Live & Learn

Recently, a lawyer sought to pursue a challenge on the constitutionality of the existence of vernacular schools. In a motion filed on October 23rd this year, he sought a declaration from the Federal Court that it was unconstitutional for Parliament to pass an amendment to Sections 17 and 28 of the Education Act 1996, providing for the continued existence of vernacular schools. So are the existence of vernacular schools unconstitutional? We get the 411 on this with Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Malaya.

At the recent Social Wellbeing Conference 2019, Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mentioned in his speech, that the demands of the current working world had evolved, and workers need to be creative, adaptable, agile and prepared to expect the unexpected. However the Prime Minister admitted that these are traits that Malaysian youths may not have. So what good are campaigns and measures to boost employment, if Dr M is indeed right… what if, youth do not have the traits to be employable? We speak to Talent Assessment Specialist, Kathleen Tan about the connection between the youth unemployment rate and the lack of specific personality traits, as well as what can be done to access these traits regardless of education or economic privilege.

Prof Dato’ Noor Aziah Mohd Awal is 3 months into her role as Children’s Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). She recently met with approximately 40 civil society organisations comprising of academicians, medical practitioners, lawyers and NGOs who expressed their views and recommendations on issues relating to children, in order to structure her future work. We spoke to her about what needs to be immediately addressed in enforcing child rights in Malaysia.

Project Common Ground is a peace building programme designed to provide youths from different communities a platform to communicate, create and collaborate. The project aims to bridge the gap and build friendships between these communities by providing them opportunities to explore their commonalities through fun and meaningful activities. We speak to two boys who are participating in Project Common Ground to find out how the programme has helped in broadening their world views.

Nearly 1 in every 5 children around the world live in conflict and war zones, according to the charity Save The Children, this represents some 420 million children living in countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen and South Sudan. In conjunction with World Children’s Day, we speak to Sheema Sen Gupta, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Afghanistan about the psycho-social support programmes that she helped develop for children who are affected by violent conflict.

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. On this episode, we explore whether the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, or SOSMA as it's better known, undermines the protections and fundamental liberties contained in the Federal Constitution.

It’s hard enough running a restaurant, but when the usual model is tweaked to encompass a social cause, that then becomes a whole different kettle of fish. We speak to Munirah Hamid, Pertiwi Soup Kitchen and Sharon Lee of Tender Hearts Cafe about the specific challenges of running F&B based enterprises that are tied to social good and have Brian Lariche, a CSR Consultant weigh in on how they can better manage their organisations.

With the voting age in Malaysia now lowered to 18 years old, the spotlight is firmly on the role that youth can play in governance. Are our youth aware of the impact that they have on policy making, or is there still a disinterest in politics. We speak to Mistika Idris and Faizul bin Zuraimi who are part of the upcoming Youth Economic Forum (YEF) 2019 to find out their thoughts.

Just mentioning the word hemp is enough to induce titters in polite company, as the immediate association is with a particular psychoactive drug. But how many people are aware that hemp is actually one of the world’s oldest domesticated crops in the world, with uses ranging from food source to textile fibres and even biofuel. We speak to Mohamad Johan, President of the Malaysia Hemptech Industrial Research Association to find out the latest developments in the industry and how hemp could play a part in developing the nation’s economy.

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. On this episode, we discuss the constitutional basis for national unity with Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Malaya.