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With the coup, have we returned to a time before the democratic opening of Myanmar -- and can the role that ASEAN played then be reprised now? Or have conditions changed so fundamentally that ASEAN needs a new playbook? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Michael Vatikiotis, Asia Director, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which is a private diplomacy organisation. He is the author of ‘Blood...

Tomorrow ASEAN leaders will hold a special summit to try to persuade Myanmar's junta to end the violence in the country and let in aid. The meeting is the first concerted regional effort to ease the political crisis. Will ASEAN be able to successfully navigate the Myanmar crisis? And if it fails, will it be able to maintain its centrality in issues of regional security? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Ku...

Should the National Unity Government have been invited to the Asean Leaders Meeting? What do you think democratic forces and the Myanmar public -- most of whom voted for the ousted NLD government -- would want from ASEAN, and more specially tomorrow’s summit? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Debbie Stotdard, Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma.

The Global Environment Centre’s Earth Day statement notes that Malaysia has to give up “the conventional development trajectory of "grow first, clean up later" and instead embrace sustainability as a core principle in development. But who is listening to this message? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Faizal Parish, Director, Global Environment Centre.

Today we celebrate Earth Day on a sombre note after a devastating year with the global Covid-19 pandemic. The theme this year is "Restore Our Earth" and focuses on, among others, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking. But will we get the game-changing commitments and technological breakthroughs that will put us on route to restoring the planet's ecosystem? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Ku...

How do we untangle questions of land ownership, building ownership and management and land use issues that underscore the Convent Bukit Nanas story? And should we be reassured that the precinct in which the schools sit remains zoned for education under the KL City Plan for the next 20 years? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Cultural Heritage Consultant, Elizabeth Cardosa. 

News that Convent Bukit Nanas has not been granted its land lease extension by the Federal Territories’ Land Office, was met with public backlash these past few days. Despite assurances by the government that the 120-year-old girls' school will not be demolished once its lease expires, will Convent Bukit Nanas be preserved for posterity? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Tengku Nurul Azian...

It was reported today that Day Two of the second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Sibu had to be postponed due to a lack of vaccines. While Day One reportedly went according to plan, with over 1,000 people receiving vaccines. So what went wrong? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli, Assistant Professor of Health Policy, Economics & Finance,...

Public health policymakers are not only dealing with the daily rising Covid-19 cases but also an evolving SARS-Cov2 pathogen & supply bottlenecks from vaccine nationalism. How do we negotiate the challenges coming on multiple fronts? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President of Sunway University & Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Professor.

Since Malaysians were granted early access to their retirement savings to get through the Covid-19 pandemic, close to 6 million people have made a withdrawal from their EPF accounts. This has brought to the fore the long-standing concern that many will have too little to survive on in old age. But how serious is the situation and can policy mitigate the consequences of this financial vulnerability...

There was a study done by Khazanah Research that estimated that more than 60% of senior citizens are in the B40 group, and that this increases with age? While there are many government schemes to support older citizens many remain vulnerable. What can be done? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Emeritus Datuk Norma Mansor is Director of Universiti Malaya’s Wellbeing Research Centre...

Apart from issues of vaccine efficacy and adverse reactions, how will the emergence of variants of the virus affect the vaccine strategy and was it designed into our immunization strategy? What should the public keep in mind in what is a rapidly evolving public health crisis. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Ghows Azzam, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sai...

Several days ago, the Director China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was quoted as saying that the efficacy of Chinese Covid vaccines is low. These raised alarm bells because China has supplied more than 40 million doses to over 30 countries across the globe -- including the 200,000 doses it sent to Malaysia. But has there been a fundamental misunderstanding of the original statement a...

Our guest has noted that while Budget 2021 has an explicit focus on environmental sustainability the overall environmental allocation as a proportion of the total budget remains largely unchanged from previous years – and it remains low at less than 1%. How do we assess the current government’s commitment to addressing climate change issues? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Alizan Mahadi,...

Next week, the US will host a virtual summit on the climate crisis , but Malaysia did not make the list. According to the Environment & Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Malaysia was not invited as we are not categorised as a country vulnerable to climate change. Was our exclusion from the US Leaders Summit on Climate as significant as critics claim? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak t...

The Government has touted vocational education as a ‘game changer’ for achieving inclusive economic growth but has this been backed by policy and  programmes? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan ask Dr Norlidah Alias, Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya if the TVET component of our education system has been neglected?

While the Malaysian government has touted technical and vocational education as a game hanger to address labour market problems, many challenges remain. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has identified these challenges as: foreseeing future skills demand; harmonising TVET governance systems; promoting equity and inclusion, and enhancing industry engagement. Is it time we rethink our educ...

What do escalating tensions over Xinjiang cotton tell us about China’s relationship with international companies that want access to their markets? Chinese officials have warned that the “era of bullying” by foreign powers was over but what does the reality of interdependence mean for all sides in the dispute? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow,  Singapore Institute...

The Foreign Minister was recently criticised over his “big brother” remark during a press conference in Beijing with his China counterpart, Wang Yi. Following the blowback, the Minister released a statement that he was merely practicing ‘Asian values’, and showing respect for “a more senior Foreign Minister”. Was this a major diplomatic faux pas, or were his critics overreacting and what does sign...

Most headlines have cast the Kedah position in a negative light. But is the argument made by the Kedah MB unreasonable? And who could we look at the relationship between Johor and Singapore in managing water resources? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Dr Maketab Mohamed, Water Quality & Water Quality Modelling Expert.

Should states think about going it alone when developing its own water resources or should it reach for a solution that embraces the idea of shared responsibility? Perhaps in the Kedah-Penang water dispute is there a solution that reframes how we look at environmental issues. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysi...

The dispute over water resources between Kedah and Penang took a curious turn when in December last year, the K.edah Menteri Besar said he would get villagers to put sandbags to dam Sungai Muda and divert the river so that it no longer flowed into Penang. Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's has since also threatened to send muddy water to Penang. What is the heart of the dispute? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kut...

In grand Malaysian tradition, an audio clip purportedly between Umno president Zahid Hamidi and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, set tongues wagging. Zahid’s political foes within his party have seized upon the recording in a bid to oust him. What lies ahead for UMNO leadership? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to political analyst, Associate Professor Hamidin Hamid, Universiti Malaya.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin visited Sarawak last week -- his first since being appointed as prime minister early last year. During which he announced that the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 would soon be making public its decision on the Federal Constitution amendment & other matters related to Sarawak and Sabah. Just yesterday, it was announced that the Territories of Sabah &a...