Inside Story

It can feel all to easy to become disillusioned or dispirited when thinking about our country, so in this show, we explore the notion of hope, and whether Malaysians still have hope in... well, Malaysia. So we reached out to a couple of activists and people working to make the country a better place, and asked them whether they have hope in Malaysia, and what keeps them pushing on. We also hear fr...

We're marking Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day this year by doing a series of shows imagining a 21st Century Malaysia. In this conversation, we talk about what our country and its cities will actually look and feel like in 100 years, from the perspectives of architecture, urban planning, and climate change. We close off the conversation by hearing what our listeners imagine our cities of the future to...

A Malaysian man made up his mind to chase his dream, so he's sailing the world! Former-marine-engineer-turned-sailor Fabian Fernandez's planned jouney will span five years and cover more than 30 countries, and we speak with him to find out what spurred him on this adventure. After that, we too, start dreaming big with our listeners, as they share what they've always dreamed of doing. Image Credit:...

A recent clip of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaking to a young Indian woman about Bumiputera quotas in higher education, went viral and garnered both criticism and support. We speak about this with Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, senior fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, who recently wrote an op-ed outlining how Malaysia should aspire to do both needs-based and group-targeted measures. We also...

The government has announced that it is now mandatory for civil servants to wear batik every Thursday, both to support our batik industry, and to align with our current climate concerns. So first, we check in with a batik maker from Kedah, who uses a technique called eco-printing. Then, we open up the conversation to our listeners to talk about wearing batik and climate-appropriate office dress co...

Despite there now being a draft of a political financing bill, we've yet to see it tabled in Parliament. We're joined by an expert on political financing and party regulation, to discuss why this should be an essential part of the reform agenda, and what needs to be applied within a Malaysian context. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perikatan Nasional Youth has proposed an alternative Merdeka logo and theme for the four states it governs, rather than the national one put forward by the Madani government - which begs the question, why? First, we discuss the significance of a move like this by the opposition, and in a larger sense, the role government branding plays in creating a sense of national unity. Then, we talk about whe...

A viral post recently called for more literature to be translated into Bahasa Malaysia, as a way for us to become more intellectual. This got us thinking about both the value of being an intellectual society, and whether this is something Malaysians aspire to be. We discuss the topic with Pusaka creative director Pauline Fan and our listeners. Image Credit: Pexels See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

A recent opinion piece on SCMP talked about how charities should focus on Gen Z when appealing for donations. According to the piece, this group is proving to be one of the most giving generations, but they also think of impact and accountability very differently. So we check in with a member of Gen Z on how they think about charity. Then, Dr Hartini Zainuddin, co-founder of Yayasan Chow Kit and f...

Following the state elections where the rhetoric of race and religion was played up, we look at the needs and concerns of minority communities. First, we look at the voting patterns amongst Indians and what they might indicate about the sentiments of the community. Then, we ask our listeners whether they feel like a minority, and how this might shape their decisions. Image Credit: 123rf.com See om...

MUDA and Parti Sosialis Malaysia's (PSM) recent total loss in the state elections - all candidates from both parties lost their deposits - has evoked questions around their credibility as a third force in our politics. We discuss why the MUDA-PSM alliance failed to garner votes, and whether our political system currently supports the existence of a third force. Image Credit: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul...

State elections were held on August 12, 2023, and the results: Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang were retained by PH-BN, while Terengganu, Kedah and Kelantan were retained by PN. The details, though, reveal less than ideal outcomes for PH-BN, with the coalition now only having a simple majority in Selangor, and holding on to a number of seats by just a small margin. We speak with Bukit Gasing A...

Pictures of Perikatan Nasional banners leaning heavily on race and religion went viral, with PN coming out later to deny they were behind them. So we discuss provocative campaign tactics and whether they are likely to sway undecided voters so close to the elections. Image Credit: Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does one's approach to voting influence their choice of candidate, and in a larger sense, their view of politics? So we've (unscientifically!) come up with a list of different "voting personality types", and talk about them with both political scientist Wong Chin Huat and our listeners - who added a few other "types" to the conversation as well. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/li...

Over the last two months on Fix Your Finances, we’ve been focusing on building a pathway to financial knowledge and independence, talking about balancing a budget sheet, protecting your wealth… but now, what about growing that wealth through investments? We're joined by Idham Idris of Wealth Vantage Advisory, to talk about building an investment strategy and finding the right investment options. A...

With state elections coming up, the question of whether voters are sufficiently aware of and educated on the different roles and powers of the state vs federal government becomes essential. We speak with Aira Azhari, senior manager of the Democracy and Governance Unit at IDEAS, about the difference between state and federal jurisdictions, and how voters can take them into account. We also hear fro...

Identity politics seem to be playing a significant part in the rhetoric leading up to the state elections - so how big a part do race and religion play when it comes to voting? We hear from our listeners about whether they vote based on race and religion, and in a larger sense, how the systems we live under might shape these choices. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

UNESCO recently released a report indicating that heavy reliance on technology in classrooms can be unproductive, and even detrimental, if it interferes with learning basic skills like reading. We discuss these findings with a speech therapist, who herself is a parent. Then, we explore the best ways to utilise technology in classrooms with an educationist. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio...

An article in The Star highlighted the need for more father-friendly public amenities that allow dads to care for their babies and toddlers, particularly when it comes to going to the washroom, and diaper changing. We discuss what the gaps are, and how the planning of public spaces need to accommodate evolving notions of gender and parenting. Image Credit: 123rf.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli has complained that no one wants to debate him (until Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman finally said yes). So what exactly is the appeal of political debates, and should it be a part of our political landscape? We unpack this with Associate Professor Dr Surinderpal Kaur, Dean for the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics at Universiti Malaya. And then after t...

With state elections around the corner, much attention has been given to announcements by political leaders and what does or doesn't constitute election misconduct. We speak to election watchdog Bersih about the guidelines around clean campaigning, along with their recently launched #VoteLokal initiative to encourage the public to come out and vote. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Nomination day for the upcoming state elections came and went with relative smoothness. Political analyst Ibrahim Suffian joined us to delve into what the nominations tell us about the direction each party is taking, and how voters may take to the choices on offer. Meanwhile, we ask listeners: Are you excited or apathetic about the upcoming elections? Have you already decided who you are voting fo...

Amiruddin @ Nadarajan Abdullah also known as “Dr Ganja” escaped the death penalty, after the High Court amended the 16 charges against him for trafficking almost 77.5kg and around 14.7 litres of drugs to possession charges. So we first spoke to a lawyer on what the laws say about this case. Then, we explored the possibility of legalising medical marijuana, with an advocate. Image Credit: Pexels Se...

Anticipation is rising as state elections are around the corner, with conversations focused on capturing the youth vote. Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Adam Adli, joins us to talk about the Pakatan Harapan's strategy to engage with young people, and their preparations for state elections. He also discussed the challenges he's encountered within his Ministry, and in being part of the unity go...

Budget 2023 was tabled in February, involving an allocation of RM388.1 billion. We looked into the various initiatives it has to offer young people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.