General

The Belum Temenggor forest reserve forms the last and largest contiguous block of natural forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Covering an area of over 300,000 hectares, the tropical rainforest is believed to be over 130 million years old, making it older than both the Amazon and the Congo. Home to a dazzling array of flora and fauna, including the endangered Malayan Tiger, the Royal Belum State Park is also home to the Jahai Orang Asli community that has been residing there for generations. Now, the Jahai community, together with the Perak State Park Corporation and NGO Rimau, have formed the Menraq Patrol Unit, to systematically patrol the forest to protect wildlife from poaching and trafficking activities. We find out more about how this initiative will help protect this vital ecosystem, and also provide an alternative livelihood to the members of Menraq - which means “the people'' in the language of the Jahai Orang Asli - and their village as a whole, from Mohamed Shah Redza Hussein, the Director of the Perak State Park Corporation.

Image source: Rimau

In many Asian countries, children are still encouraged to become doctors, lawyers or engineers. Malaysia is no different. But does the job market need more engineers? After all, we’ve read plenty of stories about fresh graduate engineers unable to land a job in the engineering field. Assoc. Prof. Dr Ku Zilati binti Ku Shaari, Dean of the Engineering Faculty at UTP joins us to share her insights, as well as how UTP ensures good quality graduates.

Image source: Shutterstock

The police will use drones to monitor standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance in residential areas during Aidilfitri throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) duration.

The closure of major malls and supermarkets owing to their inclusion in the Hotspot Identification by Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system could be ill-judged due to Aidilfitri this week, said health experts.

According to the 21st annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Malaysians don’t really know who to trust when it comes to where we’re getting truthful information. And this has not been helped by the pandemic, and unemployment fears.

Globally, many women face lesser access to basic and higher education, economic participation, higher education. They also face greater health and safety risks, as well as less political representation. Ensuring the rights of women and giving them opportunities to reach their full potential is crucial not only for obtaining gender equality, but also for meeting a wide range of international development goals. Yayasan Hasanah’s MD Shahira Ahmed Bazari shares some of the challenges faced by Malaysian women, how race and culture plays a role in this, and thoughts on societal expectations of women at large.

When pandemic lockdown restrictions were imposed, the sports industry took a massive hit, especially in the mass market sector. For Benjamin Yeow, the CEO of sports technology provider CheckPointSpot, it was imperative that they find another way. He discusses the impact of the pandemic on mass sporting events, the new direction CheckPointSpot is heading in, and their massive virtual steps-counting event dedicated to fighting corruption.

As we head into MCO 3.0, we speak to Tricia Yeoh, CEO of independent think tank, The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) on the implications of this lockdown and whether there are any fiscal headroom left.

Image credit: MUHAMMAD IZZAT TERMIZIE / Shutterstock.com

As Malaysia prepares to celebrate a second Hari Raya under a Movement Control Order, Dato' Sri Meer Habib, the Managing Director of Habib Jewels, talks about how one of the country's most established jewelry companies is coping with this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Image credit: Habib Jewels