What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us. 

In this episode, we explore the concept of illegal occupation and Western colonial interests in Israel-Palestine. This is of course in light of the recent events in Palestine, where the State of Israel have been raining bombs on Gaza. More than 3000 Palestinians have been killed in what some experts have called an attempt at genocide and ethnic cleansing. As always, we are joined by Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong. But first, we hear from Areej Masoud, a Palestinian Christian, who’s a women’s rights activist. She’s the Program Director & Lead Educator at Khayari/My Choice: Women’s Leadership & Economic Empowerment Initiative in Palestine.

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Last Friday, the MADANI government tabled the largest budget ever in Malaysia’s history, with a total allocation of RM 393.8 billion. The question is does the budget address the needs of the working class, particularly the B40 and shrinking middle class?

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At one point, particularly the years following World War II, it seemed like Europe had defeated the Far-Right. But now, right-wing populist parties are marching into the mainstream again. Marine Le Pen in France and Catholic-Conservative party Vox in Spain are incredibly popular, Georgia Meloni, the current Prime Minister of Italy is the country’s most far-right Prime Minister since the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.  

So, how did the far-right go from the fringes into the mainstream? And how has this contributed to polarisation? We speak to Associate Professor Dr Fernando Casal Bertoa, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham UK. 

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With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, rising inequality and stagnating wages, Malaysians face mounting challenges. This is especially true if you’re working class and middle class. 

With the tabling of Budget 2024 just around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be taking a look at what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. We speak to Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). 

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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.  

In this episode, we explore the concept of ideologies – what are they and what impact do they have on economic policies and decision making, as well as how various political ideologies have  evolved over the years. 

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SOSMA or the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act is a law that was enacted after ISA was abolished in 2012. The law provides authorities with enhanced investigative powers and allows for extended pre-trial detention, all in the name of national security. 

Over the years, the law has faced criticism for its human rights abuses. 

Recently, Siti Nurizzah Mohd Tazali, an independent researcher, wrote a paper on the socioeconomic impact of detention under SOSMA. We discuss the findings of her research. 

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It is estimated that there are over a million non-Malaysians living in Sabah today, including undocumented and stateless people. They live among Sabahans. In fact, many of them are born in Sabah and have lived in Sabah all their lives. Yet, their existence isn’t legally recognised, which means they are denied basic rights – they’re not allowed to receive education in public schools, have no access to healthcare and are not allowed to be employed. In this episode, we explore the plight of stateless people in Sabah. 

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What's Politics is a series where we delve into political concepts, ideas, and questions and explore how they impact all of us.  

“Race” is a concept that has shaped how a large majority of people in many parts of the world see themselves and each other. However, as we learn more about this concept, it becomes evident that race is a man-made idea but with very real, pervasive and devastating impacts towards communities. We explore this with Peter Beattie, political economist and political psychologist at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

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Every now and again we will hear news stories about groups of families facing eviction, for example, the case of Kampung Koskan a few months ago. Oftentimes, the people who are forcefully removed from their homes are known as “Peneroka Bandar.”

"Peneroka Bandar" in Malaysia refers to urban settlers or urban pioneers. These are individuals or families who have relocated from rural areas to urban or semi-urban areas in search of better economic opportunities and improved living conditions. In this episode, we explore who they are exactly and what challenges they face. 

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The robots, as they say, are coming for our jobs. We live in an era where robots can not only do factory work, but also ace MIT examinations, write poetry and so much more. But what does this mean for society? In conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia, we imagine and discuss what Malaysia could look like in 100 years, with the rise of automation.

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