Beyond the Ballot Box

Ethnonationalism, religious nationalism, neo-fascism and other forms of right-wing and ultra conservative populist movements are on the rise, in Malaysia and across the globe. 

From the growing popularity of PAS and Perikatan Nasional in Malaysia, Narendra Modi and his Hindu Nationalist project in India, to strongman Donald Trump or the Evangelical Christians of the Republican Party in the US, and the anti-immigration Marine Le Pen in France, the list goes on and on. This has led to massive polarisation across ethnic and religious lines. 

While each country and region has its own unique historical and sociopolitical contexts, one can’t help but wonder what are the parallels that can be drawn. Why are we polarised and could class struggle be a remedy? We speak to Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

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PRN 2023 took place last Saturday. The coalition comprising PH-BN retained Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, while Perikatan Nasional retained Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. While the big picture remains status quo, a closer look tells us that Perikatan Nasional did make gains. 

We unpack the results with Francis Hutchinson, Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme & Coordinator of the Malaysian Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

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We’re only a few days away from PRN 2023, a series of state elections happening on the 12th of August, which is this Saturday. The states involved are Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah. 

So, on today’s episode, we do a preview of the state elections and discuss some of the key themes and questions emerging on the road to PRN 2023. 

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The upcoming series of state elections will see a third force namely MUDA and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) come together to take on the two giants that are Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media, as some say that they could play a pivotal role in shifting our nation’s discourse in a more progressive direction, while others accuse them of being spoilers and vote-splitters. 

We speak to:

S. Arutchelvan, PSM Kajang Candidate

Sivaranjani Manickam, PSM Meru Candidate

Dobby Chew, MUDA Seri Setia Candidate

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The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. 

Politics in the east coast is a lot more dynamic than people often give them credit for and in this episode, we discuss the rivalries between the political parties that dominate the Malay heartland and the new parties that are vying to break through. 

We hear from: 

Wan Ahmad Fahysal, Perikatan Nasional MP for Machang

Ng Phei Jin, Chief, MCA Women’s Wing (Terengganu)

Wan Mohd Haikal Wan Ghazali, PH candidate for Wakaf Mempelam, Terengganu

Luqman Long, MUDA candidate for Bandar, Terengganu

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Apa Macam, ADUN? is a monthly series where we speak to a different Selangor state legislative assembly member each month about a plethora of issues affecting folks from Selangor. 

This month’s episode centres around public and affordable housing. We speak to Rodziah Ismail, Former ADUN and Selangor State Exco Entrepreneur Development, Housing and Urban Wellbeing.

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The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. 

In this episode, we explore the arts scene of Kelantan & Terengganu and reflect on how they express themselves despite tight restrictions and conservatism, as well as how they negotiate with the various powers that be. 

We hear from: 

Intan Rafiza, Curator, Balai Seni Negara

Jehabdulloh Jehsorhoh, Patani Artspace

Anuwat Apimukmongkon, Patani Artspace

Hakim Sattu, Artist & Indie Filmmaker

Naquib Mohammad, Folk Singer

Ahmad Syafiq Abdul Rahman, Dikir Barat Practitioner

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MUDA recently announced their decision to contest solo at the upcoming series of state elections that will be taking place in Selangor, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Penang and Negeri Sembilan. This means that the young party will go against both Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan. The move has been equally welcomed and criticised by members of the public, particularly on social media. 

What’s also interesting is that MUDA has formed an electoral pact with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which is perhaps the only unabashedly left-wing party in the country.

In this episode, we speak to Afriena Shaqira, MUDA Candidate for the Sg Kandis Constituency at the upcoming Selangor state polls.

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The East is Green is a mini-series where we bring you stories from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (also known as the Malay Heartland) in hopes of painting a more nuanced picture of its people, culture and politics. In this episode, we speak to Mohd Syahiran Muhammad, Chief ABIM Kelantan about what young people in Kelantan and the east coast are thinking about when it comes to politics and their aspirations for the state.

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Charles Santiago, who’s a human rights defender and the former Klang MP for DAP, recently wrote a four-parter on Malaysiakini detailing modern-day slavery, forced labour, and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh. On today’s show, we go through the series of heartbreaking events experienced by these workers and also discuss what needs to be done so that this doesn’t happen again.

Image Credit: Hafiz Johari / Shutterstock

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