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 pers...
Jun 06, 2023•34 min
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 t...
Jun 01, 2023•39 min
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 30, 2023•45 min
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 rat...
May 25, 2023•32 min
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....
May 23, 2023•28 min
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 ...
May 18, 2023•39 min
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 ...
May 16, 2023•35 min
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. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omny...
May 11, 2023•40 min
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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 09, 2023•43 min
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...
May 02, 2023•52 min
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Apr 27, 2023•44 min
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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Apr 25, 2023•36 min
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. See omnystudio....
Apr 20, 2023•32 min
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, w...
Apr 18, 2023•37 min
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 s...
Apr 13, 2023•47 min
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 s...
Apr 11, 2023•38 min
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 t...
Apr 06, 2023•34 min
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. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omny...
Mar 30, 2023•43 min
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 Malaysia...
Mar 28, 2023•44 min
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...
Mar 23, 2023•38 min
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, politi...
Mar 21, 2023•28 min
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 ...
Mar 16, 2023•42 min
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 ...
Mar 14, 2023•39 min
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? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 09, 2023•34 min
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Mar 07, 2023•35 min
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 drain...
Mar 02, 2023•27 min
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. See omnystudi...
Feb 28, 2023•43 min
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 23, 2023•21 min
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 u...
Feb 21, 2023•26 min
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. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 16, 2023•25 min
