Beyond the Ballot Box

Here are two important statistics you need to know. One, only 55% of working age women in Malaysia are part of the labour force, compared to 81% of men. Two, women receive RM 66 for every RM 100 in salaries and wages received by men.  This highlights profound economic disparities between the genders in Malaysia. But why is this the case? And what can be done about it?  These are some of...

EMPOWER, in collaboration with civil society coalitions like JAG, BERSIH, and CSO Platform for Reform, has launched the Projek30% campaign to push political parties to field at least 30% women candidates in the next General Election (GE16).  But why is there a lack of representation among women in politics and what is the impact? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Ahmed Alnaouq, a Palestinian activist and journalist based in the UK, is the co-founder of We Are Not Numbers , a platform that empowers young Palestinians to share their stories and experiences with the world through storytelling and journalism.  In October 2023, Israel dropped a bomb on his family home, killing 21 of his closest relatives in the process, including his father, brothers and s...

Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant. They were charged with crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and inhumane acts, as well as the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, one of the top ran...

Dato’ Mohammed Hussein was with the Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) Group for 31 years. Prior to his retirement on 30 January 2008, he was the Deputy President/Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of Maybank Group.  He wrote a book recently— How Malaysia Missed 7 Chances at Nation-Building. In it, he analyses seven pivotal events in Malaysia’s history, including 13 May 1969 and the imp...

Media freedom or freedom of the press is something journalists in Malaysia have been grappling with for many decades. For many years, draconian laws have been used to clamp down on journalists and the media. Many have also been arrested.  While there is no denying that the media has more freedom post-2018 elections and that journalists don’t get arrested as much today as they once did, little...

Malaysia is at an interesting juncture right now. In 2018, Malaysians voted out the Barisan Nasional government that was once thought invincible and had ruled the country since its independence. Then there was a period of political instability since Langkah Sheraton until about a week after GE15. Now, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the helm, things have finally stabilised.  In an articl...

Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America.  He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably. Heading to this year’s polls, all eyes were on the seven swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump managed to win every single one of these states. Not only that, but he is also...

Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America.  He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably. Heading to this year’s polls, all eyes were on the seven swing states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina. Trump managed to win every single one of these states. Not only that, but he is also...

In October, the Parliament of Malaysia passed controversial amendments to the constitution’s citizenship provisions via a Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024. According to critics, the bill is a case of one step forward, a few unnecessary steps backward. While the bill seeks to grant citizenship to overseas-born children of Malaysian women, it also includes a whole host of regressive amendments whi...

Everyone knows that politics in Malaysia is highly racialised. What’s usually missing from the discourse is how there is an aspect of class, material conditions and even land use that intertwines and even anchors racial politics. For example, did you know that people in areas with higher industrial and commercial activities tend to vote for Pakatan Harapan, while those residing in less developed o...

Ask around and many will tell you that the biggest problem Malaysians face is wages. Wages in Malaysia have been stagnant for more than a couple of decades now. Inequality is on the rise. So, what could be a solution? What if it’s a Universal Basic Income? In this episode, we speak to some researchers who are pushing for universal basic income in Malaysia, namely Dr Sarath Davala, John Michael and...

Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The big positive is that this isn’t an austerity budget by any stretch of the imagination. The government is spending. But does this budget address the care economy? How much does it address the needs of caregivers and the care industry? We speak to Lee Mi...

Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The question is: Does the budget address the needs of the working class, particularly the B40 and the middle class?  We speak to Arveent Kathirchelvan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). This BFM Budget 2025 Special is brought to...

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, even if you’re middle class.  Since the tabling of Budget 2025 is just around the corner, on today’s episode, we take a look at what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget to bridge the gap between the haves a...

Malaysia’s labour force participation rate among females has plateaued at around 55% for many years now, while the male labour force participation rate is more than 80%. But why is this the case and what can we do about it? With the tabling of Budget 2025 around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be talking about what Budget 2025 can do to address gender disparities in the Malaysian workforce...

The death penalty not only impacts those on death row, but their families as well, causing emotional, psychological and economic strain as they navigate the uncertainties and stigma surrounding their loved ones’ fates. Malaysia has abolished the mandatory death penalty but the death penalty remains in its discretionary form.  We speak to Hayati Mohamad, a founder of Pertubuhan Keluarga Kasih...

It’s been a year since Palestinian resistance fighters, led by Hamas, broke through the siege of Gaza and the beginning of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza by Israel. More than 41 000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel – which is 1 out of every 55 people. Hospitals have been bombed. Mosques and schools too. According to reports, more than 120 journalists have been killed. Israel doesn’t...

Azra Sayeed is a feminist from Pakistan. She’s an academic and activist known for her advocacy on issues related to the rights of marginalised communities, particularly women, peasants and farmers.  She’s the founder and executive director of the Roots for Equity, an NGO based in Karachi that focuses on working with communities at the grassroots level to attain political, economic, social, an...

Last week, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) submitted a memorandum to the Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim, urging the government to increase the minimum wage to RM 2000. Currently, the minimum wage is set at RM 1500.  Earlier in March, Steven Sim mentioned that the government will review the minimum wage this year, but there have been no updat...

Malaysia will be the chair of ASEAN in 2025.  Many have argued that this is an exhilarating time for the Asian region, particularly Southeast Asia. But while there is excitement and opportunities, there are also plenty of real challenges. One such challenge that ASEAN will have to continue navigating is the crisis in Myanmar.  As we know, Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 following...

We often use the word Empire to describe colonial or imperial powers such as the British Empire pre-World War II. Today, more and more people are starting to use the word to describe the United States of America. Some also use the term to describe China. But what exactly does “empire” mean? How do they form? And how does the existence of an empire impact the common working person? We discuss this...

Malaysia is quite a polarised nation right now, especially across racial and religious lines. The results of the 2022 General Elections tell us as much. While we cannot and shouldn’t place the blame of the polarization on our electoral system alone, we have to ask if our electoral system does more to bring people together or encourage further polarization. And if we change the system, what would i...

Syed Husin Ali's A People’s History of Malaysia is a brilliant book which offers an alternative narrative of Malaysia's history, centred on the experiences and struggles of ordinary people. The book challenges traditional, elite-centric historical accounts by highlighting the role of workers, peasants, and anti-colonial movements in shaping Malaysia’s development. In this episode, we discuss the l...

It’s been slightly more than a month since the riots in the UK which happened from 30 July to 5 August 2024. The riots were far-right and targeted immigrants, Muslims and refugees, among others. Throughout the riots, there were racist attacks – both verbal and physically violent – arson and looting. This was considered to be the worst instance of social unrest in the UK in over a decade.  So,...