The YWCA Kuala Lumpur has been empowering and providing safe spaces for women and girls for generations through programs and initiatives, and is perhaps most known for its Vocational Training Opportunity Centre that has equipped more than 1,800 girls from B40 communities all over the country with income-generating skills. The movement which was established in 1913 has celebrated many milestones throughout the years, and we reflect on their journey with Joanne Yeoh (President, YWCA KL, and Chairperson, YWCA Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC), Dato’ Ramani Gurusamy (First Executive Director, YWCA Vocational Training Opportunity Centre (VTOC) and Juwita Suwito (Vice-President, YWCA KL). We also discuss their current and future programs, including the 110 for 110 campaign, and more.

Safiya Speaks Up! is described as a one-of-a-kind book that follows a young girl as she navigates the distinction between uncomfortable and safe interactions in her community. The project was created, written, and illustrated by She’s the First Girl Activist Fellows between the ages of 15 and 21 across Malaysia, Kenya, the Philippines, and the United States. We catch up with Allison Choong, who illustrated and co-authored the book - for which she was also nominated for a Women of The Future Southeast Asia prize - to find out more.

Image Credit: Allison Choong

Minister of Law, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman has said that an online system that allows children to report crimes is in the pipeline for next year so “those who feel ‘more afraid’ to make a report in person can do so online. 

So, in this episode, we discuss the problems children of today face in the digital space, the need for a reporting system like this and how this system should function.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Talking to kids about sex and sexuality is often a highly controversial and sensitive topic, but comprehensive sexual education really shouldn’t be. As information - and often the wrong information - becomes more accessible to children and teenagers who are online, how can parents and teachers ensure that young people understand what sexual health is? What kind of questions do they usually have? We find out more from Dr Melissa Kang, she’s an associate professor in the specialty of general practice at the University of Sydney with a special interest in adolescent and young adult health and sexual health. She’s also co-authored several books targeted at young people to help them understand their bodies and their sexual health.

Image Credit: Mumlyfe

The annual Four Sad Architects exhibition returns, this year subtitled Deconstruction of Form. In this fourth edition of the exhibition we'll see works by renowned architects Hijjas Kasturi, Greg Dall, Nic Proud, and Chong Chee Ching, and the exhibition aims to reestablish the artist as a multifaceted practitioner, bridging the seemingly distinct domains of architecture, painting, sculpture, and new media. We speak to two of the architects/ artists involved, Hijjas Kasturi and Greg Dall, to find out more.

Image Credit: Pentago Group

Langkah Sheraton is an incredibly pivotal moment in Malaysian political history. It’s the moment that caused many to become disillusioned with and lose hope towards our political system. Many questioned the purpose of voting. It’s also the event that brought the term “political frogs/katak” to the mainstream. This brought about the Anti-Hopping Law – a law that promised to put an end to party hopping. The days of the Kataks were supposedly left behind.

Yet, recently, four Bersatu MPs have crossed party lines to pledge support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, strengthening his majority in the Dewan Rakyat. The question is, how can this happen if we have the anti-hopping law?

Image Credit: 123RF/abdulrazaklatif, Parlimen.gov

Ever since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, the current conflict in Gaza has seen more than 10,000 Palestinians reported killed in the past 38 days of relentless Israeli assault in Gaza. Despite repeated calls for a ceasefire - or in some cases a humanitarian pause - the attacks in Gaza have not ceased, and have even intensified. What is a ceasefire and how might it help the current crisis in Gaza? We find out from Malak Benslama-Dabdoub, Lecturer in Law at the Royal Holloway University of London.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Greg finnegan

The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 was drawn up following a review on the country’s education system, after which the government decided a new blueprint was needed. The decision was made in the context of the government’s aspiration of preparing our children for the needs of the 21st century, and increasing public and parental expectations of education policy. Ten years in, how far have we come in achieving its goals? Dr. Ahmad Rafee Bin Che Kassim, the Deputy Director General of Education Malaysia (Policy and Curriculum Sector) and Radzifuddin Bin Nordin, the CEO of the Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU), join moderator Malek Ali, the Founder and Managing Director of BFM Media, to discuss this and more.

*This is an edited recording of BFM's CEO Forum: Ten Years of Education Transformation with the Malaysia Education Blueprint, presented by the Ministry of Education and brought to you by BFM Media.

The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 was drawn up following a review on the country’s education system, after which the government decided a new blueprint was needed. The decision was made in the context of the government’s aspiration of preparing our children for the needs of the 21st century, and increasing public and parental expectations of education policy. Ten years in, how far have we come in achieving its goals? Dr. Ahmad Rafee Bin Che Kassim, Deputy Director General of Education Malaysia, (Policy and Curriculum Sector)

Radzifuddin Bin Nordin, CEO, PADU join moderator Malek Ali, the Founder of BFM, to discuss this and more.

*This is an edited recording of BFM's CEO Forum: Ten Years of Education Transformation with the Malaysia Education Blueprint, presented by the Ministry of Education and brought to you by BFM Media

Dr. Sivabalan Suppiah is a remarkable figure. He has served as a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police for more than 19 years now. In 2021, he was selected to be part of UNPOL – United Nations Police – and has gone on peacekeeping missions on the ground in South Sudan. There he earned the title of Peacekeeper of the Day by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Dr Sivabalan is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow and was recently awarded the Fulbright Malaysia Alumni Impact Award at the MACEE Homecoming Gala 2023.

He joins us on the show to share his journey.