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.

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.

Who Are the Bajau Laut and Why Destroy Their Houses?

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 there is excitement and opportunities, there are also plenty of real challenges. One such challenge that ASEAN will have to continue navigating is the crisis in Myanmar. 

As we know, Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government, leading to a civil war between the Junta and various pro-democracy and liberation forces. Some have even called it a revolution. 

So, what should ASEAN’s role be in this crisis?

In this episode, we speak to Thomas Daniel, who’s a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. He recently wrote an article arguing that with Malaysia as chair, ASEAN should approach the situation in Myanmar much differently than the past few years. 


Image credit: Shutterstock

Malaysia will be the chair of ASEAN in 2025.&nbsp;Many have argued that this is an exhilarating time for the Asian region, particularly Southeast Asia. But while there is excitement and opportunities, there are also plenty of real challenges. One such challenge that ASEAN will have to continue navigating is the crisis in Myanmar.&nbsp;As we know, Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 following a military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government, leading to a civil war between the Junta and various pro-democracy and liberation forces. Some have even called it a revolution.&nbsp;So, what should ASEAN’s role be in this crisis?In this episode, we speak to Thomas Daniel, who’s a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic &amp; International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia. He recently wrote an article arguing that with Malaysia as chair, ASEAN should approach the situation in Myanmar much differently than the past few years.&nbsp; Image credit: Shutterstock

How Should Malaysia Tackle Myanmar Crisis as Next ASEAN Chair

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 use the word to describe the United States of America. Some also use the term to describe China. But what exactly does “empire” mean? How do they form? And how does the existence of an empire impact the common working person? We discuss this with Associate Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). 


Image credit: Shutterstock

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 use the word to describe the United States of America. Some also use the term to describe China. But what exactly does “empire” mean? How do they form? And how does the existence of an empire impact the common working person? We discuss this with Associate Professor Peter Beattie, Political Economist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).&nbsp; Image credit: Shutterstock

What Makes an Empire an Empire

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 we cannot and shouldn’t place the blame of the polarization on our electoral system alone, we have to ask if our electoral system does more to bring people together or encourage further polarization. And if we change the system, what would it look like? Separately but on a related note, many have argued that Sabah & Sarawak should have 1/3 Parliamentary Seats or more than that. But how would that actually work in reality?

We speak to Wong Chin Huat who’s a political scientist with Sunway University and is also part of an initiative to advocate for institutional reforms to advance political stability and accountability called Projek SAMA. He has been a champion of moving away from the First Past the Post Electoral System.


Image credit: Shutterstock

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 we cannot and shouldn’t place the blame of the polarization on our electoral system alone, we have to ask if our electoral system does more to bring people together or encourage further polarization. And if we change the system, what would it look like? Separately but on a related note, many have argued that Sabah &amp; Sarawak should have 1/3 Parliamentary Seats or more than that. But how would that actually work in reality?We speak to Wong Chin Huat who’s a political scientist with Sunway University and is also part of an initiative to advocate for institutional reforms to advance political stability and accountability called Projek SAMA. He has been a champion of moving away from the First Past the Post Electoral System. Image credit: Shutterstock

Who Are the Bajau Laut and Why Destroy Their Houses?

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