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 t...
Mar 06, 2025•37 min
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 politi...
Mar 04, 2025•48 min
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 The PSA was enacted in 1963 but was later repealed in 1992 during Tun Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as Prime Minister.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 ...
Feb 27, 2025•35 min
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 per...
Feb 25, 2025•36 min
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 psych...
Feb 20, 2025•38 min
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 form...
Feb 18, 2025•35 min
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 Parliamen...
Feb 13, 2025•43 min
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-busti...
Feb 06, 2025•39 min
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 Cor...
Feb 04, 2025•47 min
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 Malay...
Jan 30, 2025•38 min
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...
Jan 23, 2025•49 min
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...
Jan 21, 2025•31 min
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 Solution...
Jan 16, 2025•36 min
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, ...
Jan 14, 2025•49 min
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 ...
Jan 09, 2025•31 min
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 ...
Jan 07, 2025•21 min
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 th...
Jan 02, 2025•30 min
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 ...
Dec 19, 2024•34 min
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 t...
Dec 17, 2024•35 min
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 Thi...
Dec 12, 2024•45 min
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 W...
Dec 10, 2024•46 min
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? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 05, 2024•40 min
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 survi...
Dec 03, 2024•44 min
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 w...
Nov 28, 2024•45 min
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 ...
Nov 26, 2024•41 min
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,...
Nov 21, 2024•49 min
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 f...
Nov 19, 2024•47 min
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...
Nov 14, 2024•32 min
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...
Nov 12, 2024•42 min
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 la...
Nov 07, 2024•34 min
