General

We often say that we live in a democracy. That people have the power. That the direction of the country can be chosen at the ballot box. But is this true? Does our current election system actually result in a Parliament that is diverse and a proper representation of the people? Or does the system only encourage a binary form of politics that encourages us to hate the other side?

Jurleo Jurit & Arthur Yeow are some of the finalists from Architects of Diversity’s Hackathon Politik competition. They produced a 10-page whitepaper discussing the issues with our electoral system and proposed a mixed voting system that will expand democracy in Malaysia. We discuss the content of their proposal.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Buku Jalanan Chow Kit (BJCK) is an NGO working to provide equal education opportunities, and a healthy growing environment to children in the Chow Kit area. They aim to help the kids escape the cycle of poverty in the Chow Kit area, and have set up a safe space and resource centre for the kids, which is also the venue for their community tuition initiatives and home-schooling programme for stateless/displaced children, who do not have access to public school. We find out more about the Buku Jalanan, and also about their latest project, Eyes That Speak, which taught students how to use old school film cameras to capture their surroundings and daily life in Chow Kit, and to allow them to visually share their experiences of living in the Chow Kit area. All the images have also been turned into a photo book, which is available to the public.

Image credit: Buku Jalanan Chow Kit

Technology is continuously changing, growing, and evolving. If we don’t keep up, it’s easy to get left behind. Companies and industries that want to stay ahead need to have their finger on the pulse when it comes to innovations in IoT, 5G, fintech, and even artificial intelligence. These concepts may sound futuristic, but they’re already driving today’s major markets around the world.

Image Credit: Fit Ztudio | Shutterstock

We’ve heard by now that AI is going to have a major impact on our lives in the future, but how exactly? It’ll be impacting our industries, our societies, enabling technology adoption, digital transformations and new customer experiences. For Malaysia, AI presents both an opportunity and a challenge. And the race is on for AI leadership in Southeast Asia. To learn more, we talk with Nikolai Dobberstein, Managing Partner Malaysia, APAC Head, Communications, Media & Technology at Kearney.

Image Credit: Kearney | www.southeast-asia.kearney.com

There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on drastic changes in consumer trends and purchasing habits. With people placing more importance on cost-saving and are constantly on the lookout for better deals, ZCITY, an instant rebate and cashback app, aims to redefine, transform, and simplify a user's e-payment gateway experience by providing deals, rewards, and promotions for every use.

Have you ever been asked to be a guarantor for someone else’s loan? Often it is a partner or relative who asks, but nowadays it can also be friends or work colleagues. Usually it is difficult to refuse and you would be surprised at just how many of us often agree to be one without thinking of the long term consequences. Farah Razali of Zul Rafique & Partners shares some advice on the risks and consequences that comes with being a guarantor.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

With the sun setting on 3G networks and the rise of 5G, Jeffrey Tan from RHB Investment Bank explains how telcos will perform in a time where internet connectivity is now more important than ever.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Malaysians who are eligible to receive Covid-19 booster shots have started to receive their jabs last week, with the roll-out beginning in Sarawak. How are third doses being administered and could this be extended to the rest of the population? We discuss this issue and other challenges of post-pandemic living with Azrul Mohd Khalib of the Galen Centre.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

KM Leong, General Manager of Southeast Asia for China-based smartphone maker Xiaomi International, talks about new opportunities beyond the phone, which currently comprises 80% of overall revenue to compete with competitors like Apple and Samsung.

Image credit: THINK A / Shutterstock.com

The pandemic has triggered a dramatic increase in the number of Malaysians entering the gig economy, either by choice or forced by circumstances. Although they enjoy flexibility in their job, there are concerns on the labour rights for gig workers. As there have been calls to amend the Employment Act 1955 that was drafted over 60 years ago, what changes are needed to benefit the gig workers in the long term? Tan Zhai Gen of the Asia School of Business weighs in on proposed reforms.

Image Credit: Hasim Ramle / Shutterstock.com