Malaysia unanimously passed the bill to repeal mandatory death penalty and natural life sentence at the Parliament today. After years of work, the bill was approved and paved the way to the reforms of criminal justice system in Malaysia. One of the prominent proponents of such law reform is Kasthuri Patto, former Batu Kawan MP, and she has worked closely with NGOs to push for these reforms.
Apr 03, 2023•6 min•Season 1Ep. 35
The constitutional amendment on Malaysia Agreement MA63 will be tabled in the last Parliamentary sitting of the year 2021. It was initially scheduled to be tabled on October 26 as the first reading and the second reading on October 28. However, on October 25, de-facto law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Parliament that the cabinet has decided to postpone the amendment to a later date to iron out the details with the Attorney General's Chambers. At the same time, Pakatan Harapan's MP ...
Oct 25, 2021•2 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 34
September 9, 2021 - It was a day of reckoning. A day of joy and celebration for Malaysian mothers who have been trying so hard for years to finally get an affirmation by the Kuala Lumpur High Court that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers are automatically entitled to Malaysian citizenship. However, the Attorney General's Chambers had filed an appeal against the high court decision on September 14. In this episode, I speak to Ronan Collins, spouse to Malaysian mother,...
Sep 16, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 33
The history repeated itself again when former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced his resignation on 16 August that led to a frenzy of competing for the numbers to appoint a new Prime Minister for Malaysia. Alas, after a long two weeks of political drama, we have come to an end after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Al-Mustafa Billah Shah of Pahang, consented the appointment of Bera MP, Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the ninth Malaysian Prime Minister. Ismail is also the third PM appoi...
Aug 20, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 32
The deadline is over. At 4PM sharp on 18th of August, all 220 MPs submitted their statutory decorations to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Who will be the next Prime Minister, the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia? After months and weeks of political turmoil in Malaysia, in the face of rising Covid-19 cases in the country, Malaysia finds itself deep in the triple crisis in health, economy and politics. It does seem like there is no end to this, but by this weekend, we may have a new prime minister, un...
Aug 18, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this episode, I speak to Kelvin Tan, CEO and co-founder of Project ID, a school-based education initiative to help students and teachers. In 2020, Project ID conducted the Student Voice Matters survey to understand how students are coping with the sudden switch to online learning. This year in 2021, Project ID recently published the first part of the study to see the changes in the Malaysian students’ online learning experience and how they look to move forward.
May 22, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 30
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia-Pacific launched the report on The Trust in Media study in Malaysia, in collaboration with the Merdeka Centre on 10 May 2021. The research is a key activity in the foundation phase of strengthening Malaysia’s Media for Change Project. The project was commissioned to Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research to assess current reporting standards and public perceptions of media outlets, media coverage and journalists. The research concluded in January 2...
May 10, 2021•2 hr 1 min
In this episode, I am speaking to Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs to discuss about the prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin's political longevity amidst the political crisis. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin still enjoys a high approval rating at 67% in the recent poll by Merdeka Center, suggesting a growing optimism for the leader of Perikatan Nasional coalition. However, the survey showed a clear split on the administration as a whole as the nation s...
May 08, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In the last Sarawak state election held in 2016, the then Sarawak Barisan Nasional led by the late Adenan Satem, won with a landslide victory, winning 72 out of 82 seats contested, while the opposition only managed to secure 10 seats. Although we are still in the midst of the emergency, it is expected that the state will call for an election by the end of the year once the emergency is lifted. In this episode, a collaboration with Dr James Chin, professor in Asia Studies at Asia Institute, Unive...
Apr 28, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this episode, I speak to DAP’s national political education director and former deputy defence minister Senator Liew Chin Tong, discussing the changing political landscape in the country after Umno’s ultimatum to Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional. We will be diving deeper into the economic issues we face in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and moving forward as we attempt to pull it through these tough times.
Apr 07, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 27
What are my top stories of the week? Check out my take of last week's top stories and what you should look out this week as we prepare for Umno's AGM over the weekend.
Mar 23, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Malaysia is never shy from one political crisis to another political drama unfolding. It has been a year since the change of administration in 2020 that saw the change of government. Has that event stalled the media reforms in Malaysia? In this next episode of Sheraton Move, One Year On special series, I speak to Radzi Razak, journalist and spokesperson of Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM), taking a look, a review of one year on of the Perikatan Nasional administration and how the Covid-19 pandemic...
Mar 01, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 25
February 23, 2020, the day that altered the direction of Malaysian political landscape from an unseemingly political coup that shattered Pakatan Harapan’s helm at leadership from the historic win in the 2018 General Election. A year after the infamous political coup, some would say a backdoor government by Perikatan Nasional led by Bersatu’s president Muhyiddin Yassin and the faction that broke away from PKR’s leadership led by Azmin Ali. It all happened within a swoop and a year later, where ar...
Feb 23, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Malaysia’s leading independent news portal Malaysiakini was handed a hefty half a million ringgit fine after they were found to be in contempt of court by the Federal Court on February 19, the penalty was more than double the fine prosecutors had sought. The highest court of the country ruled that Malaysiakini was guilty of contempt over five comments posted by readers on its website last year, saying that it was responsible for the dissemination of remarks deemed to have undermined the “system ...
Feb 22, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 23
It all began with the remarks made by the Senate Speaker who is also the Senate President, Tan Sri Rais Yatim, who said that the decision to lower the voting age to 18-years-old starting this July was one made hastily and teenagers are still not ready to commit to the democratic process. Just recently, deputy youth and sports minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal who was once a special officer to the minister Syed Saddiq who said that Malaysians are not ready to vote at 18 years old. I speak to Tharma Pill...
Feb 15, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Collective agreements (CA) is an important agreement between an employer and a union which includes the terms and conditions for employees. The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) together with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) organised a webinar on Collective Agreements (CA) for Media Workers in Malaysia on January 26, 2021. This event is supported by the European Union and the Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia. We are bringing to you experts from the Industrial Rela...
Jan 31, 2021•1 hr 27 min
This will be the second part of my conversation and discussion on Children of the Lost Year, as part of my policy analysis and my attempt to understand the current situation of our education policy in the midst of the pandemic. In this episode, I speak to the Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah to share her views and experiences, particularly in the low-cost housing or flats in her constituency and what we can do to move forward.
Jan 22, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 21
We’re back in another lockdown as we usher in a new year in 2021 and despite the good news of the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine, we will still have to brace ourselves with the new wave of infections in Malaysia that broke the 4,000 mark in daily new cases. Last year, millions of students had to stay home during the early measures of lockdown in the country. Classes only resumed in June but later the schools were ordered to close again in November 2020. Nevertheless, some students and teachers hav...
Jan 19, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Hundreds of editors and journalists were laid off and rendered unemployed as a result of the challenges faced by the media industry to stay afloat. The Covid-19 pandemic came as a double whammy, forcing several media companies to shut down and downsized to keep themselves afloat. In this webinar forum, we will be speaking to key experts to understand how existing laws and regulations impact media personnel’s news gathering activities and social media posts during the pandemic. Panelists gave an ...
Dec 29, 2020•1 hr 45 min
Budget 2021 was finally passed in the Dewan Rakyat, let’s face it. 111 to 108 and one absent. We have 220 MPs, two passed away this year. As we wind down the clock and the curtain falls to close the end of the year, the stage of political dramas draw to a close of the chapter in 2020. It is the year we all want to forget, or rather calling it a disastrous one. This episode, I’m speaking to Baru Bian, former Works Minister during the Pakatan Harapan administration and also the MP for Selangau in ...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Media professionals in Malaysia still face many restrictive laws despite seeing an improved press freedom ranking in the last two years. In this webinar, we will be discussing about the current media landscape in the country, existing legal framework for the media and procedures for both avoiding charges and dealing with the ramifications. This webinar forum was organised by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia Pacific and supported by Switzerland Embassy in Malaysia, The Europ...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 31 min
In the 1970s, more than two thirds of the land in the Borneo island were covered in rainforest, lush greenery, flora and fauna. One of the last bastions of untouched rainforest in the world. In less than four decades, much of it has been lost and we are now looking at a grim figure of 30 percent left of rainforest cover in Borneo. Much closer to home in Sarawak, while the state government boasts more than 60 percent of forest coverage and sustainable forest management, replanting of trees, we st...
Nov 11, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Stop. Pause. Politics. Covid-19. Quarantine. Unemployment. Deaths. With all the political drama over the week, what can we do to reset Malaysia? What can we expect from the upcoming Budget 2021 scheduled to be tabled on November 6? I speak to Ivy Kwek, research director of REFSA (Research for Social Advancement) to delve deeper in understanding the events in the country and the region, and how these will impact many of us in Malaysia.
Oct 29, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 17
It has been a depressing week for many of us, while some others are fighting hard on the frontlines in Sabah to help those who are affected by the pandemic. In this episode, I will be selecting the top stories over the week and Malaysia’s political drama is as exciting as the series of Game of Thrones.
Oct 25, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Since the end of the last Sabah state election, Parti Warisan Sabah fell short and we saw a change of state government through the ballots. However, Sabah is now known as the Little Wuhan, with hundreds of cases reported on a daily basis. With emerging infection clusters all of Malaysia, all hands on deck to manage the third pandemic wave in the country. In this episode, I’m collaborating with a new-found friend, Harith Mohamad who runs NadiKita podcast program. We will be discussing the dynamic...
Oct 18, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 15
[Bicara Minggu Ini] with The Vibes had an opportunity to interview former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on September 20 in the midst of the Sabah state election campaign. In this episode, we discussed about the return of his 'popularity' in the political sphere with his moniker 'Bossku' and his take about the his case in July related to the misappropriation of RM42 million related to SRC International Sdn Bhd and 1MDB where he was found guilty of seven charges.
Oct 01, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Bicara Minggu Ini returns with a conversation with Dr James Chin, professor of Asia Studies in the University of Tasmania, Australia to make sense of the outcome from the recently concluded Sabah state election last week. This episode was recorded on September 27, a day after the polling day on September 26 which saw Shafie Apdal led Warisan Plus ousted by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Sep 30, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 13
[Bicara Minggu Ini] returns this week with a conversation with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)'s member of parliament from Kangar, Noor Amin Ahmad. We discussed about his memories during his younger days in the midst of the start of the Reformasi era in 1998 while representing his school in a chess competition. An academic and researcher prior to joining politics, the mild-mannered lawmaker shares his story and observations on Malaysian political landscape and how will Sabah elections paved the futu...
Sep 19, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Coming back this week as we anticipate the nomination day on September 12 in Sabah state election where Sabahans head to the polls on September 26. I speak to 3 young Malaysians; Aaron Denison, Umar Hafiz and Daniel Qayyum who are among a group of young leaders behind the #PulangMengundiSabah, crowdsourcing funds to help Sabahans to return home to cast their ballots in the snap election. At the same time, there were many chatters and discussions surrounding the hyped youth-centered political par...
Sep 10, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Organised by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Asia Pacific, a report on the challenges, issues and controls that journalists and media workers encountered in Malaysia as a result of existing legislation and new controls imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic was published in September 2020. Listen to the discussion and conversation with four panelists: - Honourable Wong Shu Qi, Kluang MP from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) - Tashny Sukumaran, foreign correspondent - Radzi Razak...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 5 min
