Live & Learn

Freedom of Information of a citizen’s right to information, is a democratic right. As the saying goes “the control of information is the tool of the dictatorship.” Unfortunately, in Malaysia, despite calling itself a democratic nation, freedom of information as a legal provision is only offered in two states - Selangor and Penang. 

Recently, the folks at UNDI18, have launched a campaign focusing on the Right to Information. Charlene See, Programme Lead of UNDI18 joins us on the show to discuss.

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If you were offered a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine now, would you take it? While several countries, among them the United States, France and Israel, are planning to roll out booster shots to parts of their population, the World Health Organisation has called for a global moratorium on booster shots. Why? Because many countries around the world are still lagging behind on COVID-19 vaccinations, in part due to the lack of vaccine supplies. But what does the data say about booster shots? And regardless if they are medically justifiable, is it ethically defensible? We speak to pharmacist & public health researcher Dr Mark Cheong to find out more.

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UMNO’s Dato Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been appointed the 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia after 114/220 MPs pledged their support to him. The status quo remains. 

One can’t help but wonder, what all the drama and anxiety that many Malaysians have been feeling over the past couple of weeks especially, was for? What did the protests accomplish?

But more than that, there’s also the question of what next? If the progressives intend to take the power from the elite, for the people, what do we need to think about differently? 

Recently, S. Arutchelvan, the Deputy Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, wrote a piece on Malaysiakini BM titled “Hakikatnya Gerakan Rakyat Juga Gagal.” It’s a pertinent and powerful piece that reflects on the shortcomings of the left-leaning “progressives,” including his own party and discusses what we need to do next, as we head towards GE-15 and future elections. 

Arul joins us on the show to share his thoughts.

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We're continuing our collaboration with the Freedom Film Network, who have been releasing a specially curated and thematic Freedom film playlist every weekend since early June - dubbed ‘Weekend Watch with FreedomFilmFest' - on their YouTube channel. This weekend, the playlist will once again feature films that fall under the theme "People's Movement for Change," and today, we discuss the film ''When Lawyers Walk”, directed by Mien Ly. This short documentary covers the 2007 Walk of Justice which saw more than more than 2,000 lawyers and activists heading to Putrajaya to demand reforms to the country’s judiciary, after a scandal erupted over claims of political meddling in the appointment of judges. Here to refresh our memories about that incident are lawyers Edmund Bon and Amer Hamzah Arshad, from Amer Bon Advocates, who played a big part in organising that 2007 March.

Image source: Freedom Film Network

It has been an eventful few days to say the least, with more uncertainty still to come as Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin resigned on Monday, and is currently the caretaker Prime Minister until someone else who is seen to have the support of the majority of MPs can be appointed. But as we try to keep up with all the political decisions and bargaining that are happening, what seems conspicuously absent is the presence of women in these circles. Some might ask: is female representation important at this juncture when there are so many other issues at hand? What changes do women’s rights activists and NGOs want to see when it comes to progress in gender equality in Malaysia?

Image source: Nurul Izzah Anwar Facebook, Yeo Bee Yin Facebook, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin Facebook

It ain't easy being green, and it's often even harder writing about and trying to convince others about the importance of environmental conservation. But aside from contending with short attention spans and a lack of interest from the public, environmental journalism also faces other challenges - lack of scientific or environmental training, a lack of resources or support from news editorials, and sponsors, and more. So what keeps environmental journalists going, and what role does environmental journalism play in combating what it called one of the greatest challenges of our time, climate change? Two journalists who report on environmental issues, Macaranga’s Law Yao Hua and Wong Kai Hui, join us to share their views.

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Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has resigned as the Prime Minister of Malaysia.A lot happened over the past few months in the lead up to his resignation. One of which was the black flag / #LAWAN movement and protests. I’m not saying that the now former Prime Minister resigned because close to two thousand young Malaysians took it to the streets or demanded it on social media, but it certainly piled on the pressure. Qyira Yusri of UNDI 18 and Sharan Raj of Parti Sosialis Malaysia join us to share their thoughts.

Image source: EPA-EFE

Prior to his resignation, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the PN cabinet openly offered numerous reforms in exchange for support from other MP's. These included setting a two-term limit for the Prime Minister, an anti-party hopping law, and lowering the voting age. The offer was rejected, but as we move forward as a nation, how can we keep the reform agenda alive? What are the key issues that the next government must prioritise, for the benefit of all Malaysians? We discuss this and more with Firdaus Husni, the Chief Human Rights Strategist at the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR).

Image source: Muhyiddin Yassin Facebook 

While Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has resigned, the COVID-19 pandemic still shows no sign of abating anytime soon. How will the absence of a Prime Minister and cabinet, and more importantly a Health Minister, affect our COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout? Who can we appoint as a Health Minister and why is it important that we fill that role? We speak to independent health policies specialist Dr Khor Swee Kheng to find out more.

Image source: Muhyiddin Yassin Facebook 

Following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, all political parties are once again scrambling to find a majority. UMNO is no different. This has led many to wonder what happens to the court cases and corruption trials involving prominent UMNO leaders, if we get a Prime Minister from that party? Is it a cause for concern? Dr Muhammad Mohan, President of Transparency International Malaysia, joins us to discuss.

Image source: Muhyiddin Yassin Facebook