Live & Learn

In light of the upcoming state elections, we’ll be taking another look at Belanjawan 2023 (or Budget 2023). On today’s show, we hone in on social housing, particularly Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR), how it’s been maintained over the years and how Belanjawan 2023 seeks to improve the conditions of the people living there.

Self-care, anxiety, boundaries, depression. These are just some of the mental health terms that many of us have gotten used to hearing and using in everyday conversations. It’s undeniable that mental health awareness has grown leaps and bounds, but are we talking about mental health so much now that it’s become meaningless? Joining me on the show today to talk about how we’re talking about mental health and how that is affecting people who are struggling with serious mental health disorders is clinical psychologist, Sarah Zehan.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Dr Tom Fleming has worked in a range of countries to advise governments in developing the Cultural and Creative (CCI) sectors of their economies. With a passion for people and places (and maps!) this geographer at heart is the director of Tom Fleming Creative Consultancy (TFFC) which is a global authority on culture and the creative industries, that has led projects in over 60 countries and 300 cities and regions. He is currently in Malaysia to prepare a strategy and action plan for the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District Master Plan (KLCCD) -  developed in 2019 between Think City and DBKL, Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), Department of National Heritage (JWN) and Yayasan Hasanah - with the goal to revitalise the historical district of Kuala Lumpur. Tom joins us to discuss the different conversations and collaborations that are currently underway to turn Kuala Lumpur into a global creative city, and a marketplace and hub for creative transactions. 

Image Credit: Think City

theskinproject.org is a newly launched website that is collating information and resources on fighting Human Trafficking in Malaysia. Interestingly, the site is developed by TerryandTheCuz, a theatre company that staged SK!N - an immersive performance that highlighted true stories of human trafficking back in 2016. 

But why did a theatre company launch a website focused on fighting human trafficking? We speak to Govin Ruben, Director, TerryandTheCuz. 

Image Credit: theskinproject.org

Almost one in four girls aged 15-19 are neither in school nor employed. 650 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday. 72% of all trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls. The statistics are startling and heartbreaking - millions of girls are denied equal access to a quality education, simply because of their gender, and often face an uncertain and unhappy future, never reaching their full potential. Many factors such as poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, and other forms of discrimination are the barriers girls face in completing their education, but World Vision are determined to help as many girls as possible. They recently launched the 1000 Girls campaign, which seeks sponsorship for 1000 girls before the 11th of October, which is International Day of the Girl. The campaign aims to keep girls in schools, and also educate them about their rights. We find out more about the campaign from Winnie Khor, the Head of Resource Development at World Vision Malaysia, and we also speak to Di, a young Vietnamese girl and recipient of the child sponsorship program run by World Vision, who went from near child bride to becoming the first girl in her village to enter university. She'll be sharing her story with us too, which will be translated from Vietnamese to English by Nga Vu (Sponsorship Manager, World Vision Vietnam).

Law and Institutional Reform Minister, Dato Seri Azalina Othman Said, recently said that the government is mulling a new law to impose civil penalties on those who play up 3R (race, religion and royalty) sentiments. The new act may be called the ‘State of Nation Act.’ The minister also said that the government will hold discussions with relevant parties on Friday (July 21) to assess existing laws and look into the need for a new law.

In response to that, the NGO, Pusat KOMAS, released a statement saying that it welcomes the proposal made by Azalina Othman. We speak to Dr Ryan Chua, Programme Director, Pusat KOMAS. 

Image Credit: Syahtuah Mohamed/Shutterstock, Shutterstock, 123RF

Being one of 19 culturally and linguistically distinct groups of Orang Asli living in Peninsular Malaysia, the Mah Meri are a coastal people living along the coast of Selangor from Sungai Pelek up to Pulau Carey as well as Pulau Ketam. Mah Meri Animal Folklore is a collection of seven tales, and is described as being filled with entertaining animal characters that provide a glimpse into how the Mah Meri perceive their environment.  With no written language, their folklore is a repository of their wisdom, culture, customs, traditions, and history, handed down from generation to generation. The compilation of seven tales as told by cultural activist Julida Uju, was written by Ann Marie Chandy, with illustrations by Sharon Yap (Creative Director, Gerimis Art Project), and the bilingual book also features translations by cultural worker Shazni Bhai. We find out more about Mah Meri culture and the tales that are documented in this new book from Julida Uju (Tompoq Topoh Mah Meri Women's Initiative), Maznah Unyan (Tompoq Topoh Mah Meri Women's Initiative), and Ann Marie Chandy (writer).

For the longest time, civil society groups have been urging the government to make constitutional amendments to allow Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses to confer their citizenship to their overseas-born children. As it stands, the constitution only affords that right to fathers. The push for this started to gain momentum over the past few years. 

Things looked to be moving in the right direction when the MADANI government was formed and amendments to the constitution were on the horizon. However, the government’s proposed amendments have caused civil society groups to sound the alarm bells. NGOs have raised concern over proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution which they said would only exacerbate the issue of statelessness in the country and be detrimental to children – a classic case of one step forward, three steps back. 

We speak to Maalini Ramalo, Director of Social Protection, Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas (DHRRA) Malaysia. 

Image Credit: chokniti / 123RF

Marginalised communities often face stereotypes and misconceptions that are hurtful and also result in continued discrimination against these communities. Through the Enggang & Pipit programme, Akar Umbi Development Society brings together young individuals across different communities to share their stories and break down walls between them. We find out more from Wong Chen-Li, Impact Driver with Akar Umbi, as well as participants Shereen Ajani and Sumitra Naidu. Shereen is also the founder of the Persatuan Mahasiswa Orang Asli Malaysia. 

Image Credit: Akar Umbi Society

With an aim to take the mystery out of history, The Museum Volunteers of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia are working hard to promote public awareness of museums and to build an appreciation and understanding of the history and cultures of Malaysia. Working in Muzium Negara since 2007, the volunteers provide free guided tours at the museum, and support the museum's educational and expansion activities. We speak to Afidah Rahim, the President of the Museum Volunteers, Department of Museums Malaysia, to find out more.

Image Credit: EQRoy / Shutterstock