Live & Learn

Terrapuri, located in Terengganu, is no ordinary resort. The name, “Terrapuri” translates to “The Land of Palaces” and the resort is known for its unique and authentic Malay architectural heritage. 

On this episode, Sharaad Kuttan speaks to Alex Lee, the passionate founder of Terrapuri about preserving heritage, the changing cultural perspectives in Terengganu and his future projects. 

Image Credit: Aznan / Shutterstock

The tikar is a familiar item in the lives and homes of many Malaysians. In Borneo Heart in Kuala Lumpur, artist Yee I-Lann together with 11 Bajau Sama DiLaut and Dusun Murut weavers have collaborated to feature the tikar as part of several exhibitions and discussions that have been happening across Kuala Lumpur. Here to share more about the themes of art, language, community, and power across their works, are artist Yee I-Lann, weavers Roziah binti Jalalid from Pulau Omadal, and Narty S. Raitom from Batu Lunguyan, Keningau.

To keep up with Borneo Heart in Kuala Lumpur, follow them on Instagram. 

An NGO called KUASA recently conducted a survey in Selangor with the intent of understanding the level of awareness of politics at a local level and the relationship people have with their local governments. So, on today’s show, we’re going to be taking a look at some of their findings and discuss the importance of getting involved in politics at a local level. We speak to Praba Ganesan, Chief Executive of KUASA. 

Image Credit: Lens Hitam / Shutterstock.com

Often people who use or inject drugs are seen as criminals, with drug abuse and trafficking being crimes that should receive heavy punishments. But has the war on drugs pushed us to the point where the stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs is hindering us from effectively tackling what is a public health problem as well? 

In conjunction with International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, commemorated annually on 26 June (that’s yesterday), we’ll be diving into what a people-centred approach to drug policies should look like. Joining me to do that is Dr Afiqah Mohd Salleh Senior Lecturer in the Dept of Social and Preventive Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, and she’s also part of the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, also known as CERiA.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Local theatre group Revolution Stage have been staging performances tackling a plethora of issues for almost 17 years now. Two of their previous performances - Teater Asrama-RA Act 1 and Teater Asrama-RA: Dorm Putra ACT II - took on the topic of bullying in boarding schools, and tackled themes of jealousy, friendship and overcoming obstacles. Though the plays have been restaged many times, the company is hoping to reach an even wider audience to spread the message against school bullying, by screening recordings of their theatre pieces at local schools and learning institutions. We speak to Shasha Fairus, a Marketing & Sponsorship Executive at Revolution Stage about this project.

Access to health is and should be a basic human right, but refugee communities are among several marginalised groups in Malaysia that struggle to get access to healthcare services. This World Refugee Day, we speak to Dr Sharuna Verghis, co-founder of Health Equity Initiatives, Mehwish, a refugee and community health volunteer, to find out how they’re bridging this gap in healthcare and the difference it makes to the individual and the community.

Image Credit: healthequityinitiatives

Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur (Raleigh KL) is non-profit NGO, described as a sustainable, youth-developmental organisation that was founded in 1999 by a group of young Malaysian individuals who were inspired from the works of Raleigh. They decided to start up the organisation to spread awareness of who and what Raleigh is all about and to encourage young Malaysians to take charge of their lives by getting involved in global issues. Among their work, the organisation carries out various adventure, community and environmental projects locally, and their latest expedition is the Raleigh Malaysia Taliwas Mini Expedition 2023, which aims to contribute towards the conservation and sustainable management of landscapes in Sabah. We find out more from Hwu Ning (Project Lead) & Teh Ru Yi (PR & Communication officer), from Raleigh Malaysia.

Yesterday, FORUM-ASIA, Pusat KOMAS and SUARAM launched a research report titled State of Disruption: Assessing the Impact of Malaysia’s Covid-19 laws on Civic Space. The research dives into the events that transpired during the height of the pandemic, especially while Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was holding office, and how that has left a lasting impact on our civic space and political landscape. We discuss this with one of the co-authors of the paper, Ilaiya Barathi Panneerselvam.

Image Credit: Samsul Said / Shutterstock.com

Last week, Armizan Mohd Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties, said that the reason JPA had dropped scholarships in medicine earlier this year was because of a projected oversupply of medical officers in a few years. Now, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that he’s discussed the matter with JPA and that these scholarships will continue to be offered. But the question remains: what exactly is our healthcare system struggling with, and are we doing enough to address deep-seated problems beyond offering scholarships for aspiring healthcare workers?

We discuss this with Prof Dato’ Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid, professor in health economics, policy and management, as well as the president of the Malaysian Health Economic Association.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Last week, Armizan Mohd Ali, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties, said that the reason JPA had dropped scholarships in medicine earlier this year was because of a projected oversupply of medical officers in a few years. Now, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that he’s discussed the matter with JPA and that these scholarships will continue to be offered. But the question remains: what exactly is our healthcare system struggling with, and are we doing enough to address deep-seated problems beyond offering scholarships for aspiring healthcare workers?

We discuss this with Prof Dato’ Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid, professor in health economics, policy and management, as well as the president of the Malaysian Health Economic Association.

Image Credit: Shutterstock