Consider This

Most headlines have cast the Kedah position in a negative light. But is the argument made by the Kedah MB unreasonable? And who could we look at the relationship between Johor and Singapore in managing water resources? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Dr Maketab Mohamed, Water Quality & Water Quality Modelling Expert.

Should states think about going it alone when developing its own water resources or should it reach for a solution that embraces the idea of shared responsibility? Perhaps in the Kedah-Penang water dispute is there a solution that reframes how we look at environmental issues.Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia.

The dispute over water resources between Kedah and Penang took a curious turn when in December last year, the K.edah Menteri Besar said he would get villagers to put sandbags to dam Sungai Muda and divert the river so that it no longer flowed into Penang.Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's has since also threatened to send muddy water to Penang.What is the heart of the dispute? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Dr Chan Ngai Weng, President, Water Watch Penang.

In grand Malaysian tradition, an audio clip purportedly between Umno president Zahid Hamidi and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, set tongues wagging. Zahid’s political foes within his party have seized upon the recording in a bid to oust him. What lies ahead for UMNO leadership? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to political analyst, Associate Professor Hamidin Hamid, Universiti Malaya.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin visited Sarawak last week -- his first since being appointed as prime minister early last year. During which he announced that the Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 would soon be making public its decision on the Federal Constitution amendment & other matters related to Sarawak and Sabah. Just yesterday, it was announced that the Territories of Sabah & Sarawak would now no longer be known as ‘States’ but ‘Regions’.How will this impact party coalition dynamics at the Federal level? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak at Ivy Jugah, lecture, Faculty of Administrative Sciences & Policy Studies at UiTM Sarawak.

Today the three parties that make up the Pakatan Harapan coalition agreed to name Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their pick for Prime Minister if the coalition wins the next General Election. This marks an official shift in focus for the grouping after several failed attempts by Anwar to realise his claims of a parliamentary majority. However, expectations of some quarters that there would be a discussion of leadership renewal in the pact did not materialise.
Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Badrul Hisham Ismail, Director of Programmes, IMAN Research.

On the 13th of November last year, the Transport Minister signed a federal gazette revoking the cabotage exemption policy of the Pakatan Harapan government. The reason given is that cabotage policies protect the interests of Malaysian shipowners, though when it comes to the repair of undersea cables, only 1 Malaysian company is involved. Was this reversal justified when the consequent delays and investor confidence has been affected?  Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Rais Hussin, Chairperson,  Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)

Late last month Facebook, with Alphabet’s Google and regional telecos, announced plans for two new cables in the Java Sea to boost internet connection capacity in Indonesia and Singapore. It sparked a debate about the Perikatan Nasional government’s decision to reverse a PH-era cabotage exemption policy? Was it fair for critics to charge that this return to the BN-era position on who has rights to conduct undersea cable repairs meant that Malaysia was by-passed in this mega-project? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff, Chairperson, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Chiew Kok Hin, Chairperson, Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX).

More than a year has passed since the world began its battle against Covid-19, raising the profile of journalists covering the pandemic such as Malaysian-born Ed Yong, who writes for The Atlantic. Conspiracy theories aside, competing frameworks of understanding as well as political and social values, have put pressure on editorial policies and advocacy campaigns as well. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Azrul Mohd Khalib, Chief Executive, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, and Boo Su Lyn, Editor-In-Chief, CodeBlue, a health news portal.

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th -- a day of global awareness in building a fairer, healthier world. More than a year has passed since the world began its battle against Covid-19,
and throughout this year, we’ve relied a lot on journalism to make sense of it all — especially as the virus’s spread frequently outpaced our abilities to comprehend and respond to it. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Azrul Mohd Khalib, Chief Executive, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, and Boo Su Lyn, Editor-In-Chief, CodeBlue, a health news portal.