Consider This

Almost a year after schools were shuttered nationwide, yesterday a dedicated TV channel for education was finally launched to much fanfare. DidikTV collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Media Prima, and complements RTM’s TV Okey & Astro’s Tutor TV. The educational programmes air for 17 hours a day, but will it be enough to address the gaps exacerbated by the pandemic and the digital divide? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Professor Zaidaton Tasir, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Astro Tutor TV’s ‘SMK: Study Squad’ is currently the most watched academic show in the country. Arus Academy, which is an education-focused social enterprise, helped write the themes and lesson objectives for the episodes. Are there lessons to be learnt from this effort? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Alina Amir, co-Founder & director of Arus Academy.

Malaysia was recently found to have among the highest number of research publications in ‘predatory’  journals’ defined those that tend to publish low-quality science and deviate from best practices in academic research. They might even collect fees for publishing work that undergoes little editorial scrutiny. The revelation called into question the quality of research work by Malaysian universities, and higher education’s obsession with annual global rankings. Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Zaharom Nain, Nottingham University and Chairperson, Malaysian Academics Movement .

A study by two Czech economists who mapped the infiltration of ‘predatory journals' into the Scopus database, reported that ‘in these countries, predatory publication practices have apparently become a systemic problem at the national level, not limited to particular clusters.” How do we fairly assess our universities in the global higher education economy? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Idlan Zakaria, Senior Lecturer, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham.

Over the weekend, two women had separately alleged that police officers had sexually harassed them when stopped at roadblocks. In recounting their experiences, the women said a police officer had recorded their personal details, including phone numbers. One of the women said she received an unsolicited text message after the encounter, while the other said she was asked to expose herself in order to avoid being fined. What happens when police officers are the perpetrators? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Ivy Josiah, member, in the 2004 Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation & Management of the Royal Malaysia Police.

It's estimated that for every reported case of sexual harassment, some eight to nine cases go unreported. Sexual harassment is already underreported for a range of reasons - but is this even more the case, when perpetrator is in uniform, law enforcement? Who can the victim turn to? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Nisha Sabanayagam, Programme & Operations Manager, All Women’s Action Society.

How do we begin to imagine changing policing practices that are more gender sensitive? And are institutions like the police open to change or do they try to insulate themselves behind what is often called the "blue wall" a culture of camaraderie that seeks to protect officers from the consequences of their illegal or unethical action? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Yu Ren Chung, Deputy Executive, Director of Women's Aid Organisation.

As with much of the country, the state of Penang’s Covid-19 cases have risen and fallen, while its strategy is firmly tethered to the Federal government’s national plan. So how is it coping with the pandemic one year on and are state-federal relations proving to be challneging? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow.

The success of any vaccine rollout plan is dependent in large part on local factors and resources. How prepared is the state of Penang for identification of priority groups, delivery of vaccines and monitoring of the vaccination programme? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Chief Minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow.

The Covid-19 vaccine national rollout, which will begin at the end of the month, aims to immunise 80% of the Malaysian population within a year. But despite repeated assurances from medical experts, many Malaysians remain hesitant about the vaccines -- citing concerns over the types & science behind it, where it’s being developed, efficacy rates, & potential short-term and long-term side effects. Can the hesitant among us be persuaded? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Dr Musa Nordin, Consultant Paediatrician at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital and life member of the Malaysian Paediatric Association, which is a founding member of the Immunise-For-Life initiative.