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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

51:59

What is Malaysia’s Role in this Changing World?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/28

The world is undergoing profound changes. China has become a global powerhouse. The US, while still the most powerful country in the world, is experiencing a relative decline in influence. There are constant conversations about moving toward a multipolar world. But what does this all mean for a middle power like Malaysia?In this episode, we speak to political analyst James Chai. James has written a novel called Sang Kancil: A Tale about how Ordinary Malaysians Defied the Odds, has worked in Think

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29:46

Jagat and Beyond: Sun-J Perumal on Malaysian Tamil...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/23

Jagat, the highly acclaimed 2015 Malaysian film directed by Sun-J Perumal, is a coming-of-age story that captures the struggles of working-class Malaysian Tamils with sincerity and earnest reflection. Today, nearly a decade later, Jagat continues to resonate, both as a work of art and as a reflection of identity, displacement, and resilience.The film was re-released earlier this year, and on top of that, the director is also releasing two spiritual sequels to the film in quick succession in November

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40:23

Inside ASEAN: Myths, Realities, and the Question of...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/21

Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse regions in the world, not just ethnically and culturally but also politically. It’s a region where Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians; democracies, monarchies, and communist states coexist side by side.However, since the formation of ASEAN, there have been questions and narratives about its potential split or how it’s doomed to fail. But just how true is that? What are the important nuances concerning ASEAN that people need to be aware of?In this

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46:08

What's Next for Myanmar's Revolution and Has Malaysia...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/16

Myanmar’s devastating civil war grinds into its fourth year, following the 2021 military coup that ousted the country’s elected government. What followed was a nationwide civil disobedience movement, along with the rise of armed resistance groups. The revolutionary forces have been battling the junta for control of the country, not just to restore things as they were but to build something new altogether. According to reports, more than 5,000 people have been killed, over 3 million displaced, and

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39:51

Does Budget 2026 Address the Needs of Ordinary...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/14

Last Friday, the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the RM 419.2 billion Budget 2026. This is a slightly smaller budget than last year’s. While it isn’t an austerity budget by any means and does prioritise fiscal discipline, it begs the question: Does Budget 2026 address the needs of regular Malaysians, especially from the perspective of wages, housing, social protections and more? On top of that, does this Budget do enough to push us towards becoming an economically sovereign nation?Brought to

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44:05

Budi95: Does the MADANI Government’s Fuel Plan Make...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/09

Budi95 is a targeted subsidy scheme by the Malaysian government to give RON95 petrol at a reduced price to eligible Malaysian citizens, while phasing out blanket subsidy models that cover everyone including non-citizens and some businesses. However, this plan appears somewhat contradictory to what has been discussed and announced for months, which is a system where fuel prices would be floated based on the market rates and subsidies would be given out based on income levels. So, does this new plan

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37:16

Budget 2026: Achieving Gender Equality

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/07

The Gender Budget Group (GBG), a coalition of civil society organisations and academics, has urged the Malaysian government to make bold, transformative investments in gender equality in the 2026 National Budget, highlighting that progress on women’s political representation, economic participation, social protection, and protection from violence remains slow. Their memorandum outlines seven key areas for action including strengthening governance and accountability with gender-responsive budgeting,

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36:58

Organise, Mobilise: How Malaysia Outlawed Domestic...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/10/02

While domestic violence is still very much prevalent in society today, I think we at the very least live in a climate where committing violence against your spouse is culturally unacceptable (broadly speaking of course) and completely illegal. But this wasn’t always the case. There was a time, though – not too long ago, in fact – when if a husband were to beat his wife, for example, it would be seen as a private/family matter. Authorities would close an eye or advise the abused spouse to find a way

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45:43

Why Food Is Deeply Political

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/30

We’ve seen how many regions around the world still suffer from hunger despite there technically being enough food to feed everyone globally. We also see how food like pork or beef is sometimes weaponised in the culture wars to sow division between communities.Dr Elaine Pratley is a peacebuilder who does interfaith and intercultural dialogue. whose work explores how something as simple as food can be deeply political. Her thesis, Hungry for Peace, examines the ways food practices and food insecurity

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41:42

Why Malaysia Needs the Freedom of Information Act

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/25

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government will be tabling the Freedom of Information Act in Parliament by the end of this year. This is a highly anticipated piece of legislation that Civil Society Organisations (and even the Pakatan Harapan political coalition) have been pushing for, for a very long time. It is said to be an important game-changer in the fight against corruption and for the democratisation of power.In this episode, we speak to Wathshlah

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41:22

BERSIH and Civil Society's Battle for Malaysia’s Future

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/23

There was a point where progressive forces in the country could organise and mobilise hundreds of thousands of people on a multicultural platform. We are of course talking about movements like BERSIH. But after the historic 2018 general election, when the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was toppled for the first time in the nation’s history, everything changed. Progressive civil society organisations that had spent years as outsiders suddenly found themselves inside the halls of power, with

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42:29

What is Nepal’s Gen-Z Uprising All About?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/18

On the 9th of September 2025, tens of thousands of Nepalese people, led by Gen-Z students, took to the streets in anger against the establishment government. They stormed the Nepalese Federal Parliament building in Kathmandu and set it on fire. As of latest reports, sixty protestors, ten prisoners and three police officers died during the demonstrations. Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was forced to resign. Later, over 100,000 youth

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45:38

What Challenges Do Women With Disabilities Face?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/11

A new report by the Datum Initiative and ARROW – Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women examines the systemic barriers faced by women with disabilities in Malaysia, particularly around sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Some of the findings published are shocking.So, on today’s episode, I’m going to be unpacking the report with its co-authors, Dr Benjamin Loh, Dr Vilashini Somiah and Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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43:51

Organise Mobilise: How Malaysia Abolished the ISA

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/09

The ISA, a draconian law that enabled detention without trial, was used in Malaysia for decades, most notoriously during the infamous Ops Lalang in 1987. But in 2012, it was finally abolished after years of public pressure and grassroots organising. We speak with Nalini Elumalai, one of the key coordinators of the Gerakan Mansuh ISA rally in the mid-2000s, about the long struggle to end the law, the challenges of mobilising under repression, and the lessons learned from this landmark victory for

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28:52

A Brief History of Malaya’s Road to Independence

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/04

We have often heard about the role the elite mainstream political actors played in Malaysia’s independence struggle. But the reality is much more nuanced. Our independence is also a story about grassroots organising and resistance among workers, students, feminist groups and more. Which is exactly what the exhibition called Seeds of Resistance: Journey Towards Independence is all about. The exhibition, organised by Raja Ahmad Aminullah, a prominent Malaysian poet, writer and activist, is currently

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46:43

How Do Capitalism and Patriarchy Collide in Women’s...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/09/02

If one wishes to understand how gender, power, and economic development intersect in shaping women’s lives and choices, and how women — particularly women in the Global South — renegotiate patriarchal structures in households, communities, and labor markets, look no further than Naila Kabeer. Professor Dr Naila Kabeer is a British-Bangladeshi feminist economist and an Emeritus Professor of Gender and Development at the London School of Economics (LSE). She has written a number of important books,

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48:35

Here Are Key Economic Policies That Anwar Ibrahim...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/28

As we approach the three-year mark since the formation of the MADANI government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, questions arise about what has been accomplished economically, the country’s trajectory and what the PM’s legacy will ultimately be.Dr Geoffrey Williams has been exploring these very issues in his series of articles on Free Malaysia Today titled Creating Anwar’s Legacy, where he highlights several transformative ideas that the government can realistically pursue and achieve

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32:37

From Campus to Streets: Alyaah Hani on Student Movements

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/26

If you’ve been to a youth-led progressive protest or rally recently, chances are you may have seen student activist Alyaah Hani on the frontlines. As the coordinator of Liga Mahasiswa, she has been a vocal critic of student debt, academic restrictions, and state repression. Recently summoned under Section 509 of the Penal Code for her role in an anti-corruption rally, Alyaah speaks about the risks of dissent, the future of student movements, and what young people want from Malaysia.See

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42:11

How Gendered Disinformation Is a Threat to Women’s...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/21

Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world that has attained parity across genders at the tertiary education level. In Malaysia, women make up about 52% of tertiary education enrolment, compared to 48% men, meaning women slightly outnumber men at this level.So, why, despite this, does women’s participation in politics remain incredibly low? According to the folks behind KRYSS Network, one of the key reasons is due to gendered disinformation. They are running a Campaign is called Countering

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38:39

Rethinking Labour Justice For Migrant Workers

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/19

According to estimates, there are around 4-6 million migrant workers in Malaysia, both documented and undocumented combined. There are also approximately 300 000 - 400 000 refugees in the country. They have limited labour rights and protections and hence are regular targets of exploitation, often receiving poor wages and forced to live in horrible conditions.What’s also interesting is that despite this, migrants and refugees have been quietly building grassroots networks of solidarity and care. This

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382 results

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