What Is The Plague?

We tend to picture the plague as a medieval horror confined to history books, until a lab worker's death in Russia put the word back in headlines and had everyone wondering if it was back. So what exactly is the plague, and should a case popping up today worry us the way COVID once did? To unpack t…

Getting Women to Talk About Their Breasts

Every October, we're told to wear pink and go for breast screening, but that message skips over something more basic. Many women have spent their whole lives feeling uneasy even talking about their own breasts, let alone examining them. So before we ask women to be proactive about breast health, ho…

From Play to Purpose: What is Inclusive Learning?

Every child learns differently. But does every classroom make room for that? At The Alice Smith School, inclusive learning is built into the curriculum, from play-based learning that lets children explore and discover, to translanguaging, which treats every language a child speaks as a strength. …

What Should Access To Adequate Housing Look Like in Malaysia?

What should access to adequate housing look like for Malaysians? We’re covering this in conjunction with World Habitat Day, but it is also a time where owning a house or renting a place that is affordable and isn’t the size of a shoebox is becoming increasingly out of reach for many people. So, wha…

What is a Not-for-Profit School?

From its early beginnings to its 80th anniversary, The Alice Smith School has remained committed to the not-for-profit model, and is the oldest and only British international school in Malaysia to operate this way. But what does that actually mean in practice? How does it shape the way a school is …

What Makes A Bonsai... A Bonsai?

How do you turn an ordinary tree into a bonsai? And at what point does a small tree become a work of art? We get a beginner’s guide to bonsai, from shaping and caring for these miniature trees to the patience and artistry behind them. We also find out what suiseki is, and look back at Malaysia’s fi…

What are the Untold Stories of Malaysia’s Formation?

When we talk about September 16, 1963, our standard history textbooks often refer to the formation of Malaysia to a simple timeline of diplomatic handshakes between Kuala Lumpur and London. But if we take a closer look at Sabah, and the broader regional landscape, we get to uncover a far richer and…

How Does Sport Become A Tool Of Diplomacy?

Sport is often seen as something that brings people together, but it can also be a powerful tool of international politics. From hosting the Olympics and World Cup to sending athletes abroad and using sporting exchanges to build relationships, countries have long used sport to project their image, …

Merdeka: What Were the Landmarks on our Road to Independence?

Before that unforgettable "Merdeka!" cry rang out seven times at Dataran Merdeka, Malaya's path to independence was littered with false starts, stalled negotiations, and moments that almost changed history's course. We take a look into the road not taken with Eddin Khoo. Image Credit: Wikimedia …

How did the Jata Negara and Jalur Gemilang Come To Be?

As Merdeka approaches, the Malaysian Coat of Arms and Jalur Gemilang become familiar symbols of national pride and unity. But behind these instantly recognisable designs are stories, meanings and details that reveal how thoughtfully they were created. In this episode, we take a closer look at the d…