Current Affairs

Twenty six years ago, the Chinese military cracked down on protesters occupying the old imperial grounds in central Beijing. The crackdown resulted in a high death toll and consequently earned the incident its name, the "Tiananmen Square Massacre". Its been noted that this was the first student led Chinese pro-democracy movement. We explore the impact of the tragic incident on Chinese diasporic communities in countries like Taiwan and Malaysia as well as on contemporary Hong Kong politics.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak tabled the 11th Malaysian plan which identified what it called “game changers”, one of which was to support cities as growth engines for the country. The cities named were Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Penang, despite topping many social and economic indices was left out.  So why was the Pearl of the Orient excluded, how will it respond and will the north ever forget? We explore.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several NGOs met on last Tuesday with the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development to discuss on a national action plan to tackle violence against women. This comes on the heels of the acquittal of Bunya Jalong, a 60 year old man who was charged with raping a 14 year old girl, based on the existing legal, but narrow, definition of rape. We explore what needs to be changed in the Penal Code and in the handling of cases involving women and girls.

This is a report by Kelvin Yee.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, the electronic cigarette has gained popularity among smokers looking for a healthier alternative to smoking. Malaysia is one of the biggest markets for e-cigarettes in the region. And users are even forming communities, eager to convert smokers to this alternative habit, with claims that it is a breakthrough in "harm reduction” though there is little serious evidence of this. Today we ask how, if at all, this new habit and industry ought to be regulated.

This is a report by Aziff Azuddin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bangladesh nationals formed the majority community involved in what the international media calls the Asian Migrant Crisis. While the Myanmar’s dispossessed ethnic minority, the Rohingya, have grab the lion’s share of the limelight, the reasons that have pushed Bangladeshis in the human trafficking trap are equally compelling. We explore what’s driving this exodus and the gap between laws and enforcement on the Bangladeshi side of the human trafficking crisis.

This is a report by Sherilyn Goh.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Higher Education Blueprint 2015 was introduced to change the landscape of higher education with a benchmark based on 5 aspirations: access, quality, equity, unity and efficiency. To get there, the Blueprint introduces 10 "shifts", with a focus on developing graduates in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) and in empowering public universities in terms governance. Today we explore the gaps in the Blueprint and ask if this well-laid plan will go the way of so many other plans because of a lack attention to how it will be implemented.

This is a report by Muhammad Haniff Baharudin.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The upcoming football matches between national players and English Premier League clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, are coming under heavy criticism from some local fans. Supporters group Ultras Malaya in particular, has been making international headlines as it ramps up a boycott campaign - #SayNoToCircusGame - of these games, calling them Circus Matches and money-spinning fixtures. But they are not necessarily the voice of the majority. We explore the reasons on both sides of the divide.

This is a report by Shawn Tanis

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1Malaysia Housing Program or Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) was announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2011, in a bid to resolve the issue of home ownership among middle-income earners in Malaysia. Similar affordable housing schemes have also been offered at the state level under various government-linked companies. Despite all these, first-time homebuyers still find it a struggle to pay the downpayment for homes. We take a critical look at the fundamental factors affecting housing affordability, how housing schemes like PR1MA sought to fill the gap and how it has performed thus far.

This is a report by Aisyah Tajuddin and Sherilyn Goh.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Chinese School Committees Association, more popurlarly known as Dong Zong, is known as the pillar of Chinese Education. Now it seems paralysed by internal conflict with its members divided into the ruling and reformist factions. Its a widely-debated crisis in the Chinese community and there is concern a neglected Dong Zong has lost focus on the administration of Chinese Independent schools, its syllabus and examinations. Today we explore all that is at stake for Chinese education in this crisis.

This is a report by Wong Yu Han.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Egypt’s Arab Spring Uprising on January 25th 2011, there was much hope in and outside the country, for more democratic rule after 30 years under Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorial regime. Yet four years later, there has been a regression in terms of judicial independence and other democratic aspects.

This culminated with the jailing last month of Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected President in Egyptian history, in a trial tainted by claims of judicial bias.

We explore the relationship between Egypt’s executive and judiciary in the country’s current political situation.

This is a report by Jason Lim.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.