Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that the public will soon be able to evaluate the performance of the federal and state governments through report cards from each state, with Selangor set to be the first to unveil its track record. We discuss the idea of government report cards, and ideally, what this sort of evaluation should include - as well as the importance of meaningful benchmarks.

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With COP28 happening at Expo City, Dubai from November 30 to December 12, we speak to environmental activist Mogesh Sababathy, who is currently there for youth activities at the Malaysia Pavillion. We ask him about Malaysia’s climate commitments, and whether the Conference has lived up to expectations.

Image Credit: COP28 / Mahmoud Khaled

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A woman went viral on social media recently after sharing her experience renewing her daughter's passport and being ridiculed by the immigration staff member for not being able to speak fluent Bahasa Malaysia. Following that, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended the staff member, saying that it was a way to confirm citizenship and that one's obligation to mastering BM cannot be compromised. So we talk about the link between language and national identity.

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The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores are out, and lo and behold, Malaysia's scores have dropped. A bit of background: the assessment measures reading, maths, and science literacy amongst 15-year-olds. So we explore what our low scores mean, in terms of how we're preparing our students for higher education and for life.

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We're breaking both the first and second rule of Fight Club this week, as we throwback to this modern classic from David Fincher. Starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, Fight Club explored male disenfranchisement, the disconnectedness of capitalist life, and mental health, in a highly stylised, highly violent and lurid way. We explore how the film has aged, and also discuss the many similar movies and shows it's inspired. 

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"Rizz" - defined as "someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm or attractiveness" - has been named word of the year by the Oxford University Press. We use this as a springboard to discuss being up to date on slang, and our listeners chime in with the slang words they remember using.

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The progressive wage policy was tabled in parliament last week by Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli, and it put forward three main mechanisms: it would be implemented voluntarily, it'd be incentive-based (provided by the government), and it would focus on worker productivity. So we discuss the effectiveness of this model with economist Dr Geoffrey Williams.

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The National Digital ID has been launched, and is intended to complement our MyKad by enhancing the security and efficiency of digital government services and online transactions. There has, however, also been a fair amount of concern expressed from members of the public around personal data leaks. We speak to cybersecurity consultant CF Fong to understand the benefits of this initiative, the concerns, and what effective implementation should include.

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The perennial issue of motorcycle safety is back in focus this week with Parliament debating the need for more motorcycle lanes on highways. But the truth is, that there's a lot more to it, and much to explore both from an engineering/structural point of view, as well as in terms of behaviours. So first, we speak to a transport expert about infrastructure and policies to ensure the safety of motorcyclists. And then, a psychologist joins us to talk about the rocky relationship between drivers and riders, and how empathy can be valueble to road safety.

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UPSR was abolished in 2021, but Sarawak has announced that it plans to implement a standard assessment to replace UPSR from 2025 onwards. So we discuss the reason that Sarawak is doing this, and what problems they're attempting to address with our guest, Shahnaz Al Sadat. Then, we explore this deeper with our listeners, and ask them whether standardised tests are a good benchmark for student performance.

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