Beyond the Ballot Box

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

In their 1988 book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman argued that mass communication media “are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion."

The book, which is more than 30 years old, still rings incredibly true today. In fact, things have probably gotten worse in some ways. But it’s not just the US. It’s the media across the world, or most parts of the world, at least. 

In this episode, we talk to Peter Beattie about how and why the media manufactures consent?

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Israel has continued its bombardment and genocide in Gaza. The Zionist regime, which is a settler colonial military force backed by Western Imperial Powers… has killed at least 8306 Palestinians in Gaza since the 7th of October. UNICEF has said that approximately 420 children are killed every single day in Gaza. Journalists have been killed – doctors,  nurses and United Nations staff too. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel. To remind everyone, this “conflict” did not start on the 7th of October 2023. The Palestinians have suffered ethnic cleansing and oppression by Israel for 75 years. Israel is an Apartheid state. 

Now, colonialism and ethnic cleansing have led to the displacement of millions of Palestinians over the decades, many of whom have sought refuge in countries around the world, including Malaysia. But are we doing enough?

We speak to Heba Shehab, Palestinian Student in Malaysia and Lubna Sheikh Ghazali, Legal Services and Solutions Manager, Asylum Access.

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On the 24th of October, a Parti Sosialis Malaysia activist, Chong Yee Shan, was left with a bloodied face after being shoved by an officer from the Perak Land and Mines Office (PTG) at a farm in Kanthan, Tambun. This can be seen on videos released by PSM. On top of that, PSM chairperson, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, alongside a couple of other PSM activists and a farmer named Ho Pon Tien were arrested. This was after farmers and activists attempted to stop the officers who went to the location with bulldozers and excavators to evict six farmers.

But who are the Kanthan farmers? And what exactly are they fighting for?

Image Credit: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

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If you’re a Malaysian, you’ve probably heard of Sang Kancil and the many stories about the little mousedeer such as Hikayat Sang Kancil or Sang Kancil Dengan Buaya. Recently, James Chai – columnist at Malaysiakini, Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, he’s also been a guest on BFM on many occasions – wrote a book also on Sang Kancil. But no, it’s not quite about a mousedeer, per se. The book is called Sang Kancil: A Tale About How Ordinary Malaysians Defied the Odds. In this episode, we speak to James Chai about his book.

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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 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.

Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr/National Renewable Energy Lab, National Archives and Records Administrations, Flickr/Hugo Anes, Flickr/Number 10

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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?

Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.

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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. 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Iev radin, Fredric Legrand - COMEO

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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. 

Image Credit: SUARAM

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