Pannir Selvam Pranthaman is a 38-year-old Malaysian on death row in Singapore for trafficking 51.8g of diamorphine. Pannir was not a kingpin nor a drug lord but a man caught in the web of poverty, desperation, and manipulation. 

Back in 2020, I interviewed the sister of Pannir Selvam and human rights lawyer Latheefa Koya, about Pannir’s journey and the need to abolish the death penalty. Now, nearly four years later, the fight to save him has reached its most critical moment. 

According to his former lawyer, M Ravi, Pannir will be executed this Thursday, the 20th of February.  In a recent Facebook post, Ravi shared that Pannir’s sister had received a letter from the prison confirming his execution.

HAYAT, which is an NGO working on rehabilitative and restorative justice, released a statement that reads, "His status as a courier was acknowledged by Singapore courts, and he provided extensive information to authorities during the investigation. The information was also given to Singaporean authorities by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) through his family via a police report."

Despite the years-long efforts of his family and activists, his fate remains unchanged. 

In this episode, we're joined by Dobby Chew, who's the CEO of HAYAT. We discuss if there’s still room left to save Pannir and also if the war on drugs and the death penalty solves the problem of drug trafficking.

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It’s been 33 years since the Malaysia repealed the Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) during Tun Dr Mahathir’s first administration in 1992. As a result, our once robust Parliament became a lot more muted – well not literally (screaming contests are still part of the regularly scheduled programming at the august house), but in terms of how it functions. It also lost its autonomy to the Prime Minister's Office.

Recently PKR MP Lee Chean Chung said that the government will be tabling a new Parliamentary Services Act (PSA) in the current session of the Dewan Rakyat. This is something civil society organisations and the Pakatan Harapan coalition have been pushing for, for a long time, as it would restore or at least increase parliamentary autonomy and independence. 

But why is it important for us to have a stronger Parliament? What should a proper Parliamentary Services Act entail?
We speak to Ngeow Chow Ying who’s a legal expert and also the convenor at Projek SAMA.

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The rate of unionisation among workers in Malaysia is at an abysmal 6%. This is one of the key reasons why wages in Malaysia are incredibly low. 

But why is this the case? What’s preventing workers in Malaysia from organising themselves to have greater bargaining power? 

Recently, the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association (LLRC) published a paper titled The Challenges of Workers’ Organising in Malaysia. It’s a detailed report on the kinds of labour rights violations and union-busting tactics by big businesses and employers in Malaysia. 

We unpack this paper with one of the authors, Ng Yap Hwa who is the Assistant General Secretary of the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association (LLRC).

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In an interview with the Financial Times, when asked about the reduced prison sentence for former Prime Minister Najib Razak, current Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he does not wish for Najib to suffer in “hell” as he once did. This is of course amidst ongoing conversations on the possibility that Najib could be granted house arrest for the rest of his sentence, although it has to be said that such laws do not yet exist in Malaysia. 

In response to that, the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism released a statement recently saying “enough is enough! Why has the tone of the Madani government been so sympathetic to Najib Razak? Have they forgotten the sheer scale of his crimes?”

So, has the MADANI government, led by Prime Minister Anwar, forgotten its reformist roots or is it just smart and meticulous politicking to manage the political climate and maintain stability? 

We speak to Pushpan Murugiah, who’s the CEO of Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4). 

In this episode,we discuss:

• The framing of Najib's reduced sentence as a human rights issue.

• The political challenges faced by the MADANI government. How to strike a balance between navigating a large coalition of varying interests and being steadfast in executing the anti-corruption agenda.

• Why the Prime Minister and his team must communicate with the people in a more transparent way.

• Does Malaysia need a 1977 Hong Kong-style Amnesty? In 1977, Hong Kong’s newly established ICAC granted amnesty for past corruption to quell police resistance, allowing strict anti-corruption enforcement moving forward.

• The three key areas of reform the government must implement.

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According to reports by Khazanah and EPF, most Malaysians do not have adequate retirement savings. As of 2024, only 36% of EPF members meet the current basic savings level of 240 000 at age 55. And that’s just basic savings that will allow you to survive from month to month for about 15 years post-retirement. 

So, are we in a retirement crisis? And what can we do about it?

We speak to Geoffrey Williams, who's an economist.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What are the markers that indicate that Malaysia is undergoing a retirement crisis.

• The key factors driving the retirement crisis.

• Impact of the crisis towards individuals on the ground and overall health of the economy.

• The disparity between ethnic/racial communities and within, when it comes to retirement savings and what that tells us.

• What can Malaysia learn from other countries in the region who are facing similar challenges.

• A case for universal basic income, by a market economist.
  

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A couple of days ago, in a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) outlined economic challenges facing Southeast Asia and strategies to create an equitable region. The memorandum was received by one of the special officers to the PM.  

We discuss the various challenges and opportunities ahead for ASEAN with Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj who is the Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). 

We Discuss: 

• The biggest political and economic challenges currently plaguing the ASEAN region, from the decline in government revenue, suppressed wages and the climate crisis. 

• Problems with institutions like the World Bank, IMF and WTO, and alternative strategies. 

• How can ASEAN develop their internal markets and productive capacities? One of the reasons we rely so heavily on FDIs is because we have no choice due to our productive capacities. 

• Why it’s important to develop a sense of regionalism and for ASEAN nations to negotiate with foreign powers (i.e. China and BRICS) as a unit. 

• Unequal development in ASEAN and how it prevents economic cohesiveness in the region. As we know, Singapore is one of the most developed economies in the world; Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the likes are perhaps middle economies; Myanmar continues to endure tremendous hardship – there’s an ongoing civil war/revolution.

Image credit: Shutterstock (background)

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Malaysia is the most politically and economically developed country that does not have a political financing act. This is the argument by Dr Magnus Ohman, Director of the Regional Europe Office of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). He’s right. Neighbouring countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia all have some form of laws that regulate political funding. We are an anomaly. 

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Magnus who unpacks why this is a problem and why we need a Political Financing Act, right now.

Image credits: Shutterstock

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The world today is at a crossroads. We’re seeing an escalation in conflicts and wars – Russia and Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza, are just a couple of prominent examples. We’re seeing the rise of China as a economic powerhouse and with that the rise of tensions between the US and China. But what do these shifts mean, for the world and for Southeast Asia? 

In this episode, we speak to Professor Jeffrey Sachs. He’s an economist from the US and the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He’s been a key advisor to numerous heads of state and governments, including in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, providing guidance on economic reforms and development strategies. He’s also a passionate critic of US foreign policy. 

In this episode, we discuss:
• The Doomsday Clock (by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) and how it’s inching closer to midnight.
• Some history and context for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• The slow decline of the American empire and a shift to a multipolar world, driven by the rise of China and Asia as a whole. 
• What is the key divide between China and the US? When we look at post WWII and during the Cold War, the divide was between a free flowing capitalist system governed by Western financial institutions versus Marxist-Leninism that focused on strong central planning and closing off the economy to Western FDI. But today, even countries that carry red flags are part of the global capitalist system. What’s the differentiating factor in terms of development theory and practice?
• While ASEAN is friendly with China and recognizes its significance and the importance of South-South solidarity, there is also genuine concern about sovereignty, the South China Sea, etc. How should ASEAN manage China?

Image credit: Shutterstock (background)

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Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse regions on the planet, encompassing over 650 million people across 10 member states with diverse cultures, languages, and political systems. Over the decades, the ASEAN region has transformed from a modest regional grouping into a significant economic powerhouse. Today, it is the fifth-largest economy in the world. 

ASEAN is in an interesting juncture right now, with plenty of challenges and opportunities ahead – from navigating the civil war in Myanmar, unequal development across the region and the rise of China. 

This month, Malaysia assumed Chairmanship of ASEAN. So, what could that mean for the country and the region?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dato Dr. Ilango Karuppannan, former Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore. He’s an academic and has also contributed to literature, with publications focusing on Malaysia's foreign policy, ASEAN, and Malaysia-Middle East relations.

Image credit: Shutterstock (background)

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Landraub, directed by Kurt Langbein is a documentary that delves into the global issue of land grabbing, where vast amounts of land in developing countries in the global south, including countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are acquired by wealthy corporations from Europe and US. The film highlights the consequences of this practice towards local and indigenous communities. 

Landraub will be one of the films screening at the upcoming film festival called Witness the Unseen. It’s now going to be a fully online festival happening on the 9th - 12th January 2025. 

If you’d like more information or would like to attend or support the festival, you can contact the organisers Barathi (+60 16-377 9713) or Valter (+60 11-6357 9375).

Image credit: Langbein & Partner

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