For the longest time, particularly since the late 90s, then-opposition parties from PKR to DAP to PAS campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and anti-cronyism, against the Barisan Nasional. This only intensified during former, disgraced Prime Minister Najib Razak’s time in power and the 1MDB scandal. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.

The question is, how much do these parties actually practice the transparency and accountability they once demanded of others?

Recently, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), published a paper on the transparency index of political parties in Malaysia.

In this episode, we speak to one of the co-authors of the paper, Dr Haris Zuan, from UKM, about what the findings reveal regarding internal democracy and financial transparency within Malaysia’s major political parties.


Image credit: Shutterstock

For the longest time, particularly since the late 90s, then-opposition parties from PKR to DAP to PAS campaigned on a platform of anti-corruption and anti-cronyism, against the Barisan Nasional. This only intensified during former, disgraced Prime Minister Najib Razak’s time in power and the 1MDB scandal. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018.The question is, how much do these parties actually practice the transparency and accountability they once demanded of others?Recently, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), published a paper on the transparency index of political parties in Malaysia.In this episode, we speak to one of the co-authors of the paper, Dr Haris Zuan, from UKM, about what the findings reveal regarding internal democracy and financial transparency within Malaysia’s major political parties. 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 Transparent and Accountable Are Major Political Parties in Malaysia?

We often hear about neighbourhoods being evicted, houses being torn down, and communities organising against the state or private developers, demanding fair compensation, proper consultation, and the right to remain on their land.

Development, Displacement and Democracy: The Place of Eviction Protests in Malaysia is a paper that examines how these eviction protests function as an important but often overlooked form of democratic participation in Malaysia’s development process. The paper argues that eviction protests should be recognised as legitimate democratic actors and recommends stronger legal protections, institutionalised public consultation, and formal inclusion of CSOs to ensure more participatory and just development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this episode, we unpack the paper with its author, Jeremy Lim. 



Image Credit: socialis.net

We often hear about neighbourhoods being evicted, houses being torn down, and communities organising against the state or private developers, demanding fair compensation, proper consultation, and the right to remain on their land.Development, Displacement and Democracy: The Place of Eviction Protests in Malaysia is a paper that examines how these eviction protests function as an important but often overlooked form of democratic participation in Malaysia’s development process. The paper argues that eviction protests should be recognised as legitimate democratic actors and recommends stronger legal protections, institutionalised public consultation, and formal inclusion of CSOs to ensure more participatory and just development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this episode, we unpack the paper with its author, Jeremy Lim.&nbsp;Image Credit: socialis.net

Understanding The Politics of Eviction in Malaysia

Take One Action is an initiative based in Scotland that uses film as a tool to help people make sense of the world. The organisation curates documentaries and features that explore themes like inequality, climate justice, human rights, and collective action, often pairing them with discussions, workshops, and conversations with activists, academics, and filmmakers. 

In this episode, we speak to Daisy Crooke, Events and Communities Coordinator, Take One Action, about the power of film in helping us make sense of the world and politics. 


Daisy Crooke is also working together with the Malaysian Freedom Film Network on their Emerging Curators Lab. For more information, visit: freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab


Image Credit: Take One Action

Take One Action is an initiative based in Scotland that uses film as a tool to help people make sense of the world. The organisation curates documentaries and features that explore themes like inequality, climate justice, human rights, and collective action, often pairing them with discussions, workshops, and conversations with activists, academics, and filmmakers.&nbsp;In this episode, we speak to Daisy Crooke, Events and Communities Coordinator, Take One Action, about the power of film in helping us make sense of the world and politics.&nbsp; Daisy Crooke is also working together with the Malaysian Freedom Film Network on their Emerging Curators Lab. For more information, visit: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab">freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab</a> Image Credit: Take One Action

How Films Can Help Us Make Sense of the World

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.” 

So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?

In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author, and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force. 

In part two of the conversation, we focus on: 


What are the possibilities of World War III with Taiwan as the flashpoint?


Is it time for China to put the 1949 revolution behind it and accept Taiwan as a sovereign nation? 


The human rights violations in Xinjiang


Should China put its principle of non-interference aside and actively defend its allies militarily


What should ASEAN keep in mind as China continues to rise



Image Credit: Shutterstock

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall.&nbsp;But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.”&nbsp;So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author, and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force.&nbsp;In part two of the conversation, we focus on:&nbsp;<ul><li>What are the possibilities of World War III with Taiwan as the flashpoint?</li><li>Is it time for China to put the 1949 revolution behind it and accept Taiwan as a sovereign nation?&nbsp;</li><li>The human rights violations in Xinjiang</li><li>Should China put its principle of non-interference aside and actively defend its allies militarily</li><li>What should ASEAN keep in mind as China continues to rise</li></ul>Image Credit: Shutterstock

How Transparent and Accountable Are Major Political Parties in Malaysia?

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