Live & Learn

On 25th August 2017, the Myanmar military launched a deadly crackdown on Rohingya people, leading to an exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh. Today, it’s reported that more than a million Rohingya are living in refugee camps across Cox’s Bazar, known as the world’s largest refugee camp. But five years later, have we done enough - or anything at all - to address the situation that refugees are facing and the humanitarian crisis brewing in Cox’s Bazar? Paul McPhun, Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) regional South-East & East Asia Pacific Partnership, joins us to shed more light on this as well as the role that Myanmar’s neighbours can and should play as Rohingya refugees remain unable to return home. 

Image credit: Flickr / K M Asad

One cannot think of Malaysia's independence day, without thinking of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Malaya's first Prime Minister. Ahead of our 65th independence day, we reflect on the role Tunku played in securing our nation's independence, and also look at the role the Merdeka Constitution played in shaping the nation's new path as an independent nation. Joining us to do this are Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi, Holder of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair at the University of Malaya and a trustee of Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (YTAR), Johan Rozali-Wathooth, also a trustee YTAR, and Ida Thien, the Deputy CEO of YTAR. The trio also share how Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman is preserving Tunku’s legacy through its programmes and initiatives.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

A group of activists have come together to launch a movement called “Tolak Kerajaan Gagal.” They plan on touring the country, explaining the flaws and failings of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his administration, ahead of the next General Election.

We’re joined by Syahmi Shamsudin, Spokesperson,  Sekretariat Tolak Kerajaan Gagal and Qyira Yusri, Co-Founder of UNDI18.

Image credit: Twitter / @KerajaanGagal

Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, currently the world’s youngest sitting prime minister at 36, recently made headlines after videos emerged of her dancing at two separate private parties, leading some to question her judgement and capacity as prime minister. The videos simply showed a young woman enjoying herself and some time off work - nothing illegal was shown in the videos. So it begs the question: why is she required to justify her own social life? Do we hold young, female leaders to different standards compared to male leaders, including here in Malaysia? We discuss with Emellia Shariff, Managing Partner, Speak Up Malaysia. 

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Kosti Keistinen

When was the last time you just stopped, and looked at something? "Slow looking" is described simply as the art of learning through observation, and can be done anywhere – museums, art galleries, outdoors. A proponent of slow looking is Shari Tishman, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Senior Research Associate at Harvard’s Project Zero, where she formerly served as Director. Her research focuses on the development and teaching of thinking, the role of close observation in learning, and learning in and through the arts. Shari joins us to talk about her work through Project Zero that explores topics in education such as deep thinking, understanding, intelligence, creativity, and ethics, and also the pleasure and practice of slow looking, and how this practice can support deep learning across topics, and be accessible to learners of all ages. 

Out Of The Box is a monthly series where we explore alternative ways to teach and learn, done in collaboration with Anyaman Preschool.

Image credit: Harvard Graduate School of Education

Gotong Royong Cucuk Vaksin is an upcoming documentary short focused on vaccination mobilization efforts by migrant and refugee community leaders during the pandemic. The documentary will be released on the 19th of August, in conjunction with World Humanitarian Day. We discuss.

Pendatang is a movie script set in dystopian Malaysia in which the different races are not allowed to mix because of a draconian segregation law. Now listening to that, you might be both intrigued and wondering how on earth a movie like this is going to be made in Malaysia, with our strict, regressive censorship laws. Well, Kuman Pictures is aiming for this to be the first fully crowdfunded movie in Malaysia. They also aim to release the film on YouTube for free. 

Click here if you’d like to contribute to the making of this film. 

Image credit: Facebook / Kuman Pictures

Recently, about 30 organisers and attendees of the #Turun protest were summoned by the authorities to have their statement taken. The same was seen during the Lawyer’s walk for Judicial Independence and many protests before that. So, what does this say about freedom of assembly in this country? On the show with us is Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific Civic Space Researcher, CIVICUS. 

Image credit: Shutterstock

Experts are all in agreement – the death penalty is not a proven crime deterrent. So why then do many countries around the world, including Malaysia opt to preserve the death penalty? What is it that drives people (and governments) to support the death penalty? On the show to help us unpack is Dr Mai Sato, Associate Professor at Monash Law School. She’s also the director of Eleos Justice, which conducts evidence-based research, teaching, and advocacy on the death penalty in Asia. Also on the show with us is Tham Jia Vern, researcher from The Centre.

Image credit: Shutterstock

For a long time, housework is not seen as real work, but it is part of the burden of unpaid care work that is often shouldered by women. With the passing of the Housewives’ Social Security Bill, we take a look at how this move values housework, and why putting a value to it benefits both women and men in our goal towards gender equality, together with Kiran Kaur, Advocacy Officer at the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO). 

Image credit: Shutterstock