Beyond the Ballot Box

On the 24th of October, a Parti Sosialis Malaysia activist, Chong Yee Shan, was left with a bloodied face after being shoved by an officer from the Perak Land and Mines Office (PTG) at a farm in Kanthan, Tambun. This can be seen on videos released by PSM. On top of that, PSM chairperson, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, alongside a couple of other PSM activists and a farmer named Ho Pon Tien were arrested. T...

If you’re a Malaysian, you’ve probably heard of Sang Kancil and the many stories about the little mousedeer such as Hikayat Sang Kancil or Sang Kancil Dengan Buaya. Recently, James Chai – columnist at Malaysiakini, Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, he’s also been a guest on BFM on many occasions – wrote a book also on Sang Kancil. But no, it’s not quite about a mousedeer, per se....

What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.  In this episode, we explore the concept of illegal occupation and Western colonial interests in Israel-Palestine. This is of course in light of the recent events in Palestine, where the State of Israel have been raining bombs on Gaza. More than 3000 Palestinians hav...

Last Friday, the MADANI government tabled the largest budget ever in Malaysia’s history, with a total allocation of RM 393.8 billion. The question is does the budget address the needs of the working class, particularly the B40 and shrinking middle class? Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At one point, particularly the years following World War II, it seemed like Europe had defeated the Far-Right. But now, right-wing populist parties are marching into the mainstream again. Marine Le Pen in France and Catholic-Conservative party Vox in Spain are incredibly popular, Georgia Meloni, the current Prime Minister of Italy is the country’s most far-right Prime Minister since the fascist di...

With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, rising inequality and stagnating wages, Malaysians face mounting challenges. This is especially true if you’re working class and middle class.  With the tabling of Budget 2024 just around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be taking a look at what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget to bridge the gap between the haves and the...

What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.   In this episode, we explore the concept of ideologies – what are they and what impact do they have on economic policies and decision making, as well as how various political ideologies have  evolved over the years.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omn...

SOSMA or the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act is a law that was enacted after ISA was abolished in 2012. The law provides authorities with enhanced investigative powers and allows for extended pre-trial detention, all in the name of national security.  Over the years, the law has faced criticism for its human rights abuses.  Recently, Siti Nurizzah Mohd Tazali, an independent res...

It is estimated that there are over a million non-Malaysians living in Sabah today, including undocumented and stateless people. They live among Sabahans. In fact, many of them are born in Sabah and have lived in Sabah all their lives. Yet, their existence isn’t legally recognised, which means they are denied basic rights – they’re not allowed to receive education in public schools, have no access...

What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.   “Race” is a concept that has shaped how a large majority of people in many parts of the world see themselves and each other. However, as we learn more about this concept, it becomes evident that race is a man-made idea but with very real, pervasive and devasta...

Every now and again we will hear news stories about groups of families facing eviction, for example, the case of Kampung Koskan a few months ago. Oftentimes, the people who are forcefully removed from their homes are known as “Peneroka Bandar.” "Peneroka Bandar" in Malaysia refers to urban settlers or urban pioneers. These are individuals or families who have relocated from rural areas to urban or...

The robots, as they say, are coming for our jobs. We live in an era where robots can not only do factory work, but also ace MIT examinations, write poetry and so much more. But what does this mean for society? In conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia, we imagine and discuss what Malaysia could look like in 100 years, with the rise of automation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Politics in Malaysia often centres around the Peninsular, while Sabah & Sarawak are often relegated to the peripheries of mainstream discourse and our imagination. Not to mention, revenue from their natural resources has been funnelled to Putrajaya for decades.  But this should not be the case. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a profound document detailing the rights of Sabah & Sarawak...

What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.   In this episode, we discuss what does politics mean, in the first place.  On the one hand, we often hear people say they don’t like politics or that it doesn’t affect them. On the other hand, political discourse these days often tends to be polarising aro...

Out of the six states that went for elections in 2023, the three states with the highest median wages were won by Harapan-BN, while those with the lowest median wages went to PAS/PN. What does it mean for a “progressive” political block if a large percentage of the poorest people do not vote for you? What has Pakatan Harapan done wrong and how can they be a genuine alternative for people, even tho...

On the 31st of August, Malaysia celebrates its 66th year of Independence. We have come a long way as a nation since 1957 – we have modernised, urbanised and even expanded human rights. However, questions still remain on what it means to be Malaysian, especially given how incredibly polarised we are across racial and religious lines.  We reflect on the nation’s past, present and future, with D...

National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang has said that The Rukun Negara pledge will now be recited with the reading of the preamble followed by the 5 principles, in every school and government programme.  This is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly many Malaysians are not aware that there’s a preamble to the Rukun Negara, and have been under the impression that the Rukun Negara...

With the growing popularity of PAS and the Islamist movement in Malaysia, it is imperative now more than ever, for the unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to be a genuine alternative.  This alternative firstly, needs to be one that focuses on improving the material lives of regular working-class Malaysians, but also offers a cohesive vision of a Malaysian identity – a philoso...

Ethnonationalism, religious nationalism, neo-fascism and other forms of right-wing and ultra conservative populist movements are on the rise, in Malaysia and across the globe.  From the growing popularity of PAS and Perikatan Nasional in Malaysia, Narendra Modi and his Hindu Nationalist project in India, to strongman Donald Trump or the Evangelical Christians of the Republican Party in the US...

PRN 2023 took place last Saturday. The coalition comprising PH-BN retained Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, while Perikatan Nasional retained Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. While the big picture remains status quo, a closer look tells us that Perikatan Nasional did make gains.  We unpack the results with Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme &...

We’re only a few days away from PRN 2023, a series of state elections happening on the 12th of August, which is this Saturday. The states involved are Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.  So, on today’s episode, we do a preview of the state elections and discuss some of the key themes and questions emerging on the road to PRN 2023.  Image Credit: Friko Keir...

The upcoming series of state elections will see a third force namely MUDA and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) come together to take on the two giants that are Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media, as some say that they could play a pivotal role in shifting our nation’s discourse in a more prog...

The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics.  Politics in the east coast is a lot more dynamic than people often give them credit for and in this episode, we discuss the rivalries between the political parties that dom...

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 month’s episode centres around public and affordable housing. We speak to Rodziah Ismail, Former ADUN and Selangor State Exco Entrepreneur Development, Housing and Urban Wellbeing. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics.  In this episode, we explore the arts scene of Kelantan & Terengganu and reflect on how they express themselves despite tight restrictions and conservatism, as well as h...