economic opportunities and improved living conditions. In this episode, we explore who they are exactly and what challenges they face.
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The robots, as they say, are coming for our jobs. We live in an era where robots can not only do factory work, but also ace MIT examinations, write poetry and so much more. But what does this mean for society? In conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia, we imagine and discuss what Malaysia could look like in 100 years, with the rise of automation.
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Politics in Malaysia often centres around the Peninsular, while Sabah & Sarawak are often relegated to the peripheries of mainstream discourse and our imagination. Not to mention, revenue from their natural resources has been funnelled to Putrajaya for decades. But this should not be the case. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a profound document detailing the rights of Sabah & Sarawak in terms of autonomy, cultural preservation and political representation.
My Country and I: The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a new book penned by Datin Fazar Arif and Mazlianie ML. They join us in this episode to discuss the importance of MA63 and their upcoming children’s book.
Visit gerakbudaya.com to get yourself a copy of the book.
Image Credit: Gerak Budaya
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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.
In this episode, we discuss what does politics mean, in the first place. On the one hand, we often hear people say they don’t like politics or that it doesn’t affect them. On the other hand, political discourse these days often tends to be polarising around culture wars and identity politics. But are we missing an important piece of the puzzle?
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Out of the six states that went for elections in 2023, the three states with the highest median wages were won by Harapan-BN, while those with the lowest median wages went to PAS/PN. What does it mean for a “progressive” political block if a large percentage of the poorest people do not vote for you? What has Pakatan Harapan done wrong and how can they be a genuine alternative for people, even those in the Malay heartland? We speak to Iskandar Fareez, DAP Public Policy Committee Member.
Image Credit: Barisan Nasional/Pakatan Harapan
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On the 31st of August, Malaysia celebrates its 66th year of Independence. We have come a long way as a nation since 1957 – we have modernised, urbanised and even expanded human rights. However, questions still remain on what it means to be Malaysian, especially given how incredibly polarised we are across racial and religious lines.
We reflect on the nation’s past, present and future, with Dr Kua Kia Soong, human rights activist, former Suaram director, and former DAP MP.
Image Credit: 123RF
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National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang has said that The Rukun Negara pledge will now be recited with the reading of the preamble followed by the 5 principles, in every school and government programme.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly many Malaysians are not aware that there’s a preamble to the Rukun Negara, and have been under the impression that the Rukun Negara begins with Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan and ends with Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan. Secondly, it’s because the preamble actually tells a clearer story about the nation’s aspirations and philosophy.
In this episode, we unpack the Rukun Negara’s rich history and meaning, with Eddin Khoo, author of Rukunegara: A Brief Introduction.
Rukun Negara:
Bahawasanya negara kita Malaysia mendukung cita-cita hendak:
Mencapai perpaduan yang lebih erat dalam kalangan seluruh masyarakatnya;
Memelihara cara hidup demokratik;
Mencipta satu masyarakat yang adil di mana kemakmuran negara akan dapat dinikmati secara adil dan saksama;
Menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai-bagai corak;
Membina satu masyarakat progresif yang akan menggunakan sains dan teknologi moden.
MAKA KAMI, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip yang berikut:
KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN
KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG
KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN
Image Credit: Aku.Alip/Shutterstock
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With the growing popularity of PAS and the Islamist movement in Malaysia, it is imperative now more than ever, for the unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to be a genuine alternative.
This alternative firstly, needs to be one that focuses on improving the material lives of regular working-class Malaysians, but also offers a cohesive vision of a Malaysian identity – a philosophy that we can emotionally latch on to.
The Prime Minister has of course launched the Malaysia Madani concept. The question is, can it capture the imagination of the masses?
Image Credit: Malaysia Madani
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Ethnonationalism, religious nationalism, neo-fascism and other forms of right-wing and ultra conservative populist movements are on the rise, in Malaysia and across the globe.
From the growing popularity of PAS and Perikatan Nasional in Malaysia, Narendra Modi and his Hindu Nationalist project in India, to strongman Donald Trump or the Evangelical Christians of the Republican Party in the US, and the anti-immigration Marine Le Pen in France, the list goes on and on. This has led to massive polarisation across ethnic and religious lines.
While each country and region has its own unique historical and sociopolitical contexts, one can’t help but wonder what are the parallels that can be drawn. Why are we polarised and could class struggle be a remedy? We speak to Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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PRN 2023 took place last Saturday. The coalition comprising PH-BN retained Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, while Perikatan Nasional retained Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. While the big picture remains status quo, a closer look tells us that Perikatan Nasional did make gains.
We unpack the results with Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme & Coordinator of the Malaysian Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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We’re only a few days away from PRN 2023, a series of state elections happening on the 12th of August, which is this Saturday. The states involved are Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.
So, on today’s episode, we do a preview of the state elections and discuss some of the key themes and questions emerging on the road to PRN 2023.
Image Credit: Friko Keiro/Shutterstock
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The upcoming series of state elections will see a third force namely MUDA and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) come together to take on the two giants that are Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media, as some say that they could play a pivotal role in shifting our nation’s discourse in a more progressive direction, while others accuse them of being spoilers and vote-splitters.
We speak to:
S. Arutchelvan, PSM Kajang Candidate
Sivaranjani Manickam, PSM Meru Candidate
Dobby Chew, MUDA Seri Setia Candidate
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The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics.
Politics in the east coast is a lot more dynamic than people often give them credit for and in this episode, we discuss the rivalries between the political parties that dominate the Malay heartland and the new parties that are vying to break through.
We hear from:
Wan Ahmad Fahysal, Perikatan Nasional MP for Machang
Ng Phei Jin, Chief, MCA Women’s Wing (Terengganu)
Wan Mohd Haikal Wan Ghazali, PH candidate for Wakaf Mempelam, Terengganu
Luqman Long, MUDA candidate for Bandar, Terengganu
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Apa Macam, ADUN? is a monthly series where we speak to a different Selangor state legislative assembly member each month about a plethora of issues affecting folks from Selangor.
This month’s episode centres around public and affordable housing. We speak to Rodziah Ismail, Former ADUN and Selangor State Exco Entrepreneur Development, Housing and Urban Wellbeing.
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The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics.
In this episode, we explore the arts scene of Kelantan & Terengganu and reflect on how they express themselves despite tight restrictions and conservatism, as well as how they negotiate with the various powers that be.
We hear from:
Intan Rafiza, Curator, Balai Seni Negara
Jehabdulloh Jehsorhoh, Patani Artspace
Anuwat Apimukmongkon, Patani Artspace
Hakim Sattu, Artist & Indie Filmmaker
Naquib Mohammad, Folk Singer
Ahmad Syafiq Abdul Rahman, Dikir Barat Practitioner
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MUDA recently announced their decision to contest solo at the upcoming series of state elections that will be taking place in Selangor, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Penang and Negeri Sembilan. This means that the young party will go against both Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media.
What’s also interesting is that MUDA has formed an electoral pact with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which is perhaps the only unabashedly left-wing party in the country.
In this episode, we speak to Afriena Shaqira, MUDA Candidate for the Sg Kandis Constituency at the upcoming Selangor state polls.
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The East Is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. In this episode, we speak to Mohd Syahiran Muhammad, Chief ABIM Kelantan about what young people in Kelantan and the east coast are thinking about when it comes to politics and their aspirations for the state.
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Charles Santiago, who’s a human rights defender and the former Klang MP for DAP, recently wrote a four-parter on Malaysiakini detailing modern-day slavery, forced labour, and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh. On today’s show, we go through the series of heartbreaking events experienced by these workers and also discuss what needs to be done so that this doesn’t happen again.
Image Credit: Hafiz Johari / Shutterstock
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The East Is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. In this episode, we get acquainted with DHPP - Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS, which is essentially PAS’ non-Muslim wing. We speak to Dr Balachandran Gopal Krishnan, advisor of Non-Muslim affairs to the Terengganu MB.
Image Credit: Berita PAS, Wikimedia Commons
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MUDA has announced that it's going solo and will be contesting against not just Perikatan Nasional, but the Pakatan Harapan-led MADANI government pack, as well. The move has received mixed reactions on social media, with some saying it’s inevitable, some sending well wishes, while others have criticised and even trolled them.
But what does MUDA going solo tell us about our political landscape today? Is this move good for the people? We speak to Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M).
Image Credit: zmpixes / Shutterstock, partimuda / Instagram, amirxabdhadi / Instagram, MUDA
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The East Is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. On the first episode, we reflect on our trip to Kelantan & Terengganu and also talk about the Malaysian Happiness Index.
Image Credit: Syahrin Abdul Aziz / Shutterstock, IZZ HAZEL / Shutterstock, shaifulzamri / Shutterstock
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We are at a critical juncture in politics right now. The rise of right-wing populism and post-truth narratives isn’t just a Malaysian problem but a global one. There’s also the Russia-Ukraine war, the refugee crisis and the climate crisis. And so, the push to strengthen democracy and the power of the people to build a more equitable society has never been more crucial.
Our guest on today’s episode is Thomas Mulcair. He’s a retired MP and former leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP), as well as a former opposition leader from 2012 - 2015. We discuss how the NDP, a left-wing party managed to break through the barriers of the First Past the Post system, as well as what the priorities of the global left should be.
Image Credit: Art Babych / Shutterstock.com
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Terengganu can be considered one of the true swing states in the country. For decades now, the state has flipped between UMNO and PAS, with no political party managing to hold onto power for more than a term. In the run-up to the upcoming state elections, we speak to Dato’ Tengku Hassan Tengku Omar, Exco in Terengganu – Chairman, Terengganu State Committee For Trade, Industry, Regional Development and Administration Wellbeing.
We discuss the state government’s economic vision, job creation in Terengganu and dealing with UMNO’s legacy of mismanagement in the state.
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We’ve all probably come across the term T20, M40 and B40. We’ve probably said “T20” in reference to the rich. But does this classification system accurately reflect financial realities on the ground and the imagination of the masses? Does it help the government provide subsidies to the right groups? The short answer is, not quite.
This is one of the reasons why Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli has announced the government’s intention to move away from the current classification system of household income towards ‘household net disposable income’.
We discuss this with Dr Geoffrey Williams, Economist, Malaysia University of Science and Technology.
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It is often said that state elections should focus on local issues, while parliamentary elections focus on national issues. However, the upcoming series of state elections looks to be huge, with both PN and the Unity Government side painting this as a test for Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership and popularity. On top of that, this election will be different from GE15, in terms of alliances heading into the polls. We speak to Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M).
Image Credit: Facebook
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Democracy, a term that resonates with notions of freedom, participation, and equality, lies at the heart of many political systems worldwide, at least in concept. But what does it actually mean? For many, democracy equals elections and the ability to cast a vote once every however many years. Others might consider that a problematic and reductive way of defining democracy. So, what is democracy? And what needs to be done to make Malaysia a more democratic nation? We discuss with Ooi Kok Hin, Executive Director of Bersih. He’s also the editor of the book titled ‘Making Democracy Work: Institutional Reforms for Malaysia.
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Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli recently said that the government is looking in principle at the policy for a progressive wage system in Malaysia and the discussion and engagement process has begun with various stakeholders. The minister said this is in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan’s aim for the compensation of employees as a percentage of GDP to hit 40%, which is an increase of roughly 3-6%. In simple terms – a larger share of the pie of companies’ revenue will go to its workers. For perspective, the compensation of employees as a percentage of GDP is about 50% in Australia and South Korea and slightly over 40% in Singapore. This highlights just how low and unfair wages are in Malaysia.
A progressive wage scale model refers to a system or framework where wages or salaries increase progressively based on various factors such as skill level, experience, job performance, or seniority. The model is designed to ensure that individuals are rewarded fairly for their contributions and that wage growth aligns with career advancement or increased expertise. Many countries have some form of progressive wage model, including Singapore. We discuss what a progressive wage scale would look like in reality in Malaysia, with Terence Ho, Associate Professor in Practice, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, as well as Kevin Zhang, Senior Researcher, ISEAS-Yusok Ishak Institute.
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Xavier Justo is a name that might ring familiar to anyone who’s been following the 1MDB scandal closely. The former Swiss banker who worked for PetroSaudi obtained and leaked crucial documents to journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, which then unravelled a web of high-level corruption and kleptocracy involving high-ranking officials, including of course, disgraced former Prime Minister, Najib Razak.
Xavier was arrested in Thailand and even spent more than 2 years in what he describes as a hellish time in Thai prison.
Some argue that Xavier shouldn’t be hailed as a hero or a whistleblower because he didn’t obtain nor leak the PetroSaudi files for noble reasons nor for the pursuit of justice, but for personal reasons, at least initially.
But whether he should be hailed as a hero or not, one thing is for sure – his efforts and bravery were integral to getting to the bottom of the 1MDB scandal, which has since changed the course of Malaysian history forever.
Xavier and his wife, Laura Justo, recently wrote a book titled Rendezvous with Injustice, detailing the struggles he and his family had to go through because he leaked crucial documents pertaining to the scandal.
We speak to Xavier Justo.
Rendezvous with Injustice is available at Gerakbudaya and all major bookstores.
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Apa Macam, ADUN? is a monthly series where we speak to a different Selangor state legislative assembly member each month about a plethora of issues affecting folks from Selangor.
This episode is centred around party politics – the dynamics between unity government parties, seat negotiations and containing the much talked about “green wave.” We’re joined by YB Juwairiya Zulkifli, ADUN, Bukit Melawati.
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There’s been a lot of debate and discussion surrounding that on social media recently. For example, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the T20 income group will not benefit from electricity subsidies and haj financial assistance, some people cried foul, saying that the T20 already pay the highest taxes so surely they deserve the highest subsidies from the government too. Similar conversations also took place when the government made the 2% tax cuts for the M40 and increased tax rates for relatively high-income earners by 0.5%. Many wondered why higher-income earners should pay more taxes.
We discuss the importance of progressive taxation and if taxing the rich – the real rich – stifles innovation, with Ng Sze Fung, Research Officer, REFSA.
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Global Communications firm, Edelman recently released their annual Trust Barometer. The Trust Barometer measures the level of trust and credibility that people have in various institutions, such as governments, businesses, media, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Unsurprisingly, the survey found that Malaysians, like the rest of the globe are highly worried about their economic future, climate crisis and war. Also unsurprisingly is the lacklustre trust by Malaysians towards governments. What is surprising though – or at least fascinating – about the results is that Malaysians seem to place their trust in businesses to drive social change.
Christopher de Cruz, COO of Edelman, joins us to unpack their findings.
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What does it mean to be a Malaysian urbanite in 2023? It’s about celebrating diverse cultures, one’s love for nasi lemak and of course, complaining and crying about our daily commute. The roads are always congested and unless you’re staying in specific areas in the Klang Valley, you’ll have no choice but to own a car and brave through the traffic every day. Heck, even if you are living in specific areas of the Klang Valley, you might have to buy a car and drive to the nearest LRT station, which of course is absolutely ridiculous.
In contrast, our neighbouring country Singapore is considered to be one of the most well-connected countries in the world today. Many would say that you literally do not have to own a car to travel around the country.
We discuss what we can learn from Singapore with Kevin Zhang, Senior Researcher, ISEAS-Yusok Ishak Institute.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Last weekend, the inaugural Unity Government National Convention was held at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. A running theme from the unity government’s national conference was that of unity and cooperation between former rivals. A lot was also said about history and how never in a million years would any Pakatan Harapan politician have thought they would be giving speeches in the UMNO fortress. But was there anything substantive in terms of the vision for the country? We discuss with Dr James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania.
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When Dr Bridget Welsh who’s a political scientist and an Honorary Research Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M), previously joined us on the show, we unpacked a series of articles she had written for Malaysiakini, analysing ethnic voting patterns of GE15. She recently penned another series of articles, this time looking at GE15 voting patterns beyond racial and religious lens. We unpack her findings with her.
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Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) recently released their 2022 human rights report. In we will be taking a look at the various human rights violations that have occurred throughout the year, here in Malaysia, and look at the changes that should happen in 2023.
Image Credit: SUARAM
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Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. Founded in 1998 by a group of social activists, PSM has been an important left-wing voice in Malaysian politics, advocating for social justice, workers rights, the expansion of democracy and most importantly, an equitable and classless society. It is a party that explicitly anchors its politics on class struggle. They’re some of the key people behind the push and implementation of a minimum wage in Malaysia, which was a major victory for workers in this country. However, despite their battles, PSM still struggles to gain traction among the mainstream and at the ballot box. So, what does the future hold for this party? We’re joined by S. Arutchelvan, Deputy Chairperson, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
Image Credit: PSM Facebook
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Apa Macam, ADUN? is a monthly series where we speak to a different Selangor state legislative assembly member each month about a plethora of issues affecting folks from Selangor.
This episode is centred around congestion, public transportation and last-mile connectivity. But since we’re on the road to the Selangor State elections, we dive into that, as well. We’re joined by Rajiv Rishyakaran, ADUN, Bukit Gasing.
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Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas is a retired academician who believes that universities should be a hub for political discourse and a place to liberate minds. However, this cannot be truly achieved so long as UUCA (or AUKU) – Universities and Universities Colleges Act nor when education is guarded or gatekept by the ruling elite. We unpack this with Dr Sharifah.
Image Credit: http://82-g.blogspot.com/2013/05/kisah-aku-dan-juandajaya-15.html
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Ikea Malaysia has cut ties with a labour recruitment firm that provides security guards after it had violated the retailer’s policies. IKEA said it initiated an investigation following claims that Nepali security guards had to fork out US$1,000 (RM4,400) to obtain the job, according to the Financial Times.
But this isn’t just an isolated problem. In fact, the issue of labour brokers and recruitment agencies is one that has been plaguing Malaysia for years, with dire consequences.
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Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has launched a campaign, urging the government to implement a pension scheme for senior citizens. Under their proposed pension scheme, all retirees above the age of 65 will receive RM 500 a month. PSM estimates that such a scheme would help 1.8 million senior citizens lead a “dignified” life as well as reduce the financial burden on their children. But is it feasible? Some critics have pointed out that it could be too expensive a burden for the government to bear, while others say the abhorrent situation of most people’s retirement savings is due to their own laziness and inability to plan for the future.
How much of these arguments hold weight? And why does PSM maintain that this is an absolutely feasible and important piece of legislation that needs to be implemented?
We unpack this with Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
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Over the past 10 years or so, social media has taken over our lives. Most of us have social media accounts, if not live in these spaces altogether. But more than that, it has also become a powerful advocacy tool for marginalised groups, including indigenous communities, sexual minorities, racial minorities and more. It has transformed the lives of these communities by providing a platform for expression, connection, and mobilization.
And this is what media expert, Dr Benjamin Loh and political scientist, Professor James Chin, explore in their new book titled New Media in the Margins. The book is a fascinating window into the world of marginalised communities on social media.
Dr Benjamin and Prof James join us on the show to chat about their book.
If you’d like to buy the book, you can check out Springeror Kinokuniya.
Image Credit: Shahjehan / Shutterstock.com
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In a 4-1 decision, the Federal Court bench rejected former premier Najib Abdul Razak's review application in the RM42 million SRC International corruption case last week. Legally, this means Najib will remain behind bars. However, the days that followed have been a fracas, to say the least. For one, it seems like Najib and his allies are unsurprisingly continuing to push for the release of the disgraced former Prime Minister, as members of the UMNO Supreme Council call for a Royal Pardon.
On a separate note, it was reported yesterday that the High Court has agreed to postpone Zahid's Yayasan Akalbudi trial, as MACC seeks further investigation and AG considers 'new facts'.
As a result, the reformist Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his coalition government are facing public scrutiny, as they are currently in an alliance with UMNO.
We unpack this with Kevin Zhang from the Malaysian Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
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Public housing has been an important aspect of Malaysian development for decades, as it is viewed as a means to improve the quality of life of the low-income population. While public housing in Malaysia has undergone several transformations over the years, it still faces numerous challenges, including poor living conditions, inadequate maintenance, and ironically, issues with affordability too.
Badrul Hisham who’s a policy researcher has written a paper for ThinkCity called From Public Housing to Public Homes, which takes a look at the evolution of Malaysian public housing policies, lessons we can learn from it and where we can go from here.
Image Credit: Marcus Walton / Shutterstock.com
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Malaysia is highly polarised. The results of GE15 told us that much. But just how polarised are we, especially across racial and religious lines? Dr Bridget Welsh who’s a political scientist and an Honorary Research Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M), recently wrote a 7-part series for Malaysiakini breaking down ethnic voting patterns of GE15.
Dr Bridget Welsh joins us in this episode to unpack her findings.
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It’s no secret that Malaysia has been plagued with issues of racism, religious extremism and xenophobia, for many years. And things have been intensifying since GE15 which painted a highly polarised Malaysia. But just how bad are things looking? And what can we do about it?
Pusat KOMAS recently released their 2022 Malaysia Racism Report, which aims to document and record incidents of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia that have taken place in Malaysia, last year.
We unpack the Malaysian Racism Report, with Dr Ryan Chua, Programme Director of Pusat KOMAS.
If you’d like to read the full report: https://komas.org/launch-of-the-malaysia-racism-report-2022/
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The world is becoming increasingly polarised. Whether it’s in the US, Europe or even Southeast Asia, which includes Malaysia, the increasing polarisation has often led to a focus on hot-button cultural issues at the expense of substantive policy discussions centred around political economy and class struggle. This phenomenon is known as the ‘culture wars.’
The culture wars can take many forms. In the US, the culture wars these days tend to centre around abortion rights, transgender bathrooms and Critical Race Theory. In Malaysia, the culture wars which have amped up dramatically since GE15 often revolve around the LGBTQ community and the sensitivities of Islam.
But what are the consequences of falling into the culture war trap? And how can we avoid it?
We speak to Peter Beattie, a political psychologist and political economist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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The results of the 2023 UMNO leadership elections are out. President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Chief Mohammad Hasan won their positions uncontested, while Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Johari Abdul Ghani were elected as vice presidents, while law minister Azalina Othman Said did not make the cut.
So, what does this mean for UMNO’s present and future, as well as the stability of the current unity coalition government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim? Dr Oh Ei Sun, political scientist and Principal Adviser at the Pacific Research Centre, joins us to discuss.
Image Credit: msyaraafiq / Shutterstock.com
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On Monday, Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. She became the first Asian and better yet, first Malaysian woman to win an Oscar. It was a proud moment for many Malaysians. Even politicians jumped on the bandwagon to congratulate and celebrate her victory. However, many local artists, activists and social media users in general called out the government and politicians for their hypocritical behaviour, citing how while politicians were busy congratulating Michelle Yeoh, local filmmakers were getting clamped down and investigated by the authorities.
On today’s show, we discuss how politicians and political parties use the art scene as sort of their playground to score brownie points or further their agendas.
Image Credit: 123rf
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There is a common misconception that young people are inherently more progressive. But that may not necessarily be the case, be it in Malaysia and Southeast Asia as a whole.
Extremism in any form, be it religious, political, or cultural, can lead to violence, hatred, and division within society. Therefore, understanding the factors that drive young people towards extremist ideologies is critical for preventing the spread of extremism and promoting peace and harmony in the region. Altaf Deviyati is the Managing Director and researcher at IMAN Research. She has spent many years studying extremism in the region. She has also written a book called Believing in Extremism: What Drives Our Youths. She joins us to share her insight.
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Recently, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin recently said that The government has no plans to repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku). But he also said that they’re open to suggestions on how the Act can be improved.
But what exactly is AUKU and what is its impact on university students in Malaysia?
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The 4th of March marked 100 days since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Since taking office, the Prime Minister has promised to fight corruption, carry out democratic reforms and improve the lives of the poorest people in the nation. So, how have the Prime Minister and his cabinet performed so far? We speak to Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Malaysia Asia Research Institute.
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Local government elections – specifically the need to re-introduce it – has been a hotly debated topic for many years. Decades, even. The lack of local government elections, while seemingly benign, has far-reaching implications for democratic accountability, transparency and clarity in the political system. And if those words don’t mean anything to you, let me put it this way – local government elections, or the lack of them, has direct implications on people’s everyday issues like clogged drains, flooding, the walkability of your city, ridiculous development projects that you scream angrily about with your neighbour, and much more. So, what exactly is a local government election, why don’t we have it and what can we do to get it back? We explore this in this explainer.
Interview clips taken from:
https://www.bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/live-and-learn/ketuanan-pengundi-6-why-we-need-local-government-elections
https://bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/beyond-the-ballot-box/does-kuala-lumpur-need-local-elections
https://bfm.my/podcast/evening-edition/evening-edition/local-council-elections-too-costly
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Last Friday at Parliament, Prime Minister & Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the new Budget 2023. The Budget billed ‘Developing Malaysia Madani’ involves an allocation of RM388.1 billion.
But is this budget inspiring? And does it do enough to address the needs of the working class masses, especially the B40 community? Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General of Parti Sosialis Malaysia joins us to discuss.
Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.
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On the 21st of February, Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad were charged in court for alleged corruption. The charges brought to the spotlight a government programme called Jana Wibawa. But what exactly is Jana Wibawa and how much money was allegedly swindled? We speak to Raymon Ram, a certified fraud examiner.
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In February 1963, the Singapore government, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, launched a covert operation, which led to the arrest of 113 left-wing political players and activists, all of whom were detained without trial. This operation was called Operation Coldstore.
One of the victims of the operation was Dr Poh Soo Kai, one of the founding members of PAP and later, Barisan Sosialis. Under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Dr Poh was placed behind bars for more than 20 years.
Dr Poh joins us on the show today to discuss Operation Coldstore and how it shaped Singapore.
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Recently, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will be slashing constituency development funds from RM 3.8 million per constituency to RM 1.3 million. Anwar said the move is meant to better control the country’s finances and would be implemented in stages. But is this a good move? We speak to political scientist, Dr Bridget Welsh.
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Recently, there have been some rumblings that healthcare workers in Malaysia are going to go on strike to demand better wages and fairer working conditions. We hear about strikes from across the globe, as well. For example, rail workers in the US were about to go on strike recently until President Joe Biden signed a bill to block it. In 2020-2021, farmers in India went on strike for weeks against a law that would put farmers at the mercy of corporations.
But what exactly are strikes? We discuss with Arveent Kathirtchelvan, Youth Chief, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
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Recently, there have been some rumblings that healthcare workers in Malaysia are going to go on strike to demand better wages and fairer working conditions. We hear about strikes from across the globe, as well. For example, rail workers in the US were about to go on strike recently until President Joe Biden signed a bill to block it. In 2020-2021, farmers in India went on strike for weeks against a law that would put farmers at the mercy of corporations.
But what exactly are strikes? We discuss with Arveent Kathirtchelvan, Youth Chief, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
Imaage Credit: Shutterstock
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Recently, there have been some rumblings that healthcare workers in Malaysia are going to go on strike to demand better wages and fairer working conditions. We hear about strikes from across the globe, as well. For example, rail workers in the US were about to go on strike recently until President Joe Biden signed a bill to block it. In 2020-2021, farmers in India went on strike for weeks against a law that would put farmers at the mercy of corporations.
But what exactly are strikes? We discuss with Arveent Kathirtchelvan, Youth Chief, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
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On the 7th of February, the Malaysia Madani administration held its first Secretariat meeting. What’s interesting is that the meeting was held at the UMNO HQ and marked the first time Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim stepped into Menara Dato Onn in 25 years. So, what is the significance of this moment and what are the key takeaways from the meeting?
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Forced labour is a massive problem in Malaysia. We’re talking about horrible wages, deplorable working and living conditions – in essence, modern day slavery. But what can we do about it? Recently, Lee Hwok-Aun of ISEAS and Adrian Pereira of the North-South Initiative, wrote a paper for ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute titled Can Malaysia Eliminate Forced Labour by 2030? We unpack this paper with the authors.
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Last Friday, the UMNO Supreme Council, under the leadership of President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, sacked prominent figures, Khairy Jamaluddin and Selangor Umno liaison committee chairman Tan Sri Noh Omar.
It also suspended several other prominent members such as Hishamuddien Hussien and Shahril Hamdan.
But what does this mean for UMNO and our political landscape moving forward?
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Historically speaking, a political party / movement that is considered progressive, is one that manages to unite the masses against the ruling class who owns the means of production, for the purpose of reducing the wealth gap and to build an equitable, egalitarian society. So, why then do we see the working class masses, especially the poorest people in society, in many parts of the world, vote for conservative parties, who generally push to reduce the minimum wage, lower tax rates on the rich, etc.
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Why is Najib still so popular? This is a question that has fascinated many Malaysians since UMNO-BN’s defeat in 2018. I mean, how did former Prime Minister Najib Razak rehabilitate his image and preserve his relevance within the political sphere, despite being plagued by numerous corruption scandals and charges?
Recently, Dr Benjamin Loh, Vilashini Somiah & Sarah Ali wrote a paper titled Shame and shamelessness: Changing discourses in Najib Razak’s social media campaign. It is a quick and fascinating read into the strategies deployed by Najib to paint himself as a good man, wronged by the system. Dr Ben joins us on the show to discuss.
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First-time MP, YB Syerleena Abdul Rashid recently won the Bukit Bendera Parliamentary seat in Penang with a comfortable 42 000 majority, at GE15. She is also the ADUN of Seri Delima, a seat that she won in 2018. What’s interesting is Syerleena is also a musician – a guitarist and a songwriter with multiple bands, to be specific. On today’s episode, she joins us to have a conversation about why she pursued politics, her ideologies, the challenges faced by Malay politicians in DAP, the rise of religious fundamentalism in Malaysia, even in Penang and her passion for the arts.
Image Credit: Facebook/Syerleena Abdul Rashid
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Recently, Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow, Malaysian Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, wrote: “Pakatan Harapan routinely disavows race-based policies, offering instead the notion of need-based policies. This commitment to need-based assistance has constructively focused attention on low-income households, but its prescription for ‘replacing’ race-based programs is fundamentally flawed.”
This is pretty much an extension of what Hwok-Aun has been writing for years now.
Question is, why is it fundamentally flawed? Hwok-Aun joins us to share his insight.
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The 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has formed his cabinet and things seem to be chugging along relatively smoothly for the mixed coalition government. But at the same time, the survival of this government relies not just on competency but also our fluid and highly volatile political landscape.
Question is, will Anwar survive the vote of confidence on the 19th of December?
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A look at the results of GE15 tells us that Malaysia is politically polarised. Pakatan Harapan won 37% of the popular vote, followed by PN with 30% and BN with 22%. In fact, Perikatan Nasional (anchored by PAS) managed to win almost the entirety of support deep in the Malay Heartland, namely the Northern and East Coast of the Peninsular. But why are we polarised? What did the progressive block do wrong – and what did PAS do right?
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Now that Anwar Ibrahim has been named the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, all eyes are on him to put his cabinet together. So, what should be taken into consideration when choosing the cabinet and will he get to stick to his principles when making his decision?
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We are a few days away from the 15th General Elections (GE15) happening on the 19th of November. So, on the show today, we’re going to be taking a look at where we are at right now – how are political parties doing on the campaign trail, what’s voter sentiment like on the ground and who could possibly emerge victorious on Saturday.
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Malaysian politics has largely been centred around racialised narratives, which is bad in and of itself. But what’s particularly interesting is how Indians (almost similar to Orang Asal/Orang Asli) are regularly not featured even in this racialised discourse. The narrative is always Malays vs Chinese. But just how important is the Indian vote and what are the struggles the community faces?
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People often think that democracy begins and ends at the ballot box. While elections are important -- and everyone should exercise their right to vote -- it's also equally important to understand the power you have beyond voting. On the final episode of ThinkLeft, we discuss the people's power and also how we can make Malaysia's Parliamentary system more democratic. Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary-General of PSM also shares his party’s aspirations for GE15.
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GE15 is on the horizon. The Election Commission has announced that it will be held on the 19th of November 2022.
GE15 is going to be very different from GE14, where the narrative was anti-Najib, Anything But UMNO and toppling BN for the first time. Things are different in 2022. The political landscape has changed and so did the sentiment on the ground. So, what could the results of GE15 look like? What are the various combinations and permutations to consider? We speak to Liew Chin Tong, National Elections Director of DAP.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons and Facebook/Liew Chin Tong
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On the 10th of October, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of Parliament. This means that GE15 will be taking place within the next 60 days. While the date has not been announced by the Election Commission yet, many Malaysians have voiced their disgruntlement towards an election being called right smack in what potentially could be a period of heavy floods across the country, as we experienced during monsoon season last year.
We unpack the politics of #UndiBanjir with Iskandar Fareez of REFSA.
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Marxists believe that there are two classes in society – the owner class (i.e. ultra wealthy, big businesses, etc) and the working class (i.e. bottom 90% masses). But if the struggle is between two classes in society, how does the fight for women’s rights, gender equality and the likes fit into the marxist/socialist framework? We discuss with Christine Gabriel who’s a member of Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Gender Biro.
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Road to GE is a show that explores your power in deciding who serves you in government.
Langkah Sheraton came as a shock. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir lost his majority when a small faction of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, defected from the party, teamed up with Bersatu (which was also part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition) and formed a new coalition with Barisan Nasional, PAS, GPS, etc to form a new government. Since then, there have been calls for an anti-hopping law – to put it simply, a law that would prevent frogs. We discuss the anti-hopping law, what it will accomplish and how it will work exactly, with YB Azalina Othman, MP for Pengerang and former Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.
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Chico Mendes, Brazilian, rubber tapper, environmentalist, trade union leader, once famously said, “ecology without class struggle is just gardening.” On this episode of ThinkLeft, we discuss capitalism as the root cause of the climate crisis, why poor countries suffer due to rich country’s greed and why class struggle and solidarity among the masses is the best way to overcome this problem.
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Calls for a political funding/financing act have been growing louder ever since former Prime Minister Najib Razak tried to explain off millions of dollars flowing into his personal bank account as political donations from Saudi’s late king Abdullah. But the fact of the matter is, the need for a political funding act goes beyond Najib and his various corruption charges. It is about strengthening people’s power and preserving people’s interests more than the interests of the elite. Dr Kassim Noor Mohamed of Nottingham Trent University, joins us to discuss.
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In July, Fadhlina Siddiq was elected as Ketua Wanita Keadilan (Chief of PKR’s Women’s Wing). Fadhlina is an activist-lawyer who is particularly passionate about issues concerning gender equality and equity. Despite only joining the party two years ago, Fadhlina has been a supporter for a long time now and her dad, Siddiq Fadzil was the former president of ABIM and close confidante of Anwar Ibrahim.
Fadhlina joined us on the show today to share her journey in politics, what she plans to do differently as the chief of PKR’s Women’s Wing and their plans for GE15.
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The High Court has delivered its verdict on Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case involving a 1.25 billion ringgit solar hybrid energy project for rural schools in Sarawak, and found her guilty on all three charges.
So, what does this mean for our political landscape moving forward?
Joining us to unpack is Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Center.
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There was a strong leftist movement in Malaysia pre-independence. In fact, leftist parties were integral in the fight against the British and gaining independence. On this episode, we explore what role leftist parties played in the 40s and 50s and how and why they eventually got squashed. What lessons can we learn from the past?
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A couple of days ago, the Federal Court upheld the guilty verdict in former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC International case. Najib is sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit. While there may be some narrow escape routes left for Najib, the fact of the matter is this: UMNO’s Kleptocrat poster boy is currently behind bars, as we head towards GE15. So, what does this mean for our political landscape moving forward?
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People often think of politics as just government and the people. But another vital aspect that most people don’t think about – billionaires. Who are billionaires/ultra-wealthy and what role do they play in our society/politics? We discuss with S. Arutchelvan, Deputy Chairperson, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).
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Recently, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah said the following in response to the Malaysia Happiness Index 2022: “We are among the happy states. Happy means that the people are satisfied, the people are happy even if there are problems. That is why we are included in the happiness index. We got a score of 7.0, slightly different from Terengganu’s 7.2. Compared to Selangor’s 5.0, it is much different. That is a state that is said to be intelligent, ruled by Pakatan Harapan, the land is abundant, the state is rich, but the people are not happy.” But is the happiness index a good tool to measure how well citizens of a particular state (or country) is doing? We discuss this with James Chai, political analyst and Visiting Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
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Road to GE is a show that explores your power in deciding who serves you in government.
On our first episode, we discuss the whole idea of going back to your hometown to vote for elections. Every time there’s an election in Malaysia, there’s talk of needing to take a couple of days off from work, traffic jams and increase in prices of flight tickets, as people rush to make it back to their hometowns to vote. This is something very normal here, something we’re all accustomed to. But what if this practice could be hurting democracy a little bit.
Danesh Prakash Chacko, Director, Tindak Malaysia, joins us to discuss.
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A lot has happened over the past four years. What has been the impact of the political turmoil of recent times, not just on democracy, but also on the everyday lives of Malaysians? In this episode we discuss a few different angles, including youth movements, voter disillusionment and anti-party hopping law.
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard of the word ‘Bitcoin’. If you’ve paid closer attention, you might’ve also heard things like Ethereum, Ripple, Dogecoin, etc. These are all different types of Cryptocurrencies, which apparently can make you turn your RM 10 into RM 1000 over a short period of time. It’s said to be the currency of the future, one that offers freedom from the shackles of centralised banking systems. But what’s going on here, really? Is Crypto really a tool to liberate yourself or just another method for the super rich to exploit the masses? We speak to Arveent Kathirtchelvan, Youth Chief, Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
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Healthcare is a human right. Yet, healthcare has become increasingly expensive over the past two to three decades. Those who can afford, take on expensive private insurances – not because they want to, but because the only other alternative would be to visit inaccessible, overcrowded, understaffed and poorly maintained public hospitals, which are bleeding specialists to the private sector – while those who can’t afford, such as the B40, have to deal with the aforementioned underfunded healthcare system. On this episode we discuss these problems, possible solutions and take a look at Cuba (which arguably has the best healthcare system in the world) and examine what we can learn from them.
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Tajuddin Abdul Rahman was sacked as an UMNO supreme council member last week. A few days after that, he held a press conference, in which he spilled the tea on some inner workings of his political party, including his disdain towards his party president, and that a number of Umno MPs had signed statutory declarations (SDs) to support Anwar as prime minister in 2020. On this episode, I speak to Dr Bridget Welsh about Tajuddin’s rise to prominence in politics and what his recent sacking and subsequent tell-all press conference means for UMNO moving forward.
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Karl Marx once wrote, “the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.” We discuss what this critique means, if it still holds true today, as well as how we can restructure our education system to benefit the masses.
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Did you know that urban voters have less power to affect electoral change in this country than rural voters? What does this mean exactly? And how does it impact a nation where there is an increasing number of people moving to urban centres?
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There was a time where working a regular 9-5 job would enable you to buy a house (at the very least a single storey landed property) and raise some kids in it, if you so desire. After all, that’s what Baby Boomers and Gen Xs did. Unfortunately, that is not the case for most millennials today, not unless they’ve inherited some family wealth. You constantly hear about the average Malaysian, even degree holders, not being able to afford adequate housing, despite it being a basic necessity – a human right. One would think that the demand is so high and the supply is so low. But this isn’t the case in Malaysia -- there are new developments every day, you drive around neighbourhoods and see empty houses and luxurious condos, and yet, nobody can afford them. So, what went wrong? And how do we fix it?
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The unofficial results from PKR’s party elections are in. While there is no change at the highest position of the party, as Anwar Ibrahim ran and retained his President post uncontested, there are big changes in other leadership positions that could impact not just the political dynamics of PKR and Harapan, but also the landscape of Malaysian politics as a whole. I am of course primarily talking about Rafizi Ramli being elected as the deputy president of PKR.
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Why have our wages stagnated for so long, despite the cost of living being at an all time high? And more importantly, why are organisations such as the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) always against wages – especially the minimum wage – increasing? What exactly is the issue here and how do we solve it?
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Last week, a political debate took place between former Prime Minister Najib Razak and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The debate centred around Sapura Energy Bhd, as well as the economic future of this nation. But was the debate useful for the masses? Does it promote healthy democracy or did it do more to legitimize Najib, who’s convicted of corruption.
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We’re all part of a global capitalist economy – A system that promised to benefit the rich and the poor alike. Yet, youth unemployment rate has been on the rise, salaries have stagnated for close to 20 years, despite the massive increase in cost of living. Cost of education is at an all-time high and the average millennial and Gen Z cannot even afford adequate housing on a single paycheck, despite it being a fundamental human right.
So, what went wrong? And what’s the solution?
This is ThinkLeft on Beyond the Ballot Box, a series that explores various issues through a leftist/socialist prism, with Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
On the first episode of the series, we take a look at what exactly is socialism, especially in the 21st Century.
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Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, a Malaysian man with mental disabilities convicted for drug trafficking, was executed by the Singaporean government on 27th April 2022. This happened despite protests and public pressure both online and offline in Malaysia and Singapore and letters from Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
On top of that, Singapore will be executing another Malaysian man, Datchinamurthy Kataiah, on 29 April 2022 over trafficking 44.96g of diamorphine into the city-state.
A lot has been said over the past few weeks about the Singapore government’s ruthlessness and lack of compassion and empathy. Calls for the Singapore government to abolish the death penalty is said to be at an all time high.
However, criticising our neighbours is one thing. We also have to reflect on where we, Malaysians, are when it comes to the death penalty. While we do have a moratorium in place, the law has not been abolished.
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Last Thursday, UMNO made the decision to announce incumbent Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as the party’s PM candidate for GE15. This announcement certainly came as a surprise, as many expected Mohamad Hasan (Tok Mat) or perhaps even party president Zahid Hamidi to be named instead. But what does the naming of Ismail Sabri as PM candidate mean for UMNO, and does that tell us anything about when GE15 will be held?
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Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s party elections are just around the corner. The nominations are in, with results set to be announced on June 26. While there will be no changes right at the top – as incumbent President Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has retained his post uncontested – there’s a lot of excitement at other leadership levels with the likes of Rafizi Ramli announcing his return to frontline politics by gunning for the Deputy President post. But what does this mean for the future of PKR?
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After the string of state elections, all eyes are now on GE-15, which many experts anticipate would most likely be taking place sometime this year. While it’s impossible to give a concrete answer as to who’s going to win GE15, there’s a lot that can be analysed and learned from recent trends as well as simulations.
Recently, Dr Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute,analysed recent trends and simulations and came up with predictions for the upcoming General Elections.
Dr Bridget joins us on the show today to discuss.
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Has Pakatan Harapan lost its lustre? The voter turnouts at the recent string of elections have been low. Pakatan Harapan has faced defeat after defeat. Many political analysts have suggested that a big chunk of the voters who aren’t going out to vote are fence-sitters who previously voted for Harapan. On today’s episode we’re going to be discussing Harapan’s failings, as well as some shake ups happening in the camp consisting of PKR, DAP and AMANAH that may rejuvenate voter interest. Iskandar Fareez of DAP’s youth wing, joins us to discuss.
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Yesterday, Parliament voted down a motion to extend the enforcement period for a provision under the Security Offences (Special Measures) 2012 Act (Sosma). The provision, namely Section 4(5) of SOSMA is an important one, which allows for detention without trial for up to 28 days. This provision must be renewed by parliament every five years to remain valid. However, yesterday in a news that has been celebrated by progressives and human rights defenders across the country, the motion to renew the provision was voted down 86-84. But what does this mean exactly? Sevan Doraisamy of SUARAM joins us to discuss.
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The UMNO General Assembly took place last week and a whole bunch of stories have come out of it – a threeway battle to be UMNO’s PM candidate, the Najib factor, their waning partnership with PAS, etc. Dr Oh Ei Sun joins us to unpack.
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The Johor state elections took place last weekend. Barisan Nasional secured 40 out of 56 seats, a 2/3 majority victory, Pakatan Harapan won 12 seats, MUDA 1 and Perikatan Nasional 3. This is the 3rd thumping defeat in a row for Harapan and its allies after Sarawak and Melaka. On today’s episode, we take a closer look at the results and discuss what they could mean for our political landscape moving forward.
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We’re only a few days away from the Johor State elections. Over the past couple of weeks, political parties have been busy campaigning, trying to win the hearts & minds of Johoreans. Experts have claimed that the upcoming Johor elections is highly important and will shape the outcome of GE15, for various reasons including the fact that this will be the first elections that will see 18-21-year-olds go out and vote. But do the masses care? And what could be the outcome of this election?
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R Arangkannal will be Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s sole candidate at the upcoming Johor state elections. The 46 year old activist and filmmaker will be competing for the Kota Iskandar state seat against four other candidates, namely Dr Dzulkelfy Ahmad of Pakatan Harapan, Johor Umno secretary Pandak Ahmad, Samsudin Ismail from Perikatan Nasional and Dr Zaini Abu Bakar of Parti Pejuang. He joins us to discuss PSM’s manifesto.
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Amira Aisya is one of the founding members and secretary general of Parti MUDA. Not only that, other members and supporters of the party regard the 27 year old as the ‘Iron Lady’ of MUDA. Amira will make her debut as a political candidate in the upcoming Johor State elections, competing for the Puteri Wangsa seat. She joins us on the show today to share why she decided to join politics, seat negotiations with Pakatan Harapan, as well as how she and MUDA are planning to improve the lives of everyday Johoreans.
Note: This show was recorded at 11am on 24/2/2022. At 2.50pm the party announced that MUDA info chief Rashid Abu Bakar will be competing in Larkin, confirming the first clash with Harapan component party, PKR.
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We’re just three weeks away from the Johor state elections. Many experts have stressed the importance of the upcoming elections, not just to Johoreans, but with regard to our national political landscape too. The 2018 General Elections highlighted the need for a united opposition in the battle against Barisan Nasional. However, it’s becoming painfully clear – if it wasn’t already – that opposition is far from united. Dr Bridget Welsh joins us to share her insights.
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Why doesn’t Kuala Lumpur have ADUNs / state legislators, similar to other states? The city does have MPs, after all. Why is there a Federal Territories minister in the cabinet and why is said minister almost always from outside the Federal Territories? Why does any of this matter and what can we do about it?
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The Johor State Assembly officially has been dissolved as of Jan 22. While the exact date of the elections is yet to be announced, it must take place within 60 days of the dissolution of the state assembly. But what is the significance of this election? In fact, what’s the importance of state elections in the first place and how is it different from GE?
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On today’s show, Dr Oh Ei Sun joins us to discuss a few different things concerning our political landscape today, namely what’s been going on in Sarawak since GPS won a huge mandate, the possibility of an upcoming state election in Johor, as well as a little bit on the growing imbalances in constituency sizes.
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Malaysia’s political history has been in flux for some time. Things changed in 2018 when the people voted out the incumbent Barisan Nasional after 60 Years. But what’s perhaps even more significant is Langkah Sheraton and the events that have transpired since. Are we on the cusp of a new political order – perhaps a radical shift in a new direction? Liew Chin Tong joins us to discuss his paper.
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2021 is certainly one for the history books. Malaysian Covid-19 death toll reached a grim 31 000, we got hit by unprecedented floods which affected around 70 000 individuals and counting, a State of Emergency was declared, Parliament was shut down and in and around all of this, elite level politicking and musical chairs carried on, completely detached from the realities and suffering on the ground. But perhaps there is also a silver lining to all of this – people rising up and banding together. James Chai joins us to discuss.
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On this edition of Best of Beyond the Ballot Box 2021, we look back at the year that was in Malaysian politics – from infighting in UMNO, another scramble for numbers in Parliament to Ismail Sabri’s 100 Days as Prime Minister.
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For the last two weeks of the year, we’re going to be revisiting some of the best discussions we’ve had throughout the year. On this edition of Best of Beyond the Ballot Box 2021, we’ll be looking at democracy in Malaysia and the power of the people.
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At long last, The lowering of voting age from 21 to 18 and automatic voter registration has been gazetted and was officially implemented yesterday, December 15th. This means that the upcoming Sarawak State Elections will be the last time Malaysian youths aged 18-21 will miss out on.
Today, we catch up with Qyira Yusri, Co-Founder of UNDI 18 to discuss how she’s feeling after tirelessly pushing for this for 5 years, and also what this could mean for the future of our political landscape. But before that, we revisit a conversation we had with the two co-founders of UNDI 18, Qyira and Tharma Pillai, back in April, on how they started this movement 5 years ago while they were still students in the US.
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The Sarawak State Elections nominations took place a couple of days ago. A record number of 349 candidates are contesting 82 seats in Malaysia’s largest state. Multi-cornered fights are happening in all but four constituencies, with Dadong seeing an eight-corned battle. Dr Bridget Welsh joins us to discuss.
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This week marks 100 days since Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri became the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia. At the start of his tenure as PM, he mentioned that he has given himself and his cabinet 100 days to prove their worth, particularly when it comes to dealing with the Covid-19 health crisis and the economic fallout. So, how has the Prime Minister and his cabinet performed so far? Dr Bridget Welsh joins us to discuss.
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While many experts predicted that Harapan would lose in the Melaka state elections, most expected it to be a close battle. However, the end result read, Barisan Nasional 21, Perikatan Nasional 2, Pakatan Harapan 5 (out of which, DAP won 4, Amanah 1 and PKR 0). Many also predicted that DAP would retain their 8 seats or at least most of it. But they did not. So, what went wrong? Howard Lee joins us to share his thoughts.
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S. Arutchelvan is the deputy chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). Arul has been an activist and a human rights defender for more than 30 years, has worked for SUARAM and been a part of and led many people’s movements throughout his years, including the anti-ISA movement. He joins us to share his story.
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Farzana Hayani is the youngest candidate that’s competing at the Malacca State Elections this Saturday. Representing PKR/Pakatan Harapan, Farzana will be competing against Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Jefri Safry, Barisan Nasional’s Siti Faizah and Nazatul Asyraf from PUTRA for the Sungai Rambai seat. She joins us to discuss her journey so far and her political ideology.
Image credit: Farzana Hayani Instagram page.
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A few weeks ago, Parti MUDA announced that they’re in the midst of negotiating with Pakatan Harapan and that they will be competing in the Melaka state elections, an announcement that got many young people who are looking for a change in Malaysian politics, excited. MUDA’s discussion with Harapan did not bear fruit and in a press conference they said that they won’t be competing in Melaka with Harapan because Harapan chose to field defectors. But why then didn’t they field a candidate or two anyway in an election that’s set to have multi-cornered battles everywhere? Dr Thanussha of MUDA joins us to discuss.
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The Melaka State Elections is set to take place on the 20th of November. This comes at the heels of 4 members of the PN/BN coalition deciding to pull their support from the Chief Minister of Melaka, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali of UMNO, causing the government to collapse. Political analyst, Oh Ei Sun joins us to discuss all things Melaka elections.
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We often say that we live in a democracy. That people have the power. That the direction of the country can be chosen at the ballot box. But is this true? Does our current election system actually result in a Parliament that is diverse and a proper representation of the people? Or does the system only encourage a binary form of politics that encourages us to hate the other side?
Jurleo Jurit & Arthur Yeow are some of the finalists from Architects of Diversity’s Hackathon Politik competition. They produced a 10-page whitepaper discussing the issues with our electoral system and proposed a mixed voting system that will expand democracy in Malaysia. We discuss the content of their proposal.
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Recently, Kamarazaman Yaakob, who is the brother to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, recently announced that he’s launching a new party called Parti Kuasa Rakyat. Kamarazaman has said that his party will champion the poor and be a BN-friendly party. This announcement, which seemingly came out of nowhere, has got many wondering if Malaysia needs another political party in an already saturated political landscape? Oh Ei Sun helps us unpack.
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The Melaka state legislative assembly was dissolved on Tuesday (Oct 5) following the collapse of the state administration, paving the way for snap elections, to be held in a couple of months time. This was the second time the Melaka state assembly collapsed in two years.
First up, we speak with Iskandar Fareez of REFSA about the politicking side of things. Following that, Thomas Fann of Bersih 2.0 joins us to discuss lessons we can learn from the infamous Sabah state snap elections 2020 so that we don’t see another massive spike again.
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As part of the 12th Malaysia Plan, Ismail Sabri recently announced that the sale of Bumiputera shares or companies will only be offered and sold to fellow Bumiputera consortiums, firms, and individuals. The announcement received tremendous backlash from opposition MPs and netizens. In light of this, on today’s show, we’re going to be exploring race-based policies in Malaysia -- yay or nay? Do they have a role to play or do they just benefit the cronies?
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On the 13th of September the Ismail Sabri administration and the Pakatan Harapan bloc of the opposition bench signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability. Basically the deal will see Pakatan Harapan either support or refrain from voting when it comes to critical votes such as the budget in exchange for certain institutional reforms and policies that could potentially benefit the rakyat.
It’s been 10 days since the deal was inked, so what has the fallout been like so far? YB Nik Nazmi joins us to discuss.
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A lot has been said about the largest opposition bloc, Pakatan Harapan, over the past year or so, particularly of its leader, Anwar Ibrahim. Langkah Sheraton happened because members of Pakatan Harapan decided to leave. And since Langkah Sheraton, Harapan hasn’t appeared to be an inspiring united force. Anwar Ibrahim himself hasn’t been successful in cobbling together the numbers, despite repeatedly indicating that he can or has. The question is, does Pakatan Harapan need a new leader? Ariff Adi Putera from the Institute of Development Studies joins us to discuss.
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The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is currently the single party with the most Parliamentary seats -- 42. Despite having the strongest numbers, the party feels almost sidelined when it comes to political maneuverings, particularly when it comes to matters of a PM candidate. And what about race-based politics? DAP has made it clear that they’re not a race-based party/Chinese-based party, but are they forced to play the game nonetheless? In this episode, we’re joined by Howard Lee, DAP Youth Chief, to discuss the curious case of the DAP.
Image credit: Howard Lee Facebook page and dapmalaysia.org
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Dato Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob from UMNO has been appointed the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia after commanding the confidence of 114 out of 220 Members of Parliament. But what do we know about Ismail Sabri? Does his history and how he handled the Ministry of Defence portfolio for 18 months under the Muhyiddin administration give us some insight as to the kind of Prime Minister that he might be? Dr Bridget Welsh joins us to discuss.
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The Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has resigned. UMNO’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob is on track to become the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia, after reportedly commanding the confidence of 114 Members of Parliament, three more than required to form a simple majority government. However, there are some sources that say that it’s the YDPA’s wish, that all parties can unite just for a few months, weather the COVID-19 storm, and then go for elections for a reset. Iskandar Fareez of the think tank, REFSA, joins us to discuss everything that has been going on in our extremely fluid political scene, including the possibility of a unity government, and what it means for our health, economic and political crisis.
Image source: Ismail Sabri Yaakob Facebook, Anwar Ibrahim Facebook
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It’s been said that Malaysia is a democracy. That the people have the power. But when we look at our political landscape today, it seems like the voters -- the rakyat -- don’t actually have a say in the goings on. In fact, the political maneuvering and durian trading that’s allegedly currently ongoing is in complete contradiction with what the people want -- complete focus on curbing the pandemic and restarting the economy. But how does this happen? And is there a way to bridge the gap between the people and the state? Sharan Raj of Parti Sosialis Malaysia joins us to discuss.
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It’s been a wild week in Malaysian politics and that’s saying something. From Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s blunder in Parliament, PN clashing with the Monarch, Parliament being postponed and then postponed again and later barricaded altogether, to more numbers game. All of this taking place against the backdrop of more than 200 daily COVID-19 deaths. So, it’s a mess. But what does any of it mean to us, the common folk? Oh Ei Sun joins us to share his insights.
Image source: Muhyiddin Yassin Facebook, EPA-EFE, Takiyuddin Hassan Facebook
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There has been a series of protests organised by Youth activist group, Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR). You might remember pictures from a few weeks ago of protesters in PPEs, carrying mock dead bodies, waving black flags. This was followed by the Convoy protest last week, where protesters across the nation sat in their cars and drove to dedicated spots, while waving black flags. And this coming Saturday on the 31st of July, the organisers are planning an even bigger protest at Dataran Merdeka and are urging the rakyat to #LAWAN.
Qyira Yusri, Co-Founder of UNDI 18 and one of the key figures at Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat, joins us to discuss.
Image source: #LAWAN Malaysia
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The 14th General Elections was a historic occasion. After governing the country for more than 60 years, the ruling Barisan Nasional government was voted out by the people of Malaysia. For many Malaysians, this was meant to be the start of the country moving in a completely different direction. But much of PH’s tenure was plagued by infighting between Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim. And fast forward to today, and it seems like our political scene is dominated by the same old faces engaged in decades long petty, elite political battles.
Question is, how did we end up here? And did we actually change anything after GE-14?
Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas joins us to discuss.
Image source: Najib Razak Facebook, Anwar Ibrahim Facebook, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed Facebook, Muhyiddin Yassin Facebook
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Amid the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases, job losses and suicide cases, we’ve got another round of, no, not brilliant policy ideas focused on the people’s welfare, but of course, more elite level political drama. Last evening, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been promoted to Deputy Prime Minister, while Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has been appointed as Senior Minister, with immediate effect. Both these ministers are from UMNO. However, a few hours later, UMNO announced that it will be pulling out its support for the Prime Minister and his government, also effective immediately. Political commentator, James Chai, joins us to unpack it all.
Image source: Ismail Sabri Yaakob Facebook, Hishammuddin Hussein Facebook. Zahid Hamidi Facebook
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Arveent Kathirtchelvan of PSM Youth recently wrote an article exploring why Parliamentary Democracy will not be a solution to a lot of the problems, despite what many think. We have a conversation with him about what he thinks would be a better way to actually give power to the people.
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There seems to be quite a lot of noise coming from UMNO over the past week or so, from statutory declarations to the continuous war among factions that seems to be eating the party up from the inside out. So, what’s up with UMNO? Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs joins us to share his insights.
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A few days ago, the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bid to stop a bankruptcy order, which was slapped onto him in April, for failing to pay a tax bill totalling 1.74 billion ringgit. But what does this all mean for Najib and our political landscape? Constitutional lawyer, Lim Wei Jiet and political commentator, James Chai, joins us to discuss.
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It looks like it’s shaping up to be a pretty hectic couple of weeks at the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s palace. His majesty wrapped up his first day of meetings with the head honchos from the opposition bench yesterday, with more meetings scheduled for today. On top of that, the YDPA is also set to convene a special Rulers’ conference next week.
But what exactly is going on? And should we expect any significant changes in the coming months? Dr Bridget Welsh, joins us to discuss.
Image source: Anwar Ibrahim Facebook, Istana Negara Facebook, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad Facebook
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Many analysts and researchers have pointed out that our electoral system is highly flawed. That the British’s First-Past-The-Post system that we still use in Malaysia to this day is not only unfair to the people but also does not encourage diversity in our political space. Think of the seat negotiations that take place among coalition buddies before elections, or how you vote for the party with the strongest chance of defeating the incumbent, as opposed to a party that you necessarily agree with. Worst of all, is how the value of each of our votes aren’t equal, contrary to popular belief.
On this episode, Yap Ming Yao, who’s a researcher at UNDI Saksama, joins us to discuss our broken electoral system and what we can do to fix it.
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For the longest time, DAP has been labelled, by some, as a pro-Chinese, evil party. But are things changing with a new wave of younger representatives in the party? On this episode, DAP Youth Chief Howard Lee joins us to discuss social democracy and the Future of DAP.
Image Source: Howard Lee Facebook
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On this week’s episode of Beyond the Ballot Box, we take a look at democracy. What does it actually mean in Malaysia? Qyira Yusri of UNDI18 and Sharan Raj of PSM, join us to discuss if elections should be held during a pandemic, the importance of protests, and how we can change the mindset of the rakyat, so that we know that we have the power to shape the country in our image, not the government/elites.
Image source: Sharan Raj's Facebook, EPA-EFE, Qyira Yusri's LinkedIn
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It’s been a few months now, since the 2020 Sabah elections. Few would deny that it was an exciting, heartbreaking and thrilling affair. The whole country was paying attention. But a lot of us here in the Peninsula, we tend to see things through the lens of National politics. (i.e. What does it mean for PH, what does it mean for BN, etc) But what was the Sabah elections about to Sabahans themselves?
On the first episode of Beyond the Ballot Box, we’re joined by Bridget Welsh, Vilashini Somiah and Benjamin Loh, authors of the recently published “Sabah From the Ground: The 2020 Elections & the Politics of Survival,” to discuss the complexities and nuances of Sabah’s political landscape.
Image source: Bridget Welsh's Twitter, Benjamin Loh's LinkedIn, Vilashini Somiah's NUS Academia
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