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Why is Najib still so popular? This is a question that has fascinated many Malaysians since UMNO-BN’s defeat in 2018. I mean, how did former Prime Minister Najib Razak rehabilitate his image and preserve his relevance within the political sphere, despite being plagued by numerous corruption scandals and charges? 

Recently, Dr Benjamin Loh, Vilashini Somiah & Sarah Ali wrote a paper titled Shame and shamelessness: Changing discourses in Najib Razak’s social media campaign. It is a quick and fascinating read into the strategies deployed by Najib to paint himself as a good man, wronged by the system. Dr Ben joins us on the show to discuss. 

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MACEE or the Malaysian-American Commission On Educational Exchange is celebrating the 60th anniversary of their presence in Malaysia. If you’re unfamiliar with MACEE, this is the organisation that is behind the Fulbright scholarship programme. Curtis Johnson, Executive Director of MACEE, joins us to reflect on the past 60 years and also share about their programmes.

Image Credit: MACEE

Going into 2023, one of the key things concerned was a global recession, and this continues to be the case.

Now while definitions of what constitutes recession differ around the world, it essentially means a shrinking economy, ultimately due to lower business and consumer spending.

In fact, some numbers overnight show that U.S. retail sales fell by the most in a year in December, further highlighting this concern as consumer spending is essential for many businesses, and therefore the economy.

So today we turn our attention to consumer sentiment in Malaysia and ways businesses can adapt to the possibility of falling consumer spending with Rakesh Mani, Partner at PWC Malaysia - leading the consumer and retail practice across the region.

We’ve been talking about digitalisation for months, years even, but why do we still feel the need to talk about it? It’s simple. Adoption. There are still companies out there that still don’t realise, in 2023, that digitalisation is vital to their survival. So why aren’t they adopting? What’s the holdup and how might a holistic approach help sway the naysayers? We’ll be hearing from Jheeva Subramanian about some real life strategies that might help.

According to a study published by WHO in 2020, 84% of adults will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. This means over 22.3 million Malaysians are exposed to such risks. 

Physiomobile, is a tech-enabled healthcare company that provides physiotherapy services at the convenience of its patients. As staunch believers in tech-based solutions, Physiomobile complements the previously traditional physiotherapy industry with tech-based solutions that make patient information easy to document, store, and access.

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贺岁电影在许多家庭中，是春节期间必不可缺的消遣之一。阖家观赏的鬼马和幽默中，也总有温情与感动。那么，在华人市场中的贺岁电影创作，有没有随着新媒体崛起、消费习惯产生变化，而出现收窄的现象呢？本期节目，杨雁雁、梁志强来到了录音室分享他们的观察。

This year we’ll say goodbye to the fierce and ferocious tiger and wave hello to the cautious and peace-loving rabbit. The rabbit has long been a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture and with the global economy in the doldrums and political tensions still running high, will the rabbit bring much needed calm and tranquility? Master Kenny of Good Feng Shui Geomantic Research shares some insights and advice on how you can enhance your luck this year.

Six states that did not hold concurrent elections during the 15th general election last November must do so this year as their five-year mandate comes to an end. Aside from the dates, all eyes are on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan as to whether their cooperation at the federal level will continue in these state polls. But can a collaboration be strong enough to take on Perikatan Nasional? For some answers, we speak to Adib Zalkapli, Director, BowerGroupAsia.

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The Semiconductor industry is worth USD 580 billion dollars and has become a key part of the trade war between China and the US. Can Malaysia benefit from this? Do we have the right policies in place? Questions we ask Dato' Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association and John Neuffer, CEO & President of Semiconductor Industry Association.

A total of 3.8 million vehicles are expected to use expressways this Chinese New Year but with 4000 fatalities registered just from January to September last year, how can we make our roads safer? Professor Dr Kulanthayan Mani, Head of Putra Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Research Group under the Department of Community Health at Universiti Putra Malaysia tells us.

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