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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

50:29

Water, Power, and Labour: A Conversation with Charles...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/05

Charles Santiago is a human rights activist, a member of the DAP, former MP for Klang, and a two-time chairman of Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission (SPAN). He first held the SPAN chairmanship from November 2018 until his removal in April 2020 (after Langkah Sheraton), and was reappointed in March 2023, serving until March 2025.Beyond these roles, Santiago serves as the co-chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), where he has been a vocal advocate against systemic labour

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38:14

Does Selangor Need a Sovereign Wealth Fund?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/06/03

Sarawak’s Sovereign Wealth Fund was launched in 2022, to “to safeguard and invest the State's funds for the future generations of Sarawak.”But what exactly is a sovereign wealth fund? How does it work?And if it’s a useful tool or institution, would a state like Selangor—Malaysia’s most populous state with the highest GDP — benefit from one too? We speak to Geoffrey Williams, who’s an economist.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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30:19

Is Fascism on the Rise? (Part 2)

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/29

Over the past couple of decades, far-right parties and leaders have moved from the fringes to the forefront of global politics. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, and Narendra Modi or parties like the AFD, who were once seen as outliers or shrugged off altogether, now command mass followings, win elections or come close to winning, and shape global political discourse in a big way. They are now in concretely the mainstream. Their rhetoric may differ across borders, but many

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32:59

Is Fascism on the Rise? (Part 1)

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/27

Over the past couple of decades, far-right parties and leaders have moved from the fringes to the forefront of global politics. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, and Narendra Modi or parties like the AFD, who were once seen as outliers or shrugged off altogether, now command mass followings, win elections or come close to winning, and shape global political discourse in a big way. They are now in concretely the mainstream. Their rhetoric may differ across borders, but many

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43:21

What to Do About Racism in the Rental Market?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/22

If you're ethnic-Indian—or if you have friends who are—chances are you've experienced first hand, or heard about racism in Malaysia’s rental market. Landlords rejecting tenants based solely on race. Ads that say “No Indians” or “Chinese only.” There are also instances where rental fee/pricing is clearly discriminatory.But what can you do about it?Right now, the truth is—not much. The rental system in Malaysia is under-regulated, with few protections for tenants.So what would it look like to fix

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32:52

IMF Urges People to Work Till 70: Yay or Nay?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/20

Many countries around the world are starting to become aging societies. In other words, there are more old people AND fewer people having babies. This demographic shift has important implications on the economy and politics of a country. The question is, what do we do about it?The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently published a report titled ‘The Rise of the Silver Economy: Global Implications of Population Aging.’ In it, they propose that governments consider raising the retirement age and

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34:34

Malaysia’s Continuous Battle With Corruption

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/15

Raymon Ram has been appointed the new president of Transparency International–Malaysia. He will be serving in this capacity from 2025 - 2027. He succeeds Dr Muhammad Mohan, who stepped down after completing the six-year term limit.In this episode, we chat with Raymon about battling the culture of corruption in Malaysia and what he hopes to achieve as the new President of Transparency International - Malaysia.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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31:15

How the Military Junta in Myanmar is Oppressing Workers

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/13

The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), is urging the government of Malaysia to take a firm and principled stance against the ongoing human and labour rights violations in Myanmar by supporting the invocation of Article 33 of the ILO Constitution.The organisation, which consists of 12 million workers across 365 trade unions in 111 countries, stresses that Malaysia—as a Deputy Member of the ILO Governing Body and the current ASEAN chair —has a unique opportunity to demonstrate moral and

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45:32

Sabahan to Chair Prestigious Southeast Asian Council

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/08

Dr Vilashini Somiah who’s a feminist anthropologist and a senior lecturer at University Malaya has been appointed as the next chair of the Southeast Asia Council (SEAC) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).This is important in and of itself but also specifically because she will be the first Southeast Asian-based scholar to lead the council since 1970 – that means she’s also the first Malaysian to lead the council, since then.In this episode, we speak to Dr Vilashini Somiah about her work,

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40:04

Malaysian Human Rights Report 2024

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/05/06

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) has released their 2024 human rights report. It’s a detailed report on the various human rights violations that have occurred throughout the year, some of the progress made and the changes that should happen moving forward.We speak to Jernell Tan, who’s the Documentation & Monitoring Coordinator at SUARAM. Jernell also penned numerous chapters in the report.Image Credit: SUARAMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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34:03

Why Is Labour Day Important?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/29

Labour Day is observed every year on the 1st of May. It’s a holiday in most countries around the world – and perhaps one of the most important ones. But most of us don’t think about its significance and even take it for granted. Behind the holiday lies a legacy of protest, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for workers’ rights.In this episode, we discuss the significance of labour day, especially in Malaysia with Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia.There is also

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36:14

PTPTN Defaulters: Irresponsible Individuals or...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/24

There’s been a lot of talk lately about PTPTN’s ballooning debt and what to do about it. With a total outstanding debt of RM 40 billion, pressure is mounting on the government to act decisively. The instinctual reactions tend to focus on the defaulters, with many calling for harsh penalties like fines or travel bans. I mean, it’s only natural to think “you borrow, you pay back!”But are we missing something here – something more fundamental and structural?We speak to Geoffrey Williams, Economist

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30:34

What’s Next for Malaysia’s Development?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/22

Kanni Wignaraja is the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with over 25 years of experience in Sustainable Development. She has worked across Africa, Asia and is a prominent advocate for inclusive and people-centered development in the Asia-Pacific region.In this episode, we talk to her about Malaysia’s economic and political trajectory over the past several decades, within broader ASEAN and

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45:03

Ayer Kuning: What Can the Third Force Offer?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/17

The Ayer Kuning by-election will be taking place on the 26th of April and it is going to be a three-cornered fight between MADANI/Barisan Nasional’s Mohamad Yusri Bakir, Perikatan Nasional’s Abdul Muhaimin Malek and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s Bawani Kaniapan (Bawani KS). The election for one out of the 59 state seats in Perak is taking place due to the passing of incumbent Ishsam Shahruddin of Barisan Nasional.The move by PSM to contest this election has been equally welcomed and criticised. Some

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43:25

Why We Need to Give Free Money to Everyone

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/15

Basic Income – or Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it’s commonly referred to – is a policy where a government gives all citizens a regular sum of money periodically (i.e. every month), regardless of their employment status or income level.You might think to yourself that this is idealistic and utopian, wondering if it’s even feasible or necessary.In this episode, we speak to Guy Standing, a British economist and one of the world’s leading voices in advocating for Basic Income. He is a professor of

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43:25

Why We Need to Give Free Money to Everyone

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/15

Basic Income – or Universal Basic Income (UBI) as it’s commonly referred to – is a policy where a government gives all citizens a regular sum of money periodically (i.e. every month), regardless of their employment status or income level.You might think to yourself that this is idealistic and utopian, wondering if it’s even feasible or necessary.In this episode, we speak to Guy Standing, a British economist and one of the world’s leading voices in advocating for Basic Income. He is a professor of

en-US

47:05

What Trump's Tariffs Reveal About Neoliberalism and...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/10

For the past several decades, most of the world has been part of the neoliberal economic model. It burst onto the mainstream with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan in the late 70s and 80s but gained even more prominence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of the United States of America as the global hegemon. This era was underpinned by the free flow of capital across borders, low tariffs and the financialisation of the economy.But last week something changed when

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45:19

How Should Malaysia Navigate Trump’s Tariffs?

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/08

Last week, the world watched as U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines once again — this time by declaring “Liberation Day.” But instead of fireworks and parades, he brought out a sweeping new tariff regime. At the heart of it? A universal 10% tariff that spares no one — not even a remote, uninhabited territory like Heard Island and McDonald Islands, best known for its penguins. Beyond the universal tariff, Trump also unveiled “reciprocal tariffs” — targeted duties that vary by country. China

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42:24

Malaysia Racism Report: Looking Back at the Past Decade

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/04/03

It is no secret that Malaysia is a highly racialised country. Over the past decade, racial discrimination has not only persisted but evolved in new and complex ways. But are things getting better or worse? More importantly, are we getting better at understanding racism beyond simplistic framings of majority vs. minority?Pusat KOMAS recently released Malaysia Racism Report: A Decade in Review. Basically, it’s a deep dive into how racism has shaped policies, institutions, and everyday life over the

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46:26

The Impact of E-Hailing and the Uberization of the...

Beyond the Ballot Box ·

2025/03/27

We're increasingly seeing the Uberization of the economy, where platform-driven gig work with wages based on algorithms, and precarious labor conditions have become the norm. Look around and you’ll see many young Malaysians as e-hailing drivers and food delivery riders. But people aren’t just doing this as part-time gigs in between jobs or while waiting for college to start – it is the primary source of income for many, including some who have Bachelor’s Degrees. Also, think about your consumer

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