Live & Learn

We're continuing our collaboration with the folks from the Freedom Film Network, revisiting past films that were made over the last two decades, which tackled various human rights issues in Malaysia. Today, we're looking back at the 2011 film called Lot, Umah Am, which translates to The Sea, My Home. The documentary gives us a peek into the lesser known lives of the indigenous Orang Seletar, who have called the Straits of Johor their home for generations. But their way of life, livelihoods and homes are being threatened by rampant development and displacement. We find out more about this from Liaw Pey Wen, who directed the short documentary.

Image credit: Freedom Film Network

Borneo Bengkel is an arts platform founded in 2017, to bring together creatives across the regions of Borneo, from Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia, to Kalimantan in Indonesia and Brunei. In the past five years, they’ve hosted a host of workshops, talks, and projects to explore the cultural roots of people across Borneo through the traditional and modern lens. Here to shed more light on the work that they do and what they want to achieve, are the curators of Borneo Bengkel, Catriona Maddocks and Sonia Luhong Wan.

Image credit: Borneo Bengkel

A motorcycle convoy comprising members of the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services (Nuhwas) and organised by Parti Sosialis Malaysia, arrived at the Health Ministry building yesterday. The convoy, which began its journey in Penang, met with Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to deliver a memorandum about the plight of contract cleaners at government hospitals.

But what exactly is the problem here? And what are the demands made by Nuhwas & PSM?

Image credit: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj was born on the 8th of February 1903. Today, on the 119th anniversary of his birth, we speak to his granddaughter, Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara Hussein, who is also the CEO and Founding Director of M&C Saatchi Malaysia, about Tunku's legacy, and her memories of growing up with him. Also joining us is Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi, Holder of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair at the University of Malaya, about Tunku's role in the formation of Malaysia and the shaping of the Federal Constitution. Both Datin Lara and Prof Shad are also trustees of Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (YTAR), and they will also share how the foundation is preserving Tunku's legacy, and helping to forge the next generation of leaders in Malaysia.

Image credit: Picryl

We're continuing our collaboration with the folks from the Freedom Film Network, revisiting past films that were made over the last two decades, which tackled various human rights issues in Malaysia. Today we dissect the issues raised in the 2018 film, Aku Mau Skola, which is a brief but very powerful look into the lives of stateless and marginalised children in Sabah, who have no documents and therefore no access to basic human rights, such as education and healthcare. We find out more about the true situation there, and the lived realities faced by stateless individuals, from Sandakan native and filmmaker, Putri Purnama Sugua.

Image credit: Freedom Film Network

The history of Malaya's emergence as a sovereign independent nation after centuries of colonial domination, is a story with such a wealth of perspectives, that it can be told and retold in many ways. So believes Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Hj Shad Saleem Faruqi, Holder of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair at the University of Malaya, our guest on today’s episode of Law & Behold. He joins us to discuss the history of the formation of our Constitution, some of the alterations that have been made to the document since 1957, and why constitutional literacy is a must, for every Malaysian. Law & Behold is a monthly series which aims to arm Malaysians with constitutional literacy, and is done in collaboration with The Malaysian Bar, the University of Malaya's Faculty of Law, and the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR).

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Johor State Assembly officially has been dissolved as of Jan 22. While the exact date of the elections is yet to be announced, it must take place within 60 days of the dissolution of the state assembly. This comes at the heels of the Melaka State Elections that took place in November 2021. What’s particularly intriguing about this state elections, though, is that it would be the first elections since the gazettement of UNDI 18 and also the first elections that Parti MUDA will be contesting in. Rashid Abu Bakar, Information Chief of MUDA (Johor) joins us to shed some light on their plans.

Image credit: Shutterstock

As Malaysia continues our path towards becoming an aged society, whose responsibility is it to ensure that the needs of older adults - be it financial, physical or emotional - are met? In a report by Berita Harian last week, Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, the deputy minister for women, family and community development, said that sending one’s parents to a residential care facility should be a last resort. She also added that the government spends about RM900 million a year to provide financial aid and care to the elderly. But is the concept of filial piety enough to ensure well-being of older adults in the years to come? Consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin from Universiti Malaya weighs in on how we need to empower older adults to be more independent.

Image credit: Shutterstock

We're continuing our collaboration with the folks from the Freedom Film Network, revisiting past films that were made over the last two decades, which tackled various human rights issues in Malaysia. Today, we speak to the award-winning documentary filmmaker Indrani Kopal, about her 2007 short documentary titled She's My Son. Indrani joins us to share how the making of this film shaped her filmmaking career, and spurred her on to make other important (and award-winning documentaries), while also discussing the power documentary films have, in creating social change.

Image credit: Freedom Film Network

We're kicking off a new monthly series titled Out Of The Box, where we explore alternative ways to teach and learn. This series, done in collaboration with Anyaman Preschool, aims to examine teaching and learning methods that aren't considered mainstream, and in this first episode, we discover more about the Reggio Emilia approach to early years education, which is said to put children in the driver’s seat. This child-centred approach sees children as strong and capable protagonists in their own learning, and supports the opinion of each individual child. We find out more from  Joanna Menon Lim & Quek Sue Yian, who are both founders and partners of Anyaman Preschool.

Image credit: Anyaman Preschool Facebook Page