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It's been a week and a half since the water supply to 1.2 million consumer accounts in the Klang Valley was disrupted due to the dumping of pollutants in Sungai Gong. But have we gotten any closer to understanding the problems and solutions that will prevent a repeat of the incident? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President, Association of Water and Energy Research Malay...

How do we understand the different components reforming water management in Malaysia? How do we think about water quality and pollution monitoring, early warning systems, licensing in catchment areas, waste management systems and more? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President, Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) and Zaki Zainudin, Water Quality &...

Why is there no political will to design a system that puts the good of the public foremost, ahead of private vested interests? Who stands between us and a more secure future? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President, Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) and Zaki Zainudin, Water Quality & Modelling Specialist.

Warisan has announced 54 candidates who will be contesting under the Warisan logo in the upcoming Sabah polls. The candidate list later revealed that PKR would contest 7 seats -one less than they did in 2018, but only half of what it wanted. This announcement was followed by howls of dismay from PKR - including the threat of 'protest votes' from PKR's Youth Wing. However, a complete breaking-of-th...

A potential anthem for youth empowerment in Sabah was just launched with lyrics call on young people to recognise their own strengths. Produced and co-written by Anas Amdan and his brother singer Aizat Amdan with lyrics like "Anak muda, Sabah Bangkit! Jangan gentar, Sabah Bangkit!" (The youth, Sabah rise up! Don't be scare, Sabah rise up!) the timing of the video makes for interesting read of poli...

Could the song #SabahBangkit be appropriated by political players as they mobilise voters in the upcoming state elections? And what will be the impact of the song and the kinds of conversations it will engender?  Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speaks to music producer Anas Amban and singer MKNK (Clinton Liew) who have just launched the #SabahBangkit music video.

As of Monday, Putrajaya is no longer allowing entry into Malaysia, for long-term pass holders from 23 notions that have recorded more than a hundred and fifty thousand Covid-19 cases. The other recent development might reveal a potential blind spot in our management of the pandemic, is the emergence of yet another cluster at a detention centre in Lahad Datu. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak t...

It's been more than six months since the MCO was first declared in mid-March and since then, the government’s public health response has evolved as both the scientific community and international health authorities have learnt more about the virus and the disease it causes. But is it headed in the right direction? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Khor Swee Kheng, founder, Malaysian Heal...

What are the emerging best practices that we see demonstrated internationally and why hasn’t Malaysia signed on to the COVAX Initiative? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Khor Swee Kheng, founder, Malaysian Health Coalition about the ways in which we might extend the Covid-19 to deal with many problems we will be facing in as pragmatic and effective way.

The Benteng Lahad Datu cluster is the latest in the pandemic, though according to the DG of Health there’s been no community spread. The cluster has been contained within the Lahad Datu district police station and Tawau prison. The index cases of the Benteng cluster were two undocumented migrant detained at the Lahad Datu police station and later tested positive for Covid-19. The DG of Health was...

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin met with China's visiting Defense Minister, Wei Fenghe yesterday at a time of rising tensions over territorial disputes and superpower rivalry in the South China Sea. The visiting official told Malaysia that China is willing to work with Asean countries "to meet each other halfway" to keep the peace in the South China Sea. But what does this mean? Melisa Idris and S...

Yesterday PM Muhyiddin Yassin met with China's visiting Defense Minister, Wei Fenghe who promised ASEAN to "meet each other halfway". But does China in fact want SEA countries to pick a side, in its rivalry with the US? Must ASEAN choose between US and China? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Ivy Kwek, Research Director, Research for Social Advancement (REFSA).

Effective today, long-term pass holders from countries that have recorded more than a hundred and fifty thousand Covid-19 cases have been barred from entering Malaysia. The countries include the US, the UK, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. But what is the reasoning behind this move? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan bring you the most important conversations of...

Klang Valley's water crisis over the last few days has highlighted again the issue of water security. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Charles Santiago, MP for Klang, and the former Chairman of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and ask him, who should we blame?

The recent water supply disruption affected 1.2 million people in the Klang Valley over the past few days. Are these episodic disruptions unavoidable? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President, Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) how we need to build back better.

A recent Merdeka Centre survey had 69% of respondents expressing satisfaction with the performance of the Prime Minister though there was significant ethnic variations with 9 out of 10 Malay and Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak giving the PM the thumbs up while 65% of Indian, and only 33% Chinese respondents agreeing. The question is why. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan bring you the most importa...

The Upper House of Parliament elected Bersatu senator Tan Sri Rais Yatim as its new president, initially facing 3 other candidates. This is the first time that the Senate presidency has been contested. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Senator Yusmadi Yusoff, Chairman of the Senate Caucus, a bipartisan initiative seeking to strengthen the Upper House of Parliament.

Newly minted Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim has called for the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 (repealed in 1992) to be reinstated to restore the integrity of Parliament, a call raised by former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming. Does this mark the possibility of bipartisanship in Parliament? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Senator Yusmadi Yusoff, Chairman of the Senate Caucus,...

A 2018 study by Khazanah Research Institute found that despite going to school for an average of 12 years, Malaysian students receive only nine years worth of meaningful education. That means are about three years of a child’s schooling is underutilised for quality learning or educational enrichment. Does the problem of extreme teacher absenteeism contribute to this? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kutta...

PACOS Trust is a community-based organization dedicated to supporting indigenous communities in Sabah. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Anne Lasimbang, Executive Director, Partners of Community Organisations in Sabah (PACOS) give us an on the ground view of a problem that's become chronic and endemic in the territory.

While the campaign to end chronic absenteeism has taken it case to the courts, this is an issue that will require political will as well as a public which demands that no child is sacrificed to protected vested interests.  Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to child rights advocate Sharmila Sekaran, Peninsula Director, Tiada. Guru .

As we celebrate our 63rd year of Independence, cultural organisation PUSAKA is working together with Allianz Malaysia on a project called Bina Bangsa. They want to put our discussion on the history of the country on solid footing.  Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Eddin Khoo, Founder of Pusaka and Zakri Khir, CEO, Allianz Malaysia Berhad.

Are national narrative too Malaya-centric? Have many communities as well as the territories of Sabah and Sarawak been marginalised in our history textbooks? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Eddin Khoo, Founder of Pusaka and Zakri Khir, CEO, Allianz Malaysia Berhad, about the Bina Bangsa history project.

"Efforts at consolidating a national memory will be essential to realising social cohesion," says our guest Eddin Khoo, founder of Pusaka. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Eddin as well as Zakri Khir, CEO, Allianz Malaysia Berhad about the Bina Bangsa history project.

This morning it was reported that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was set to announce Perikatan Nasional as an official entity on Merdeka Day. Now we understand that MIC has withdrawn its application to join Perikatan Nasional -- pending a decision from the party’s central working committee. Initially, MIC had agreed to join Perikatan because they were under the impression that Barisan Nas...