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 speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.Social links:
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Ones to Watch #5 - How Do Youth Rise Within a Party?
How does a youth member rise to leadership within a political party? What is the ladder? Who holds it? And how long is the climb? We speak to Azman Azeez, Exco of Pemuda UMNO Malaysia in charge of leadership and membership development, to learn how our oldest party recruits its young talent. Ima…
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Why Providing Free Breakfast in Schools Should Be a National Priority
The Selangor state government has announced a free breakfast programme for schoolchildren, which is scheduled to begin in August. It is aimed at ensuring students have access to nutritious meals before they begin their school day with a target of reaching 120,000 pupils in 965 schools. Former K…
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Title: Ones to Watch #4 - City Councillorship as a Stepping Stone for Politicians?
City councillors are the unsung champions of local politics, covering a wide range of jurisdictions such as infrastructure and development. Is serving the community a good first step into national politics for youth? We speak to Nalina Nair, Petaling Jaya City Councillor and Publicity Secretary for…
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PSM Keeps Losing Elections. So Why Do They Still Contest?
Gandipan Nantha Gopalan, Central Committee Member, Parti Sosialis Malaysia Description: Socialism has been gaining renewed attention around the world. In the English-speaking world, figures like Zohran Mamdani in the US and Zack Polanski in the UK have brought socialist ideas back into mainstream …
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Ones to Watch #3 - Is Going Viral a Pathway into Politics?
A social media arena can make or break a political party’s success in modern elections. However, is going viral enough to make a breakthrough in Malaysian politics? Na’Im Brundage, Exco of ARMADA, which is Bersatu’s youth wing and TikTok influencer, shares his journey from content creator to politi…
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Understanding Kuala Lumpur and the Forces That Shaped It
Reluctant Capital: Essays on Kuala Lumpur is a new book which explores how KL and the Klang Valley has grown into a modern capital while grappling with deep social, political, and economic tensions. Through a series of essays combining urban theory with on-the-ground research, author Badrul Hisham …
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Ones to Watch #2 - What Motivates Young Politicians?
The average age of members of Parliament in Malaysia is a staggering 52.4 years old. So, why would young people want to join politics? What motivates them? In the second episode of Ones to Watch, we speak to Cassel Krishnan, Melaka DAPSY chief and a violin teacher on his journey into politics, an…
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How Will Johor Transform Over the Next Decade?
We're just a few days away from the Johor state election on the 11th of July. As Johor positions itself to become one of Malaysia's most important economic engines, with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone aiming to attract major investments and high-value industries, questions are also being…
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Ones to Watch #1: UNDI 18, Buyers Regret?
1.2 million youth became eligible voters when Malaysia lowered the voting age to 18 in 2019. As Malaysia enters another season of elections, are youth ready to step up to participate in national politics? Nurul Rifayah, a youth activist and Ahmed Faris, CEO of Impact Integrated, walk us through ref…
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What Explains Malaysia’s Long-Standing Low Wage Problem?
The big perennial problem in Malaysia is wages. A lot of Malaysians today feel they're working harder but not getting ahead—they're either experiencing stagnant incomes or finding themselves worse off than the generation before—because wages remain stubbornly low. Despite years of economic growth, …
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