Evening Edition

The Sarawak state government will hold talks next week with the federal government to finalise an agreement on getting full autonomy and control of the health sector. We discuss the implications of this latest move by Sarawak, which is the latest in increased efforts by the state for more autonomy. Image Credit: Facebook / Dr Sim Kui Han See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A user on X has shared that being busy is, in a way, better than doing nothing, with many echoing this sentiment. We discuss which side of the argument we land on, and the appeal of a busy day. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bangladesh just concluded its general elections, and Sheikh Hasina has retained her position as PM for the fifth term, making her the longest serving leader of the country’s history. But the election and the lead up to it have been tumultous, with controversies including allegations of dummy candidates, voter turnout contradictions, and coerched voting. We speak to Faisal Mahmud, a freelance journ...

Have you ever stopped to wonder, whether the thing you're doing now, might not be considered "normal" in the future? Something as commoplace as driving a car, using cash, or going to school in person, might become obsolete with the passage of time. A user on X asked, what is something current that future generations will be surprised to know we did, so we talk about what we do now, that might no l...

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has defended the government's decision to develop PADU's database in-house instead of appointing vendors or private firms. This is amidst criticisms over the security measures in place to protect personal data from all government agencies. We discuss whether this trade-off was worth it, and how to balance long-term capacity-building in the public sector, with the need...

Welcome to the future, where carrying cash around with you is now edging into being a thing of the past. This comes from a post on X , that pointed out how advanced Malaysia's payment infrastructure is, especially compared to other parts of the world. We join the conversation and talk about our digital payment culture. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MACC has launched an investigation into "issues" involving the RM700 million that was used for promotional and publicity campaigns during the two previous administrations, from 2020 to 2022. We spoke to Pushpan Murugiah from C4 about what we want to see in terms of open communication and transparency when it comes to the investigation. Image Credit: Bernama See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

DBKL has expressed their disappointment in Malaysians for leaving trash all over the streets of Kuala Lumpur after the New Year's Eve celebrations. We discuss why Malaysians just can't seem to resist littering, and whether education is enough to shift attitudes - or whether we need harsher laws instead. Image Credit: Facebook / Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers has called on the government to expedite the “anti-Ali Baba” law to deal with the issue of undocumented migrant workers in the country. We discuss whether this is, in fact, a way to resolve migrant labour issues in the country, and in a larger sense, what some of the main issues are with the current migrant labour recruitment system. Image Credit: Shutters...

Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that Malaysians will be able to renew their driver’s licence via the MyJPJ app come February 1st, 2024 . Loke said the initiative will allow the public to save time and costs, as well as help prevent congestion at JPJ counters. We asked listeners if they are looking forward to this new procedure, and what challenges need to be addressed when it comes to im...

A letter was published on Malaysiakini on December 30th, 2023, signed by several civil society organisations and individuals, demanding for better cooperation in our country, for political stability, and a more accountable country. We spoke to Ngeow Chow Ying, one of the convenors of the open letter, about what they're calling for and how they'd like to see this reflected in our governance. Image...

Another year has come and gone, and we're just about to head into 2024. Whether it's spending it with loved ones, watching the fireworks, or just partying till dawn, we hear from all of you about how you're ushering in the new year. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Unity Ministry hosted the inaugural Sabah Indigenous Ethnic Sports Festival at Mari Mari Cultural Village in Kota Kinabalu, where a variety of indigenous games were highlighted. We talk about the value of promoting these traditional games and sports, and how this might empower our indigenous communities. Image Credit: jkkn.gov.my See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We may not want to admit it, but there are some friends we'd rather not travel with. X has sparked this conversation, and people have come forward with their version of a bad travel partner, whether it's because of their problem with tardiness, general moodiness, or unwillingness to participate in activities. We discuss, with our listeners, what the worst sort of people to travel with are. Image C...

A six-day blockade is currently ongoing at the US Embassy in KL, over the US's decision to veto a ceasefire in Gaza. The rally, organised by Sekretariat Solidariti Palestine, will go on until 31st of December. We speak to a representative on what's been happening on ground, and what this protest aims to achieve. Image Credit: Free Malaysia Today See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 22nd, the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) fined five poultry feed companies a total of RM415 million for allegedly agreeing to raise the price of chicken feed, thereby manipulating chicken prices and operating as a cartel. We speak to a lawyer who specialises in competition and antitrust law on the legalities involved. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Malaysia’s first fully crowdfunded movie, “Pendatang”, premiered on Youtube on Dec 21, 2023. The story, revolving around a Chinese family in a fictionalised Malaysia where people of different races can't mingle, has been generating buzz for its title and the intriguing premise. We speak to the folks behind the movie about the story, the crowdfunding model, and their decision to air it free of char...

In this roundup of Anwar Ibrahim's foreign affairs outlook, we look at his announcement on including China in Malaysia’s Look East Policy, the continuing importance of US's security architecture for the region, the salience of a "Rules Based Order" as well as the recent ban on Israeli ships from docking in Malaysia. Image Credit: Facebook / Anwar Ibrahim See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

An X user asked: What's the dumbest thing you believed as a child? This sparked a number of hilarious stories, and our listeners joined in on the fun, with mistaken beliefs about, among others, their postman's name, ghosts after dark, and people in the past existing only in black and white. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MCMC has highlighted the dangers of "cognitive hacking", where scammers use a potential victim's fears or emotions against them. We speak to a cybersecurity expert on how to protect ourselves from cognitive hacking, and how the information we inadvertently share online could be enabling these scams. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it when we promote Malaysia to visitors, we mostly only talk about food? This is the questions an X user brought up, asking for suggestions of other things to highlight to tourists. From medical tourism to ecotourism to dinotourism(?), we explore the options! Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sixteen NGOs have renewed the call for local council elections be put in place, and to put an end to the practice of the federal and state governments appointing the local governments. We discuss why this move is necessary, and how it will change the effectiveness of local governance. Image Credit: Bernama See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned Malaysian jazz drummer Lewis Pragasam passed away on December 18, 2023, at the age of 66. Known for pioneering the fusion of Asian and Western music, Lewis founded the Asiabeat project in 1979, and has played with numerous musicians both local and international. We pay tribute to the local jazz legend and hear from listeners who share their favourite memories of him. Image Credit: Faceboo...

Goods sold online that are priced RM500 and below will now have a 10% sales tax beginning January 1, 2024. We speak to economist Dr Carmelo Ferlito on the impact of this low value goods tax, both on our economy and on our consumption habits. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An X user is waging war today with a simple request: Offend a Malaysian in one sentence. And boy, did people deliver! So we get offended by our listeners over their durians, crispy chicken rendang, and of course, Singapore. Image Credit: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.