General

Apa Pandang-Pandang is an interactive online exhibition of artwork created by children from B40 during the pandemic. Guided via online lessons, the art has been adapted into the digital format and curated to provide a glimpse into their lives, daily challenges, and hopes. We review the exhibition and discuss the power of art when it comes to bridging gaps.

Everyone's A Critic is jointly presented with CENDANA. For updates on Malaysian arts and culture, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.

Last Thursday, security guard S. Sivabalan died less than two hours after being arrested, another custodial death to make headlines this year. We speak with lawyer Datuk K. Ganesh for his thoughts on the case, and discuss why an inquest is important for both Sivabalan and A. Ganapathy, who died in custody less than a month ago.

Image Source: Ehsan Habashi, Unsplash

A revised MCO 3.0 was announced over the weekend, with tighter and stricter SOPs following the worrying increase of Covid-19 cases. Looking into the updated SOPs, we talk about the changes made for public transportation and shopping malls - and also explored the recommendation to double mask.

Image Source: nax / なっくす, Unsplash

Under the new and tightened MCO, food businesses such as restaurants and roadside stalls will only be allowed to operate twelve hours a day up till 8PM. We find out how the shortened hours will affect restaurants, and what the public can do to continue supporting local businesses.

Image Source: Melanie Lim, Unsplash

AstraZeneca has been in the news a lot lately, with reports of recipients being underdosed and the second round of opt-in bookings opening yesterday. We take a look at those updates, and talk about how the community can play its part to ensure more senior citizens get vaccinated.

Image Source: Sam Moqadam, Unsplash

Is it alright for a doctor to have a romantic relationship with a patient? What if your doctor or hospital insists on giving you a treatment that you refuse? How should COVID-19 vaccines be distributed? These are ethical concerns in health and medicine that we all come across at some point in our interactions with healthcare. Dr Sharon Kaur Gurmukh Singh, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, explains the basics about ethics in healthcare and why these ethical issues affect us all. This is the first episode in a mini-series exploring ethical issues in health and medicine.

*Note: Access the 'Bioethics & COVID-19: Guidance for Clinicians' here

Image source: Shutterstock

Human survival is dependent on biodiversity, but our activities - supposedly in the name of our survival - are causing biodiversity loss. And now, with most humans living in cities, there is a need to understand how cities impact biodiversity, and how urban biodiversity impacts people. Kota Hijau Kita is a new integrated platform that was created to support and strengthen a growing movement of people participating in protecting natural areas and creating refuges for biodiversity, including in urban settings. We find out more about this initiative from Wong Ee Lynn and Dylan Jefri Ong from the Kota Damansara Community Forest Society, and Shao-Lyn Low, from Eats, Shoots & Roots.

Image source: Kota Hijau Kita Facebook 

Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is now underway. In this ongoing series, senior citizens who have gotten their jabs share their stories, to allay fears and concerns about getting the vaccination. This episode features retired Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri Vadaketh Chacko George, from Kuala Lumpur.

Recently, there’s been plenty of investigations done on journalists, media outlets and even opposition MPs, regarding their reporting or opinions on the untimely deaths of people while in police custody. This comes at the heels of the death of A Ganapathy, 40-year-old milk trader who was allegedly beaten while in police custody in Gombak. The press and members of the public have demanded for answers and justice. The authorities have responded by investigating the likes of journalists from Malaysiakini and Muar MP, YB Syed Saddiq, and even threatened to sue newsportal, Free Malaysia Today. 

Joining us on the show to discuss the systemic changes that we need to see in police force, as well as the importance of safeguarding press freedom... is Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, Executive Director, Amnesty International Malaysia and Ding Jo Ann, Legal Researcher and Adviser at the Centre For Independent Journalism.

Image source: Shutterstock

The Malaysian Association of Hotels has released a statement pleading to the government for a full lockdown for fears that the newest MCO 3.0 restrictions will not be enough to support the survival and recovery of the hotel and tourism industries.