General

News of land grabbing involving Orang Asli customary land is making headlines once again, with few actual solutions by the authorities. We look at Orang Asli land rights and why they matter by first breaking down the troubled history of the issue. Then, we hear from two community activists on the challenges they face when standing up for their rights.

Image Source: Jef Yangman, Center for Orang Asli Concerns

The Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) has expressed aspirations to reopen international borders to tourists who have received the vaccine, as part of plans to prepare for the recovery of the tourism industry. Dhanya tells us more.

Image Source: Cris Tagupa, Unsplash

Social media has increasingly become the place to engage with political and social issues. How effective is this in creating actual change, and how does this impact our perception of these issues? We hear from Dr. Niki Cheong to learn more.

Image Source: Cristian Dina, Pexels

We are back for our monthly open clinic segment, where we get our doctors to address your health concerns. Consultant paediatrician Dr Sanjay Woodhull answers all your questions about fevers and other common health problems in children.

Image source: Shutterstock

On this week’s episode of Beyond the Ballot Box, we take a look at democracy. What does it actually mean in Malaysia? Qyira Yusri of UNDI18 and Sharan Raj of PSM, join us to discuss if elections should be held during a pandemic, the importance of protests, and how we can change the mindset of the rakyat, so that we know that we have the power to shape the country in our image, not the government/elites.

Image source: Sharan Raj's Facebook, EPA-EFE, Qyira Yusri's LinkedIn

Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems, but pollinators such as bees, are increasingly under threat from human activities, with present species extinction rates ranging from 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal. The fourth observance of World Bee Day - celebrated annually on the 20th of May - is calling on us all to “Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees”. Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems, but pollinators such as bees, are increasingly under threat from human activities, with present species extinction rates ranging from 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal. The fourth observance of World Bee Day - celebrated annually on the 20th of May - is calling on us all to “Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees”. We discuss how we can do this with Dr. Mohd Norowi Hamid, the Chairman of the MY Bee Savior Association, a local NGO initiated by Mardi, where volunteers respond to distress calls involving bee hives, and translocate them safely away. 

Image source: MY Bee Saviour Association Facebook 

What in the world is a blockchain animated series? In conjunction with Fox’s launch of its NFT arm, the broadcaster announced a new series helmed by Dan Harmon (of Rick & Morty fame) that will “break new ground” in terms of blockchain tech.

Streaming site Twitch is considering pricing subscriptions based on the country in which its users live. A way for the company to allow more financial support to be directed to content creators and to increase its popularity.

TikTok is experimenting with e-commerce, testing the waters of in-app sales with the help of streetwear label Hype, Walmart, and e-commerce firm Shopify.

Digital banking extends inclusive financial services into new ecosystems, aiming to meet the needs of customer segments that are under-served. At the same time, open banking provides third-party providers open access to financial data from financial institutions through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs). How will big data and data analytics change financial institutions? We speak with Irene Xu, Director Of Banking Practise, SAS Global to find out more.