Talkback

Malaysia, Truly Asia. It’s a catch phrase that has really caught on. As a tourist destination, we seem to have it all.  Idyllic Islands, Green Highlands, Vibrant cities. Delicious cuisine. Tourism accounts for almost 13% of the country’s GDP.   But is this something that only appeals to the outside world? How do we Malaysians see our own country?  On today’s T...

The UPSR paper leak that's been making headlines has everyone up in arms. But should we be surprised? For years, we've heard of situations where both school and tuition teachers share exam questions, conveniently labeled as "exam tips" with their students. How is that different from the UPSR paper leak yesterday? The biggest victims here are the students, who now have to have their exams postponed...

A social experiment video showing Malaysians sticking up for each other has been making news within the online sphere. The video, filmed by a local ad agency, featured Malaysians refusing to say disparaging remarks for money. Malaysians have commented that the video clearly showed how division among Malaysians doesn't exist, as some people would have us believe. So, are we truly a harmonious natio...

Several brands that have been singled out for their alleged links to Israel say that the recent boycott campaigns and protests by Malaysians "misguided" by inaccurate information will inflict greater pain on their fellow countrymen than their intended targets. We discussed this on Talkback Tuesday today and asked you:  How effective do you think boycott campaigns and protests are in achieving...

A mother had reported her son, a 15 year old schoolboy, to the police because he allegedly raped her after watching a pornographic video, after she had mistakenly entered his bedroom to sleep while she was intoxicated. The story alone shows the many issues at hand: Is porn the main problem? Is sex education the answer to helping students? Should the mother have reported her son? Should she have co...

Bullying in school is never down to one form where students bully students. It has escalated to students bullying their teachers and even teachers bullying their students. And in that last scenario, teachers in the wrong are often transferred to another school as a form of punishment. But is that the answer to solving the problem of these teachers who lack responsibility? Is this an acceptable sta...

With almost 180,000 Malaysian graduates entering the job market, it's a wonder why local grads can't secure a job. Are they really not good enough for the job market or is there a bias against hiring them?  The Economic Transformation Programme asks, “Would you employ a local graduate?". Our lines were open.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Talkback Tuesday tonight, we spoke about the call for internet censorship which has made headlines in our news recently. Contributing to the discussion was our former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir, who was quoted as saying that the internet had the power to undermine moral values and create problems. But is it really just the internet that's causing trouble? Social media has shown that it courts...

Who doesn't know the wonders of Penang food! Both Malaysians and tourists alike make the pilgrimage up north many times to get their amazing-food fix and leave the island, happy. So, it was with mixed reviews when the state government announced that it was planning to ban foreign cooks at hawker stalls. Some supported the move, saying local cuisine authenticity must be maintained. Some argue that...

There’s been a barrage of unpleasant incidents that have graced our news stories just these 3 weeks alone. We’ve had politician Bung  Mokhtar’s Hitler remark after Brazil lost embarrassingly to Germany in the World Cup. Datin Seri Wan Azizah has been labeled as unfit to be a Menteri Besar because of her menstrual cycle, according to another politician. These seemingly unforg...

Public schools can either be a firm foundation for unity or spread the seeds of disunity. As we take several measures to better our education system, could English be the neutral language in bringing our seemingly polarised society together? Are English-medium schools the answer to national unity? Our lines will be open. This Talkback Thursday is brought to you by the Economic Transformation Progr...

According to a recent study, presented at the forum Brain Drain: Who Gains? Who Sacrifices? in KL on Saturday, economist Dr Lim Kim Hwa stated that the current scheme to stem brain drain could backfire. In reference to the 15% optional tax rate on income for 5 years, this would inadvertently nudge more local professionals to work abroad for higher salaries and gains that outstripped the benefits t...

On the 3rd of July 2014, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said that soup kitchens will be fined f they do not shift out of the capital city by Monday. In an initiative to clean up the streets of the homeless. A 2km radius has been instituted around the shopping mall Lot 10 where non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) are prohibited from feeding the homeless. Evening Edition asks: W...

Just a few days ago 15-year-old Muhammad Firdaus Dullah was found covered with faeces and urine in a low cost flat in Taman Semarak, Nilai. He was emaciated, couldn't walk, and suffers from cerebral palsy. Meanwhile, Malaysia found itself being downgraded to the lowest level ranking on a recent human trafficking report, indicating that Malaysia has categorically failed to comply with the most basi...

Back in 2010 North Korea made it into the World Cup; a team not exactly known for the footballing prowess or their football fandom. Why is it, that a nation as football crazy as Malaysia can't make it into the World Cup? What do we need to do? How do we get there? Our lines were open. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A total of 230 suggestions were made in the Auditor-General's Report 2013 Series 2 to assist the federal and state governments and federal statutory bodies to make improvements and overcome the weaknesses reported. Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said out of this number, 55 suggestions were made to the federal government, 31 to the federal statutory bodies and 144 to the state governments. "T...

The growing trend of private vehicle ownership is becoming untenable. Rising fuel costs alone have made driving around an incredibly expensive proposition. And then there’s car prices. And there’s insurance premiums. What about rising tolls? On today's Talkback Thursday - brought to you by the Economic Transformation Programme - we asked 'What would it take for you to give up your car?...

Last September, the Singapore government rolled out the first batch of three-generation (3Gen) flats. Essentially, larger flats - each of which were at approximately 115 sq m in size (about 5 sq m bigger than a typical five-roomer). Each 3Gen flat typically has four bedrooms, a living area, a dining area, a kitchen, three bathrooms, and a store room cum apartment shelter. The idea behind this is,...

The latest victim in the saga of "THINGS BANNED IN MALAYSIA", is an album that was released 47 years ago. Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 album “Axis: Bold as Love” was recently banned by the Home Ministry, as the album cover art depicts Hendrix and his bandmates as various forms of the Hindu deity, Lord Vishnu. A spokesman from the Home Ministry’s Publication Control and Quranic Text...

On Talkback Tuesday, we'll talked about the future of our country. And by that, we meant our children. We've read so many horror stories in the news recently with regard to the senseless death of children, the abused and the neglected. What can we do to make Malaysia better for our children? Our lines were open. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Evening Edition today, we discussed food standards in Malaysia and the level of care you expect from eateries and the food industry in general. Do you care about what goes into your food? Our lines were open. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, a survey by the International Trade Union Confederation listed Malaysia as among the worst countries in the world to work as it does not guarantee workers’ rights. On Talkback today we asked you, the Malaysian worker, how you felt about the employer/employee dynamic in the country? Our lines were be open. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This evening on Talkback, the Evening Edition Team tried to ascertain what's in the hearts and minds of Malaysians. We asked what issues have been top of mind over the past few months. What's fascinated and intrigued them and also what's been most concerning over the past 6 months. Our lines were open. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This evening we talked about the big topic that's making the rounds. Women In Politics. You'd have to be blind to have missed the news thread on the Teluk Intan by-elections (31st May) and the accompanying sexist circus that has since ensued. This is of course, in reference to DAP's candidate - Miss Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud. Do women have to act like men to justify themselves in the political arena?...

We’ve all heard the following refrain. About the time when teachers were put on a pedestal alongside doctors and engineers. About how it was once a vocation that was noble; that inspired. But these days it appears that those who can’t, teach. Are teachers to blame for the quality of our public education system? Is this fair? Our lines were be open.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...