Current Affairs

 We continue with more reactions to “forced by-election” as some media are calling it. These forced by-elections are not unknown as a strategy to replace a standing Mentri Besar. In 1997 when the then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Abu Hassan Omar replaced Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib in this fashion. While Pakatan Rakyat close ranks for damage control, the media, political rival and civil society activist ask difficult of the Parti Keadilan Malaysia and the man now at the center of this storm, Anwar Ibrahim.

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While relatively stable, flare-ups over territorial disputes in the South China Sea have serious economic and political implications for the countries that border this vast body of water and the resource in and below it. Recently “Beting Serupai” - “Zheng Mu Ansha” as China calls it - appeared in the news. China’s claim on the sand bank some 1800km from its mainland comes up against Malaysia’s claim to the spot which lies a mere 80km North-West of Bintulu, Sarawak. We ask if ASEAN and China’s talks on a regional Code of Conduct regarding South China Sea territorial disputes is going anywhere.

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Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey's strategically important location has given it major influence in the region. But major political events have rocked the political scene in Turkey the past few weeks. Turkey's once seemingly-invincible prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his The Justice and Development Party (AKP), seems to be in a tailspin after a major cabinet reshuffle, political infighting, the economy tanking, and strained relations with major superpowers.

Melisa Idris speaks Toby Iles, who is the Economist Intelligence Unit’s senior analyst for Middle East and Africa, on what the recent political changes in Turkey will mean for the the country, especially as it heads to the polls this year.

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There’s no denying that education plays a central role in ANY country’s pursuit of economic growth -- there is no better predictor of a nation’s future than what is currently happening in its classrooms. Education is also the bedrock of unity in any society. And given the heightening religious tension in the country, an examination of the current state of national unity is nothing short of necessary.

Tengku Azian Shahriman, the director of PEMANDU National Key Result Area for Education and Ho Kay Tat, the Group CEO and publisher of The Edge Media Group discusses what it will take to bring back quality education to our classroom.

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The Home Ministry has recently deemed the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs, or Comango, as an outlawed entity as it is not registered with the Registrar of Societies. It claims, "The organisations in the coalition are not based on Islamic teachings and most of them are not registered". There were 54 organisations in Comango, but only 15 of them are said to be registered with the ROS.

Melisa Idris got the views of law practitioner, Edmund Bon, to find out more about The Societies Act 1966 and the need to be registered with the RoS.

She also spoke to Honey Tan, a spokesperson for Comango, to find out what they will do next.

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The Cabinet committee on foreign workers and illegal immigrants has announced that fast food outlets in the country will no longer be allowed to hire foreign workers. The move is aimed at giving priority to Malaysian workers, based on the fact that many locals were interested to work in the industry. Melisa Idris spoke to Shamsuddin Barhan, the Executive Director of the Malaysian Employers Federation, who was as surprised at the policy announcement as we were!

We also got in touch with the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-Operatives & Consumerism and McDonald's for their comments on the matter. Listen to the podcast to get a complete overview on the news.

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Melisa Idris speaks to Gerakan Media Marah spokesman Fathi Aris Omar on the Pensil Merah Rally on Saturday to find out more about the progress it's made since the first Geramm forum two weeks ago.

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The Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance monitors the state of the media and violations to media freedom in the region. Sharaad Kuttan speaks to its Executive Director.

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Deferring to authorities, expecting that political leaders have the publics best interest at heart, being helpless in the face of technical issues, being

helpless in the face of legalities and bureaucratic rules; these attitudes that have long disappeared from a growing number of Malaysians. Acting like full citizens, they are not accepting the long held sentiment that ‘government knows best’.

Sharaad Kuttan speaks to the chairman of the citizens action group, KL Tak Nak Incinerator, to get a reading of how people feel on the ground.

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