General

The team behind edu-tech startup Youthopia believe children need more than just academic smarts to succeed in life. This is why they are focused on equipping children aged 10-16 across Southeast Asia with core life skills that will help them think critically, solve problems creatively and communicate effectively. We speak to CEO and Co-founder Manu Menon about Youthopia’s hybrid approach to the learning experience, using gamification to test critical thinking skills, and the team’s gameplan to make this the new normal in education.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has given oxygen to the far right movement around the world. The recent violent protests in Melbourne, ostensibly over vaccine mandates in the construction sector, is the latest example of far right groups taking advantage of public frustration over prolonged lockdowns and social restrictions. We speak to Dr. Josh Roose, Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University on the challenges of responding to far right extremism.

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Syifaa’ Mahsuri Ismail from Hong Leong Investment Bank shares with us the future of the plant-based diet market in Malaysia and how it translates in terms of outlook for the vegan market and consumer sector.

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We discuss with Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii on how we can better support mental health for Malaysians with the Government's launch of the National Strategic Plan for Mental Health 2020 - 2025, as we celebrate World Mental Health day. 

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The Employees Provident Fund (EPF), in its latest findings, reported that a majority of its members in the low- and middle-income groups, are likely to live in poverty in old age unless mitigation measures are taken. Pankaj C. Kumar, business commentator tells us what policy measures can be adopted to rectify this serious issue.

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ATA Plus was one of the pioneer players in the Malaysian equity crowdfunding (ECF) space in 2016, and it has witnessed the growing popularity of ECF even during the pandemic. Following its partnership with Nasdaq-listed GreenPro Corp, ATA Plus is setting its sights beyond ECF in its mission to democratize financing. We discuss the company’s performance and future plans with CEO and co-founder Elain Lockman, as well as policy measures to help mainstream ECF as a viable funding alternative for Malaysian entrepreneurs.

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Last week, Health Minister Khairy Jamaludin said that the government would procure 150,000 treatment packages of a Covid-19 anti-viral drug produced by Merck called Molnupiravir. The drug is being described by many quarters as a gamechanger in the fight against Covid-19. Based on trials conducted so far, the medication was shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by around 50% in patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of the virus. We get the lowdown on Molnupiravir from Sam Fazeli, Director of Research at Bloomberg Intelligence.

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US Jobs data disappoints, Goldman Sachs cuts GDP growth and, inflation is not transitory. What does one do in a market like this? Kingsley Jones, Chief Investment Officer at Jevons Global tells us.

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This week, Patrick Teoh takes you on another foot-stomping, hand-clapping ride down memory lane as he blows dust off his vinyl collection to bring you a selection of unforgettable hit songs from the 60s to 80s.

The Saudi Newcastle United takeover. What do the guys think? What are the plusses and drawbacks? Also, a lookback at the Nations League semifinals which saw Spain end Italy's long unbeaten run and a 2nd half comback from France against Belgium. A short chat about Jordan 4 Malaysia 0. Anything good to take away from that thumping? Including weekend WC qualifier previews.