General

We've all been home a lot more over the pandemic, and that means more meals at home! So to get you cooking a little more (even if you've never done so), our host Jun is dishing up some simple and fun recipes to try. This week, he's making an olive oil cake. It's a surprisingly simple recipe that results in a supple, moist cake with a bit of citrus thrown in too. So join us through this ASMR journey, and let Jun know on Instagram (@jun.and.tonic) if you made it!

IMAGE SOURCE: Kath-rin / SHUTTERSTOCK
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Recipe link - Food52

We kick off this show with a short discussion about the myth of making the most of your petrol bill by fueling up at night, then go through a heap of car launches that feature the Lexus LM350, Toyota's first of seven branded EVs, the bZ4X, and two of the latest Mercedes EQ electric vehicles.

Our car review this week follows the new Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain 3.0, and how it's moved the local pickup-truck market up a notch. As Daniel says, 'it's Isuzu flexing their muscles'.

Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, tells the story of a Korean family who migrate to Arkansas in search of their version of the American Dream. This warm, intimate family drama has been gaining Oscar buzz and has been heralded as part of an increasing push towards more representation and diversity in the film industry. We review the film and discuss its impact in the context of where Hollywood is in 2021.

With an extension of its land lease withheld by the government, what will be the fate of Convent Bukit Nanas, one of the oldest schools in the country? We speak with Datin Noraida Saludin, President of the Malaysian Institute of Planners, to understand the context behind the situation that the school is facing, and its heritage importance. Then, we hear from alumni Low Ngai Yuen, President of Kakiseni for her thoughts on the issue. Finally, we speak with KB Tiong, President of ICOMOS Malaysia, about how we approach heritage and development and whether that needs to change.

Image Source: Julien Pouplard, Unsplash

Opposition MPs submitted a memorandum yesterday to Istana Negara requesting an audience with the Agong, to express negative sentiments from the public towards the Emergency. We speak with Lembah Pantain MP Fahmi Fadzil to learn more about their demands.

Image Source: Migel, Shutterstock

The Langkawi Development Authority has introduced seven routes to boost bike tourism, in a move that it says will also allow visitors to enjoy nature sights on the island. Dhanya Nair tells us more.

Image Source: Igor Starkov, Pexels

In a tweet posted yesterday, Dr Hartini Zainudin shared a story about a case she was handling, where a single mother and her two children were forced to leave their home after being unable to pay their rent for thirteen months. We discuss what's lacking in our welfare aid for single mothers, and how it can be strengthened to support these women and their children.

Image Source: Julien Pouplard, Unsplash

Music has the ability to evoke memories and emotions, especially if we’ve associated a significant memory to a song. So how can we use that connection people have to music as a form of therapy for people with dementia? We speak to medical music therapist Dr Indra Selvarajah from Universiti Putra Malaysia on the work that she does and how music therapy benefits dementia patients.

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Less than a year since she took office, we catch up with Malaysia’s first woman Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat. Dato’ Sri Azalina reflects on her time as speaker so far, walks us through a typical day in parliament pre-Emergency, and tells us how she’s continuing her work for the Dewan, as well as her own constituency, now that Parliament is out of session.

It looks like when it comes to press freedom in Malaysia, we’re not in a great place, when compared to many other countries. This is according to Reporters Without Borders’ latest annual press freedom ranking, in which we’re ranked 119 out of 180 countries surveyed. But why is press freedom important and what does this ranking say about our country? We speak to Wathshlah Naidu of the Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ) to find out.

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