General

Hunter Marston from ANU shares his perspective on the tussle taking place between Myanmar's military junta and the country's shadow government for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly and its potential implications on the ground as ASEAN's envoy tries to bridge the divide between both groups.

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There are rumours that Beijing is looking to break up Alipay. We ask Jack Kouzi, Director for Strategy, VFS Group, why and how will it change Ant’s valuation should that happen?

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In the second of two episodes, we're using books and the written word to celebrate what it means to be Malaysian. We speak with four Malaysians and ask: What is a Malaysian book you would recommend, and why? What was your experience reading this book? And what does this book represent in terms of the idea of "Malaysian literature"? From poetry and new age fiction to imaginary creatures and folk tales, there’s something here for everyone!

Part comedic murder mystery, part live action, part animation and all zany, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? broke a lot of new ground in 1988, and continues to set the gold standard in bringing animated characters into live action settings. In this episode, we look back at the movie and talk about how it holds up with technology having changed so much of the movie landscape in the decades since.

Yesterday, the Japanese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that a warning has been issued to Japanese citizens in Malaysia over a possible terrorist threat in Southeast Asia. We get an understanding of this warning and where we are concering terrorism activity in the country.

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The Education Ministry has announced that schools will be reopening starting October 3rd based on phases under the National Recovery Plan. Expanding on our education system's updates, first, we hear from parent and educational psychologist about how families are coping with returning to school. Then, we talk about the Education Ministry's initiatives to be more inclusive of B40 students and what more could be done to provide them with support. Finally, we check in with a teacher.

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Debates commenced in Parliament today. Highlights included discussions around the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, the Health Ministry's efforts to deliver oxygen tanks to states, and protests over rejected motions to replace Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

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September is World Alzheimer’s Month, an annual international campaign to raise awareness and to challenge the stigma around dementia. This year’s campaign aims to shine a light on the warning signs of dementia, and to encourage people to seek out information, advice and support. In conjunction with it, we’re taking a look at how a dementia diagnosis affects not just the individual but the relationships within a family unit, especially when family members then have to take on the role of caregivers. We speak to Dr Khor Hui Min, consultant geriatrician from University Malaya Medical Centre, and Daryl Kho, author of the children’s book “Mist-Bound: How to Glue Back Grandpa”.

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Political parties in Malaysia can be very confusing. Last week, we took a look at the parties in the Peninsula and unpacked their history and ideology. But what about our neighbours in the East? What are the likes of Warisan & GPS all about? And why do independent candidates stand a higher chance of winning in the East than the West? Political commentator Oh Ei Sun helps us unpack.

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Only two countries in the world - Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - have made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for all adults. But many other countries have also made vaccinations mandatory for some people, such as healthcare workers, nursing home staff, or employees working in high-risk jobs. Here in Malaysia, we’re seeing more discussions about mandatory vaccinations, especially after the Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said that employers may mandate their employees to get vaccinated, and the Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also encourages sectoral mandates if they aren’t against the law. But how should employers, or even policymakers, come to make that decision? At what point, can vaccine mandates be considered? We discuss with lawyer and academician Munita Kaur.