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PODCAST

Beyond the Ballot Box

As they say, democracy doesn"t begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

news politics

All Episodes

39:36

Budget 2025: Achieving Gender Equality

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/10/15

Malaysia’s labour force participation rate among females has plateaued at around 55% for many years now, while the male labour force participation rate is more than 80%. But why is this the case and what can we do about it? With the tabling of Budget 2025 around the corner, on today’s episode, we will be talking about what Budget 2025 can do to address gender disparities in the Malaysian workforce. We ask Anis Farid from Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and Abinaya Dhivya from the Gender Budget Group,

en-US

38:40

What Do Women With Family Members on Death Row Go...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/10/10

The death penalty not only impacts those on death row, but their families as well, causing emotional, psychological and economic strain as they navigate the uncertainties and stigma surrounding their loved ones’ fates. Malaysia has abolished the mandatory death penalty but the death penalty remains in its discretionary form. We speak to Hayati Mohamad, a founder of Pertubuhan Keluarga Kasih (KeKasih) and a family member of someone on death row, Norlia, also a member of KeKasih, and Tham Jia Vern,

en-US

39:17

One Year of Genocide in Gaza

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/10/08

It’s been a year since Palestinian resistance fighters, led by Hamas, broke through the siege of Gaza and the beginning of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza by Israel. More than 41 000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel – which is 1 out of every 55 people. Hospitals have been bombed. Mosques and schools too. According to reports, more than 120 journalists have been killed. Israel doesn’t seem interested in stopping these attacks. In fact, they have only expanded their military campaign to

en-US

42:42

To Be Feminist is to Be Anti-Imperialist

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/10/03

Azra Sayeed is a feminist from Pakistan. She’s an academic and activist known for her advocacy on issues related to the rights of marginalised communities, particularly women, peasants and farmers.She’s the founder and executive director of the Roots for Equity, an NGO based in Karachi that focuses on working with communities at the grassroots level to attain political, economic, social, and environmental justice. Azra has also served as the Chair of the International Women's Alliance (IWA) and

en-US

29:35

MADANI Government Must Increase the Minimum Wage

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/10/01

Last week, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) submitted a memorandum to the Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim, urging the government to increase the minimum wage to RM 2000. Currently, the minimum wage is set at RM 1500.Earlier in March, Steven Sim mentioned that the government will review the minimum wage this year, but there have been no updates on the matter since.We speak to Saratbabu Raman, chief of PSM’s Worker’s Bureau about their push for a

en-US

47:30

How Should Malaysia Tackle Myanmar Crisis as Next...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/26

Malaysia will be the chair of ASEAN in 2025.Many have argued that this is an exhilarating time for the Asian region, particularly Southeast Asia. But while there is excitement and opportunities, there are also plenty of real challenges. One such challenge that ASEAN will have to continue navigating is the crisis in Myanmar.As we know, Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government, leading to a civil war between the Junta and

en-US

46:49

What Makes an Empire an Empire

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/24

We often use the word Empire to describe colonial or imperial powers such as the British Empire pre-World War II. Today, more and more people are starting to use the word to describe the United States of America. Some also use the term to describe China. But what exactly does “empire” mean? How do they form? And how does the existence of an empire impact the common working person? We discuss this with Associate Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist, Chinese University of Hong Kong

en-US

41:59

First Past the Post, Malapportionment & the...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/19

Malaysia is quite a polarised nation right now, especially across racial and religious lines. The results of the 2022 General Elections tell us as much. While we cannot and shouldn’t place the blame of the polarization on our electoral system alone, we have to ask if our electoral system does more to bring people together or encourage further polarization. And if we change the system, what would it look like? Separately but on a related note, many have argued that Sabah & Sarawak should have 1/3

en-US

48:27

Lessons From Syed Husin Ali’s A People’s History of...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/17

Syed Husin Ali's A People’s History of Malaysia is a brilliant book which offers an alternative narrative of Malaysia's history, centred on the experiences and struggles of ordinary people. The book challenges traditional, elite-centric historical accounts by highlighting the role of workers, peasants, and anti-colonial movements in shaping Malaysia’s development.In this episode, we discuss the lessons that can be drawn from this book with Emeritus Prof. Abdul Rahman Embong, Sociologist and

en-US

37:42

What Can We Learn From the Anti-Immigration UK Riots?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/12

It’s been slightly more than a month since the riots in the UK which happened from 30 July to 5 August 2024. The riots were far-right and targeted immigrants, Muslims and refugees, among others. Throughout the riots, there were racist attacks – both verbal and physically violent – arson and looting. This was considered to be the worst instance of social unrest in the UK in over a decade.So, why did it happen? And what can we learn from it?Katy Brown is an expert in far-right movements in the UK and

en-US

34:15

What Changed Since Malaysia Abolished the Mandatory...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/10

It’s been more than a year now since Malaysia abolished the ‘mandatory death penalty,’ a move that human rights organisations consider a milestone first step towards total abolition of capital punishment. But what has been the impact on the ground, in reality, since last year? Have we seen any real changes?We speak to Dobby Chew, CEO of the human rights organisation, HAYAT.Editorial credit: YuriAbas / Shutterstock.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

38:00

Looking Back at the Death of S.Balamurugan in Police...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/05

S. Balamurugan was found dead on the 8th of February 2017, while detained at the North Klang District Police Headquarters. Arrested on suspicion of a crime, Balamurugan was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse by police officers, even after a magistrate ordered his release and medical treatment due to his poor condition. He was denied care and was later found dead in his cell. Multiple investigations revealed negligence and police misconduct, leading to a Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling in

en-US

27:20

Can Malaysia Do More For Palestinians?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/09/03

A couple of weeks ago, the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received criticism for the government's decision to bring back injured Palestinians for treatment in Malaysia. But were those criticisms justified? In this episode, we explore how Malaysia has been aiding Palestinians and what more needs to be done, with Nur Hafizah, an activist from Viva Palestina Malaysia.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

41:00

Does Malaysia Need to Devolve More Power to States?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/29

More and more states in Malaysia are feeling assertive and empowered, pushing the federal government to funnel more money to the state levels.In light of the MA63 agreement, Sabah and Sarawak's negotiations with the federal government, as well as states such as Johor and Penang's demands for more, we explore this further with Dr Lee Hwok-Aun, Senior Fellow at the Malaysian Studies Programme, at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.Image credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

44:32

What's Causing the Rise of Religious Fundamentalism?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/27

Right-wing movements are on the rise all over the world. In the past, we’ve discussed the rise of right-wing, ultra-conservative movements with fascist tendencies in Europe, the US and even India.On today’s show, we continue to explore this phenomenon, this time with an academic from Pakistan.Dr Taimur Rahman is an academic and the author of The Class Structure of Pakistan, for which he won the Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Award for the "best book on Social Sciences" about Pakistan in 2012.See

en-US

36:36

Women in India Fight Back Against Rape Culture!

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/22

On August 9th, A 31-year-old trainee doctor’s dead body and bearing multiple injuries, was found at a government training hospital in Kolkata – a city in West Bengal, India. She was assaulted, raped and murdered. This triggered massive and widespread women-led protests across the country demanding the “independence to live in freedom and without fear.”In this episode, we unpack the tragic incident and the subsequent women-led mass protests that are currently unfolding, with Srabani Chakraborty,

en-US

32:19

Evaluating MADANI’s Anti-Corruption Efforts So Far

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/20

On today’s episode we’re doing a check-in on the government’s anti-corruption efforts so far. After all, this is a government led by a Prime Minister who repeatedly stresses the importance of combatting corruption. So, what has the MADANI government done well so far and what are the gaps?Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

44:53

Lessons From Malaysia’s Contemporary Protest History

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/15

The DEMO project, launched by Zikri Rahman, Jeremy Lim and Ooi Kok Hin, is a collection of interviews documenting the history of Malaysian contemporary protests. It’s an archive of stories on the lived experiences of protest organisers and activists of the past 15 years and aims to be a resource for future activists. We speak to ⅔ of the brains behind DEMO Project.DEMO Project Website: https://pusatsejarahrakyat.org/demo/DEMO Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demoproject.my/See

en-US

55:59

Kishore Mahbubani on the Asian Century, ASEAN and...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/13

Professor Kishore Mahbubani is a prominent Singaporean academic and the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in NUS. He’s an ex-diplomat who served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and held various senior positions in Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.He’s also an author known for his sharp commentary on global affairs, particularly regarding the rise of China and Asia as a whole, the decline of the American Empire and its implication for

en-US

41:52

Do the Poor Remain Poor Because They Are Lazy?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2024/08/08

Imagine a parent walking down the street with their 7-year-old child. They walk past a cleaner sweeping the road or perhaps it's someone cutting grass. The parent tells the kid, don't be lazy otherwise you will end up like that cleaner. There is a perception that the poor are poor and remain poor because they are lazy. That persistent poverty can be attributed to personal behaviour.Political psychologist and political economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Assistant Professor Peter

en-US

382 results

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