Inside Story

Following the resolution of the actors' strike in Hollywood, it is being reported that Netflix might raise its subscription rates. This opens up the question of how much we're willing to pay for streaming services, and when it's just too much. We discuss future directions streaming services might take, and hear from our listeners on how they decide which entertainment options to pay for. Image Cre...

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek says there has been an increase in the number of SPM leavers choosing not to pursue higher education. Among the factors that influenced their decision include financial problems and not wanting to be bound by education loans. We look into this and ask the opinions of an educationist and also explore the employers’ perspective into the issue. Image Credits: Pexels...

An ongoing exhibition called "Welcome to Postnormal Times" at the KL Jazz and Arts Center in Taman Seputeh has been going on since Friday, 6th of October 2023. Scott and Maya, who are part of Centre for Postnormal Policy and Future Studies joins us to explain what postnormal means and how to think creatively about the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a proposal for a special employment scheme to be introduced for senior citizens. This is coming from Prof Dr Zumilah Zainalaludin, a senior lecturer from the Faculty of Human Ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia, who said this would be beneficial to address the financial challenges and mental wellbeing of elderly folks. So we talk about whose responsibility is it to care for the elder...

September 20th marked the 25th anniversary of the Reformasi movement, which began with the sacking and arrest of then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. We explore the origins of this political movement with people who were there when it happened, and ask listeners for their own experiences during this period. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

USA Today published its " Top 100 biggest tourist traps worldwide " list, and our very own Penang Hill was placed at No 9. This led to the Penang State tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai dismissing the list and saying the research behind it is poor. So we first talk about whether this list is warranted; then our listeners share their own memories of Penang Hill, and other great places to visi...

Former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has suggested that Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka should be given power to take action against property developers who give foreign names to their developments. We expand on this by discussing the value of local places having local names. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demand for and the import of our durians have been skyrocketing - China, in particular, is one of our biggest consumers, racking up an export of 3,406 million tonnes of durian worth RM65.2 million in 2021. This has led to the expansion of large-scale durian farming, and increased interest in durian investment. Dr Gaik Cheng Khoo joins us to discuss why the durian is agricultural gold, the environm...

Jobstreet Malaysia just released their salary report for 2023 which analysed and compared salaries across industries - so we use it as a springboard to ask listeners, whether they're happy with the salary in their industries, and whether knowing it in advance might have seen them choose a different career. Image: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli recently commented that Malaysians are “addicted” to eating out, spending a considerable portion of their monthly earnings on this habit. We discuss with an economist the policies to blame that led to this, and what can be done to address the problem. We also ask our listeners whether they agree that eating out puts a dent on household finances. Image Credit: Shutters...

Reports of schools restricting certain traditional clothing for not following 'dress codes' have emerged, and parents are unhappy about it, especially because it's to do with celebrating Merdeka and Malaysia Day. And questions of diversity, decency, and policing have popped up. So we speak to a parent, whose child goes to a school that experienced a similar situation. Then, Chan Soon Seng from TFM...

The 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Mid-Term Review was tabled last week by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This review was carried out to evaluate the achievements of the five-year plan in its first two years. We discuss the review, critically assess its direction for the next three years, and ask listeners, how they'd like to see Malaysia improved. Image Credit: Prime Minister's Office of Mal...

The 2023 Malaysian Discrimination Situation Survey by the Architects of Diversity Malaysia revealed that about 64% of Malaysians have experienced discrimination in the past year. Among other findings, respondents experienced the most discrimination on social media (32%), when looking for a job (30%), and at work (29%). We discuss whether Malaysia has a serious problem with discrimination, and ask...

A Facebook user recently took to social media to voice her financial struggles in trying to find affordable leisure activities for her family in Malaysia. We speak with a tourism consultant on how to have fun in Malaysia on a budget, and our listeners weigh in with their own favourite, affordable suggestions for a fun day out. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

We’re continuing our series of shows that imagine the Malaysia of 100 years from now, by focusing on the idea of Malaysia being a federation. We discuss how being a federation of states and territories has shaped our ability to operate as a nation, and how this might evolve in the future, and ask our listeners whether they'd prefer a strong central government, or if states should have more autonom...

The Youth and Sports Ministry has announced that annual sports competitions, which previously only included government schools, will now be open to students from private, international, and religious schools as well. The decision was made to allow young athletes to compete against a wider pool of peers, and has been lauded as a positive move towards national unity. We talk about how this move coul...

The GST is back in the news! After abolishing it in 2018, the government has now announced that they might consider a reinstatement. So first, we revisit previous interviews we've had with our experts, to get a sense of why it was so unpopular, what a reintroduction would constitute, and what needs to improve when it comes to implementation. Then, we hear from our listeners on whether they are for...

News broke over the weekend that Muda has exited the Madani government, and that the party's only MP (and Muda president), Syed Saddiq, will now sit in the opposition bloc. This comes after the decision to drop the 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. With Muda now aiming to act as a "third force", this also means the Pakatan-Barisan coalition has l...

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) has sparked various responses and criticisms from across the political divide. We discuss the political fallout from this, and how it will affect the public's perception of the unity government. Image: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're continuing our Merdeka and Malaysia Day series, where we discuss what our country might look like in a century. This time around, we explore the notion of our demographic moving toward a larger percentage of Malay-Muslims, and what it would mean for multiculturalism in the country - how might this shape the future of our country's policies, culture, and values? Image Credit: Shutterstock See...

Bernas has announced an increase of 36% in the price of imported white rice; we speak to an economist to understand how this will impact consumers. Later, we hear from the restaurant sector. But we also asked our listeners, could we live without rice? (Spoiler alert: Probably not.) Image: Pexels See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been seeing the rise of fake mobiles apps that copycat the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, which can be confusing for those trying to figure out which are real and which have malicious intent. We discuss how to identify potentially fake apps, and in a larger sense, how to decide which apps we really need. We close off the discussion by honing in on digital literacy amongst seniors. I...

If there's one Malaysian icon who might unite us all, it would be cartoonist Datuk Mohd Nor Mohammad Khalid, or better known of course, as Lat. From tales of his life in the village, to his adventures in the city, his works have not only brought him international recognition and numerous awards, but endeared him to generations of Malaysians. Lat joins us in the studio to talk about his journey, hi...

Malaysia Day and Merdeka is always an exciting time for Malaysians, and this year is no different, with thousands of people swarming in to Dataran Putrajaya to witness our annual parade. Apparently, this year's attendance is considered one of the best in our history. So what does it actually take to organise a choreographed event of this magnitude? We discuss this with Joe Sidek, who directed the...

We're continuing our Merdeka and Malaysia Day series, and this time, we dive into the Rukunegara. Specifically, what would Malaysia be like if we lived according to these principles? We kickstart the conversation with constitutional lawyer, Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, and then ask our listeners whether the Rukunegara hold meaning and value for them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...