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 subseq...
Jun 30, 2022•34 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock & Wikimedia Commons See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 23, 2022•30 min
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? Image credit: Djohan Shahrin/Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 16, 2022•29 min
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...
Jun 09, 2022•43 min
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. Image credit: Rafizi Ramli/Facebook ...
Jun 02, 2022•38 min
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? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 26, 2022•38 min
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. Image credit: EPA-EU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 19, 2022•26 min
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...
May 12, 2022•49 min
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-...
Apr 28, 2022•40 min
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? Image credit: adam yusof/Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener ...
Apr 21, 2022•38 min
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? Image credi...
Apr 14, 2022•46 min
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 pred...
Apr 07, 2022•44 min
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 Fa...
Mar 31, 2022•34 min
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...
Mar 24, 2022•23 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 24, 2022•21 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 17, 2022•33 min
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? Image ...
Mar 10, 2022•42 min
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. Image credit: Parti Sosialis Malaysia See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...
Mar 03, 2022•30 min
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 every...
Feb 24, 2022•45 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See...
Feb 17, 2022•38 min
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? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2022•32 min
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? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 27, 2022•46 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 20, 2022•29 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 13, 2022•45 min
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. ...
Jan 06, 2022•38 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 30, 2021•41 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 23, 2021•32 min
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 befo...
Dec 16, 2021•45 min
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. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 09, 2021•48 min
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. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
Dec 02, 2021•42 min
