Talkback

Malaysians were asked whether they would support a proposal for a single-stream education system as opposed to the current vernacular schooling system that we have now. The polls suggested an almost fair split between both sides of the fence - with 47.4% of them opposing it and 41.4% supporting the idea. There are arguments that vernacular schools can unintentionally cause segregation of race, min...

So, we’ve just gone past Teacher’s Day, a day that’s very much a token of appreciation for the vital contributions that teachers make to education and development. A couple of days ago, there was an article in FMT, quoting Zakaria Kasa of the National Professors Council who talked about Singapore, and how Singaporean parents often have to play an important role in their kid&rsquo...

Earlier this week, we covered a story about how retired senior citizens in China, are clamouring to go back to university. Looking at projections for Malaysia, we’re headed for an increase, to about 33.3 million by 2020, with the aged population (people 60 years and above) projected at just under 10% of that. We’re going to have 3.26 million senior citizens in our midst, come 2020. So...

It was reported this week that there are at least 1 in 20 runaway-maid cases here in Malaysia. The reasons vary from employer abuse to being misled by their agency and also the yearning for freedom. The Malaysian Maid Employers’ Association have said that more effort should be made to overcome the problem of runaway maids. And one of the suggestions is to treat domestic maids like family, bu...

The death of Mohammad Thaqif Amin who was physically abused at his school has left the nation in shock and anger. Everyone has been saying that it should not have happened. But it did. And the events leading up to his unfortunate demise exposed a cry for help that was ignored, and a system without checks and balances. Who should take responsibility over his death? Who should be taking care of the...

A couple of days ago, Sports and Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin spoke about how young Malaysians preferred citizens of the country to be known as ‘Bangsa Malaysia’. He found a recurring narrative spoken by youths from 20 dialogues held nationwide on the TN50 Programme. It seemed that most young Malaysians ‘wanted the wall that separated the races in the country to be demolished...

A couple of days ago, SPAD released proposed guidelines for the reclassification of taxi services in Malaysia. The objective, is to revamp the industry, leveling the playing field amongst taxi drivers and their ride-sharing counterparts. So this evening, we’re trying to assess where we are, in terms of the whole taxi/ridesharing ecosystem. On Talkback Thursday today, we’d like you to t...

Parliament is in session, and it's been a busy period for our MPs who have been carefully reviewing tabled bills and amendments. And the outcome has been good; notably for the bill on sexual violence against children and the amendments passed for the Domestic Violence Act. But an off-putting remark by Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya about rape and child marriage has got Parliament and the p...

When it comes to education, we’ve really seen the discourse swell over the past few years. Global education has truly evolved and we’ve seen many countries trying to find ways to move education into the 21st century and yet here in Malaysia, there seems to be a feeling of inertia. Meaningful change will take time of course, but we'd like to know what you'd do. On Talkback Thursday toda...

In an article in FMT today, financial planner Robert Foo of MyFP Services wrote about young Malaysians and their relationships with credit cards. His take on the status quo, is that many fresh grads end up misusing their credit cards, spending on lavish lifestyles and shiny new gadgets - essentially, luxuries, rather than necessities. His advice is to use a credit card as a ‘payment utility&...

The Beauty and the Beast debacle has been the topic of discussion this whole week. Our Film Censorship Board (LPF) has said the film is good to go with the inclusion of a minor edit. But in the end, film distributor Walt Disney decided to pull the film off our screens altogether, rejecting the cuts made. So on Talkback today, we're asking: What should or shouldn't be censored in our cinemas? Our l...

The world celebrated International Women's Day yesterday, and many have come out voicing the importance of having more women in the forefront of things. Our very own Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin expressed his wish for a Malaysian society that would move on from being "patriarchal" and "misogynistic" in objectifying women. He added that he also wishes for a female Prime Minister by t...

A public library in Oregon, USA is starting a new programme called ‘Adulting 101,’ which is essentially a bunch of classes geared towards helping young people become functioning adults. The course also includes life skills beyond university like modules on writing a resume and getting a job, moving out and finding an apartment, and more. So based on that, we’d like to ask you tod...

On Saturday, we all saw the reports of an awful cycling mishap that claimed the lives of 8 teenage boys, injuring a further 8. The incident took place at about 3am in Johor Bahru after the group was hit by a woman driving a Nissan Almera. A few days after the incident, the Star published a report that focused on the grieving parents. It talked about how the parents, already distraught at having lo...

Former Treasury Secretary General Tan Sri Sheriff Mohd Kassim at a recent forum called for the civil service to be downsized. This suggestion has been shot down by The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services or Cuepacs. Last year, public servants pay totalled RM74 billion with pensions amounting to about RM19 billion. Collectively, these payments formed the biggest portion...

Earlier this month, Taiwan-based Chatime revoked the rights of its Malaysian franchise owner from operating the chain they’ve been building for 6 years. Chatime has 800 outlets worldwide, and Malaysia accounts for more than half of their turnover. In fact, some assumed Chatime was a Malaysian brand until this story broke. They now have less than 45 days to rebrand all 165 outlets, but CEO Br...

On Monday, there was news that the government was considering banning the kapcai, or underbone motorcycles, from entering Kuala Lumpur. The Federal Territories Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor has said that this is to reduce carbon emissions and congestion in the city, as well as to reduce crime. The news became viral on social media, drawing much backlash from people who disagreed with it...

We Malaysians have our fair share of heroes. Most recently, Mohd Faiz Subri created history by winning FIFA’s prestigious Puskas Award. But Malaysians were quick to swap their support for stick and stones by criticising Faiz's command of the English language after he delivered his acceptance speech at the award ceremony. This evening on Talkback Thursday, we're asking you, is it fair for us...

2017 is here and money seems to be on our minds a lot. Malaysians are still struggling with healthcare costs. Parents have had to pay double for their children's school supplies. Recently-married couples are nursing personal loans they took to finance their big day. Malaysians are taking up 2 jobs to sustain their income. And amidst all this, loan sharks lurk in the background offering their hassl...

It was reported yesterday, that IDEAS, (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) doesn’t support the idea of cash incentives to encourage more births. This was with regard to the Terengganu government’s programme to raise birth levels in the state. IDEAS says that it’s irresponsible and dangerous to encourage families to have more children when they can’t afford it. An...

This evening on Talkback, we’re talking about the bane of every Malaysian driver, traffic. Inspired by what’s currently happening in Paris where they’ve banned cars for the second day running as a means of controlling pollution, we’d like to know how you’d respond to the same being done here, as a means of controlling the traffic situation. So we’d like to ask y...

There’s an article in the Malay Mail about how Malaysians with Master’s degrees are finding it difficult to land solid, well-paying jobs. According to the report, high-paying jobs are scarce and with a growing number of degree holders competing for them, even a good Master’s degree doesn’t give you that edge. Statistics from various agencies are indicating that hiring growt...

Just a couple of days ago, there was a report about an app called ‘YELLOW’ which apparently has 5 million users and has been dubbed as "Tinder for teenagers". With no age-restrictions or checks and balances in place, the app has received criticism for attracting age-inappropriate users. This evening on Talkback, we’re addressing the topic of teenagers finding love, online and via...

A school in Scotland, has stopped setting homework for its 175 pupils, after 80% of pupils and more than 60% of their parents voted in favour of scrapping homework altogether. Instead of homework, the children will be encouraged to read books and comics, and to play. We’re looking at a far more comprehensive and holistic approach to learning these days (in line with the new education bluepri...

Do you find yourself doing things for your children that they are old enough to do for themselves such as cutting up their food, doing their washing or changing their sheets? BFM is presenting our first-ever health event focusing on children’s health this weekend; ‘BFM’s Health & Living Junior’ and today on, we’re going to kick things off by exploring an area of p...