Mon Oct 02 2023
Consider This: End Child Detention (Part 1) - What is “Children-Friendly” Detention?
Earlier this year, the Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution announced that children should no longer be detained in immigration detention centres, pledging to place them instead under the care of NGOs that specialise in the welfare of children. Then in August the Home Ministry announced 23 children and 10 of their parents or guardians have been relocated from existing immigration detention centres to what the government has termed as a “children friendly” detention centre, called Baitul Mahabbah. Does this move signify the Malaysian government will finally put an end to child immigration detention in Malaysia? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to human rights advocate Mahi Ramakrishnan, founder of the NGO, Beyond Borders.
Consider This: Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman — Reimagining Scholarships
Many people think scholarships are just about money. But the Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (Yayasan TAR) is proving that education support can be much more than financial aid. By redefining what it means to qualify for a scholarship, YTAR now prioritizes equity and representation—giving opportunities to those who need them most. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Ida Thein, CEO of Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman & Co-Founder of Closing The Gap Malaysia, and Kuhaneetha Bai, 2022 AHAM-Tunku Scholar.
Consider This: Trump’s Tariffs (Part 2) — Global Trade on Edge
The US has imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China, while a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico has since been delayed for a month. Are President Donald Trump's tariffs a strategic negotiation tool or reckless brinkmanship? What are the global economic consequences of these opening shots? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Strategy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Consider This: Trump’s Tariffs (Part 1) — Global Trade on Edge
The US has imposed a 10% tariff on imports from China, while a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico has since been delayed for a month. Are President Donald Trump's tariffs a strategic negotiation tool or reckless brinkmanship? What are the global economic consequences of these opening shots? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Juita Mohamad, Consultant for the UN Conference of Trade and Development and Co-founder of TIA Editors & Consultancy.
Consider This: Heavy Vehicles - How Can Malaysia’s Roads Be Made Safer?
In the first ten months of 2024, 825 lorries were involved in fatal accidents, contributing to over 5,300 deaths—a stark reminder that although heavy vehicles make up a small fraction of traffic, their disproportionate involvement in fatalities highlight deep systemic issues. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Qamar Wan Noor, Leadership and Transformation Consultant and the former COO of the-then Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and Shahrim Tamrin, who is a Road Safety and Sustainable Transport Activist and Former Board Member of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS).
Consider This: Science Panel for Borneo — Protecting Borneo’s Biodiversity
Borneo's incredible rainforests continue to face mounting threats to its unique biodiversity and ecosystems. To tackle these threats and challenges head-on, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei have joined forces to create the multidisciplinary initiative Science Panel for Borneo, drawing inspiration from similar efforts in the Amazon and Congo Basin. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with the co-chairs of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Science Panel for Borneo: Professor Jatna Supriatna is the Chair of the Research Center for Climate Change at University of Indonesia & Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Indonesia, and Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mazlin Mokhtar is the Director of the Ecological Systems Programme at the UN SDSN Asia Headquarters at Sunway University.
Consider This: Penang Pan Island Link 1 (Part 2) — Complementary or Conflicting with LRT?
Penang’s long-debated Pan Island Link 1 highway has made headlines again, as it was recently revealed that the Federal Government is considering funding the RM7.5 billion project under the 12th Malaysia Plan. The Penang State Government claims the 19.5-kilometer, six-lane highway will be critical for reducing traffic congestion. However, activists warn it could harm the environment and undercut the success of the planned LRT system. Is PIL1 the right path forward for Penang Island? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Lim Mah Hui, member of Penang Forum and former Penang Island City Councillor.
Consider This: Penang Pan Island Link 1 (Part 1) — Complementary or Conflicting with LRT?
Penang’s long-debated Pan Island Link 1 highway has made headlines again, as it was recently revealed that the Federal Government is considering funding the RM7.5 billion project under the 12th Malaysia Plan. The Penang State Government claims the 19.5-kilometer, six-lane highway will be critical for reducing traffic congestion. However, activists warn it could harm the environment and undercut the success of the planned LRT system. Is PIL1 the right path forward for Penang Island? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Zairil Khir Johari, Penang State Government Exco Member for Infrastructure, Transport & Digital.
Consider This: Education — Learning from Indonesia’s Experience
To mark International Day of Education on January 22nd, on this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with education consultant & reform advocate, Dzameer Dzulkifli. He is the former Programme Lead of Guru Tribe, under Indonesia’s GovTech Edu, where from 2020 to 2024, he supported Indonesia's Ministry of Education in transforming its education policies. Prior to that, in 2009, he co-founded Teach For Malaysia—leading it for a decade to build a network of over 500 education changemakers. And later, he served as CEO of Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman—championing tertiary education for low-income communities.
Consider This: Freedom of Expression — A Blueprint for Media Law Reform
The Centre for Law and Democracy has recently released a Media Law Reform Blueprint to outline ways to strengthen foundational rights in Malaysia, including the freedom of expression, the right to information, and the independent regulation of media. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy, a Canada-based non-profit human rights organisation. He is also the author of the report ‘Malaysia: Media Law Reform Blueprint’.
Consider This: Trump 2.0 (Part 2) — What ASEAN Can Expect
As Donald Trump returns to the White House as the 47th President of the United States, so does his ‘America First’ agenda. For Southeast Asia, the echoes of his first presidency leave the region bracing for familiar challenges—but could Trump’s second term bring surprises? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Adrian Ang, Research Fellow and Coordinator of the US Programme within the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Consider This: Trump 2.0 (Part 1) — What ASEAN Can Expect
As Donald Trump returns to the White House as the 47th President of the United States, so does his ‘America First’ agenda. For Southeast Asia, the echoes of his first presidency leave the region bracing for familiar challenges—but could Trump’s second term bring surprises? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Elina Noor, Senior Fellow of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Consider This: AI Governance — Shaping Malaysia’s AI Future & Ambitions
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a part of our daily lives but as technology evolves more rapidly than governance frameworks, the question is no longer if Malaysia should govern AI, but how—how fast and how much. A new white paper by the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia seeks to unpack what AI governance really means, and why it matters for Malaysia’s future. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Farlina Said, fellow in Cyber and Technology Policy at ISIS Malaysia, and Adilah Junid, Director of Legal and Government Affairs at Microsoft Malaysia.
Consider This: Multidimensional Poverty in the 21st Century
Despite decades of progress, poverty continues to trap millions in cycles of deprivation, and conventional measures often fail to reflect the full scope of their struggles. The Multidimensional Poverty Index, developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, offers a revolutionary way to understand and address poverty by looking at deprivations in education, health, and living standards. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Professor Dr Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. Together with Professor James Foster, she developed the Alkire-Foster method for measuring multidimensional poverty.
Consider This: Who Is Middle Class, Really?
For years, Malaysia has relied on the B40, M40, and T20 income classifications to shape policies and understand the nation’s economic strata. But recent debate sparked Budget 2025’s reference to ‘the T15’— said the wealthiest segment of the population— has exposed fault lines in our framework of economic stratification. A recent working paper from the Khazanah Research Institute, titled Searching for the ‘Poor’ and ‘Middle Class’ in Malaysia, challenges the very foundation of these categories and proposes new classifications to better reflect Malaysians economic realities. If the middle class isn’t what we thought it was, what does that mean for subsidy rationalisation and targeted benefits? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Suraya Ismail, Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute and Gregory Ho, Research Associate, Khazanah Research Institute.
Consider This: DRG Pricing (Part 2) — The Right Prescription for Healthcare Costs?
Medical costs are rising, and so are the premiums for health insurance. To tackle this, the Malaysian government is considering introducing a Diagnosis-Related Group pricing system. But is DRG the right prescription for Malaysia’s healthcare woes, or will it create new challenges for hospitals, doctors, and patients alike? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Datuk Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, Consultant respiratory physician at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital. He is also the President of MERCY Malaysia.