Tue Jan 28 2025
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: South Africa, Malaysia & the Global South
South Africa has increasingly been at the center of global headlines—it’s making history as the first African country to hold the G20 presidency, yet its leadership of the bloc has already been overshadowed by its increasingly strained relations with the US. At the same time, South Africa has taken bold positions on major global issues, from its strong advocacy for Palestinian rights to its legal challenge against Israel at the International Court of Justice. And it continues to navigate its place in BRICS, increasingly seen as a counterweight to Western-led economic institutions. So what does all of this say about South Africa’s global standing? And what does it reveal about the shifting world order? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Ismail Lagardien, a columnist, essayist, and author who writes extensively on global political and economic affairs.
Consider This: DAP CEC Election (Part 2) — Third-Gen Leadership Takes the Stage
DAP’s new leadership lineup comes at a crucial time—not just for the party, but for the unity government it is part of. Following last Sunday's Central Executive Committee elections, Gobind Singh Deo is DAP’s national chairperson and Anthony Loke was re-elected secretary-general, while Lim Guan Eng transitions into the role of party advisor. What does this mean for the party’s future direction? Can DAP overcome its factional struggles? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at University of Tasmania in Australia.
Consider This: DAP CEC Election (Part 1) — Third-Gen Leadership Takes the Stage
DAP’s new leadership lineup comes at a crucial time—not just for the party, but for the unity government it is part of. Following last Sunday's Central Executive Committee elections, Gobind Singh Deo is DAP’s national chairperson and Anthony Loke was re-elected secretary-general, while Lim Guan Eng transitions into the role of party advisor. What does this mean for the party’s future direction? Can DAP overcome its factional struggles? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Professor Dr Ong Kian Ming, Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement at Taylor’s University. He has previously served as the Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, and was a two-term DAP Member of Parliament.
Consider This: Duterte’s ICC Arrest (Part 1) — End of Impunity in Southeast Asia?
Rodrigo Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, has been arrested and is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor says there are 'reasonable grounds' to believe Duterte bears criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, linked to his war on drugs. What does Duterte’s arrest mean for the Philippines, for Southeast Asia, and for global accountability? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Khoo Ying Hooi, Associate Professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at Universiti Malaya.
Consider This: Duterte’s ICC Arrest (Part 2) — End of Impunity in Southeast Asia?
Rodrigo Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, has been arrested and is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor says there are 'reasonable grounds' to believe Duterte bears criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, linked to his war on drugs. What does Duterte’s arrest mean for the Philippines, for Southeast Asia, and for global accountability? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Aries Arugay, Visiting Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Philippine Studies Programme at ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
Consider This: Rice in Crisis — Band-Aid Solutions Won’t Fix a Broken System
For the past couple of years, Malaysians have struggled with a shortage of local white rice. This is despite the Government’s ongoing interventions, its promises to crack down on rice-mixing, and its plans to distribute 24 million bags of rice at RM26 each. But are these just short-term fixes to a broken supply system? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Datuk Dr Ameer Ali Mydin, Managing Director of the hypermarket & emporium chain Mydin, and Syed Zikiri Syed Hassan Shahabudin, Head of the Malay Consultative Council’s Food Security Cluster.
Consider This: Transnational Repression (Part 1) — Are Our Governments Enabling It?
Authoritarian regimes don’t stop at their own borders—often reaching across countries to track, detain, and deport refugees, activists, and migrants. This is transnational repression: when a state extends its repression beyond its own beyond their borders to control or punish its citizens abroad. Malaysia and Thailand, two of Southeast Asia’s biggest hubs for migrants and refugees, have become key battlegrounds for transnational repression. With Malaysia helming ASEAN chair this year, what role does the region play in resisting, or enabling, transnational repression? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Douglas Teoh, spokesperson from the End Transnational Repression Alliance.
Consider This: Transnational Repression (Part 2) — Are Our Governments Enabling It?
Authoritarian regimes don’t stop at their own borders—often reaching across countries to track, detain, and deport refugees, activists, and migrants. This is transnational repression: when a state extends its repression beyond its own beyond their borders to control or punish its citizens abroad. Malaysia and Thailand, two of Southeast Asia’s biggest hubs for migrants and refugees, have become key battlegrounds for transnational repression. With Malaysia helming ASEAN chair this year, what role does the region play in resisting, or enabling, transnational repression? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Krittaporn Semsantad, Programme Director at the Bangkok-based Peace Rights Foundation.
Consider This: Race & Religion — Are We Fueling or Fixing Malaysia’s Divides?
We have long prided ourselves on being a multiracial, multicultural society. But recent incidents of discrimination and insensitivity have reignited concerns about heightened racial and religious tensions. Are these cases becoming more frequent, or are we just more aware of them now? And when ethno-religious tensions flare, how should we respond? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Dewan Negara Senator and Deputy President of Parti Amanah Negara. He served as Minister of Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department during the Pakatan Harapan administration of 2018-2020.
Consider This: Race & Religion — Are We Fueling or Fixing Malaysia’s Divides?
We have long prided ourselves on being a multiracial, multicultural society. But recent incidents of discrimination and insensitivity have reignited concerns about heightened racial and religious tensions. Are these cases becoming more frequent, or are we just more aware of them now? And when ethno-religious tensions flare, how should we respond? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Dewan Negara Senator and Deputy President of Parti Amanah Negara. He served as Minister of Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department during the Pakatan Harapan administration of 2018-2020.
Consider This: Congestion Pricing (Part 2) — What Will Make Traffic Finally Move?
Kuala Lumpur’s worsening traffic congestion is costing Malaysia RM20 billion annually, according to a 2020 Prasarana study. Now, the government is considering a congestion charge—a fee imposed on vehicles using certain roads at peak hours—it’s expected to reduce traffic by an estimated 20%. But will it work? How will it be implemented? And will it place an unfair burden on road users? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua, Head of the Road Safety Research Centre under Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Consider This: Congestion Pricing (Part 1) — What Will Make Traffic Finally Move?
Kuala Lumpur’s worsening traffic congestion is costing Malaysia RM20 billion annually, according to a 2020 Prasarana study. Now, the government is considering a congestion charge—a fee imposed on vehicles using certain roads at peak hours—it’s expected to reduce traffic by an estimated 20%. But will it work? How will it be implemented? And will it place an unfair burden on road users? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Hizal Hanis Hashim, Head of Corporate Communications and Knowledge Management at the Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS).
Consider This: Why Gender Matters in Drug Policy
This International Women’s Day, we turn our focus to a group of women often left out of policy conversations—women who use drugs. Malaysia’s punitive drug laws disproportionately harm women, forcing many into cycles of incarceration, stigma, and violence. But advocates say there’s a better way: a gender-responsive approach to drug policy that prioritises public health over criminalisation. On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with advisors from Drug Policy Program Malaysia: Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh, Vice President of the Malaysian AIDS Council and Ivy Josiah, Gender Consultant & Committee Member of Women’s Aid Organisation.
Consider This: GLC Reform — Who Really Controls Malaysia’s GLCs?
For decades, Malaysia’s GLCs—government-linked companies—have been central to the economy, controlling vast sectors from banking to telecommunications. But according to political economist Dr Edmund Terence Gomez, they are also at the heart of what he calls the Political-GLC complex—a deeply entrenched system that allows the ruling elite to use GLCs for political control, patronage, and grand corruption. Can the Political-GLC complex ever be dismantled? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Edmund Terence Gomez, Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at Universiti Malaya, and author of ‘Misgovernance: Grand Corruption in Malaysia’.
Consider This : Urban Renewal Act (Part 1) — Avoiding Developer-Driven Gentrification
The Government is proposing a new Urban Renewal Act, which will allow authorities to push forward redevelopment projects even without unanimous agreement from property owners. But the Bill has sparked heated debate in Parliament, and beyond. So is the Urban Renewal Act a necessary reform? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Shuhana Shamsuddin, Founder & President of the Malaysian Urban Design Association, PEREKABANDAR, which is a registered NGO championing good urban design practices.