Former Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik launched a free online learning platform called “sophia” in hopes to revolutionize education in the country. The MP of Simpang Renggam said that students had lost more than half of the 52 weeks of learning in 2020, and as a result risk being a “lost generation.” On this episode, Dashran chats with Dr Maszlee Malik on the impact of COVID-19 on education in this country and how his new platform will change the game.

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We are kicking off a new series on Live & Learn, simply titled Good Things, where we chat with good people who are doing good things. Joining us in this first episode is Kavindran a/l Ganasen, the co-founder and treasurer of the Lost Animal Souls Shelter or LASS as it's better known, which is a non-profit no-kill canine welfare organization. Operating from their base in Kuala Selangor, the group's mission is to rescue sick, abused or abandoned puppies and dogs, and place them for adoption into loving homes. Being a no-kill shelter, dogs who don't get adopted, spend the rest of their natural lives in the group's loving care. Kavin joins us to share more about the good work that he and his group are doing, to protect these dogs.

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The Human Development Report 2020 that was released by the United Nations Development Programme lays out a stark choice for world leaders - take bold steps to reduce the immense pressure that is being exerted on the environment and the natural world, or humanity’s progress will stall. The report indicated that no country in the world has yet achieved very high human development without putting immense strain on the planet. Joining us to discuss the report in full, and why the next frontier for human development will require working with and not against nature, is Niloy Banerjee, Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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A recent study by the Women’s Aid Organization (WAO) and Vase.ai, found that more than a third of Malaysians have experienced stalking, which caused them fear. This reinforces calls made by various NGOs to enact an anti-stalking law. Believe it or not, stalking isn’t technically a crime in Malaysia. On this episode, Dashran chats with Yu Ren Chung, Deputy Executive Director and Advocacy Director, Women's Aid Organisation, on the study, the misconceptions that some people have, and the Malaysian culture that may be creating an environment for stalkers to get away with it.

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For our first Live & Learn episode of 2021, we reflect on some of the lessons we’ve learned in 2020 when it comes to politics, and discuss the reforms required to strengthen democracy in the country, with Thomas Fann, Chairperson of Bersih 2.0.

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In our final Live & Learn episode of 2020, we look back at some of the most heartwarming and inspiring conversations we’ve had all year with fathers, teachers, scholars and victims -- nay, survivors -- of bullying.

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We revisit some of the integral moments in Malaysian politics, particularly in the latter part of 2020. Listen to interesting excerpts and anecdotes from various political analysts, as we try to make sense of the dramatic, unprecedented and tumultuous year of Malaysian politics, as the nation suffers from health and economic crises.

Links to all the shows that were discussed in this episode:

Is Reformasi Dead?

Can Syed Saddiq’s Youth Party Actually Make a Difference in Malaysia?

Survey Says Perikatan Nasional Government Has High Approval Rating?

Making Sense of the Sabah Elections & What it Means For Our National Political Scene

Why Pakatan Harapan Needs New Leadership

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Live Tuition Sdn Bhd, a company specializing in running online tuition classes, has partnered with Taylor’s College to launch “Taylor’s RM 1,000,000 SPM Scholarship” for 500 year 2021 Form 5 students. On this bite-sized episode of Live & Learn, Dashran Yohan speaks with Eddie Lim, the founder and CEO of Live Tuition, on the details of this scholarship.

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Law & Behold is an ongoing series aimed at improving constitutional literacy among Malaysians, done in collaboration with The Malaysian Bar and the University of Malaya's Faculty of Law. Running since 2018, the series has 34 episodes in the bag, to date. In this episode, we revisit previous episodes of the series from 2020, which covered some of the major events that shaped the year that was. Have a listen as we explore the rights of undocumented migrants during Covid-19, followed by a discussion on former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's legal rights, following his conviction earlier this year. We cap it off with a lookback at a discussion on the tabling of Budget 2021.

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There’s been plenty of speculation recently surrounding the leadership of Pakatan Harapan. Many say that the sun is setting on Anwar Ibrahim and that the opposition coalition needs a new general to lead them into the battlefield. 

On today’s show, Dashran speaks  with James Chai, a frequent commenter on Malaysian politics, and the Head of Commercial and Research at INVOKE Solutions, to try and understand the politicking in Pakatan Harapan that led us to this juncture and who could carry on the torch from the man who’s been leading the reformasi movement for more than 20 years.

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