Live & Learn

Nearly a year after the first MCO, the government has rolled out five stimulus packages worth RM320 billion to help Malaysia’s economy recover from the impact of COVID-19 - and to help the people navigate socioeconomic challenges. But the rakyat and businesses remain concerned that more needs to be done, especially in light of the second MCO - and given the long term nature of the pandemic, even as a national vaccination drive looms on the horizon. We speak with Jomo Kwame Sundaram,  Emeritus Professor and Fellow at the Academy of Sciences, about whether the government should rethink its approach, and what lessons Malaysia can learn from other countries who are successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilisations)

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

The First Amendment of the United States Federal Constitution (above) is what makes “free speech” in the US so unique, even when compared to other countries in the West. The First Amendment makes it incredibly difficult (or impossible) to clamp down on hate speech, but it also arguably is one of the reasons why America is seen by many as the bastion of creativity and innovation. On the third episode of What If Malaysia, we explore what Malaysia could look like if we had freedom of speech just like the US.

Other episodes of the miniseries:

> What if Malaysia… Has a Woman Prime Minister #1

> What if Malaysia... Decriminalised All Drugs For Personal Use #2

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Abortion (On-Demand)? #4

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Sex Work? #5

> What if Malaysia… Abolishes the Death Penalty? #6

> What if Malaysia… Ratified the UN Refugee Convention? #7

> What if Malaysia… Has a Non-Malay Prime Minister #8

Image Source: Shutterstock

Malaysia’s first batch of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, are scheduled to arrive at the end of February, which will kickstart Malaysia’s National Immunisation Plan. But medical experts are concerned as some Malaysians and religious figures have come out to question whether the COVID-19 vaccine is halal and permissible for Muslims to take. We speak with Nor Safina Zainal, JAKIM’S Director of the Maqasid Syariah Division, who addresses these concerns and more.

Image source: Shutterstock

Urban planning has always been a buzzword among city planners and policymakers as they look to develop Malaysia’s urban cities to greater heights. But the conversations around how cities should be planned have evolved in light of COVID-19, as urban planners consider new living needs like social and travel restrictions, as well as accessibility. To delve into how those conversations have changed, as well as what bold ideas are needed to improve our cities for all Malaysians, we speak with Jowin Foo, Representative for Just For (X) Architecture, Raja Dato’ Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, Former Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government, and Dr. Tan Loke Mun, Founding Director of ArchiCentre and Past-President of the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM).

Image source: Shutterstock

What If Malaysia is an 8 episode miniseries where we explore what Malaysia could look like with certain progressive ideas, concepts and policies. In the second episode, we examine the success rate of the ‘war on drugs’ and what would happen if Malaysia decriminalised all drugs for personal use, by taking a look at what other countries have transformed once they decided to tread this so-called radical path.

Other episodes of the miniseries:

> What if Malaysia… Has a Woman Prime Minister #1

> What if Malaysia... Has Freedom of Speech Like the US? #3

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Abortion (On-Demand)? #4

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Sex Work? #5

> What if Malaysia… Abolishes the Death Penalty? #6

> What if Malaysia… Ratified the UN Refugee Convention? #7

> What if Malaysia… Has a Non-Malay Prime Minister #8

Image Source: Drug Policy Alliance

On the 1st of February, Myanmar’s military launched a coup against the nation’s democratically-elected political party and leader. Activists and journalists are being monitored closely, and the internet has been cutting off, making it difficult for people to speak out against the military dictatorship. We discuss how the country ended up in this juncture with Burmese activist and political commentator, Aung Kaung Myat.

Image source: Shutterstock

On this episode of Good Things, we’re joined by Amir Abd Hadi, one of the founding members of Liga Rakyat Demokratik and Parti MUDA. We chat about the #TangkapNajib protest that took place in 2015, in which Amir and his friends were bloodied and arrested, how Punk Rock music fuelled his activism journey and why he ultimately decided to start a political party.

Image Source: Amir Abd Hadi 

What If Malaysia is an 8 episode miniseries where we explore what Malaysia could look like with certain progressive ideas, concepts and policies. In the first episode, we examine what Malaysia could look like with a Woman at the helm of the government, with Melinda Anne of the 111 Initiative.

Other episodes of the miniseries:

> What if Malaysia… Decriminalised All Drugs For Personal Use #2

> What if Malaysia... Has Freedom of Speech Like the US? #3

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Abortion (On-Demand)? #4

> What if Malaysia… Legalises Sex Work? #5

> What if Malaysia… Abolishes the Death Penalty? #6

> What if Malaysia… Ratified the UN Refugee Convention? #7

> What if Malaysia… Has a Non-Malay Prime Minister #8

Image Source: Nurul Izzah Anwar's Facebook

As the state of emergency continues, several UMNO youth leaders have come out to urge their party president, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, to step down as he continues to face court cases on charges of corruption. We speak to two UMNO youth leaders, Ikmal Hazlan Ikmal Hisham and Shaqib Shahrilnizam, about their views on this, and how they would like to see UMNO rejuvenate itself and better appeal to youth voters, and speak up on issues that matter to young Malaysians. 

Image Source: Shutterstock 

On this episode of Good Things, we chat with Roshinee Mookaiah, founder and curator of the Malaysian Indian Anthology (MAINAN). MAINAN is a story-telling platform with a mission to break stereotypes and redefine the narrative around the Malaysian Indian community. The platform is inspired by the format of Humans of New York and showcases the stories of everyday Malaysian Indians from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Image Source: The Malaysian Indian Anthology