Live & Learn

 Picture books play a vital role in teaching children new words and language, eventually shaping their interest in the written and spoken word. A recently published set of children’s books aims to do just that for the Kelabit language, by being the first-of-its-kind bilingual Kelabit-English books. Here to tell us more about this project is the project lead and one of the authors of the books, Sarah Lois Dorai. Sarah also shares more about spotlighting Kelabit culture through her filmmaking work. 

You can order the books from Sceptre Seven Press on Instagram.

On the 9th of February, an investigation committee of the National Sports Council (NSC) and Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, made the decision to suspend a national hockey player, Hanis Nadiah Onn. The decision was made following Hanis’ disgusting racist comment about the recent AR Rahman concert. Basically, she said that the concert, which was jam-packed with ethnic Indians, must smell really bad. Separately, a teacher has been accused of encouraging a form three student at a school in Kuala Lumpur to embrace Islam, claiming it would boost his chances of becoming a national footballer. 

These are just a couple of examples of discrimination happening in schools and sports. 

But just how well are the relevant authorities addressing this issue? And what needs to be done to prevent these instances from happening again?

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Alexdrina Chong is a creative director, designer, illustrator, educator and artist. She produces art under the name Alexoid Luce, and has been open about her mental health challenges, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her mid-20s. When the pandemic hit, she had to spend a lot of the lockdown period alone, and in 2021, she cranked open an empty journal, and started to draw. In Alexdrina's own words, what started off as casual visual journaling swiftly took the form of a dark and satirical characterisation of her experience as an Asian woman, with a fragile and defensive inner child lurking within. One Hundred Pages of Solitude: Book 1 is a book about love, and is a compilation of 100 images from all three journals dated between May 2021 to April 2022. A pre-order campaign was launched on the 13th February, in conjunction with Self-Love Day. Alexdrina joins us to share more about her work, and the catharsis her art provided her, to cope with difficult times.

Check out the preview of the book here.

Image Credit: Alexdrina Chong

Dari Dapur is a series by untitled kompeni, in partnership with The Fourth and Refuge for the Refugees is focused on bridging the gap between migrants and Malaysians through food. The premise is simple. In each episode, influencers, activists and politicians will share a home-cooked meal with a migrant or a refugee. We discuss. 

The 8th of February 2023 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj, our first Prime Minister, and Malaya and Malaysia illustrious founding father. Tunku left footprints in the sands of time that, if we were to follow, may help us restore our past reputation as an exemplary society in which diverse races, religions and regions can live together in peace, harmony and prosperity. To reminisce about Tunku's remarkable life and enduring legacy, we speak to Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi (Holder of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair, University of Malaya, Trustee, Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman) and Johan Rozali-Wathooth (Trustee, Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman).

Image Credit: Wikimedia/Creative Commons

Article 8 of the Federal Constitution covers the principle of equality and non-discrimination in Malaysia, but to what extent does this apply to the rights of persons with disabilities? In fact, activists and advocates have long called for legal reforms to both the constitution and the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008, to better uphold and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Here to share more about what that could look like, are Anit Kaur Randhawa and Meera Samanther, both lawyers and members of the Harapan OKU Law Reform Group.

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Determined to prevent the traditional weaving skills of her homeland from being lost forever, Jennifer P Linggi spent many years visiting the kampungs of Sabah, staying with the elderly craftsmen and women in an effort to better understand the many stages of basket-making and the lifestyles of the artisans who create them. While studying the lifestyles of the various communities, she also learned about the extent to which their handicrafts reflect their everyday preoccupations and collective values. Her book, The Kampung Legacy – A Journal of Sabah’s Traditional Baskets is an illustrated documentation of the amazing artistry that has been practised in the kampungs for centuries, and aims to document, and in some way preserve these cultural practices which are in danger of disappearing. She joins us to share more.

You can catch the exhibition Bakul: Everyday Baskets from Sabah which features a collection of Jennifer’s baskets at The Godown, until the 23rd of February 2023. Listen to the interview about the exhibition with Lim Wan Yee and Emily Wee (co-founders of The Godown) and Ling Hao (architect and the curator of the exhibition) here.

Image Credit: Jennifer P Linggi

For much of history, politics is often seen as a man’s field. While we have seen strides in more women taking up political leadership and being involved in politics to effect change, it is almost never an easy journey for women, who often have to work twice as hard and are held to closer scrutiny than their male counterparts. So what does the political landscape look like for women political leaders here in SEA? And what are the barriers that they face? We find out from Dr Aim Sinpeng, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics, University of Sydney

Image Credit: Wikimedia/Creative Commons & Shutterstock

With the primary goal of eradicating learning poverty in Malaysia, Projek BacaBaca concentrates on early literacy for children aged six to nine, from low-income families. The programme aims to improve reading performance in Bahasa Melayu and English in particular, by empowering individuals and groups of children with their language, literacy, and communication skills in these two languages. We find out more from Dr. Logendra Stanley Ponniah (Director of Impact Lab Education for All) and Hema Letchamanan (Project Leader). 

*To get in touch with Projek BacaBaca, you can email them at [email protected]

Image Credit: Instagram/Projec BacaBaca

Recently, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has defended the party’s distribution of cash to voters during the 15th general election (GE15), claiming that it was a charitable act and so, not prohibited by law. 

But is that actually charity or blatant bribery?

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