Talkback

National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang believes museums can foster unity among Malaysians, calling them custodians of the country’s common heritage. While we can perhaps agree that learning more about one's shared history can make us feel united, do Malaysians actually care about museums enough to go visit one? What makes a museum enjoyable and interesting? We discuss all of this, with our listeners.

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Ahead of the Merdeka celebrations this weekend, we look at the sites and experiences that makes Malaysia uniquely Malaysian. We ask how much of Malaysia have you explored? Do you have a Malaysian bucket list, and what would you like to experience?

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British content creator and founder of HelpBnk Simon Squibb has gained fame through his TikTok videos where he helps people realise their entrepreneurial dreams by supporting their dreams of starting their own business. According to his website, his mission is to help 10 million people start a business of their own. This got us thinking about whether everyone would be interested in owning a business one day. So we ask: Have you ever thought about starting a business? What pushed you to do it, or stopped you?

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The recent death of the world's oldest person Maria Branyas Morera at the age of 117, has got all of us thinking about the idea of living a long life, versus living a good life (even if it's not as long as Maria!). So we ask the ultimate question: Are you here for a good time, or a long time? And how do you ensure a life worth living?

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A recent viral tweet highlighted the successful revamp of Pasar Seni, which has not only modernized the space but also significantly boosted its popularity among both locals and tourists. This got us thinking: what other local spots could benefit from a similar facelift? We discuss this, and also hear from our well-travelled listeners about the places beyond our borders that we can learn from in terms of placemaking and urban planning.

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If you've been on social media, you would have seen our Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh being slammed for posting a picture with Thai shuttler Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who defeated our national shuttler Lee Zii Jia. Japanese cyclist Shinji Nakano’s social media was flooded with comments from Malaysians after a collision between him and National men’s cyclist Shah Firdaus Sahrom in the keirin final. Evidently, we have a problem with losing. So we explore the reasons behind that, as well as what it means to be a good supporter.

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One of our listeners, Alex, has brought our attention to the importance of a plant-based diet, but is the grass greener on the other side? In Malaysia, the community of vegans and vegetarians remains small, even as it's become more popular around the world. The meat of the matter today is that there are a plethora of reasons why someone would choose this diet and lifestyle, from personal conviction to religious reasons. So we discuss this, and ask our listeners what would convince them to switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet.

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A recent report by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) discussed the hidden cost of sickness in the United Kingdom, saying that employees working through illness rather than taking leave is costing its economy billions of pounds every year. So this got us wondering, about the idea of working even when one is sick, and why so many of us fall victim to it. We first hear some insight from Canna Tan, who is a senior HR manager. Then, we explore this concept with our listeners, and ask them if they have worked while being ill, and why it happens.

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An article from The Guardian highlights the idea of a phone-free childhood, after parents raise concerns over their children owning one at a young age. But the thing with technology now is that children as young as 9 years old might need one anyway, just to not get left behind. This is a stark difference if we compare the ages people used to own phones decades ago. So we explore this question with our listeners, and ask their opinions on when parents should provide their children with phones.

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The participation of a Dutch beach volleyball player, Steven van de Velde, in the French Olympics has raised controversy, in light of his past conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl. The official stance from the Dutch team has been that he's changed his ways and redeemed himself as an athlete, however audiences think otherwise and have booed him him during the warmup and pre-match introductions. So we ask listeners whether they think convicted criminals should be forgiven.

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