Live & Learn

MACEE or the Malaysian-American Commission On Educational Exchange is celebrating the 60th anniversary of their presence in Malaysia. If you’re unfamiliar with MACEE, this is the organisation that is behind the Fulbright scholarship programme. Curtis Johnson, Executive Director of MACEE, joins us to reflect on the past 60 years and also share about their programmes.

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The UMNO General Assembly was held last week, following the party’s dismal performance at GE15. A lot of things were said and done during the General Assembly, including the fact that UMNO passed a no-contest motion for the top two posts at the upcoming party elections, and so Zahid Hamidi will remain party president. So, what does this mean for reforms at UMNO?

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If asked to picture Georgetown, many of us would picture a bustling city filled with tourists and locals alike, milling about historic pre-war buildings housing businesses that have been there for decades, interspersed with newer, modern cafes and restaurants. But despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is no stranger to the loss of heritage sites, especially those that are situated just beyond the UNESCO boundaries, with the most recent being the demolition of a pre-war bungalow on Clove Hall Road. We speak to Khoo Salma Nasution, Vice-President of Penang Heritage Trust, about the state of heritage preservation in Georgetown. 

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Sabah politics is in the limelight over the past couple of weeks, as the government was first on the verge of collapse but now seems to have stabilised with the formation of a state level unity government. But what exactly happened? Who are the major players involved? And what does this all mean for Sabah politics moving forward? We unpack

Student activist Ain Husniza’s recent selfies came under attack on social media. 

One lady Tweeted that while she agreed with Ain about making schools safer for students, the way Ain posed in the picture can be seen as an invitation to write bad things about her (which includes getting sexually harassed). She also said, “I don’t agree with people sexually harassing you, but your pics itself…”

Why do women constantly have to endure this oppressive moral policing, not just from men, but from other women too? 

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Law and institutional reform minister Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman recently proposed that an independent commission be set up to safeguard the rights and well-being of children. How might this commission function differently to the Office of the Child Commissioner parked under SUHAKAM, which is currently held by Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal? What difference would it make for the landscape of children’s rights and well-being in Malaysia? We find out from Srividhya Ganapathy, Co-chairperson of CRIB Foundation (Child Rights Innovation & Betterment).

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Human Resource Minister V Sivakumar (DAP/PH) recently announced a deferment for micro businesses, giving them another six months (which is up until July) before they have to comply with the minimum wage laws and raise their employee salaries to at least RM1,500. 

The new minimum wage of RM 1500 had already come into effect nationwide from May 2022, but micro businesses were given an exemption and would initially have to start paying the higher rate from January 1 this year. We discuss.

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Recently a video showing a coach of a volleyball team slapping two of his teen players went viral on social media. The incident happened during the 2022 Malaysia Youth U-14 Volleyball Championship in Kota Tinggi, Johor, which was held from Dec 14 to 16 last year. The coach has been receiving widespread criticism from members of the public. On top of that, Minister of Youth & Sports Hannah Yeoh also called the coach’s action “wrong.” In response to the incident, the Malaysia Volleyball Association (MAVA) temporarily suspended the coach from being further involved in the sport. However, there are some members of the public who think that the coach should not be ostracized as his actions are “all part and parcel of sport.”

We discuss.

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Last week, Minister for Women, Family, and Community Development Datuk Nancy Shukri said that the Cabinet has agreed in principle to establish a special department or institution for children. With activists and advocates having voiced out their support for such a move, we speak to Datin PH Wong, Executive Director of Childline Foundation and Co-Secretariat of the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia, on what difference a department would make and what else needs to be done to protect the rights and future of our children.

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We are often asked this question very early in life: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” From astronauts to zoologists, we dream of becoming many things, but how many of us end up in a career we are truly passionate about? One lucky soul is Associate Professor Dr Ganesh Ramachandran, Head of School – School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor’s University. Dr Ganesh is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with an interest in labour room management and office gynaecology. 

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