Live & Learn

America was once considered the benchmark of excellence. A first world, free country that many considered to be the pinnacle of innovation, technological advancement and the arts. Many of us looked on with envy.

But over the past six to eight months, a microscopic virus has brought the giant to its knees in embarrassing fashion. Now the world looks at America in bewilderment. 5 million positive cases of COVID-19 so far, close to 200 thousand deaths, an economy decapitated, with no signs of slowing down. At the centre of it all, is President Donald Trump.

How did COVID-19 and Donald Trump decapitate America? We discuss this with Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Retired Lawyer / Academic (political psychology, media, and global political economy).

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Merdeka is just around the corner - a time of the year where we remember the words of Tunku Abdul Rahman in his speech proclaiming Malaya's independence: “We shall be forever a sovereign democratic and independent state founded upon the principles of justice and liberty, and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of the people.” On this episode of Law & Behold, we look at how the welfare and happiness of all Malaysians can and should be met, and how a commitment to upholding our Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara can ensure this, with Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Malaya, and Dato’ Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a Constitutional Lawyer.

World Humanitarian Day is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. This year’s theme? Real Life Heroes.

So in conjunction with that, we speak to Prema Thiyagu, the co-founder of the NGO, Pertubuhan Pembangunan HOPE Selangor, who’s a real life hero herself. Prema is someone who has been mobilising and providing food and aid for the underprivileged communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, someone who for the past decade or so, has been helping to uplift and empower marginalised communities.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The explosion that happened in Beirut recently, shook Lebanon and the world. At least 154 people killed, thousands injured, a business district ravaged. An explosion that sparked violent protests and forced a government to resign. Today, we’re going to be exploring what happened in Beirut. What caused the explosion? And how has it impacted the sociopolitical landscape in Lebanon? We discuss this and more with James Dorsey, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies & the Middle East Institute.

Image Source: AFP

On the 30th of July, Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal announced that the state Governor Juhar Mahiruddin had agreed to dissolve the state assembly and return the power to the people to choose the state government by way of snap polls. We speak to Mahirah Marzuki, the project coordinator of UndiSabah to find out what Sabahan youths will be considering when they cast their vote.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was sentenced by the High Court to 12 years' jail and fined RM210 million, after he was found guilty of all seven charges related to the misappropriation of RM42 million of SRC International funds. What are the former premier's rights to a fair trial appeal, and what is his position as an MP, following his conviction? We discuss this and more with Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Malaya.

Image Source: AFP

Recently, Malaysian songwriter Saint T.F.C released a song on YouTube, titled “I’ll Not Forget.” The powerful song touches on the rapper’s personal struggle with racism in Malaysia -- a struggle shared by ethnic Indians around the country. We speak to Saint T.F.C. on what inspired him to write the song, as well the importance of art in the battle against racism.

Image Source: Saint T.F.C

We live in politically turbulent times. And over the past few months, there has been plenty of talk on the “death of reformasi.” But what exactly is  the reformasi movement? We speak to Dr. Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, on what reformasi actually means, if the survival of the movement is tied to political parties or is it something else entirely?

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The second meeting of the Third Term of the 14th Parliament kicked off on July 13th, with some chaotic scenes on the first day itself. We dissect what transpired in the first two weeks of this session, and look at what might happen after, with Maha Balakrishnan, who is the former Consti Committee Deputy Chair, and co-author of the book, "Malaysian Parliamentary Procedure: A Guide to the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat' and also with Abraham Au, a Constitutional lawyer.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons 

World Vision Malaysia has been running the 30-Hour Famine fundraiser for 25 years. This year will be no different… well, maybe a little different, as 30-Hour Famine will be going virtual. We talk to World Vision Malaysia CEO Daniel Boey about fighting poverty and hunger through fasting, and what we can expect from 30-Hour Famine 2020. The 30-Hour Famine started in 1997. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WVM is organising a virtual edition of the 30-Hour Famine. It would be a first in the event’s long history.

Image Source: 30 Hour Famine