Consider This

In recent months, Malaysia's food security has been thrust into the spotlight due to concerns over rice supply issues and their potential implications. To understand the strategies and responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to address this crucial issue, on this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Deputy Minister Chan Foong Hin. He is also the DAP Member of P...

Six new stroke cases happen every hour in Malaysia. While our acute medical care for stroke is exemplary, what do we know about stroke survivors after they leave the hospital? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speak to Professor Dr Noor Azah Abd Aziz, Professor of Family Medicine with UKM’s Faculty of Medicine. An early advocate for long-term care for stroke in the community, she initi...

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently announced that Malaysia is planning to ban exports of rare earth raw materials in a bid to boost the domestic processing industry and "guarantee maximum returns for the country". How do we consider the benefits and challenges of developing the rare earth industry domestically? On this episode #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah Chair...

On September 7th, the Court of Appeal granted permission to cement manufacturer, Associated Pan Malaysia Cement, to evict Dhamma Sakyamuni Caves Monastery, a century-old Buddhist monastery in Gunung Kanthan, Perak. At stake in the quarrying Gunung Kanthan is also a five-million-year-old limestone hill with invaluable ecological, geological, and archaeological heritage. On this  episode of #Conside...

At the recently concluded ASEAN meeting, leaders of member countries have agreed to form a troika to lead the handling of the Myanmar crisis, consisting the outgoing ASEAN chair Indonesia, the current chair Laos, and the incoming chair, Malaysia. Will this approach work to resolve the crisis in Myanmar? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to former foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Ha...

How do we transform our universities into institutions that foster intellectual curiosity and integrity, build capacity for debate and disagreement, and encourage critical and creative expression? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to independent scholar Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas, former Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Indonesian International Islamic...

Southeast Asia's largest democracy, Indonesia, is gearing up for presidential elections in February 2024. What are the most pressing domestic issues that the next president of Indonesia will need to address? On this  episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Anton Rizki, CEO of the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies.

The by-elections for the Pulai parliamentary seat and Simpang Jeram state seat in Johor last Saturday saw the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional unity coalition retaining the seats that were previously held by the late Salahuddin Ayub of Amanah. What were the main takeaways from the results of the polls? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to political analysts Professor Wong Chin H...

In light of India’s recent export ban on non-basmati white rice, how resilient or vulnerable is Malaysia's paddy industry and rice production? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Sarena Che Omar, Deputy Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute, and Professor Dr Shaufique Fahmi Sidique, Director of UPM’s Institute of Plantation Studies.

Despite some 400 million infections globally annually, there’s still no specific treatment for dengue. In order to accelerate R&D on dengue therapeutics, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative formed The Global Dengue Alliance with several institutions in dengue-endemic countries, including Malaysia’s Ministry of Health, with the mission to deliver a new treatment for dengue within five y...

In the upcoming year-end Parliamentary session, the Government will be tabling its proposed amendments to the Constitution to finally allow Malaysian women to confer citizenship to their overseas-born children. However, the Government is also planning to bundle several other amendments - amendments that remove existing protections in the Constitution, running the risk of perpetuating statelessness...

Recently the Deputy Minister of Law and Institutional Reform, Ramkarpal Singh, said that while there were no plans to repeal the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA), Putrajaya will instead “improve” the law by introducing several amendments in stages. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Charles Hector, Coordinator, Malaysians Against Death Penalty & Torture (Ma...

Law and Institutional Reform minister Azalina Othman Said recently announced the Government will finalise the separation of powers between the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutor, after performing a thorough empirical study within a year. What needs to be in place for the separation of these two roles to occur, and what should a future Office of the Public Prosecutor look like? On this epis...

The recent 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) on Adolescent Health brought to light a worrisome decline in the health and lifestyle habits of Malaysian teenagers. On this episode of #ConsiderThis, we dissect why public policy attention to adolescent health is no longer just an option but an urgent necessity. Melisa Idris speaks to Associate Professor Dr Noor Azimah Muhammad, Consulta...

The Government has announced it will be working towards incorporating the Care Economy into national development and economic plans. This includes investing in and formalising care services which consequently makes visible the labour of unpaid care work, which women disproportionately shoulder. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to economist Dr Haniza Khalid about the opportuniti...

What kind of parliamentary reforms will we see under 11th Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul? Will he be able to deliver these overdue changes during his tenure? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris asks Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul how to ensure parliamentary proceedings become more open, transparent, and effective.

Managing stray animal overpopulations sustainably and humanely lies at the intersection of animal welfare, state policies, and our collective responsibility as a compassionate society. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Asther Lau of Second Chance Animal Society, and Christine Chin of SPCA Selangor.

Recently the Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin confirmed that subsidies for local students studying at public universities would remain intact, despite the huge disparity with the cost of tuition in private institutions of higher learning. How do public universities sustainably fund the cost of providing higher education, and what are the trade-offs of receiving significant government funds...

Recently Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim revealed that the Government plans to introduce a new type of school specifically for children of the poorest households in the country. Tonight on #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Jenifer Lasimbang, from The Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia or Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia, and Chan Soon Seng from Teach For Malaysia.

The Association of Women Lawyers (AWL) and the Pelajar Bukan Pengantin coalition have recently launched a new campaign to refocus attention on the issue of child marriage in Malaysia. This come amid questions as to the progress made under the five-year ‘National Strategic Plan in Handling the Causes of Child Marriage’, which was launched in 2020. Tonight on #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to AWL...

What do the results of the 6 state elections tell us about democracy in Malaysia, and what lessons should politicians and voters take away from the aftermath? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to UMNO’s Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, and political analysts Dr Syaza Shukri and Ibrahim Suffian.

To mark the culmination of 14 days of official campaigning across six states, on the eve of polling day, we bring you a comprehensive wrap-up on this special one-hour episode of Consider This, guided by the analysis of political commentator, Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute.

August 9th marks the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, and this episode of #ConsiderThis focuses on inclusive education for Orang Asli students, and how to close the gap between indigenous students and the mainstream students. Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Suria Selasih Angit, Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Nottingham Malaysia.

On this special one-hour episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to three candidates contesting in the upcoming Selangor State Elections: Dr Afif Bahardin the Perikatan Nasional candidate for Taman Medan, Abe Lim the MUDA Candidate for Bandar Utama, and Rajiv Rishyakaran the Pakatan Harapan Candidate for Bukit Gasing.

The National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) makes clear the case for change but what is needed for the transition to be sustainable and inclusive without sacrificing energy security and reliability? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Alizan Mahadi from ISIS Malaysia, and Ayu Abdullah from Energy Action Partners.