We think of plastic pollution when we say ocean pollution, but a recent report by the Economist Impact titled “The Invisible Wave” also highlights the problem of chemical pollution to the marine environment. How much awareness of and action on ocean preservation is there in the Asia Pacific region? Charles Goddard, Editorial Director with Economist Impact tells us more. Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Despite sharp corrections in Chinese Equities especially in tech space, is it safe to bottom fish? Jack Kouzi, Director for Strategy at VFS Group gives his views. Image credit: Unsplash.com

We get you out of bed, to your first cup of coffee or to your first destination of your day with thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping all our lives.

2:57 - The role of Chief Happiness Officer

9:36 - Meta ending their laundry services benefit

14:51 - International Headlines

21:21 - Local Stories

Image credit: Pixabay.com

网际网络年轮迭转——鞋履不再是单纯的日用品；更是在社媒分享生活的潮流配件，而资讯发达也让时尚成为了高频换新的元素…

关于这点，XES 创办人 Simpson 深谙其中门道——身经 20 年在地鞋业零售经验的他，对现代人的鞋子消费偏好有着相当高的敏锐度。他坚信：透过大数据分析，能轻松掌握顾客对鞋款喜爱的演变。如此一来，打造平价又舒适的「爆款鞋」就只是粘黏和材质配搭的事了。亲力亲为，是 Simpson 的营商原则，于他而言：直营连锁虽有压力，却能保证细节环环到位。

除了鞋款潮流，XES 也在电商平台的趋势抢占了一定先机——在那个没什么人青睐网络平台的 2014 年，Simpson 已经开始架设网站，尔后甚至开发了独家手机应用程式。究竟是独具慧眼，还是在一步一脚印的踏实中也要懂得把握机会？本期节目，告诉你，一双鞋的商业故事。

The winner of this year's 2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize, Karina Robles Bahrin joins us to talk about her debut novel, The Accidental Malay. Telling the story of Jasmine Leong, the workaholic scion of a billion ringgit bak kwa company, Phoenix, whose life changes when she discovers she is actually a Malay, the novel navigates tricky issues such as race, religion and identity in Malaysia - but aims to be accessible and easy to read. We talk about the inspiration and writing process for this book, the importance of regional prizes and publishers and the themes and inspirations that drive Karina's work. Then in Footnotes - with new Cormac McCarthy novels around the corner, we talk about authors who take a long time in between books, and what it's like as readers to wait and anticipate.

What’s the one thing you’re never supposed to do if you ever time travel to the future? Cross paths with your past self. Yet, this is exactly what happens in this sci-fi adventure, when a time-travelling fighter pilot played by Ryan Reynolds accidentally crash lands in 2022 and then proceeds to team up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future. The film also features a stacked cast, including Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener, and Zoe Saldana. We review the movie and see if it will… stand the test of time.

Rafizi Ramli released a statement saying he's stepping back into the political ring and contesting the PKR vice president's post. This comes after Rafizi announced he was stepping away from politics back in 2019. We get into the reactions of netizens.

Image Source: Rafizi Ramli Official Facebook Page

In today's rundown from the Dewan Rakyat, we have Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin admitting woeful underfunding of the healthcare system, a call to regulate Buy Now Pay Later schemes, and updates on the MRT3.

Image source: panuwat phimpha, Shutterstock

It’s back to school for the 2022 academic year next week. Students, parents and teachers are all eagerly - and anxiously - waiting to see what the new school year has in store. Meanwhile, mental health issues among children and teenagers have come to the fore in the past two years, underscoring the challenges that young people face as they juggle studies, relationships and their own emotional ups and downs. 

On this episode of Mind Matters, we speak to two teenagers to find out what causes stress in young people and how the KAMI Juara programme in their community has helped them. Clinical psychologist Chase Tan also weighs in on why it’s important for the school environment to be a safe space for children in terms of protecting their mental wellbeing.

Image credit: Shutterstock

The Malayan Songbook is a collection of pre-independence Malayan music scores, offering its readers a window  into the golden age of Malayan music. Featuring music scores by composers such as P. Ramlee, Ahmad Jaafar, Ahmad Wan Yet and Yusof B, the songbook took 5 years of research, audio restoration, music transcription and arrangement, and is finally being published this year. Here to share more about the songbook as well as insights into the music from that era, is composer and pianist Ganesh Bala who is also the author of the Malayan Songbook.

Image credit: OUCH Music Academy