Beyond the Ballot Box

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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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. 

Image Credit: PSM

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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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Politics in Malaysia often centres around the Peninsular, while Sabah & Sarawak are often relegated to the peripheries of mainstream discourse and our imagination. Not to mention, revenue from their natural resources has been funnelled to Putrajaya for decades.  But this should not be the case. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a profound document detailing the rights of Sabah & Sarawak in terms of autonomy, cultural preservation and political representation.

My Country and I: The Malaysia Agreement 1963 is a new book penned by Datin Fazar Arif and Mazlianie ML. They join us in this episode to discuss the importance of MA63 and their upcoming children’s book. 

Visit gerakbudaya.com to get yourself a copy of the book. 

Image Credit: Gerak Budaya 

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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 discuss what does politics mean, in the first place.  On the one hand, we often hear people say they don’t like politics or that it doesn’t affect them. On the other hand, political discourse these days often tends to be polarising around culture wars and identity politics. But are we missing an important piece of the puzzle?

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Out of the six states that went for elections in 2023, the three states with the highest median wages were won by Harapan-BN, while those with the lowest median wages went to PAS/PN. What does it mean for a “progressive” political block if a large percentage of the poorest people do not vote for you? What has Pakatan Harapan done wrong and how can they be a genuine alternative for people, even those in the Malay heartland? We speak to Iskandar Fareez, DAP Public Policy Committee Member. 

Image Credit: Barisan Nasional/Pakatan Harapan

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On the 31st of August, Malaysia celebrates its 66th year of Independence. We have come a long way as a nation since 1957 – we have modernised, urbanised and even expanded human rights. However, questions still remain on what it means to be Malaysian, especially given how incredibly polarised we are across racial and religious lines. 

We reflect on the nation’s past, present and future, with Dr Kua Kia Soong, human rights activist, former Suaram director, and former DAP MP. 

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National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang has said that The Rukun Negara pledge will now be recited with the reading of the preamble followed by the 5 principles, in every school and government programme. 

This is interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly many Malaysians are not aware that there’s a preamble to the Rukun Negara, and have been under the impression that the Rukun Negara begins with Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan and ends with Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan. Secondly, it’s because the preamble actually tells a clearer story about the nation’s aspirations and philosophy.

In this episode, we unpack the Rukun Negara’s rich history and meaning, with Eddin Khoo, author of Rukunegara: A Brief Introduction. 

Rukun Negara: 

Bahawasanya negara kita Malaysia mendukung cita-cita hendak:

Mencapai perpaduan yang lebih erat dalam kalangan seluruh masyarakatnya;

Memelihara cara hidup demokratik;

Mencipta satu masyarakat yang adil di mana kemakmuran negara akan dapat dinikmati secara adil dan saksama;

Menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai-bagai corak;

Membina satu masyarakat progresif yang akan menggunakan sains dan teknologi moden.

MAKA KAMI, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip yang berikut:

KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN

KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA

KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN

KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG

KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN

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