Shows / Beyond the Ballot Box
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.
Episodes
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Do We Bridge the Polarisation in Malaysia?
We live in an increasingly polarised world. Ethnonationalism and other forms of right wing and ultra-conservative populist movements are on the rise in…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Are the Structural Barriers to Gender Equity in Malaysia?
Here are two important statistics you need to know. One, only 55% of working age women in Malaysia are part of the labour force, compared to 81% of men. Two…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
PROJEK30% - Why We Need More Women in Politics
EMPOWER, in collaboration with civil society coalitions like JAG, BERSIH, and CSO Platform for Reform, has launched the Projek30% campaign to push political…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Ahmed Alnaouq on Gaza and How the World Failed the Moral Litmus Test
Ahmed Alnaouq, a Palestinian activist and journalist based in the UK, is the co-founder of We Are Not Numbers, a platform that empowers young Palestinians to…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Can Malaysia Arrest Benjamin Netanyahu If He Comes Here?
Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Went Wrong in Malaysia’s Nation-Building Journey?
Dato’ Mohammed Hussein was with the Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) Group for 31 years. Prior to his retirement on 30 January 2008, he was the Deputy…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Why We Need a Media Council
Media freedom or freedom of the press is something journalists in Malaysia have been grappling with for many decades. For many years, draconian laws have been…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Malaysia’s Democratic Transition Amidst Rising Southeast Asia
Malaysia is at an interesting juncture right now. In 2018, Malaysians voted out the Barisan Nasional government that was once thought invincible and had ruled…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Did Donald Trump Become President Again? (Part 2)
Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America. He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Did Donald Trump Become President Again? (Part 1)
Donald Trump is once again President of the United States of America. He did so by defeating Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris relatively comfortably…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
After Mixed-Bag Bill Passed, What Next For Stateless People?
In October, the Parliament of Malaysia passed controversial amendments to the constitution’s citizenship provisions via a Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Orang Kita #3: Farmlands & Financial Hubs: How Land Use Shapes Voting Patterns in Malaysia
Everyone knows that politics in Malaysia is highly racialised. What’s usually missing from the discourse is how there is an aspect of class, material…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Can Malaysia Implement Universal Basic Income?
Ask around and many will tell you that the biggest problem Malaysians face is wages. Wages in Malaysia have been stagnant for more than a couple of decades…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Does Budget 2025 Address the Needs of Caregivers?
Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The big…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Does Budget 2025 Address the Needs of the Working Class?
Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled the RM 421 billion Budget 2025, up from the RM 393.8 billion budget tabled at the end of last year. The question…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Should Budget 2025 Address the Needs of the Marhaen
With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, rising inequality and stagnating wages, Malaysians face mounting challenges. This is especially true if…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Budget 2025: Achieving Gender Equality
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Do Women With Family Members on Death Row Go Through?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
One Year of Genocide in Gaza
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
To Be Feminist is to Be Anti-Imperialist
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
MADANI Government Must Increase the Minimum Wage
Last week, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) submitted a memorandum to the Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Should Malaysia Tackle Myanmar Crisis as Next ASEAN Chair
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Makes an Empire an Empire
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
First Past the Post, Malapportionment & the Sabah/Sarawak Dilemma
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Lessons From Syed Husin Ali’s A People’s History of Malaysia
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Can We Learn From the Anti-Immigration UK Riots?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Changed Since Malaysia Abolished the Mandatory Death Penalty?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Looking Back at the Death of S.Balamurugan in Police Custody
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Can Malaysia Do More For Palestinians?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Does Malaysia Need to Devolve More Power to States?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What's Causing the Rise of Religious Fundamentalism?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Women in India Fight Back Against Rape Culture!
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Evaluating MADANI’s Anti-Corruption Efforts So Far
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Lessons From Malaysia’s Contemporary Protest History
The DEMO project, launched by Zikri Rahman, Jeremy Lim and Ooi Kok Hin, is a collection of interviews documenting the history of Malaysian contemporary…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Kishore Mahbubani on the Asian Century and World War III
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Do the Poor Remain Poor Because They Are Lazy?
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…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Reflections on the 79th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing
It's been 79 years today since the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a moment that forever changed the course of history. This event has impacted…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Sivaranjani, New Sec Gen of PSM on Building Left Movements
Sivaranjani Manickam has been elected the new secretary-general of Parti Sosialis Malaysia at its 26th national congress, which took place at the end of July…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Why Did Palestinian Forces Sign a Unity Agreement in China?
On the 23rd of July, 12 Palestinian factions including Hamas and the PLO (led by Fatah) signed a “national unity” agreement. The agreement was signed in China…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Reflections on James C. Scott’s Views of Resistance, Capital and the State
James C. Scott, a prominent American political scientist and anthropologist passed away at 87, on the 19th of July 2024. Scott was known for his work on how…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Ethical Solutions for Domestic Worker Recruitment
The hiring of migrant domestic workers has for many decades been one of the important options for a segment of Malaysian households to help with care…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Colonialism Shapes National Identity
CounterArchive: Fictional Healing is a project co-curated by Ong Jo-Lene and Rebecca Yeoh, and involves activating British archival materials from the Malayan…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Malaysia Must Push For Peace & Justice For Rohingyas
There is a revolution ongoing in Myanmar. But where do the ethnic minority Rohingyas fit into this picture? After all, the Rohingya people have been subject to…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Orang Kita #2: Does the MADANI Branding Capture the Imagination of Young Malays?
Malaysia is polarised. Far-right, ultra-conservative majoritarian movements are gaining traction. This is reflected in the election results of GE15 but we’d be…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Unpacking the Results of the 2024 UK & France Elections
It was a historic defeat for the Conservative Tory Party, led by Rishi Sunak at the 2024 UK General Election, losing more than half the seats they previously…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
15 Years of Injustice: Remembering Teoh Beng Hock
Teoh Beng Hock was once a promising young journalist and political aide to a member of the Selangor state legislative assembly from Pakatan Rakyat. In 2009, he…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Why We Need a Cradle-to-Grave Care Economy Framework
Malaysia is becoming an ageing society and concurrently, there are changes in family structures. People are growing older, living longer, choosing to have less…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Freedom Flotilla Coalition: Sailing For Palestine
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a global grassroots movement aiming to end Gaza's blockade, address the humanitarian crisis, and support Palestinian…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Did the Right-Wing Make Big Gains in the EU Parliament
The European Union Parliamentary Elections took place from the 6th - 9th of June and saw far-right parties make big gains. The mainstream centre-right European…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Who Are the Bajau Laut and Why Destroy Their Houses?
Recently, the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah were evicted from their homes by authorities. The Indigenous stateless population saw their stilt and…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
The Real Problem: Inequality, Not Refugees
There are about 189,340 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia. These are only the ones registered under UNHCR, which means the actual…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
India Elections 2024: When Winners Feel Like Losers & Losers Feel Like Winners
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu Supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a shocking setback in the recent general elections. The BJP is…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Everything You Need to Know About the Diesel Subsidy Reforms
On the 10th of June, the Malaysian government officially implemented the Diesel Subsidy reform, moving away from decades-old blanket subsidies. The Prime…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Nurul Izzah on Racial Polarisation and Far-Right Movements
Israel has continued its destruction of Gaza and refugee camps in Rafah. Around 40 000 Palestinians have been killed, half of whom are children. Besides “weak”…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Bersih Congress 2024 Post-Mortem
Last week, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections held the Bersih Congress 2024. Close to 300 highly energetic people packed the Kuala Lumpur Selangor…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Robert Reich on How Inequality Shapes Politics
The mainstream narrative over the past several decades suggests that inequality is not a significant concern; That so long as the material conditions are going…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
The Nakba Never Ended, the Coloniser Lied
About 1 million Palestinians who fled the main city of Gaza due to Israel’s bombardment and acts of genocide are currently seeking refuge in Rafah. Rafah was…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
Vijay Prashad on How America Rules the World
We are all part of a global capitalist system dominated by US hegemony – an imperialist force. This is especially true since the end of the cold war and the…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
What Has Become of Student Movements & Activism Today?
Malaysia has a rich history of student-led movements. If we look at the period of pre-independence and after independence, student movements were radically…
- Beyond the Ballot Box
How Plantation Workers Won Housing After 26-Year Struggle!
Early in May, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming announced the 26-year-old housing woes of five estates in Hulu Selangor and Kuala Selangor…