Beyond the Ballot Box

It’s been more than a year now since Malaysia abolished the ‘mandatory death penalty,’ a move that human rights organisations consider a milestone first step towards total abolition of capital punishment. But what has been the impact on the ground, in reality, since last year? Have we seen any real changes? We speak to Dobby Chew, CEO of the human rights organisation, HAYAT. Editorial credit: Yuri...

S. Balamurugan was found dead on the 8th of February 2017, while detained at the North Klang District Police Headquarters. Arrested on suspicion of a crime, Balamurugan was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse by police officers, even after a magistrate ordered his release and medical treatment due to his poor condition. He was denied care and was later found dead in his cell. Multiple inv...

A couple of weeks ago, the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received criticism for the government's decision to bring back injured Palestinians for treatment in Malaysia. But were those criticisms justified? In this episode, we explore how Malaysia has been aiding Palestinians and what more needs to be done, with Nur Hafizah, an activist from Viva Palestina Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock See omn...

More and more states in Malaysia are feeling assertive and empowered, pushing the federal government to funnel more money to the state levels. In light of the MA63 agreement, Sabah and Sarawak's negotiations with the federal government, as well as states such as Johor and Penang's demands for more, we explore this further with Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow at the Malaysian Studies Programme, at I...

Right-wing movements are on the rise all over the world. In the past, we’ve discussed the rise of right-wing, ultra-conservative movements with fascist tendencies in Europe, the US and even India.  On today’s show, we continue to explore this phenomenon, this time with an academic from Pakistan.  Dr Taimur Rahman is an academic and the author of The Class Structure of Pakistan, for which...

On August 9th, A 31-year-old trainee doctor’s dead body and bearing multiple injuries, was found at a government training hospital in Kolkata – a city in West Bengal, India. She was assaulted, raped and murdered. This triggered massive and widespread women-led protests across the country demanding the “independence to live in freedom and without fear.” In this episode, we unpack the tragic inciden...

On today’s episode we’re doing a check-in on the government’s anti-corruption efforts so far. After all, this is a government led by a Prime Minister who repeatedly stresses the importance of combatting corruption. So, what has the MADANI government done well so far and what are the gaps? Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The DEMO project, launched by Zikri Rahman, Jeremy Lim and Ooi Kok Hin, is a collection of interviews documenting the history of Malaysian contemporary protests. It’s an archive of stories on the lived experiences of protest organisers and activists of the past 15 years and aims to be a resource for future activists. We speak to ⅔ of the brains behind DEMO Project.  DEMO Project Website: http...

Professor Kishore Mahbubani is a prominent Singaporean academic and the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in NUS. He’s an ex-diplomat who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and held various senior positions in Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He’s also an author known for his sharp commentary on global affairs, particularly regardin...

Imagine a parent walking down the street with their 7-year-old child. They walk past a cleaner sweeping the road or perhaps it's someone cutting grass. The parent tells the kid, don't be lazy otherwise you will end up like that cleaner. There is a perception that the poor are poor and remain poor because they are lazy. That persistent poverty can be attributed to personal behaviour. Political psyc...

It's been 79 years today since the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a moment that forever changed the course of history. This event has impacted people's perception towards nuclear energy, especially in terms of policy making over the past several decades. We will be delving into the anniversary's significance, the impact on Japanese and Malaysian victims, and current reflections. Joining...

 Sivaranjani Manickam has been elected the new secretary-general of Parti Sosialis Malaysia at its 26th national congress, which took place at the end of July. Sivaranjani who was formerly the Workers’ Bureau Coordinator of the party takes the reigns from Sivarajan Arumugam, who was the sec-gen for 9 years. She’s been an activist for more than 20 years, been a member of PSM for almost as long...

On the 23rd of July, 12 Palestinian factions including Hamas and the PLO (led by Fatah) signed a “national unity” agreement. The agreement was signed in China and according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the deal was struck after three days of intensive talks and negotiations, laying the foundation for an “interim national reconciliation government.”  But why did this deal need to be st...

James C. Scott, a prominent American political scientist and anthropologist passed away at 87, on the 19th of July 2024. Scott was known for his work on how the working class and marginalized resist and evade domination by powerful groups, be it the ultra wealthy or the state.  Scott is best known for his book 1985 ‘Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance’ where he studied s...

The hiring of migrant domestic workers has for many decades been one of the important options for a segment of Malaysian households to help with care responsibilities at home. At times, the hiring of migrant domestic workers creates an enabling environment for both parents to go to work.  However, the industry is often plagued by corruption, unethical practices, and even human trafficking. Th...

CounterArchive: Fictional Healing is a project co-curated by Ong Jo-Lene and Rebecca Yeoh, and involves activating British archival materials from the Malayan Emergency. In light of that project, we will be exploring some of its themes across a few episodes. ******************* National identity and memory are crucial elements of a nation's cultural fabric, reflecting its collective experiences an...

There is a revolution ongoing in Myanmar. But where do the ethnic minority Rohingyas fit into this picture? After all, the Rohingya people have been subject to oppression, dispossession and genocide for decades, even before the recent coup. Also, Malaysia will be taking up the role of chair of ASEAN from 2025. So, what can we do to push for peace and justice for the Rohingya community? See omnystu...

Malaysia is polarised. Far-right, ultra-conservative majoritarian movements are gaining traction. This is reflected in the election results of GE15 but we’d be wrong to think that this is just about PAS or one political party. We’re talking about a movement that is rapidly capturing the imagination of young Malays, reshaping how they view themselves in relation to others and this nation. A period...

It was a historic defeat for the Conservative Tory Party, led by Rishi Sunak at the 2024 UK General Election, losing more than half the seats they previously held. The Conservatives have been in power for 14 years.  In that same vein, the Labour Party led by Sir Kier Starmer saw a massive victory, winning 412 of the 650 seats available.  Separately, the second round of the French Legisla...

Teoh Beng Hock was once a promising young journalist and political aide to a member of the Selangor state legislative assembly from Pakatan Rakyat. In 2009, he was called in for a MACC investigation. He was later found dead on the rooftop of a building near the MACC offices. His unexplained death has sparked public outcry and ongoing calls for justice and accountability.  However, 15 years in...

Malaysia is becoming an ageing society and concurrently, there are changes in family structures. People are growing older, living longer, choosing to have less children or no children and unlike our grandparents' time, big families generally don’t tend to live under one roof anymore, for various reasons. This may not be an issue in and of itself but the problem arises because our current economic...

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a global grassroots movement aiming to end Gaza's blockade, address the humanitarian crisis, and support Palestinian rights. And they do so, interestingly… by sailing! In this episode, we speak with James Godfrey, visiting from Australia, who volunteers on the international steering committee for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.  The latest FFC missions...

The European Union Parliamentary Elections took place from the 6th - 9th of June and saw far-right parties make big gains. The mainstream centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) maintained the most seats of any single group in the legislative body, but the far-right ultra-conservatives have now almost one-quarter of the total seats.   So, how did this happen, and what does it mean for...

Recently, the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah were evicted from their homes by authorities. The Indigenous stateless population saw their stilt and boathouses demolished and burned down, leaving them with nothing and nowhere to go. So, why was this done? Is it because of national and state security, a reason so often given by the political elites? Well, a few days after the eviction, news...

There are about 189,340 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia. These are only the ones registered under UNHCR, which means the actual figure is likely much, much higher. And it’s only going to go up in the near future, given the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, genocide in Gaza and conflicts on the rise in various parts of the world. The question is, what can and should we do...