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

The Simon Says Podcast

“Simon Says” is a deep dive into the topsy-turvy world of Malaysian politics and why it matters. Follow host Simon Yeo as he gives his perspectives and decodes current political and government news for you. If you have ever wondered about some of the following, this show is for you! “Why does boring history matter to politics?” “What’s Malaysia’s future going to be like? Should I even start a family?” “How can I tell if what the media is telling me is true or not?” “How can we, the people, get more

government

All Episodes

00:36:54

Do We Really Have to Choose between America First or...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/11/28

President Trump once responded to commentary from Tucker Carlson by saying, "The one thing Washington cannot forgive is that I put America first — always put America first. I could never help it. I have to do that in order to make America great again. I reject their foolish and disastrous foreign wars, their horrific globalist trade deals, their open border catastrophes, their corruption of our intelligence system, and it’s never been more corrupt. And all of the other betrayals of the American

en

00:43:43

How did Anwar turn Trump’s State Visit into...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/11/22

In the recent Trump’s state visit to Malaysia, there were many critics who liked and disliked the posturing that PMX showed. Some fancy Trump, and some just don’t. Nonetheless, the shift in PMX from continual focus on international crises to local matters such as affordability in every day lives of citizens is one to be lauded. Could it be a diplomatic advantage that we reaped from the Trump’s state visit? Find out more in this episode.

en

00:37:27

Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord witnessed by Trump and...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/10/27

With Cambodia-Thailand Peace Pact signed in Malaysia, Trump declares this to be a momentous day for South East Asia. In Trump’s speech - “I would also like to thank Anwar. I called him right at the beginning and said, ‘You have two countries fighting right next to you. We need a third place, a neutral place,' and he was there.” Does this mark the beginning of a golden age for Malaysia - a neutral nation advocating and facilitating peace?

en

00:31:00

Is Malaysia headed towards Isolationist Policies?...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/10/24

It has been 1 month plus since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who is well known even among ordinary people in Malaysia. Some people said he was killed because of his Christian faith, but we believe he’s killed for his discussion of ideas.Domestically, the issues remain the same - religion, racial, DEI (quota), economic sluggishness, competition among the different versions of Malaysia. Aat the end our focus remains - what kind of Malaysia do we want to see?

en

00:48:55

White House sets Malaysia’s tariff rate at 19% (Ep.127)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/08/25

In a brilliant article by John Carney of Breitbart titled “Putting a Price on Admission to America’s Market”, we discussed in this episode as to how did we, Malaysian government, get from "I am not going to pay a single payment of tariff" to "thank you very much, 19% tariff is an excellent deal.” Tune in to find out more.Article credit: https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/07/29/breitbart-business-digest-putting-a-price-on-admission-to-americas-markets/

en

00:47:24

Season of Navigating Tariff for Malaysia (Ep.126)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/08/02

As Malaysia struck a deal at the eleventh hour with the Trump administration, we discussed in this episode what might have been the ideal tariff deals for Malaysia, especially when our Prime Minister has been recently labelled as “cukaiman” (aka tax man) with the introduction of sales and service tax even on the imported fruits.

en

00:45:31

Can Clerical Leadership Really Take Malaysia to...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/08/02

In Zaid Ibrahim’s facebook post, he said, “Guided by its Council of Guardians - religious scholars with deep ideological conviction - Iran not only survived but asserted its independence despite decades of war and crippling sanctions from global superpowers.”In this episode, we explored Nurul Izzah’s brave opinion where it is said that scholars have no influence in Malaysia; only religious bureaucrats. Will Malaysia be able to navigate through the “moderate” and less religious way of expressing

en

00:44:00

Expanded SST - Is Support for PMX Waning? (Ep.124)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/07/02

Framed as part of the Madani Government’s broader fiscal reform efforts, Malaysians have been thrusted into the supposed reform that are in fact patchwork fix for underlying ever expanding government expenditure. More and more, the Madani tax is looking like Mamdani tax that is aimed to redistribute wealth. Are we looking at waning support for PMX for the lack of fiscal reform? Tune in to find out more on the local news analysis.

en

00:39:35

Nations Realignment through Trump’s Middle East Visit...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/05/25

Nations Realignment through Trump’s Middle East Visit (Ep.123)In the recent visit to Middle East, Trump called out “Nation-building Neo-Cons” and liberal “Non-Profit” who had betrayed the ordinary people in the nation; and it was apparent that from the visit, Trump’s main focus remains to be putting America first.In that visit, it came as a surprise to many when Trump was greeted with warm standing ovation when he told investors in Saudi Arabia that he was lifting sanctions off of Syria and opened

en

00:42:39

PKR Central Election - Rafizi or Nurul Izzah vying...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/05/15

Rafizi recently made a statement - "If Nurul Izzah loses, people would say Anwar has been rejected by his own party. So what choice do you have here?" In this episode, we explore the significance of this party election that may impact the general election.

en

00:43:54

Departure from a Globalist Era? (Ep.121)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/05/08

Malaysia’s halal import restrictions and requirements for bumiputera equity in foreign-owned companies have been flagged by the United States as non-tariff barriers, which is viewed as a lack of reciprocity in the bilateral trade relationships between the two nations. In this episode, we explored various topics, such as “Will the conclave elect a Pope that is different from the late Pope Francis who placed a heavy focus on social justice issues?” and “Will Malaysia, particularly under the leadership

en

01:11:29

Desperate China on ASEAN Tour to Rally Support...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/05/06

A master class in negotiation, Trump recognised a reality and perhaps predicted Beijing's belligerent approach to Trump's call for fairness in trade deals. In this episode, we discussed the recent trip that President Xi has made to Malaysia, and if Malaysia would remain neutral in trade deals with US and China despite the belligerent approach taken by China against the US.

en

00:51:02

Desperate China on an ASEAN tour to Jointly Resist...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/04/14

Since the Liberation Day on 2 April, the world has been thrust into introspection of the unfair “free trade policies”, which is seemingly “without economic sense” as American Enterprise Institute bluntly declared.Ahead of the scheduled visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia on 15 April, we discussed in this episode if Southeast Asia countries will remain truly neutral in the trade war as it grows in influence as emergent key market for China’s manufacturing powerhouses.

en

00:44:54

Affirmative Action & Preferential Policies in...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/04/09

In this episode, we have a guest speaker, Ch’ng Xin Ying, with whom we discussed the nuanced assertions and counter-assertions on group preferences and quotas. Innumerable principles have been used to justify affirmative action programs, but are we able to hope for a better alternative to affirmative action in this rainbow nation of Malaysia?

en

00:47:32

Turning Point for DAP? (Ep.117)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/04/02

The recent CEC election results have signaled a generational change with the rise of new crop of party leaders. In this episode, we discussed with our guest speaker, David Tiang, on the directional shift within DAP that would be more palatable to the voters before the next general election.

en

01:01:52

DAP CEC Election (Ep.116)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/03/26

Ahead of the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) Election on 16 March, we have two special guests on this show as we discussed the key question surrounding the election as posed by Professor James Chin.“Will the Lim family remain a dominant force or will a new leadership emerge?”

en

00:31:42

Anwar’s ASEAN Summit off to Bumpy Start? (Ep.115)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/03/15

Many critics have equated Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship to a disappointing start, with possibility of supposed “neutrality” in ASEAN-US relations risks Trump’s ire as Anwar cosies up to Gulf nations and China.In this episode, we also discuss Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar’s passive-aggressive stance on class war between the poor vs. the ultra rich” as he continues the position of Robin Hood locally and regionally in ASEAN’s summit.

en

00:33:29

Associated Press claimed Elon’s DOGE less efficient...

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/02/26

With the federal protest on 19 February 2025 against Elon Musk’s “takeover” of public service jobs, we explore the dreaded topic by Malaysian politicians of waste and civil service inefficiency. While several political analysts have alluded to the idea of DOGE, will there come a time when implementation of similar “drastic” measures would happen in Malaysia?Credits:Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Rex/ShutterstockPhotograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

en

00:45:02

New Paradigm in World Affairs? (Ep.113)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/02/15

Barely 3 weeks into the new American administration, President Donald J. Trump continues to attract and commands the attention of the world. It is not a hyperbole to suggest that every word, official decree issued by Trump (and of course his administration) commanded the attention of the world. Whether you are an aspiring super power like China or a smaller player like Malaysia, Trump is fundamentally challenging and changing the global system – for the better or the worse.

en

00:40:09

Trump: Winning is What Matters (Ep.112)

The Simon Says Podcast ·

2025/01/26

In his inaugural address, the 47th President of United States of America proclaims ‘The Golden Age of America Begins Right Now’. In line with the historic start to President Donald Trump’s second term, the President signed more executive orders on his first day in office than any president in history.In this episode, we witnessed the Trump Effect where most importantly, common sense has been restored to the government, with executive order signed in ensuring the elimination of discriminatory DEI

en

137 results

Similar Podcasts

The Fly

Georgetown"s Institute of Politics and...

THE CONSTITUTION STUDY

Paul Engel

The DSR Daily

The DSR Network

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Fora do Baralho

Rádio Observador