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Paying tribute to writer, poet, and National Laureate Usman Awang, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre’s return to live theatre celebrates the written word alongside performance. Directed by Datuk Faridah Merican, the show features various interpretations and translations of Usman’s writings, bringing together poetry, music, dance and visuals. We review the show, and rediscover the joys of live performances.

Everyone's A Critic is jointly presented with CENDANA. For updates on Malaysian arts and culture, visit BASKL.

Image Source: Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)

The Health Ministry recently announced a prohibition on all activities, gatherings and social meetings related to political campaigning for the Melaka polls. We discuss this ban, as well as what campaigning will look like for political parties as a result.

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On Inside Story today, we look into how our insurance policies cover mental health, following a recent interview on The Malay Mail with a mental health expert who suggested that insurance companies look into providing coverage for mental health treatment. First up, we discuss the kind of coverage that’s currently provided, and where the gaps are. Then, we look at what it should look like, if a comprehensive mental health insurance policy were offered. Finally, we explore why mental health cost what it costs.

Image Source: Marcel Strauß, Unsplash

Kicking off our new segment where we take a peek at trending hashtags and break them down, we look into the number one trending topic of today - the defeat of Manchester United to Liverpool at Old Trafford.

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最近一周，美国上市公司陆续公布第三季度财报，特斯拉、奈菲等企业的业绩表现异常亮眼，标普五百在上周一度上涨至4,549点，创下新高记录。未来一周内，标普500有三分之一的企业将会公布财报，美国五大科技巨头FAAMG（脸书、苹果、亚马逊、谷歌母公司Alphabet)是否会为美股再次助力呢？此外，美股强势上涨对比出马股的落寞，马股上周试图突破1600的阻力位，最终挑战失败，上周五指数收在1588点。能源危机、棕油价格暴涨、疫苗接种情况带来的多重利好似乎已然出尽，本周五公布的财政预算案是否有可能成为推动马股再度反弹的催化剂呢？

本周邀请到了分析师Areca Capital首席执行员黄德明Danny来到我们的节目当中来进行点评。

Parliament reconvened today, and some of the issues discussed included investigations over the Pandora Papers, suggestions to revamp TVET, and voter education for the youth. Lawmakers also debated the annulment of the Emergency Ordinances, with several MPs questioning why physical campaigning isn't allowed for the Melaka state election.

Image Source: Edy Kasim, Shutterstock

New research discoveries in health and medicine are the reason we have advanced. Without innovative research, we wouldn’t have antibiotics, vaccines, in-vitro fertilisation, or targeted therapies for cancer. Scientists continue to push the envelope and among the experimental research we see in the frontiers of science today include gene editing, stem cell research and artificial intelligence. But who is safeguarding the wellbeing and safety of individuals and society as this research advances in leaps and bounds? We discuss ethical challenges in these new frontiers of science, with bioethicist Dr Nishakanthi Gopalan, and a Law Fellow and researcher in the ethics of human stem cell research, Dr Mohammad Firdaus Bin Abdul Aziz.

Image credit: Shutterstock

We discuss some of the biggest environment-related news from October, with Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua, the Co-Founders, Co-Editors and Writers from Macaranga, including the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2021, Malaysia's ambitious target of becoming a carbon-neutral nation by as early as 2050, and also the intense and unusual flooding in Penampang, Sabah, and how improperly planned and rampant development may be playing a part in this.

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 It's Bat Week this week, an international, annual celebration created to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation. In line with that, we pay tribute to these tiny ecosystem services providers, who, although hardly seen, are hard at work all around the world each night, busy working on so many things, from pest control to plant pollination. Joining us to share why bats are so awesome are the folks from the research group Rimba's Project Pteropus, Dr Sheema Abdul Aziz (Principal Investigator), Mary-Ruth Low (Senior Conservation Scientist) and Hana Abdul Aziz (Communications Manager). We also find out more about The Fruit Bat Fundraiser by Project Pteropus, which aims to alert Malaysians to how wonderful, harmless and helpful these night-time gardeners really are.

Image credit: pixabay.com

Malaysia’s first Women’s Tribunal, is set to take place virtually on the 27th and 28th of November. Organised by the women’s rights coalition Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) and Engender Consultancy, this virtual tribunal will give space to women to provide testimonies regarding the injustices they’ve experienced. Women’s rights activists and some of the brains behind this tribunal, Ivy Josiah & Grazele Jenarun, join us to discuss.

Image credit: Malaysia's Tribunal Malaysia Twitter