General

On Friday, 17-year-old Ain Husniza shared a TikTok video describing how her teacher allegedly made rape jokes during a conversation in class about sexual harassment and abuse. This led to a lot of anger and calls for the Education Minister to investigate and take stern action on the matter. We talk about how we can do better in schools by generating healthy conversations during sexuality education. Then, we look at rape culture in the wider society, and how to address it. And finally, we check in with a comedian about how to address the mentality of ‘it’s just a joke, where’s your sense of humour?’.

Image Source: Naufal Zaquan, Shutterstock

Businesses are adjusting to the pandemic, providing unconventional working spaces to accomodate employees working remotely. Shawn Tanis tells us more.

Image Source: Meruyert Gonullu, Pexels

The Malaysian Insight reports that a recent poll by Merdeka Centre, which found that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin drew a 67% approval rating, drew comments from analysts who said the results may not have given an accurate reading of respondents' sentiments. We talk about what public polls aim to achieve, and what pollsters should do to generate accurate, high-quality findings.

Image Source: Lukas Blazek, Unsplash

The world is in the grip of a pandemic that’s been described as “unprecedented”. But infectious diseases are not new in the history of humanity. With our guests Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, Technical Committee Chairman of Immunise4Life, and Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, Consultant Respiratory Physician, we discuss what we have learned from our experiences in eradicating smallpox, fighting polio and dealing with past influenza pandemics. ‘Come Out Stronger. Protect them Better.’ Flu prevention is an Act of Love brought to you by Immunise4Life

Wong Siew Lyn, the co-founder, co-editor and writer at local environmental journalism portal macaranga.org is back for another Macaranga Wrap-up episode, this time for a round-up of April’s top environmental news. On this episode, we look at why Malaysia was called a “bright spot of hope” by Global Forest Watch, before looking at the not-so-good news about some marine life in Sabah, which are under threat. We also discuss Red Hongyi's powerful performance art piece which tackled climate change, and look at how art can be employed as a powerful conservation (and conversation) tool, before closing off with a celebration of bees, ahead of World Bee Day in May.

Image source: Shutterstock, Red Hongyi's Facebook 

Many may think of FRIM or the Forest Research Institute Malaysia as a lovely and popular recreational park set amid a lush rainforest setting, right here in the Klang Valley. But FRIM is also one of the leading institutions in tropical forestry research in the world, and award-winning research at that. Latest research by the institute has found that 567 Malaysian plant species are now listed as threatened, out of the 1,600 Peninsular Malaysia plant species assessed in the Malaysia Red List. We find out more about FRIM and these latest findings from Dr Lillian Chua, the Director of the Forest Biodiversity Division at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

Image source: FRIM's Facebook

The arrest of artist-activist, Fahmi Reza (yes -- AGAIN), last Friday for his allegedly seditious satirical Spotify playlist, rubbed many Malaysians the wrong way, as many took to Twitter to voice their frustrations. However, there were also some who voiced their support over the arrest. 

We discuss the events that transpired and speak with a freedom of speech activist about the importance of satire and dissent in a democracy.

Image source: Fahmi Reza's Twitter

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ― Mark Twain

More than 100 years after the death of Mark Twain, this quote has probably never been more relevant. Small-scale entrepreneurship, the creator economy, and the passion economy are on a meteoric rise.

Just because you are able to work remotely doesn’t mean your industry or company will allow you to maintain that sort of flexibility and lifestyle post-pandemic; depending on who you are and what you do, the office life may be inevitable.

There’s a chance that the stress from your workplace could be making you a worse or more neurotic person in general.