Inside Story

According to a survey by non-profit neuroscience research organisation Sapien Labs, Malaysia is the 5th happiest country in the world. We spoke to Dr Lim Hooi Shan to understand whether this is reflective of our mental health trends in the country and the variables we use to determine individual happiness. Our listeners also chip in with their thoughts on whether we are considered happy, as a nati...

The international world order has historically been dominated by Western nations, but recent years have witnessed a significant shift as non-Western powers, particularly those in the Global South, have gained prominence. Such discussions have been increasingly prominent at international conferences such as the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. We interview Julia Roknifard, on the dialogues that have...

It's International Women's Day, and we're marking it by speaking to activists who have been furthering the rights of women in Malaysia. First, Judith Loh-Koh, who is the chairman of the White Ribbon Campaign, as well as former honourary secretary and former president of AWAM, speaks about her decades-long work and activism in women's rights. And then we speak with Dr. Easwary Hari Ramulu about wha...

Whether you're married, engaged, or just starting to get serious, money is an important conversation to bring up in any relationship. Tonight, we look back at an episode of Ringgit & Sense , where Annie Hor talks us through how communication can help couples achieve financial compatibility. We also ask listeners: How do you talk about money in your relationship? Image Credits: imtmphoto, Shutt...

International Women's Day is around the corner, and so tonight, we're shining the spotlight on women in the arts. Join us as we hear from two remarkable artists: Pamela Tan, a versatile multidisciplinary artist, and Jasmine Suraya, an accomplished actress, as they share insights into their work within their respective fields. Image Credit: Fresh Stocks, Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The recent station takeover of the TRX MRT station by Samsung had us wondering about the impact of advertisements in our daily lives. After all, they appear everywhere we go: on our devices, on our roads, in our books and magazines. But the effects of this saturation are everywhere too, for both brands, and their audiences. People get more easily fatigued (or apathetic), brands have to fight for e...

A recent survey conducted by Business Financing, an independent website in the UK, has ranked KLIA as the 8th worst airport in Asia. This is an opinion we've seen from both local and international travellers, who have criticised KLIA's airport design, particularly the long queues, extensive walks between terminals and inadequate facilities. So we open up the floor to our listeners to share what th...

Online scams have been a hot topic lately, with accounts of scammers finding new ways to target victims; Duping people by using personal information, manipulating them by romancing you (shown in stories of love scams).The government is ramping up efforts and new policies to protect the public and the folks at Kini News Lab have joined efforts to educate the public on online scams with their new ga...

Kota Damansara ADUN Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim has suggested the use of influencers in publicising government programmes among the younger generation. This brings on the question of how the government can communicate better with the public, especially with younger citizens. We talk about disseminating information better, especially in this online age, with Cheska Tatiana. Image Credit: Picsfve, iS...

It's been at the cornerstone of every conversation about the economy for a year (and more) now - the decline of the ringgit against the dollar. So in this show, we try to clarify what exactly is going on here, and get into some suggested solutions. And of course, because there've been many attempts to play the blame game about who is ultimately responsible for this, we discuss the political ramifi...

There've been many documentaries and articles about the 'lying flat' and 'let it rot' phenomenon in China, in which the younger generation is rejecting long working hours and the constant hustle, and opting instead to live within their means and not strive for more. There are many economic and structural problems behind this issue, but it also seems to be representing a larger cultural shift. And...

For some, work lunches are an opportunity to network and connect with your fellow colleagues, but tor others, the work lunch offers a respite from the pressures of the office; That's why some have voiced out their dislike of being invited to one. We speak to Sim Ling Ku, HR influencer, about this trend, and whether being social at work is a thing of the past. Then, we ask our listeners where they...

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has announced that the long awaited Malaysian Media Council bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament, this coming June. This is coming on the same week that the government launched the updated version of the media ethics code, which received strong pushback from media activist groups for concerns that it would curb media freedom. So first, we discuss the sig...

Bestselling author Robin Sharma dives into his upcoming book, The Wealth Money Can't Buy and how changing our age-old perception of wealth is the key to achieving a state of happiness and satisfaction in life. Then, inspired by his journey, we ask you: What's the best advice you've ever gotten that helped you grow and become your best self? Image credit: Wikimedia Commons See omnystudio.com/listen...

Last Valentine's Day, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tsin doubled-down on his call for Malaysian-Chinese population to get married and have babies to counter declining birth rates within the community - but we don't think it's that simple. We speak to Dr. Anasuya on the many factors that lead different people to choose a child-free life, while our listeners chime in with their takes on raising a child in o...

Department of Statistics Malaysia has reported that most Malaysians in Singapore and Brunei are part of the semi-skilled and skilled workforce. Joelle Pang joins us to talk about what makes Malaysian feel compelled to make the decision to seek jobs abroad. Then, our listeners chime in with their own experiences and opinions about working far from home. Image credits: Oleksandr P, Pexels See omnyst...

If you've been around X lately, you might have seen a post going viral, of a ranking of 175 malls in the Greater Klang Valley, from best to worst malls. So we discuss what makes a mall top of the list, and what makes them 'dead' to people. Our listeners also chime in with their favourite and least favourite malls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, there have been calls from a number of leaders (from the Agong and other Malay rulers, to the Prime Minister), for a cooling down on political polemic - and it isn't the first time that this has been said. Yet, the problem persists, as politicians across the spectrum continue to say, do, and post incendiary things. So what are some potential solutions here? And how does it affect us all...

A not-so-scientific survey by Insider Monkey has recently ranked Malaysia as the second-friendliest country in Asia. We speak to Nigel Wong, president of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents about what being friendly really means and if Malaysians are really all smiles - and then we open up our phone lines to ask listeners that very same question! See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Emmanuel Samarathisa, journalist and founder of The Malaysianist steps into the studio to talk about the many issues that he's uncovered as an independent journalist. We talk about the interplay between money and power that underscore some recent headlines: Taib Mahmud, the LTAT (Armed Forces Fund Board), Puspakom and Robert Tan, the eponymous 'Casio King'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

We commemorate this year's World Radio Day by talking about whether radio's brilliant century is reaching its end, or whether it's heading for radical transformation. James Cridland joins us to talk about the challenges and possibilities of this medium, and later, we speak to Kean Wong about his experiences in the radio industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Building on our conversations this week about family roles and the highs and lows of festive gatherings, we're delving deeper into the anxieties some families experience during reunions. We talk to David Hong, family therapist and founder of the Andolfi Family Therapy Centre. He offers his insights on respect as a two-way street, how unresolved issues can ripple down and affect future generations...

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, we revisit an interview from 2020 about the myths and traditions involved with the festival, and then open up our phone lines to talk about festive periods as a whole! From food and family, to traffic and noise, we talk about both our favourite, and least favourite, elements of festive celebrations in Malaysia. Image Credits: Shutterstock See omnystudi...

Klang has been declared a royal city, and following right after that news, an analogy of Klang being akin to Columbia has cropped up online, after a recent case of robbery went viral. This goes hand in hand with the perception that Klang is host to the highest crime rate in Malaysia (despite both Gombak and PJ pipping it to the post). So in this episode, we discuss what it means for Klang to have...

Datuk Dr Ooi Kee Beng, executive director of the Penang Institute and author of "Signal in the Noise" has spent three decades studying Malaysia, nation-building, and political philosophy. We embark on a wide-ranging conversation with him on his observations of Malaysian history, politics, culture, and where the country and it's people are headed. Photo credit: Peter Ng, Pixabay See omnystudio.com/...