Beyond the Ballot Box

The world is becoming increasingly polarised. Whether it’s in the US, Europe or even Southeast Asia, which includes Malaysia, the increasing polarisation has often led to a focus on hot-button cultural issues at the expense of substantive policy discussions centred around political economy and class struggle. This phenomenon is known as the ‘culture wars.’ 

The culture wars can take many forms. In the US, the culture wars these days tend to centre around abortion rights, transgender bathrooms and Critical Race Theory. In Malaysia, the culture wars which have amped up dramatically since GE15 often revolve around the LGBTQ community and the sensitivities of Islam. 

But what are the consequences of falling into the culture war trap? And how can we avoid it?

We speak to Peter Beattie, a political psychologist and political economist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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The results of the 2023 UMNO leadership elections are out. President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Chief Mohammad Hasan won their positions uncontested, while Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Johari Abdul Ghani were elected as vice presidents, while law minister Azalina Othman Said did not make the cut. 

So, what does this mean for UMNO’s present and future, as well as the stability of the current unity coalition government, led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim? Dr Oh Ei Sun, political scientist and Principal Adviser at the Pacific Research Centre, joins us to discuss. 

Image Credit: msyaraafiq / Shutterstock.com

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On Monday, Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. She became the first Asian and better yet, first Malaysian woman to win an Oscar. It was a proud moment for many Malaysians. Even politicians jumped on the bandwagon to congratulate and celebrate her victory. However, many local artists, activists and social media users in general called out the government and politicians for their hypocritical behaviour, citing how while politicians were busy congratulating Michelle Yeoh, local filmmakers were getting clamped down and investigated by the authorities. 

On today’s show, we discuss how politicians and political parties use the art scene as sort of their playground to score brownie points or further their agendas.

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There is a common misconception that young people are inherently more progressive. But that may not necessarily be the case, be it in Malaysia and Southeast Asia as a whole. 

Extremism in any form, be it religious, political, or cultural, can lead to violence, hatred, and division within society. Therefore, understanding the factors that drive young people towards extremist ideologies is critical for preventing the spread of extremism and promoting peace and harmony in the region. Altaf Deviyati is the Managing Director and researcher at IMAN Research. She has spent many years studying extremism in the region. She has also written a book called Believing in Extremism: What Drives Our Youths. She joins us to share her insight.

Image credit: Fiqah Anugerah Dah Besa / Shutterstock.com

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Recently, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin recently said that The government has no plans to repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku). But he also said that they’re open to suggestions on how the Act can be improved.

But what exactly is AUKU and what is its impact on university students in Malaysia?

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The 4th of March marked 100 days since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Since taking office, the Prime Minister has promised to fight corruption, carry out democratic reforms and improve the lives of the poorest people in the nation. So, how have the Prime Minister and his cabinet performed so far? We speak to Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Malaysia Asia Research Institute.

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Local government elections – specifically the need to re-introduce it – has been a hotly debated topic for many years. Decades, even. The lack of local government elections, while seemingly benign, has far-reaching implications for democratic accountability, transparency and clarity in the political system. And if those words don’t mean anything to you, let me put it this way – local government elections, or the lack of them, has direct implications on people’s everyday issues like clogged drains, flooding, the walkability of your city, ridiculous development projects that you scream angrily about with your neighbour, and much more. So, what exactly is a local government election, why don’t we have it and what can we do to get it back? We explore this in this explainer. 

Interview clips taken from:

https://www.bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/live-and-learn/ketuanan-pengundi-6-why-we-need-local-government-elections

https://bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/beyond-the-ballot-box/does-kuala-lumpur-need-local-elections

https://bfm.my/podcast/evening-edition/evening-edition/local-council-elections-too-costly

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Last Friday at Parliament, Prime Minister & Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the new Budget 2023. The Budget billed ‘Developing Malaysia Madani’ involves an allocation of RM388.1 billion. 

But is this budget inspiring? And does it do enough to address the needs of the working class masses, especially the B40 community? Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary General of Parti Sosialis Malaysia joins us to discuss. 

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

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On the 21st of February, Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad were charged in court for alleged corruption. The charges brought to the spotlight a government programme called Jana Wibawa. But what exactly is Jana Wibawa and how much money was allegedly swindled? We speak to Raymon Ram, a certified fraud examiner.

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In February 1963, the Singapore government, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, launched a covert operation, which led to the arrest of 113 left-wing political players and activists, all of whom were detained without trial. This operation was called Operation Coldstore. 

One of the victims of the operation was Dr Poh Soo Kai, one of the founding members of PAP and later, Barisan Sosialis. Under the Internal Security Act (ISA), Dr Poh was placed behind bars for more than 20 years. 

Dr Poh joins us on the show today to discuss Operation Coldstore and how it shaped Singapore.

Podcast Image credit: Mariam Mokhtar YouTube

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