Current Affairs

The story of a 10-year old Orang Asli girl who was kicked, slapped and tied up by her teachers for allegedly stealing RM1 went viral last week. Today, we explore why there are so many cases of abuse of students in indigenous communities, why few get the attention of the media and why those involved are rarely brought to book.

This is a report by Heng Wei Ann and Daniel Subramaniam

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It’s been a double blow for our local taxi industry. Amidst the controversy over private-for-hire service Apps like Uber and GrabCar, a UK-based website “Londoncabs” rated our local cabs “the worst in the world”. Today we explore the underlying disadvantages that regular taxis suffer from including financial and regulatory challenges. We also ask them how they view these new challenges to their income stream.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

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This week marks the 100th day since the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax system. The government’s concern to not allow profiteering to occur with the shift to the GST started with putting into place legal provisions to both better define and punish profiteering, as well as put in place a mechanism to enforce there efforts. Today we take a look at how successful these efforts have been.

This is a report by Sharaad Kuttan.

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Recently, a local film director decided to pull her movie off TV3 after being told to make up to 40 edits on her movie. ‘Pesan Dari Tuhan’ that tells the story of political rivalry in a Malay village allegedly contained too many political insensitive elements. The initial social media-based uproar was sparked by the mistaken perception that the film was censored. Today we ask what the net effect of these demands for edits on both the creative process as well as the business of making movies.

This is a report by Aisyah Tajuddin and Muhammad Haniff Baharudin.

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Earlier this month alarm bells rang when a Malaysian oil tanker named "MT Orkim" was hijacked. It raised concerns about the safety of South East Asian waters including the Straits of Malacca. This come after a report by the International Maritime Bureau in April that every two weeks a sea-going vessel is hijacked in the region. Today we ask if joint efforts by regional governments are adequate enough to safeguard our commercial waterways.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

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When it comes to legal reform, legal minds are almost unanimous in insisting that the process must begin with the country's premier law-making body, Parliament. A loss of independence from the Executive as well as a lack of processes and resources has hobbled the government's ability to make good quality laws. The recent spectacle of laws, such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), being rushed through Parliament is just one symptom of a deeper structural problem. Today, we explore what can be done. 

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When T-Team captain David Oniya died during a match two weeks ago, it was the first ever on-field football related death in Malaysia. The incident has sent ripples of concern through the local football fraternity. Is the story behind this death one of lax adherence to safety protocols, ignorance of basic first-aid and a media that hasn’t recognised the urgency of these issues? Today we explore what some are calling a disaster waiting to happen in Malaysian football.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis.

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Earlier on this month, a Saudi Arabian blogger was charged with apostasy and insulting Islam after setting up an online forum called the “Saudi Liberal Network”. The platform encouraged discussions about religion as well as issues of democracy and liberalism. He’s currently serving 10 years in prison, but was also sentenced to receive 1,000 lashes and a 10 year travel ban. We explore how Saudi officials are caught between international pressure and a conservative religious establishment. We also recalled the case of Saudi poet Hamza Kashgari who was detained at KLIA and deported while fleeing the Kingdom. And our complicity in his persecution.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

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The South China Sea is a crucial part of Malaysia’s maritime real estate. The sea defines the country geographically as it separates West and East Malaysia, and is also a vital economic artery, where most of our oil rigs and hydrocarbon deposits are located. However Malaysia’s sovereignty over the area is being tested with recent encroachments by Chinese coastguard vessels. One of these has been anchored near the Luconia shoals off the coast of Miri, Sarawak, for the past two years. This prompted the government to issue a pledge early this month, to protect and defend Malaysian waters in the South China Sea from being encroached on by intruders. We look at Putrajaya’s official policy and response so far to Beijing’s manoeuvres in the maritime area.

This is a report by Jason Lim.

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Last Thursday, the widely criticized electoral reform package China had intended to introduce to Hong Kong was vetoed out by the city-state’s legislative council, stunting Beijing’s plans to grant what Hong Kong’s citizens deem "half a democracy" - a right to vote, but for candidates selected by a broadly represented pro-establishment nomination committee. Can Hong Kong win this battle for democracy? How will this bustling city-state achieve its objectives? We explore.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han

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