General

Despite the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 providing the roadmap for education transformation, the quality of public education has suffered a decline due to various factors. What reforms are urgently needed to put public education back on track? We speak to Shahnaz Al-Sadat of LeapEd Services for reflections to mark International Day of Education.

Although the inflation rate is slowly moderating, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli believes that consumers can do more to arrest price increases. He recently singled out restaurant dining as one of the main contributors to inflation and urged customers to make educated purchases. Economist Dr. Geoffrey Williams weighs in on how smart consumerism can temper inflation as well as other policies the government can consider.

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OCBC is forecasting global growth to come in slightly below 2% for 2023. However its likely to be a tale of 2 halves with a better second half thanks to Federal Reserve inching close to the terminal rate. Selena Ling, Chief Economist at OCBC tells why she has this view.

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China’s reopening has sparked hopes of a demand led boost that will soften any chance of a hard economic landing for G7 nations. But how realistic is this view and are the GDP expectations of 5 to 5.5% too optimistic for China? Also what is the read through of Bank Negara Malaysia keeping the OPR unchanged? For insights, we speak to Vishnu Varathan, Head of Economics & Strategy, Mizuho Bank.

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The Pulse brings you the latest news in the music world and fresh new music that might've missed your radar.

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Les Imprimés - I’ll Never Leave

The Lemon Twigs - Corner of My Eye

GLOM - I Wanted The Real Thing

Arbor Labor Union - Forevergreen

Andy Shauf - Telephone

Kali Uchis - I Wish You Roses

Kelela - Contact

Tunico - Sambola

By The Way is a rapid-fire segment that gives you a snapshot of developing stories in the music world. This week, stories on The Songwriters Hall of Fame, Panic at the Disco's disbandment, Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter's new solo album 'Mythologies' and the death of David Crosby, Rest in Peace.

In this week's edition of Cruise Control, our trio of petrolheads preview a couple of incoming luxury SUVs, take a slightly longer Beemer for a drive, and peep into the thieves market to see which vehicle is the most susceptible to thefts!

Big & burly are the flavours this week as Hyundai and Range Rover both unveiled mammoth luxury SUVs respectively, the Korean automakers announcing a facelift edition of the Palisade, while Range Rover also prepare for the official launch of the classic L460; an all new edition with its classic, imposing frame.

We also explore what's trending in the automotive industry, where car thefts are still a major concern, understandably, especially for owners of pristine-conditioned Proton Wira, Toyota Hilux and Mercedes Benz.

We conclude with Daniel's impression of a facelift version of BMW's 330 Li, boasting a longer wheelbase (only a fraction!), made exclusively with the Chinese automotive market in mind.

To mark the Year of the Rabbit, we’re throwing back to one of the Chinese New Year classics: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World, starring beloved Hong Kong cinema names like Bill Tung, Lydia Sum, and Eric Tsang. The madcap comedy revolves around a family struggling to make ends meet when they suddenly win the lottery. We review the movie and talk about the joys of revisiting Asian holiday classics. 

Jacinda Ardern has announced that she would be stepping down from the position of New Zealand's Prime Minister, citing burnout as her reason. First, we dissect the value of leaders knowing when to step back. Then, we looks at what needs to happen to foster strong leaders in a sustainable way.

Image source: New Zealand Labour Party, Facebook

Former Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar recently shared on social media that she had a miscarriage, sharing that she had lost her unborn baby while carrying out her duties. We talk about the significance of public figures on subjects that are difficult to talk about, and broadly, what support is needed for people going through a miscarriage.

Image credit: Nurul Izzah Anwar, Facebook