x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

23:13

What Are Key Challenges Faced by Indian Students in...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/14

Education of Ethnic Minorities: The Case of Indians in Malaysia by Dr Santhiram Raman examines how the Malaysian education system shapes the experiences and outcomes of the Indian minority, with a focus on students from Tamil-language primary schools. The book dives into some of the benefits of this school system, but also the historical marginalization, structural inequalities, and school environments that can perpetuate disadvantage. In this episode, we unpack the book and the key challenges faced

en-US

47:29

What Skateboarding Says About the Politics of Urban...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/12

If you’ve walked around your city, chances are you may have seen people skateboarding off the rails outside a shopping mall or doing parkour on a dingy rooftop of an abandoned building, or perhaps even kicking around a ball in an alleyway turned into a makeshift futsal court.But what do these activities tell us about urban culture? Do they reveal anything about politics? And is there anything urban planners can learn from them?In this episode, we’re joined by Duncan McDuie-Ra, whose latest book,

en-US

49:13

What Can Progressives Learn From Zohran Mamdani?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/07

We have often talked about the rise of right-wing populism with fascist tendencies across the world. From US President Donald Trump to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party UK, Marine Le Pen in France to the AFD in Germany, political parties and leaders that are proudly anti-democratic, espousing hatred for ethnic, religious or sexual minorities, and scapegoating migrants and refugees have gone from the fringes to the mainstream. It’s not just the West. We can also think of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

en-US

42:41

Khalsa Aid on Responding to the Refugee Crisis

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/08/05

Khalsa Aid International is a humanitarian relief organisation based in the UK. It was founded in 1999 by Ravi Singh based on the Sikh principle of Sarbat da Bhala – the wellbeing of all. Today, this cross-border humanitarian agency operates across six continents and have done work in many conflict zones such as Iraq and Ukraine to natural disasters including the Türkiye earthquakes and Pakistan floods.In this episode, we speak to Gurpreet Singh, Head of Operations for Khalsa Aid, Asia Pacific about

en-US

49:33

Can Socialism Go from the Margins to the Mainstream...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/31

The 27th National Congress of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) was held in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, from July 25th to 27th. The congress, themed "Kuasa Ketiga, Kuasa Kita" was attended by around 150 delegates.In this episode, we speak with Arveent Kathirchelvan, who’s a Central Committee Member and Coordinator of the Policy Research Bureau of PSM. We discuss some of the key motions they passed at their congress surrounding healthcare, pension and housing. We also unpack the various challenges faced by the

en-US

45:29

Peacebuilding and How Capitalism & Imperialism...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/29

Katrina Leclerc is an award‑winning peacebuilder, researcher, and advocate who specializes in the intersection of Women, Peace & Security (WPS). She serves as a respected expert advisor to governments, UN agencies, and civil society, supporting inclusive peace policy development and implementation across multiple regions and countries, including in Congo, Kenya, Lebanon, Rwanda and more. She was also here in Malaysia recently to meet up with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community

en-US

38:36

What the Lack of Justice For Teoh Beng Hock Says...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/24

It’s been 16 years since Teoh Beng Hock’s passing. Beng Hock was the political aide to an elected representative from the DAP, who was found dead after overnight questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2009, sparking public outrage and ongoing allegations of foul play.Today, justice is yet to be served.Last week, the MACC issued a public apology to Teoh’s family. This was followed by a public apology by the DAP. But rather than healing old wounds, it reignited long-standing

en-US

41:13

RMK13: Why Malaysian Indians Are Still Left Behind

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/22

Malaysian ethnic Indians make up less than 7% of the country’s population — but this small community is disproportionately represented in some of the country’s most troubling statistics. Indians form a shockingly high percentage of the prison population, face persistent income and wealth gaps—both between ethnic groups and within their own community—and continue to grapple with access to quality education. These are not isolated issues; they reflect deep-rooted structural inequalities, legacies of

en-US

45:42

70 Years of Elections in Malaysia: What Has Worked,...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/17

It’s been 70 years since the first General Elections in Malaya in 1955, and 61 years since we voted for the first time as a new nation called Malaysia in 1964. From the era of one-party dominance under the Alliance and then Barisan Nasional, to the historic change of government in 2018, our electoral journey has been an incredible one.In that time, we’ve gone from a nation that didn’t think it was possible to change a government to a nation that believes we can change our government at anytime.In

en-US

50:48

What Do Malay Youths Want?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/15

In GE15, the surge of Malay youth support for Perikatan Nasional sparked narratives about a rising “green” or “theocratic wave” and urgent questions about the shifting political attitudes of younger Malays. Many were quick to blame the election outcome on the lowering of the voting age and even went as far as calling the constitutional amendment a mistake. But these narratives are simplistic and divisive and do not get to the heart of the problem.Orang Kita: Politics of Acknowledgement and

en-US

38:59

UNICEF’s Tess Ingram on How Her Convoy Was Shot While...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/10

Tess Ingram is a spokesperson with UNICEF who has been on the frontlines of some of the most urgent crises in North Africa and the Middle East, including the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza due to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians carried out by the State of Israel. In 2024, while attempting to deliver life-saving aid to the North of Gaza, she was inside a clearly marked UNICEF convoy that came under live fire.In this episode, we speak to Ingram about the challenges faced by aid workers in

en-US

41:53

Why the Son of a Holocaust Survivor Rejects Zionism

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/08

Dr Peter Slezak is a Jewish Australian academic and outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. He’s a member of the Council of Advisers at the Hashim Sani Centre for Palestine Studies at Universiti Malaya and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. He’s also an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, Australia. For decades, he has used his platform and prominence to challenge dominant narratives around Israel-Palestine, often highlighting the moral responsibility of

en-US

45:02

How ‘Invisible People’ Gives Voice to the Forgotten

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/03

Invisible People by Jean Ho is an animated documentary series that shines light on the lives and struggles of people on the margins of society, namely the stateless and refugees. Through short interviews with people from the impacted communities, activists and academics, the series explores themes of identity, belonging, and systemic neglect, while also highlighting the resilience and dignity of those living in the shadows. It’s also a great introduction for people who are completely unfamiliar with

en-US

49:43

Building Progressive Malaysia From Within the System

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/07/01

Iskandar Fareez is from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), currently serving as the National Vice Chief of DAPSY, which is their youth wing. He’s also served as a Special Functions Officer to the Deputy Minister in twoministries, namely the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.Originally from Shah Alam, Iskandar's political journey began while studying in Australia, where he was involved in student activism and connected with progressive Malaysian

en-US

40:46

Why the SST Expansion Misses the Real Target: The...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/26

Starting 1st of July, Malaysia’s expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) framework will kick in. Under this expansion, luxury and discretionary items like watches, yachts, and antique artworks will now be taxed at rates of 5% or 10%, while services such as private wellness treatments, construction, fee-based financial services, private schools, among others, will face a 6–8% service tax.There was also a lot of discussion and backlash about imported fruits getting taxed. While that broadly still

en-US

48:19

How Colonialism, Labour, and Hinduism Became...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/24

Temple Tracks: Labour, Piety and Railway Construction in Asia is a fascinating new book by Vineeta Sinha, a professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the National University of Singapore. It explores how Indian migrant workers, brought to colonial Malaya and Singapore to build and maintain the railway system, were not just labourers laying down tracks — they were also community-builders and religion-makers.In this episode, we speak to the author about the intersection of railways, migrant labour,

en-US

46:56

25 Years of Resistance: Sevan Doraisamy Reflects on...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/19

Sevan Doraisamy is a veteran Malaysian human rights defender and activist who’s been fighting the good fight for more than 25 years. He also served as the Executive Director of SUARAM, one of the country’s leading human rights organisations for 10 years, before deciding to step aside this year. Over the years, he’s been at the forefront of numerous human rights campaigns, from pushing to abolish ISA (which was eventually done in 2012), to advocating for police accountability and championing freedom

en-US

45:18

Sabah For Sabahans: Understanding MA63, Project IC...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/17

Since the 2018 and 2022 elections, there has been renewed national focus on East Malaysia and the long-standing promises of MA63. But often, much of that focus has been on Sarawak — its political stability, development push, and dominant state government. Meanwhile, Sabah’s story is equally complex, shaped by decades of political shifts, unresolved questions of autonomy, persistent development gaps, and the long shadow of the alleged Project IC.As Sabah heads towards elections in 2025, many of these

en-US

42:14

Why Trump's Immigration Raids Are Becoming a...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/12

Protests have spread all across America in solidarity with migrant workers and against US President Donald Trump’s immigration raids.Last Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made the most arrests in a single day in its history, detaining more than 2,200 people. Even tourists were reportedly questioned and some were temporarily detained. Then on Friday, the federal agency arrested more than a hundred undocumented immigrants in workplace raids. This triggered spontaneous protests

en-US

38:58

What Can We Learn From Kerala About Eradicating Poverty?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/10

By November 2025, Kerala is set to become India’s first state to entirely eradicate extreme poverty. One of the key reasons is the highly successful Extreme Poverty Eradication Project that the state government embarked on. But the interesting thing about Kerala is that while this specific project is fairly new, the state has been the benchmark in the country for development and social wellbeing for decades.The South Indian state has the highest literacy rate in the country, the highest literacy

en-US

382 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci