Good Things

For more than a decade, Dr Chen Pelf Nyok has been tirelessly working to conserve and protect our river terrapins, which have been declared as critically endangered. Based in Kemaman, Terengganu, she co-founded the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, where she and her team work with the local community to help restore the wild populations of turtles, particularly freshwater turtles. Ahead of their annual terrapin release day in October, she joins us to dive back into her journey in terrapin conservation and what she hopes to see for the future of these unique creatures.

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The Wikimedian of the Year is an annual award that honors Wikipedia editors for their contributions within the Wikimedia movement. In this episode, we speak to Taufik Rosman, a Malaysian who won the award this year, for his work in preserving indigenous East Malaysian languages.

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Saleh Sepas is a refugee from Afghanistan. He came to Malaysia with his wife and children, a few years ago after being targeted and blacklisted by the Taliban. When he arrived on Malaysian shores, he had no money and couldn’t speak Bahasa Malaysia or English. Not only that, Malaysian laws do not provide refugees the necessary support they need. Yet, Saleh pushed through and persevered. He went on to start a refugee-led theatre company called ‘Parastoo Theatre’ which provided a platform and avenue for hundreds of refugees in Malaysia. 

The great news is, recently, Saleh’s application to be resettled was approved. In fact, right now, the man and his lovely family are already in the United States, looking forward to starting their new life. 

We speak to Saleh about Parastoo theatre, his life in Malaysia and what he’s looking forward to in the US. 

Image Credit: Parastoo Theater Team

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What started as a pet shop, My Pets Haven transformed into well, a haven, for rescued animals, providing temporary shelter, grooming and boarding. Unfortunately, the shelter was given an eviction notice and they have to clear out by October. So, what can the public do to support them? We speak to Aunty Aileen, founder of My Pets Haven. 

Image Credit: My Pets Haven

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Research and development in medicine has progressed leaps and bounds, with vaccines and drugs being developed at breakneck pace to treat and cure diseases that we know and to prepare for future disease - just think of how fast research moved with COVID-19. Yet, not every disease gets the same attention or resources that some do, especially those that are endemic in low- and middle-income countries. That’s where the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative comes in to address these gaps in R&D. In conjunction with DNDi’s 20th anniversary, we speak to Jean-Michel Piedagnel, Director, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Southeast Asia to find out more about their work and plans for the future.

Image Credit: Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)

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Tindak Malaysia is an NGO focused on promoting democracy, good governance and active citizen participation in Malaysia. At their core, they believe that we need to fix our electoral system before we can properly fix anything else. We speak to its director, Danesh Prakash Chacko. 

Image Credit: Tindak Malaysia

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Persatuan Pekerja Rumah Tangga Indonesia Migran (PERTIMIG) and Asosasyon ng mga Makabayang Manggagawang Pilipino Overseas (AMMPO) are two NGOs that work very closely together with the aim of organizing migrant domestic workers in Malaysia. They focus on various issues such as social security, minimum wage, paid leaves, etc. We speak to some of the key people behind these organisations.

Image Credit: Facebook

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Launched in 2012, IDEAS Autism Centre – an initiative by the think tank, IDEAS – is an organization dedicated to supporting individuals on the autism spectrum. They provide a range of services, resources, and programs to promote the well-being and development of individuals with autism. We speak to Cikgu Sharifah Salleh, principal and centre manager of IDEAS Autism Centre.

Image Credit: ideasautismcentre.com

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Founded in 1982, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) has been fighting tirelessly for women’s rights for more than four decades, with a special focus on eliminating violence against women. WAO has been one of the most important organisations behind the push for some highly important laws, such as the domestic violence act and the anti-sexual harassment bill. We speak to Sumitra Visvanathan and Amnani Abdul Kadir of the Women’s Aid Organisation.

Image Credit: Women’s Aid Organisation

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MYMP is a project by a trio of volunteers and developers working with MCCHR (Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights) with the aim of making the process of getting to know your MPs fun and engaging. We speak to Lau Chak Onn, co-founder of MYMP.

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