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 regional leadership. 

BWI is calling on Malaysia to support a draft resolution at the ILO’s 353rd Governing Body session at the 113th International Labour Conference in June, which seeks to hold the Myanmar military junta accountable for widespread abuses. 

In this episode, we are joined by Apolinar Dong Tolentino, Regional Representative of BWI. We discuss how the Junta is cracking down on workers and what can be done about it.


Image Credit: Shutterstock

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.&nbsp;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&nbsp; chair —has a unique opportunity to demonstrate moral and regional leadership.&nbsp;BWI is calling on Malaysia to support a draft resolution at the ILO’s 353rd Governing Body session at the 113th International Labour Conference in June, which seeks to hold the Myanmar military junta accountable for widespread abuses.&nbsp;In this episode, we are joined by Apolinar Dong Tolentino, Regional Representative of BWI. We discuss how the Junta is cracking down on workers and what can be done about it. 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.

How the Military Junta in Myanmar is Oppressing Workers

Malaysia’s fight against corruption remains one of the country’s most persistent political and institutional challenges. While the latest results from the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index show Malaysia improving slightly to 52 points and ranking 54th globally, the broader picture remains complicated. Progress in rankings does not necessarily mean corruption has been meaningfully reduced, especially as major controversies continue to surface around powerful institutions, corporate interests, and the very bodies tasked with enforcing anti-corruption laws.
We speak to Raymon Ram, President, Transparency International Malaysia, about how the government is doing in its fight against corruption.


Image Credit: Shutterstock

Malaysia’s fight against corruption remains one of the country’s most persistent political and institutional challenges. While the latest results from the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index show Malaysia improving slightly to 52 points and ranking 54th globally, the broader picture remains complicated. Progress in rankings does not necessarily mean corruption has been meaningfully reduced, especially as major controversies continue to surface around powerful institutions, corporate interests, and the very bodies tasked with enforcing anti-corruption laws. We speak to Raymon Ram, President, Transparency International Malaysia, about how the government is doing in its fight against corruption. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Anti-Corruption: Is MADANI on the right track?

MANDIRI is a youth-driven civil society organisation founded in 2024 that aims to strengthen democratic participation, social justice, and civic engagement among young people. It is established by a group of activists, namely Amir Hadi, Mohamad Alshatry and Dobby Chew – names you probably recognise if you’ve been listening to the show for some time. 

In this episode, we speak to Dobby Chew about what the organisation is all about, the state of civil society in Malaysia today, and the upcoming MUDA elections in which Dobby is contesting.


Image Credit: MANDIRI Malaysia

MANDIRI is a youth-driven civil society organisation founded in 2024 that aims to strengthen democratic participation, social justice, and civic engagement among young people. It is established by a group of activists, namely Amir Hadi, Mohamad Alshatry and Dobby Chew – names you probably recognise if you’ve been listening to the show for some time.&nbsp;In this episode, we speak to Dobby Chew about what the organisation is all about, the state of civil society in Malaysia today, and the upcoming MUDA elections in which Dobby is contesting. Image Credit: MANDIRI Malaysia

MANDIRI: A House for Activists and Rebels

Malaysia today finds itself at an important juncture. For starters, the MADANI government is currently led by a reformist coalition and a Prime Minister who has championed good governance and institutional reform for decades. 

The past few weeks have been especially pivotal, though. On the one hand, you’ve got a recent Bloomberg investigation into alleged “corporate mafia” behaviour within the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including controversy surrounding Chief Commissioner Azam Baki.  This has reignited public concerns about integrity and continues to impact public trust in the government and institutions. 

At the same time, the government has tabled major reform initiatives  from the long-debated Attorney General–Public Prosecutor split to a constitutional amendment to introduce a two-term limit for the Prime Minister. 

So, how do we make sense of the government’s reform agenda so far, particularly when it comes to prosecutorial independence and the structures of the MACC?

We speak to Maha Balakrishnan, Parliamentary and Policy Advocacy Specialist. 


Image Credit: Shutterstock

Malaysia today finds itself at an important juncture. For starters, the MADANI government is currently led by a reformist coalition and a Prime Minister who has championed good governance and institutional reform for decades.&nbsp;The past few weeks have been especially pivotal, though. On the one hand, you’ve got a recent Bloomberg investigation into alleged “corporate mafia” behaviour within the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including controversy surrounding Chief Commissioner Azam Baki.&nbsp; This has reignited public concerns about integrity and continues to impact public trust in the government and institutions.&nbsp;At the same time, the government has tabled major reform initiatives&nbsp; from the long-debated Attorney General–Public Prosecutor split to a constitutional amendment to introduce a two-term limit for the Prime Minister.&nbsp;So, how do we make sense of the government’s reform agenda so far, particularly when it comes to prosecutorial independence and the structures of the MACC?We speak to Maha Balakrishnan, Parliamentary and Policy Advocacy Specialist.&nbsp; Image Credit: Shutterstock

How the Military Junta in Myanmar is Oppressing Workers

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