On the 10th of June, the Malaysian government officially implemented the Diesel Subsidy reform, moving away from decades-old blanket subsidies. The Prime Minister has stressed that this move will save the government billions of ringgit annually and discourage smuggling and corruption. The government also said that the burden of removing these subsidies will only be felt by the T20 income earners and will not impact the B40 and M40. 



So, what are the potential long-term benefits of this reform and are there potential downsides? And what should the government do with the billions of ringgit they are projected to save from this reform?



Image Credit: Shutterstock

On the 10th of June, the Malaysian government officially implemented the Diesel Subsidy reform, moving away from decades-old blanket subsidies. The Prime Minister has stressed that this move will save the government billions of ringgit annually and discourage smuggling and corruption. The government also said that the burden of removing these subsidies will only be felt by the T20 income earners and will not impact the B40 and M40.&nbsp;So, what are the potential long-term benefits of this reform and are there potential downsides? And what should the government do with the billions of ringgit they are projected to save from this reform?Image Credit: Shutterstock

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.

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.

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.

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.

Everything You Need to Know About the Diesel Subsidy Reforms

Recently, the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah were evicted from their homes by authorities. The Indigenous stateless population saw their stilt and boathouses demolished and burned down, leaving them with nothing and nowhere to go. 

So, why was this done? Is it because of national and state security, a reason so often given by the political elites? Well, a few days after the eviction, news broke that a 21-acre Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB) land in Kampung Air, Semporna will be turned into a RM478 million township, to meet tourist demands. 

So, what does peace and justice for the Bajau Laut community look like?

We speak to Wan Shakila Adiela Wan Azmi, Member of Borneo Komrad. Borneo Komrad is an initiative organization of students and young people from Sabah to build social advocacy such as education, culture and human rights. They run a school called 'Sekolah Alternatif' to empower Bajau Laut children and teenagers. 

Recently, the Bajau Laut community in Semporna, Sabah were evicted from their homes by authorities. The Indigenous stateless population saw their stilt and boathouses demolished and burned down, leaving them with nothing and nowhere to go. So, why was this done? Is it because of national and state security, a reason so often given by the political elites? Well, a few days after the eviction, news broke that a 21-acre Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB) land in Kampung Air, Semporna will be turned into a RM478 million township, to meet tourist demands. So, what does peace and justice for the Bajau Laut community look like?We speak to Wan Shakila Adiela Wan Azmi, Member of Borneo Komrad. Borneo Komrad is an initiative organization of students and young people from Sabah to build social advocacy such as education, culture and human rights. They run a school called 'Sekolah Alternatif' to empower Bajau Laut children and teenagers.

Who Are the Bajau Laut and Why Destroy Their Houses?

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 figure is likely much, much higher. And it’s only going to go up in the near future, given the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, genocide in Gaza and conflicts on the rise in various parts of the world. 

The question is, what can and should we do about it?

We speak to Dr Melati Nungsari, Associate Professor of Economics and the Deputy Dean of Research, Asia School of Business. Dr Melati has done plenty of research on refugee rights. The Asia School of Business & UNHCR also recently held a conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement.

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 figure is likely much, much higher. And it’s only going to go up in the near future, given the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, genocide in Gaza and conflicts on the rise in various parts of the world. The question is, what can and should we do about it?We speak to Dr Melati Nungsari, Associate Professor of Economics and the Deputy Dean of Research, Asia School of Business. Dr Melati has done plenty of research on refugee rights. The Asia School of Business &amp; UNHCR also recently held a conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement.

The Real Problem: Inequality, Not Refugees

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 still the most popular party in India, winning 240 seats in Parliament. However, they fell short of the 272-seat majority needed to form the government by themselves. This contrasts the past two elections in which BJP won comfortable majorities. 

Although the BJP  and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 283 seats collectively, enabling them to form the next government and Modi as the PM once again, the BJP will now depend on coalition partners. 

The opposition coalition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party and includes Tamil Nadu’s DMK, Kerala’s CPI-Marxists and various others, won 223 seats, surpassing expectations. The BJP has also continued to struggle to penetrate states in South India, winning only 1 seat in Kerala and 0 in Tamil Nadu. 

So, what does this result mean?

We speak to Subin Dennis, an economist & policy researcher from Tricontinental Research India. 

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 still the most popular party in India, winning 240 seats in Parliament. However, they fell short of the 272-seat majority needed to form the government by themselves. This contrasts the past two elections in which BJP won comfortable majorities. Although the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 283 seats collectively, enabling them to form the next government and Modi as the PM once again, the BJP will now depend on coalition partners. The opposition coalition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party and includes Tamil Nadu’s DMK, Kerala’s CPI-Marxists and various others, won 223 seats, surpassing expectations. The BJP has also continued to struggle to penetrate states in South India, winning only 1 seat in Kerala and 0 in Tamil Nadu. So, what does this result mean?We speak to Subin Dennis, an economist &amp; policy researcher from Tricontinental Research India.

Everything You Need to Know About the Diesel Subsidy Reforms

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