Consider This

Sarawak’s electoral borders are due for redrawing soon, with Sabah’s set to expire in 2025, and 2026 for Peninsular Malaysia. Ahead of the delineation exercise, it’s worth examining some best practices on boundary delimitation, and the potential for improvement in Malaysia. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Adhy Aman, Danesh Prakash Chacko and Professor Wong Chin Huat.

The government is exploring a new healthcare financing model, shifting away from the present tax-based financing and potentially into a social health insurance scheme. Is this the best option for Malaysia to sustainably fund our healthcare sector? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Special Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Kelvin Yii, and Dr Lim Chee Han from the Third World Network.

The war in Gaza in the past month has raised critical questions about global problem-solving, the ability of the world to prevent or halt atrocities, and the weaponisation of dehumanising language. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to James M. Dorsey and Associate Professor Dr Noritah Omar.

A research endeavour by the National Organisation for Dyslexia Malaysia (NOD) and UKM sought to explore the relationship between dyslexia and delinquency among Malaysian male juvenile offenders. Might the challenges associated with dyslexia lead to a path of delinquency? And what can be done to address this issue? On this episode of #ConsiderThis, Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Mullai Ramaiah Arunachalam, President of the National Organisation for Dyslexia Malaysia, and Dr Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin, Criminologist at UKM’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

How are wages determined? How does education, age, gender, citizenship, and industry shape wages? And can wage growth be achieved without policy intervention? On this episode of #ConsiderThis, Melisa Idris speaks to Niaz Asadullah, Professor of Economics at Monash University Malaysia, and Nithiyananthan Muthusamy, Deputy Director of Research from Khazanah Research Institute.

On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Muslim Imran, Founding Director of the KL-based Asia Middle East Center for Research and Dialogue about the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, and the responses from the Muslim World and the international community.

In the past few general elections, Malaysia has seen multiple coalitions and parties contest for the right to govern the country, and this is likely to be the case going forward. Malaysia’s transition into a multiparty democracy, where hung parliaments and coalition governments are common occurrence, will not be without its growing pains. How do we use this as an opportunity for democratic progress? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Thomas Fan from Bersih and Aira Azhari from IDEAS Malaysia.

The Asian Financial Crisis of the late 1990s prompted Malaysia to implement a series of reforms aimed at fortifying its financial institutions. One of the most prominent measures taken was the consolidation of the banking sector, leading to a reduction in the number of domestic commercial banks from 22 to just 10 by the year 2002. While the goal was to create stability and strength within the financial industry, it introduced a new set of challenges, particularly for the country's SMEs. The pivotal question that arises is: After more than 2 decades, how has this banking consolidation impacted the ability of SMEs in Malaysia to secure capital? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Professor Woo Wing Thye, Vice-President for Asia at the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He also heads the ASIA headquarters of SDSN, hosted by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation at Sunway University, where he is a research professor.

On this episode of #ConsiderThis, Melisa Idris speaks to Nigel Wong, President of the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA), and Siraj Jalil, President of the Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association, an NGO that advocates for the rights and interests of consumers in the digital and online sphere.

Budget 2024 has been unveiled, and now the crucial evaluation begins. What does this budget get right, and where did it fall short? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Robert Nicholas Hii, Vice President for the Society for Equality, Respect and Trust for All Sabah (SERATA) and Shahril Hamdan, Founder of Watchtower Advisory, and former economic director at the Prime Minister's Office.