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A brand new 13 km cycling and pedestrian lane is going to open up in KL by next year. Could this be the start of a new walkable, cyclable KL? We hear from a cyclist for his thoughts.

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Debates commenced today for the 12th Malaysia Plan, with Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being the first to give his speech, raising a discussion about the viability of the existing Bumiputera agenda and what lessons need to be considered. Also - statistics on traffic accidents, and vaccination for prisoners. Image source: Sadie Teper, Unsplash

Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘Because Feelings Matter’ is a short series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. These stories aim to normalise conversations about mental health, and to show that it’s okay to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, to reach out for help. This episode features Aishah, and how she coped with post-traumatic stress disorder following family conflict and misunderstanding.

This series is produced in collaboration with Thrive Well.

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The 2020 US Presidential elections was billed by many as the battle for the soul of America. The progressive left-wing, democratic party slugging out to defeat the right-wing, racist, xenophobic, conservative Republican party, led by the all-evil Donald Trump. Joe Biden’s win was celebrated as a victory for the progressives. But what if it’s all just a performance? What if I told you that The United States of America actually has TWO right-wing parties?

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Yesterday (27th September), the 12th Malaysia Plan was finally tabled in the Dewan Rakyat by the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob after being postponed from its original tabling during Parliament last year. Spanning from 2021 to 2025, the plan has three key themes: resetting the economy, strengthening security, wellbeing and inclusivity, and advancing sustainability. With the widespread impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Malaysian society over the past year and a half, how much of it has factored into this plan, especially looking at it from a health perspective? And what are the health priorities in the 12th Malaysia Plan? Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy joins us to dive into this.

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Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob launched the 12th Malaysia Plan in Parliament yesterday in the hopes that it would revitalise the country’s economy after a difficult couple of years due to the pandemic. With more focus given to healthcare, tech, green goals, and high-income jobs, will the 12MP finally get us to where we needed to be a year ago, in 2020?

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It sounds like a dream, but many out there are living it. It’s not impossible, too hard or too expensive to build a global direct-to-consumer Malaysian brand. Co-Founder and CEO of Meecko.Asia, Ching Kah Hing gives us the framework to scale your ecommerce business across borders quickly and successfully, without putting your product on a marketplace.

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Lapasar is an online B2B procurement platform that allows companies to purchase general supplies for their businesses. We speak to Thinesh Kumar to discuss how the pandemic has affected them, the industries they cater to and their recent move to join Endeavor Malaysia.

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Bank Negara Malaysia will announce the 5 digital banks in the 1st quarter of 2022. It's a very crowded race with 29 applicants but what does this mean for conventional banks? Will they see an erosion of market share and profitability? Clement Chua, Senior Equity Analyst of Kenanga Group gives us his views whilst telling us his top picks for the sector.

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Tricia Yeoh from IDEAS shares her assessment of the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plan, as well as helping us dissect the highlights and gaps that exist in the plan.

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