General

Starting tomorrow, cinemas nationwide can technically welcome back fully vaccinated moviegoers to the halls, though many have said they are still awaiting full SOPs. We discuss what this will look like, from the point of view of the cinemas and for us as the audience.

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In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, we look at the long-standing debate about decriminalising suicide in Malaysia. What are the legal and political hurdles that stand in the way of efforts to review Section 309 of the Penal Code? We ask YB Kasthuri Patto, Batu Kawan MP, and member of the Decriminalisation of Suicide Focus Group, National Coalition for Mental Wellbeing, Dato’ Sri M. Ramachelvam, to weigh in on these questions, and why decriminalisation needs to be a priority for the new Health Minister YB Khairy Jamaluddin.

If you need emotional support or just want to talk to someone anonymously, you can call Befrienders KL at 03 7627 2929.

 
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 Project Reef Spawn was a winner of the North American Association for Environmental Education 30 under 30 Changemaker Grant 2021, and was developed to deliver effective environmental education, specifically for the marine environment. The project has three components, which included capacity-development for 12 selected youths through virtual and hands-on activities. Two of the youth who have completed the virtual part, Priyangka Gunasagaran and Muhammad Irfan Hazim bin Mowardi, join us to share more about the program, and discuss what they've gained from it, and how they will spread all the knowledge they’ve gained to others. We also discuss why it's important to have multiple stakeholders involved in solving issues about the environmental problems.

This is the third episode of Taylor'sphere: Education Redefined, a podcast series where we speak with voices from Taylor's University about Taylor'sphere: a uniquely curated education ecosystem within Taylor's University that helps future proof its graduates by nurturing their three intelligences: Intellect, Practical Wisdom and Craft.

In this episode, we're taking a look at the Taylor’s Mereka Makerspace. Featuring its Co-Director, Mike Choong, we explore its role in the University, the significance of having this space and its resources, and the importance of an interdisciplinary education. We also discuss DuckiePi - a student-led project at Taylor’s University that aims to help underprivileged students in Malaysia get access to online education with an affordable e-Learning device.

One of the world’s most wanted paedophiles, 40-year-old Alladin Lanim, was finally apprehended in Sarawak a few days ago, after operating under the radar for about 14 years. The perpetrator has been sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane. The question is, why did it take so long to catch him? We discuss this and the impact of child sexual exploitation on the victims/survivors with Sarah Norton-Staal, Chief of Child Protection at Unicef Malaysia.

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The largest halal exhibition in the world is going virtual. We speak to our friends from MATRADE about taking the various components of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2021 online, and their plan to facilitate high-value, cross-border halal trade digitally at the showcase.

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Having to care for our loved ones can be challenging, especially for those who are working. Teman Malaysia aims to be a solution to this issue as they aim to provide care companionship services for those in need. Ezzati Nasir from Teman Malaysia discusses with us on how the idea came about, the service they provide and how they have pivoted due to the pandemic.

Image Credit: @temanmalaysia | Facebook

After experiences with wrong orders, inattentive waitstaff, and other bugbears of the F&B industry, a group of people joined together to create their own data-driven food ordering platform. Two of Aliments’ co-founders, Lee Teng and Kelvin Kwek, explain how they’ve adjusted to the pandemic, as well as their thoughts on the challenges the F&B industry faces in the future.

Image Credit: @aliments.my | Facebook

Malaysian company earnings might have been a tad downbeat, but the key questions remains the forward outlook.

Anand Pathmakanthan, Head of Regional Equity Research, Maybank Kim Eng, offers a 2Q wrap up and a forward view.

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Following dissatisfaction amongst grassroots in Negeri Sembilan, and the Selangor state’s decision to degazette the KL North Forest Reserve land, Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Director, PKR discusses internal factionalism within the party and the bigger question on succession.

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