Consider This

The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has announced an average 22 sen per cubic metre increase in water tariffs commencing 1 February 2024. What is the reason for the tariff increase? Will it translate into better water management and services? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Charles Santiago, Chairperson of the National Water Service Commission (SPAN) and former Me...

With the rise of challenges due to the climate crisis, does Malaysia need a Climate Change Act? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Khazanah Research Institute's Khoo Wei Yang & sustainability development lawyer Kiu Jia Yaw about our priorities moving forward.

The recent Cabinet reshuffle saw the creation of a new Energy Transition and Public Utilities Ministry which carved the energy portfolio out from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change. What that might mean for climate governance? And what should be the priorities of the Energy Transition Ministry to ensure the smooth transition towards renewable energy sources? On this...

The ongoing atrocities in Gaza have raised questions about the United Nations’ ability to prevent and address humanitarian crises. Where has the UN succeeded, and where has it fallen short in responding to the current situation? What would it take to reform the veto system? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Datuk Judy Cheng-Hopkins and Professor Nazari Ismail.

An alleged plot to topple the government has raised concerns about the potential recurrence of the political instability in 2020 triggered by the Sheraton Move. As a consequence, calls for a Fixed-Term Parliament Act have come to the fore - a bill aimed at, in theory, making the process of calling for an early dissolution of Parliament more rigorous. Is this a positive reform towards strengthening...

The Malaysia Competition Commission is tasked to help shape fair market competition in Malaysia.  How effective are its efforts, where the economic landscape is fairly oligopolistic in a number of sectors? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Iskandar Ismail, CEO of the Malaysia Competition Commission, MyCC.

According to an analysis by the academic journal Nature, Malaysia is among the countries with the highest retraction rates of published academic research papers in 2023. The report exposes an alarming trend: For every 10,000 Malaysian research papers published, a staggering 17.2 were retracted. This figure stands three times higher than the global average—raising serious questions about the credib...

South Africa has brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice accusing it of genocide in its war on Gaza. Is there still public trust in international law to uphold the principles of justice? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Professor Datuk Dr Rahmat Mohamad and Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.

In its latest Malaysia Gender Pay Gap Index, the Statistics Department found that, on average, for every RM100 in salaries and wages received by men, women receive just RM66.67. This is a sharp decline from RM96.21 in 2021. What is the reason for the decline, and what policies are needed to address it? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Tan E Hun of REFSA and Lee Min Hui of IS...

Malaysia's tropical limestone karst landscapes stand at the intersection of ecological heritage and economic interests. Can industry and academia meet to address the duality of conservation and development of these karst areas? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Datuk Zakaria Mohamad, Chairman of the geoprofessional firm GMT Group, and Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo...

A new report published by the Global Commission on Drug Policy has emphasised that the global goal of ending the HIV and Hepatitis epidemics cannot be achieved, unless there are significant reforms to current drug policies which continue to discriminate against and criminalise the community of People Who Use Drugs, which results in them being unable to access testing, treatment and care. On this e...

Amidst recent discussions about the Youth and Sports Ministry's performance, what are the gaps and strides that have been made in fortifying the sports ecosystem and empowering youth? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Hafiz Marzukhi speaks to Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister and MP for Hang Tuah Jaya, Melaka.

On October 10th Dewan Rakyat passed an amendment to the Trade Unions Act, which allows for the formation of multiple trade unions in any establishment, trade, occupation, or industry. Is having multiple unions for the same group of workers beneficial or detrimental to workers’ rights? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to N. Gopal Kishnam from the Labour Law Reform Coalition, and...

The New Industrial Master Plan 2030 has been hailed as an ambitious blueprint for the manufacturing and manufacturing-related services sectors. However, beyond the boardrooms and policy discussions lies a critical question: How do these grand plans connect with the lives of everyday Malaysians? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, T...

The former Penang Deputy Chief Minister Dr P. Ramasamy, who claimed the interests of working class Malaysian Indians have been sidelined in multiracial parties, has launched a new political movement, Urimai. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr P. Ramasamy, Chairman of Urimai’s Interim Leadership Council.

Anwar’s long-speculated cabinet reshuffle has finally been unveiled, revealing a jumble of ministerial swaps and portfolio splits. Will this shake-up revitalise governance and restore confidence in the Unity Government? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Aira Azhari, Azrul Mohd Khalib, and Dr Bridget Welsh.

It has been six years since more than 700,000 Rohingya fled targeted persecution in Myanmar — now living in containment in Bangladesh or trafficked and living as illegals in Malaysia and elsewhere. How do we ensure the world does not forget about the Rohingya? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Paul Brockmann & Dr Mohana Amirtharajah from Doctors Without Borders.

Every December 10th, the world marks Human Rights Day, and this year is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—which is one of the first documents drafted by the United Nations that decreed, in writing, that “All people are born free and equal”. However, in light of the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and other conflicts, how can nations and international bodies reconcile the...

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual global campaign spanning 16 days from November 25th, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until Human Rights Day on December 10th. How committed is Malaysia to ending violence against women and girls? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Shazana Agha from Women's Aid Organ...

In 2021, the UPSR exam and Form Three Assessment (PT3) were discontinued to move away from standardised testing in favour of classroom-based assessments or Pentaksiran Bilik Darjah (PBD). Despite this transition, some parents and educators have expressed apprehension over the effectiveness of PBD. How successful has the implementation of classroom-based assessments been, and what areas might requi...

On November 23rd, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission froze 41 bank accounts with over RM15 million registered under the NGO Aman Palestin following allegations of misappropriation of funds. This has raised pressing concerns about the oversight and management of charitable funds in the nation. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Raymon Ram of Transparency International Mal...

International Testing Week was launched by Coalition PLUS to encourage increased testing efforts for HIV, Hepatitis, and STIs, as well as to promote awareness of the benefits of earlier testing and its linkage to care. As we mark World AIDS Day on December 1st, how can increased testing efforts contribute to Malaysia’s goal of eliminating the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030? On this episode of #Consider...

Reducing methane emissions is a critical aspect of climate action and must go hand-in-hand with decarbonising our energy systems if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, what is Malaysia’s responsibility in cutting methane emissions by our oil and gas industry? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Shareen Yawanarajah, Director...

Friday the 24th of November marks exactly one year since Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister. What have been the strengths and weaknesses of his stewardship so far? And what benchmarks should we use to evaluate his effectiveness within the first year of governance? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to political analyst Dr Bridget Welsh and Anil Netto of...

The urgent issue of abuse experienced by Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia requires prompt and decisive intervention, said the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Hermono. In view of last year’s MoU on the recruitment and protection of Indonesian domestic workers here, what strides have been made and what gaps still persist? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to His Ex...