Another week, another tantalising episode of A Bit of Culture, with Kam Raslan leading the line, and Ong Kar Jin and Dhanya Nair backing him up in a three-pronged attack. Our culture vulture goes first with his take on the controversy surrounding Algerian boxer and gold medalist, Imane Khelif, at the recent Olympics, as he relates it to his own experience of being perceived a certain way by certain people. He then passes the baton to Kar Jin, who talks about the boycott movement and wonders whet...
Aug 30, 2024•41 min
We’re going to be taking a slightly different approach on this week’s A Bit of Culture by talking about a topic that’s related to the economy, inspired by our two guests, Michael Gong and Hafiz Noor Shams. They help explain what double-entry bookkeeping is and how influential it is in shaping and influencing the world. But before we get to that topic, Hafiz talks about the rise of modern skyscrapers in our region and how that’s taking away from the originality and unique identity of our cities. ...
Aug 23, 2024•42 min
A Bit of Culture starts this episode with a banger of a topic! Julian Yap returns to talk about the trend of rating things and how it has perhaps made our experiences objectively worse. Then, it’s Kam’s turn to ask a very deep question - what brings you joy? This gets them thinking deeply about the topic. Last but not least, Dhanya Nair completes the trifecta by talking about how hard it is to be a fan these days, as you never know what’s going to happen to the things that you love. It’s a hoot ...
Aug 16, 2024•46 min
It’s a mini reunion on A Bit of Culture as Kam Raslan welcomes the return of two former BFMers to his realm. Sim Wie Boon and Sharmilla Ganesan join Kam to trade cultural blows, and they get the party started by talking about solitude, and whether they’re okay with a bit of quiet time by themselves. After tackling solitude, they talk about the internet and how the space is now used by people to vent their unhappiness at things they perceive as “wrong” in pop culture. They conclude the show by wo...
Aug 09, 2024•48 min
Kam Raslan returns, and with his trusty sidekicks, Ong Kar Jin and Matt Armitage, they tackle three topics that will tickle your curiosity. Kar Jin steps up first, and as the youngest of the three, confesses to missing newspapers and how news was curated and delivered then, compared to now. This warms them up nicely for the second conversation on science fiction and whether this genre delivers (or not) on the kind of promise that it makes in its tropes. The second part of the show sees Matt talk...
Aug 02, 2024•45 min
It’s a special episode of A Bit of Culture as Kam Raslan is joined by two well-known figures in the Malaysian theatre scene - Marion D’Cruz and Na’a Murad. Kam uses this opportunity to immediately jump to the topic of theatre, its ephemeral nature and whether this is a downside, compared to other forms of arts. Na’a then talks about the incessant toxicity in pop culture these days and why that’s the case. They end the show by talking about gossip as a form of resilience and rebellion. Curious to...
Jul 26, 2024•45 min
Our host, Kam Raslan decides to start this episode of A Bit of Culture by reflecting on his relationship with his surroundings in the form of asking our guests of the week, Zan Azlee and Ahmad Yazid, whether they’re members of their respective communities. From there, Zan changes the trajectory of the chat slightly by sharing his experience of being in a veteran basketball group and the advantages of being a part of such association at his age. In the second part of the show, documentary filmmak...
Jul 19, 2024•45 min
Have you ever thought of the “right way”, or the etiquette of splitting a bill, after a fun day out with a group of friends? This is a topic that our A Bit of Culture guest, Sheryll Paul brings to the table, and frankly, it’s about time it’s being discussed, as the nuances can be pretty layered and complex, depending on your social group and what they are like. Man of culture Kam Raslan moderates that topic alongside our other returning guest making his second appearance, Hafiz Noor Shams. Besid...
Jul 12, 2024•41 min
A Bit of Culture up the stakes this time around, with regulars Dhanya Nair and Michael Gong joining Kam Raslan to indulge in his slightly confessional topic that may (or may not) be strange to some - he likes watching videos of ears being cleaned! Not really strange, really, but what did Dhanya and Mikey think? But before we get to that, Mikey poses a very interesting question - what are three English books that they would like to teach to Malaysian teenagers. Tune in to hear what they pick! Las...
Jul 05, 2024•42 min
It’s a jam-packed episode of A Bit of Culture that’s filled with starry-eyed conversations that look into the future of rom coms, AI and memory. Regular guest and a huge fan of rom coms Julian Yap shares her love for a genre that has seen a resurgence in popularity and how it’s going to evolve in the future. Then, it’s futurologist Matt Armitage’s turn to put Julian and our host Kam Raslan on the spot by asking them how they use AI, and unpacks our attitude to them. Then, in the second part of t...
Jun 28, 2024•51 min
Our culture vulture Kam Raslan welcomes regular guests, Zan Azlee and Ong Kar Jin on another thought-provoking episode of A Bit of Culture. Since they’re both guys, Kam starts the show by talking about the concept of machismo, and their perspectives on it. Zan then reflects on the various types of Malaysian sports movies that are available out there after watching the recently released Padu The Movie and how fun and important these movies are, despite following certain tropes. Afterwards, things...
Jun 21, 2024•44 min
It’s a star-studded cast on A Bit of Culture, as futurist Matt Armitage and Bob Dylan of Bangi Azmyl Yunor join Kam Raslan for another session of culture-filled banter. Matt gets the party going by talking about ChatGPT’s latest feature - it can now sing! This gets Kam excited, though Azmyl thinks it won’t be much of a threat to his music career. After that, Kam talks about coolness and whether there’s a universal norm for being cool. And to end the show, Azmyl ponders about whether there’s a di...
May 31, 2024•50 min
A Bit of Culture welcomes economist Hafiz Noor Shams to the ABOC family to share his take on Malaysia’s growth in the 90s and her eventual decline. But before Hafiz’s debut topic, the show’s regular guest Julian Yap talks about girl power and the rise of female-driven pop culture content. Kam then follows that up by looking for the definition of middle class and what it entails. Another exciting episode of A Bit of Culture that explores wonderful topics from multiple different angles! See omnyst...
May 24, 2024•47 min
Sometimes, it’s good to have conversations that are so random and diverse and that’s what this episode of A Bit of Culture is all about. Dhanya Nair and Marion D’Cruz join our culture vulture Kam Raslan on the episode to unpack three distinctive topics - the concept of living funerals and whether that’s a cool thing that we should consider before we say goodbye to our loved ones, the continuous growth of Malaysian designers and brands and the unique approach that they take to showcase our identi...
May 17, 2024•45 min
Another week, another episode of A Bit of Culture. This post-Labour Day episode features regular guests Na’a Murad and Matt Armitage as they join Kam to explore Malaysian science fiction, the future of social media, and the enduring appeal of board games. Na’a opens the show by hypothetically projecting what a strong Malaysian science fiction will be based or anchored on, and this gets both Kam and Matt speculating wildly. Kam then looks to the future to ponder what social media is going to look...
May 03, 2024•46 min
Sometimes, A Bit of Culture starts the show with a topic that’s pretty deep, and that’s how this episode begins - with Kam sharing his dislike for the word “civilisation” and what it entails. It gets our regular guest, Dhanya Nair and debutant Sudais Ferhard thinking, reflecting and even coming up with a counter argument. Then, they move on to talking about dating app etiquette, inspired by Dhanya and Sudais’ personal experience on these platforms and their ways of going about it. Are the apps s...
Apr 26, 2024•40 min
…that’s the question of the week, as Kam Raslan and his guests, Julian Yap and Vernon Adrian Emuang, unpack our obsession with travelling and whether it truly broadens our horizons, as claimed by many. From there, they then move on to talking about swearing, without dropping any foul words along the way, surprisingly. In the second part of the show, Vernon speaks about identity and diasporas, reflecting on his own identity and community. It’s another fun episode that you don’t want to miss! See ...
Apr 19, 2024•45 min
Zan Azlee and Matt Armitage return to A Bit of Culture and one of them might get in trouble with a lot of people as they discuss mass media’s appeal to the lowest common denominator. But prior to that, Kam kicks off the show by talking about optimism vs pessimism, forcing everyone to look in the mirror to assess their own personalities. From there, they move on to talking about brain implants and whether it’s something we should embrace as and when it becomes an option for all of us. It’s anothe...
Apr 05, 2024•45 min
It’s a slightly unique A Bit of Culture episode this time around, as we only have two topics, instead of the usual three. BFMers, past and present, join Kam Raslan to talk about things that matter to them. Firstly, former BFM News Producer Sheryll Paul ponders about third spaces and whether we have enough of them here in the country. What are third spaces? Tune in to find out! Afterwards, current BFMer, Julian Yap talks about relying on algorithms to feed you information, vs making the effort to...
Mar 29, 2024•31 min
Miriam Margolyes, the actor who played Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter films recently courted controversy after telling adult Harry Potter fans that they should “grow up” and “get over it”. This riled up our regular guest, Dhanya Nair, a Potterhead herself, and she decided to talk about it on the show. Afterwards, Kam revisits the topic of whether Malaysians read books, this time getting the perspective of ABOC debutant and owner of Lit Books, Fong Min Hun. In the second part of the ...
Mar 22, 2024•40 min
Another week, another exciting episode of A Bit of Culture, this time around featuring Marion D’Cruz and Michael Gong! We kick things off with a philosophical discussion on capital cities and their characteristics. Then, the trio moves on by talking about high art and whether one should approach it with a certain degree of knowledge, or it’s fine if they’re just there to appreciate things without really knowing everything. In the second part of the show, Marion talks about how certain Mamak rest...
Mar 15, 2024•47 min
A Bit of Culture welcomes another debutant, in the form of dancer and choreographer, Lee Su-Feh! She speaks about our perception of our bodies and others in public spaces and how indirectly and subliminally aware we are of these things. But before that, ABOC regular Ong Kar Jin discusses the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell, to protest the Gaza war, while Kam shares to the group his reluctance and refusal to learn the names of Korean actors & directors. Why? Tune in to find out! See omnystu...
Mar 08, 2024•48 min
A Bit of Culture welcomes March with another episode that’s true to the essence of the show. Dhanya Nair and Na’a Murad join Kam Raslan to talk about Reddit, learning martial arts and Mount Everest. Dhanya gets the ball rolling by bringing Kam and Na’a down the rabbit hole of Reddit, much to the delight (and bemusement) of these two fine gentlemen. Then, it was Na’a’s turn to share his experience learning martial arts, then and now, and how martial arts have evolved to be a bit more accessible, ...
Mar 01, 2024•44 min
True to A Bit of Culture’s DNA, the Super Bowl (or at least a part of it) becomes a talking point for Kam and his two guests for this week, Julian Yap and Matt Armitage. Julian starts the show by talking about the controversy surrounding Alicia Keys’ slight off-key performance at the recent Super Bowl, which was subsequently “corrected” when the video of that performance was uploaded on the NFL’s official YouTube channel. Was that move a right one? The folks discuss that before moving on to talk...
Feb 23, 2024•42 min
Join Kam Raslan, Dhanya Nair and Azmyl Yunor as they look at pop culture from many different facets and perspectives. Kam kicks off the show by talking about music and how “visual” it actually is and can be, despite the obvious, inspired by Azmyl Yunor’s latest music video. Then, it’s Azmyl’s turn to reflect on rock and roll and its ageing rockstars and the secret to their longevity. After the break, Dhanya shares her love for Indian Cinema and why they’re severely underrated and should be paid ...
Feb 02, 2024•40 min
The apologists are back and they’re looking for revenge! Not literally, but in a more dynamic way that somehow marks the delicate intricacies of the global societies and communities at large. Tune in for a clearer picture of this conversation, brought to you by ABOC regular, Ong Kar Jin. But before we get to that, Kam starts off the show by talking about AI-generated images and whether they will be the norm moving forward, as more people opt for them. And in her second appearance on the show, Sh...
Jan 26, 2024•43 min
New year means new milestone for some, and in the case of ABOC regular and documentary filmmaker, Ahmad Yazid, it’s embracing wearing braces at the age of 40. He shares his experience with our host Kam, and another ABOC regular, Vernon Adrian Emuang. Kam then asks his guests what their relationship is with their old photographs, while sharing his. After the break, Vernon talks about Youtube and how he finds so much joy from the platform. It’s another episode that you don’t want to miss! See omny...
Jan 19, 2024•43 min
Yup, you read that right. Kam has a Taylor Swift-related conundrum. What is it exactly? Tune in to find out! But before you’ll get to that dilemma, Dhanya Nair starts off the show by ruminating about leading old actors and whether there’s a cut-off age before they’re considered “too old” to be the leading person. Later on the show, Matt Armitage wonders why robots have to look like human beings, when it’s technically more difficult to make them that way. It’s a fascinating conversation that disc...
Jan 12, 2024•44 min
A Bit of Culture regulars, Julian Yap and Dhanya Nair join Kam to usher in the new year and of course, inevitably, the topic of resolutions come up. In between that, Julian speaks about the casting choices for period pieces and how they should avoid casting faces that know what an iPhone is. Speaking of movies, Kam reminisces about Mary Poppins and how some films are catered and targeted for children exclusively, without thinking about the adults that are watching them as well. Tune in to start ...
Jan 05, 2024•45 min
Joining Kam Raslan on the last episode of A Bit of Culture for the year 2023 are Zan Azlee and Ong Kar Jin, and together, they reflect on the ten best Malaysian movies of the year, whether competitive sports for kids should be cancelled, and nostalgia vs retro. Zan starts things off by listing down his ten favourite Malaysian movies this year, and his thoughts on what he considers a good year for our local movie industry. Kam then uses Zan as an example of how we should consider cancelling compe...
Dec 29, 2023•38 min
