Beyond the Ballot Box

MUDA recently announced their decision to contest solo at the upcoming series of state elections that will be taking place in Selangor, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Penang and Negeri Sembilan. This means that the young party will go against both Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media.  Wh...

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 speak to Mohd Syahiran Muhammad, Chief ABIM Kelantan about what young people in Kelantan and the east coast are thinking about when it comes to politics and t...

Charles Santiago, who’s a human rights defender and the former Klang MP for DAP, recently wrote a four-parter on Malaysiakini detailing modern-day slavery, forced labour, and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh. On today’s show, we go through the series of heartbreaking events experienced by these workers and also discuss what needs to be done so that this doesn’t...

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 get acquainted with DHPP - Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS, which is essentially PAS’ non-Muslim wing. We speak to Dr Balachandran Gopal Krishnan, advisor of Non...

MUDA has announced that it's going solo and will be contesting against not just Perikatan Nasional, but the Pakatan Harapan-led MADANI government pack, as well. The move has received mixed reactions on social media, with some saying it’s inevitable, some sending well wishes, while others have criticised and even trolled them.  But what does MUDA going solo tell us about our political landscap...

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. On the first episode, we reflect on our trip to Kelantan & Terengganu and also talk about the Malaysian Happiness Index.  Image Credit: Syahrin Abdul Aziz / Shutterstock...

We are at a critical juncture in politics right now. The rise of right-wing populism and post-truth narratives isn’t just a Malaysian problem but a global one. There’s also the Russia-Ukraine war, the refugee crisis and the climate crisis. And so, the push to strengthen democracy and the power of the people to build a more equitable society has never been more crucial.  Our guest on today’s e...

Terengganu can be considered one of the true swing states in the country. For decades now, the state has flipped between UMNO and PAS, with no political party managing to hold onto power for more than a term. In the run-up to the upcoming state elections, we speak to Dato’ Tengku Hassan Tengku Omar, Exco in Terengganu – Chairman, Terengganu State Committee For Trade, Industry, Regional Development...

We’ve all probably come across the term T20, M40 and B40. We’ve probably said “T20” in reference to the rich. But does this classification system accurately reflect financial realities on the ground and the imagination of the masses? Does it help the government provide subsidies to the right groups? The short answer is, not quite.   This is one of the reasons why Minister of Economy, Raf...

It is often said that state elections should focus on local issues, while parliamentary elections focus on national issues. However, the upcoming series of state elections looks to be huge, with both PN and the Unity Government side painting this as a test for Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership and popularity. On top of that, this election will be different from GE15, in terms of alliances heading into th...

Democracy, a term that resonates with notions of freedom, participation, and equality, lies at the heart of many political systems worldwide, at least in concept. But what does it actually mean? For many, democracy equals elections and the ability to cast a vote once every however many years. Others might consider that a problematic and reductive way of defining democracy. So, what is democracy? A...

Minister of Economy, Rafizi Ramli recently said that the government is looking in principle at the policy for a progressive wage system in Malaysia and the discussion and engagement process has begun with various stakeholders. The minister said this is in line with the 12th Malaysia Plan’s aim for the compensation of employees as a percentage of GDP to hit 40%, which is an increase of roughly 3-6%...

Xavier Justo is a name that might ring familiar to anyone who’s been following the 1MDB scandal closely. The former Swiss banker who worked for PetroSaudi obtained and leaked crucial documents to journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, which then unravelled a web of high-level corruption and kleptocracy involving high-ranking officials, including of course, disgraced former Prime Minister, Najib Razak.&...

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 episode is centred around party politics – the dynamics between unity government parties, seat negotiations and containing the much talked about “green wave.” We’re joined by YB Juwairiya Zulkifli, ADUN, Bukit...

There’s been a lot of debate and discussion surrounding that on social media recently. For example, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the T20 income group will not benefit from electricity subsidies and haj financial assistance, some people cried foul, saying that the T20 already pay the highest taxes so surely they deserve the highest subsidies from the government too. Similar conv...

Global Communications firm, Edelman recently released their annual Trust Barometer. The Trust Barometer measures the level of trust and credibility that people have in various institutions, such as governments, businesses, media, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Unsurprisingly, the survey found that Malaysians, like the rest of the globe are highly worried about their economic futu...

What does it mean to be a Malaysian urbanite in 2023? It’s about celebrating diverse cultures, one’s love for nasi lemak and of course, complaining and crying about our daily commute. The roads are always congested and unless you’re staying in specific areas in the Klang Valley, you’ll have no choice but to own a car and brave through the traffic every day. Heck, even if you are living in specific...

Last weekend, the inaugural Unity Government National Convention was held at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. A running theme from the unity government’s national conference was that of unity and cooperation between former rivals. A lot was also said about history and how never in a million years would any Pakatan Harapan politician have thought they would be giving speeches in the UMNO fortress....

When Dr Bridget Welsh who’s a political scientist and an Honorary Research Associate with the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia (UoNARI-M), previously joined us on the show, we unpacked a series of articles she had written for Malaysiakini, analysing ethnic voting patterns of GE15 . She recently penned another series of articles, this time looking at GE15 voting patterns be...

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) recently released their 2022 human rights report. In we will be taking a look at the various human rights violations that have occurred throughout the year, here in Malaysia, and look at the changes that should happen in 2023. Image Credit: SUARAM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week. Founded in 1998 by a group of social activists, PSM has been an important left-wing voice in Malaysian politics, advocating for social justice, workers rights, the expansion of democracy and most importantly, an equitable and classless society. It is a party that explicitly anchors its politics on class struggle. They’re...

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 episode is centred around congestion, public transportation and last-mile connectivity. But since we’re on the road to the Selangor State elections, we dive into that, as well. We’re joined by Rajiv Rishyakaran...

Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas is a retired academician who believes that universities should be a hub for political discourse and a place to liberate minds. However, this cannot be truly achieved so long as UUCA (or AUKU) – Universities and Universities Colleges Act nor when education is guarded or gatekept by the ruling elite. We unpack this with Dr Sharifah. Image Credit: http://82-g.blogspot.com/2...

Ikea Malaysia has cut ties with a labour recruitment firm that provides security guards after it had violated the retailer’s policies. IKEA said it initiated an investigation following claims that Nepali security guards had to fork out US$1,000 (RM4,400) to obtain the job, according to the Financial Times. But this isn’t just an isolated problem. In fact, the issue of labour brokers and recruitmen...

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has launched a campaign, urging the government to implement a pension scheme for senior citizens. Under their proposed pension scheme, all retirees above the age of 65 will receive RM 500 a month. PSM estimates that such a scheme would help 1.8 million senior citizens lead a “dignified” life as well as reduce the financial burden on their children. But is it feasible?...