Live & Learn

Trapped People is a documentary by filmmaker and migrant rights activist, Mahi Ramakrishnan and is supported by Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor. The film looks at debt bondage, forced labour and also explores reasons for the flourishing trade of migrant smuggling from Flores, Indonesia to Malaysia.  

The screening of the documentary is happening this Sunday (21st May) at PJ Live Arts, Jaya One. 

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The likelihood of El Niño developing later this year is increasing, according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that was released in early May. This would have the opposite impacts on weather and climate patterns in many regions of the world to the long-running La Niña and would likely fuel higher global temperatures. At this stage there is no indication of the strength or duration of El Niño. Is Malaysia prepared? We catch up with Piarapakaran S., the President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) to discuss what El Niño events are typically associated with in different parts of the world - including causing severe drought in Asia - and steps the government must take to ensure that Malaysia is prepared to face this seasonal weather pattern.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

The likelihood of El Niño developing later this year is increasing, according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that was released in early May. This would have the opposite impacts on weather and climate patterns in many regions of the world to the long-running La Niña and would likely fuel higher global temperatures. At this stage there is no indication of the strength or duration of El Niño. Is Malaysia prepared? We catch up with Piarapakaran S., the President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) to discuss what El Niño events are typically associated with in different parts of the world - including causing severe drought in Asia - and steps the government must take to ensure that Malaysia is prepared to face this seasonal weather pattern.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

For parents, social media plays a host of different roles from sharing little moments of their children with friends and family, connecting with other parents to seek advice and support, or as an influencer circle to promote and sell products - for parents or kids. Some parents are more careful with what they put online while others are happy to share everything. Is there a right or wrong way to go about it? What impact could it have on the child as well, especially if the child is involved in it for commercial gain, what some have termed as “kidfluencers”? We discuss with Najmin Tajudin from Makchic.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Just last month, the Federal Court delivered its decision on the Taman Rimba Kiara case, where the panel comprising Chief Judge of Malaya Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, Justice Nallini Pathmanathan and Justice Rhodzariah Bujang, unanimously decided that the development order obtained in 2017 by the joint venture of Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan and Developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd for the Taman Rimba Kiara project is null and void. This decision is a landmark victory for all those who fought to preserve Taman Rimba Kiara, a much loved public space and green lung in the Klang Valley. We discuss the outcome of the legal case and how the landmark ruling will impact other public litigation cases in the country with two lawyers - Abraham Au, a Constitutional Lawyer with Messers G.S. Nijar, who appeared for the residents, and Kiu Jia Yaw, the Co-Deputy Chair of the Bar Council Environment & Climate Change Committee and the co-chair of the Malaysian CSO-SDG Alliance. On a broader scale, taking into account that Malaysia does not have an explicit recognition of environmental rights in our Constitution, we also discuss whether we should push for an amendment of our Federal Constitution to expressly recognise access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as a fundamental right.

Image Credit: Facebook

Just last month, the Federal Court delivered its decision on the Taman Rimba Kiara case, where the panel of judges unanimously decided that the development order obtained in 2017 by the joint venture of Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan and Developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd for the Taman Rimba Kiara project was null and void. This decision is a landmark victory for all those who fought to preserve Taman Rimba Kiara, a much loved public space and green lung in the Klang Valley. We discuss the outcome of the legal case and how the landmark ruling will impact other public litigation cases in the country with two lawyers - Abraham Au, a Constitutional Lawyer with Messers G.S. Nijar, who appeared for the residents, and Kiu Jia Yaw, the Co-Deputy Chair of the Bar Council Environment & Climate Change Committee and the co-chair of the Malaysian CSO-SDG Alliance. On a broader scale, taking into account that Malaysia does not have an explicit recognition of environmental rights in our Constitution, we also discuss whether we should push for an amendment of our Federal Constitution to expressly recognise access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as a fundamental right.

Image Credit: Facebook

There have been quite a bit of news lately surrounding EPF. Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet would discuss a proposal to raise employers' contribution to 20% on their respective employees’ EPF accounts. A couple of days ago, the PM called for the EPF to aim for the retirement fund to shift its investment portfolio to comprise 70% of domestic investments by year-end. We unpack this with Ng Sze Fung, Research Officer, REFSA.

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On the 15th of April, news broke about the fighting between rival factions of Sudan’s military government which has till now led to hundreds of deaths and thousands more injured in the fighting so far, including civilians. With the humanitarian crisis in the North African state worsening by the day despite ceasefires being called, there are increasing concerns over the impact of the violence on the healthcare facilities, medical supplies, and the number of people who need medical attention.

We speak to Paul McPhun, Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific of Doctors Without Borders, to give us some insight into what’s been happening in Sudan now and in the past, as well as how MSF is working to provide necessary healthcare services in Sudan. 

Image credit: MSF/Ali Shukur

In the past decade, Twitter has grown to be one of the main platforms from which many of us consume news, with all media organisations having a presence on the platform. But in the past month, several media organisations have stopped using Twitter, in protest of the platform inaccurately labelling them as either state-affiliated or government-media. This was a move that was widely criticised not just by media practitioners but by the public as well, and was a short-lived one as all labels have since been removed.

Image Credit: Twitter

The chatter around the possibility of a royal pardon for former Prime Minister Najib Razak continues. This is despite the fact that the currently jailed UMNO man still faces a whole slew of corruption charges surrounding 1MDB. What does this mean for our political landscape? We unpack with Dr Oh Ei Sun, Principal Adviser, Pacific Research Centre. 

Image Credit: khairulhelmy / Shutterstock.com