BFM :: Live & Learn

What are the key reforms needed to take our education system into the future? In this forum, we gathered policymakers, education experts, and industry leaders to deliberate on curriculum innovation, the integration of technology, strengthening STEM education, and enhancing access to early childhood and vocational training. How can we achieve the country's goal to align Malaysia's education system with global standards, and prepare future generations for the demands of the 21st century, in line with the Malaysia MADANI vision? Our guests, Yang Berusaha Tuan Zainal Abas, Deputy Director General of Education Malaysia (School Operations Sector), Ministry of Education Malaysia and Datin Haryati Binti Mohamed Razali, Deputy Director, Educational Planning and Research, Ministry of Education Malaysia join BFM's Sharaad Kuttan to outline the priority areas in education transformation, as identified by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

We speak to Professor Sibrandes Poppema, the President of Sunway University, to discuss a pivotal year for the university as it hosts its third major academic gathering of 2024, the AppliedHE Xchange - Recognising Excellence, Diversity and Impact. This event follows the Planetary Health Summit, and Times Higher Education Asia Universities Summit, reinforcing Malaysia's prominence on the global education map. Together, we'll explore how hosting such high-profile summits helps advance Malaysia's standing as an education hub, the impact of global and regional rankings on Sunway's strategy, and its commitment to lifelong learning and diversity in higher education. Professor Poppema will also share insights into what sets the AppliedHE Xchange apart and how it aims to foster inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation across Southeast Asia's higher education landscape.

Aishah Zainal is a 27-year-old author from Ipoh. Her novel Hades, which is set in a world of low-cost flats and centers around the relationship between a troubled teen and a single mother, was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2024. We speak to her about her novel and her journey.Image Credit: Dublin Literary Award

Singaporean comedian Sharul Channa's latest performance in Malaysia would've been on 18th May, but it was unfortunately cancelled after her work visa was cancelled by the Ministry of Communications just two days before the event. This comes after several police reports were made of a clip of a show from 2018, which allegedly touched on 3R - race, religion, and royalty - issues. This incident has raised much concern among the local arts and comedy scene because of the precedent it could set and the implications it could have for local and foreign artists. Joining me on the show today to delve into that as well as what procedures should be in place to deal with situations like this, is Arief Hamizan, committee member of ReformARTsi.Image credit: Shutterstock

Malaysian-born Paris-based Angeline Teh is a journalism graduate, and (full disclosure!) a former radio producer and presenter from BFM89.9. From her years producing for radio, she developed a keen eye for uncovering the narratives embedded within the everyday. In 2021, she was awarded a full scholarship and graduated with Magna cum Laude honours in 2023 from the prestigious DocNomads Joint Masters Degree programme in Europe, and has four short films to her credit now, which delicately blend visual and auditory elements to capture the essence of ordinary, yet profound stories. Her debut documentary short, "Reading You" is a deeply introspective piece about family, memory, and reconciliation, and made its mark by premiering and competing in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition at the Singapore International Film Festival in 2023. The film is now heading to Grimstad, Norway, where it's been selected for the 47th Norwegian Shortfilm Festival Competition in June. We catch up with Angeline to find out more about her budding documentary filmmaking career, and how her works balance the intimacy of personal storytelling with universal themes that resonate with audiences from diverse backgrounds.TW: Death by suicideImage Credit: Angeline Teh

Early in May, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the National Anti-Corruption Strategies (NACS) 2024-2028 which focuses on the effectiveness of corruption prevention efforts and improving governance and integrity. The NACS is replacing National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) 2019-2023, and as the name suggests is an important component of the government's reform agenda.We unpack this with Raymon Ram, Certified Fraud Examiner & Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. Image Credit: Anwar Ibrahim, X

The UNDP's 2023/24 Human Development Report (HDR), titled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world," tells a troubling tale: that the rebound in the global Human Development Index (HDI) - which encapsulates a nation's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, education, and life expectancy - has been fragmented, deficient, and marked by disparities. This uneven development progress is leaving the poorest behind, exacerbating inequality, and stoking political polarisation on a global scale. The result is a dangerous gridlock that must be urgently tackled through collective action. So what can be done, with inequality on the rise? We speak to Niloy Banerjee, the Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss the issues, and also the solutions towards tackling them.

With the recent Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-elections this past Saturday, also came stories of voters doing all they can to ensure they cast their ballot and exercise their democratic right. From being bedridden to having travel hundreds of kilometres, these stories are commonly reported during election seasons and while they seem inspirational, they can also contribute to the perception that processes and infrastructure don't need to change to improve accessibility for people with disabilities - whether it's to do with voting or any other aspect of social participation. To dive into the significance of reasonable accommodation and how we can improve overall accessibility for people with disabilities, we speak to Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar, a community engagement and lived experience advocate from SIUMAN.Image credit: The Accessible Icon Project

There are currently hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of refugees in Southeast Asia. Malaysia alone is home to around 187 000 UNHCR registered refugees (which means the actual numbers are much higher). Yet, we and many countries in the region do not have a comprehensive refugee rights and protections framework. So, what are the most critical gaps and challenges identified in the existing forced migration architecture within ASEAN?The Centre for Policy Development is an Australian-based, independent policy institute, which together with the Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration (ADFM), published a paper trying to answer exactly that.We speak to Andrew Hudson, CEO, Centre for Policy Development (Australia).Image Credit: Shutterstock

When we think of scuba diving, we'd think of the endless wonders that you could see in the ocean. But scuba diving also opens up different possibilities for people with disabilities, both physical and developmental. Diveheart is an organisation which provides and supports educational scuba diving programmes to children and adults with disabilities. An organisation that started in the US, they also have a Malaysian chapter, and here to tell us more about the work they do is the Malaysia team lead, Syed Abd Rahman. Also joining us in the studio today is Sharifah Nadia Syed Mohd Famy who was part of the programmes that Diveheart Malaysia ran and is now a certified PADI open water diver.

Spearheaded by Marina Tan, Nukilan Lagu Raya, The Lagu Raya Songbook, delves into a comprehensive exploration of 30 'Raya' songs from 1936 to 2022, where she explored both the context and conceptualisation of these songs as a way to explore our nation's socio-economic history. From the pioneering work of Bangsawan singers in the 1930s to the emergence of iconic Raya songs and film stars like P. Ramlee in the 1950s, the project traces the evolution of Malaysian music, blending pop-rock influences in the 1960s and 1970s. All of this is coming together in a Music, Food, Fashion & Visual Arts Showcase, which offers us all an immersive journey through Malaysia's musical heritage, bridging past, present, and future cultural narratives. We speak to Marina to find out more about her research into the "Lagu Raya Songbook" and also curator Sharmin Parameswaran, who has put together the visual arts component of this project.

Seals offer us a window into the past, even if to some of us they seem largely unimportant compared to the document that it accompanies. For maritime Southeast Asia, Malay seals contain a treasure trove of data through which we can learn so much about the history of the Malay world. Joining us on the show today is Dato' Dr Annabel Teh Gallop, to share more about her work researching and collecting over 2,000 seals for her book, Malay Seals from the Islamic World of Southeast Asia. She is currently the Lead Curator of the Southeast Asia section at the British Library, and in 2022 she received the Merdeka Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia”.Image credit: Dr Annabel Teh Gallop

The “State of the World's Human Rights” report 2023/24, published by Amnesty International, is an annual documentation of human rights conditions globally. According to the report, authorities across the world continue to "assault" universal freedoms, while economic crises, climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately affect already marginalised communities. This is just some of the findings from the report that documents human rights concerns from 2023 in 155 countries, including right here in Malaysia. We speak to Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Malaysia, to get a rundown of Malaysia's report card from 2023, and to discuss actions and steps governments and others can take, to do better for everyone.Image Credit: Shutterstock

Recently, the Supreme Court in the US announced that it will not hear the case of McKesson v. Doe. This decision leaves in place a lower court decision that effectively eliminated the right to organize a mass protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The implication is that a protest organizer faces potential financial consequences if a single attendee at a mass protest commits an illegal act.Many Americans are worried about what this means for freedom of assembly in the US. So on today's episode we're going to be talking a little bit about this case but also more broadly look at whether the US and The West is experiencing democratic backsliding.We speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist & Political Psychologist, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).Image Credit: Shutterstock

Contemporary Malay gamelan group Gangsapura was first established back in October 2016, with the aim of promoting Malaysian culture, developing traditional arts, and instilling a love of the arts to the community at large. Founded by Teuku Umar Ilany and Nur Diyana Nadirah, the group is made up of musicians from various backgrounds, and they recently received six nominations for the upcoming 19th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards. We speak to Umar and Diyana to discuss the Gangsapura story, and to find out more about their brand new studio, which is set to open in late April.

The BOH Cameronian Arts Awards (BCAA) are back for its 19th edition, continuing with its aim to be Malaysia's premier award for the performing arts, through recognising, rewarding and raising the bar of excellence for Malaysian performing arts practitioners. Organised by arts company Kakiseni since 2002, we catch up with Low Ngai Yuen, the President of Kakiseni, to discuss the efforts the company has taken to keep the awards going through the years, and to get a glimpse into the nominees for this edition, and what's in store at the upcoming awards ceremony.

In a world where news of war, natural disasters, acts of random violence, and more that happen anywhere in the world can reach us in a matter of minutes, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all. Some of us have probably chosen to switch off from the news instead, to avoid the distressing feelings that accompany bad news. But is there a way for us to stay informed without feeling numb to what's happening in the world? We speak to Dr Debbie Ling, compassion researcher and educator; she's also a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Monash University. Image credit: Shutterstock

As the current war and genocide in Gaza by Israel continues, life in Gaza is becoming increasingly difficult and impossible, as people struggle to even find food to survive. In fact, what we often see on social media is only a glimpse of the horrors that Palestinians are going through. For Palestinian refugees outside of Gaza, many are attempting to fundraise to help get their loved ones out of the country - one of them is Manal Adlouni. Having been in Malaysia since 2015, she shares her own journey of leaving Gaza and why she's trying to get her mother and brother's family out as well. You can contribute to Manal's fundraiser here.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship is open for application. The scholarship is an undergraduate degree scholarship open to high-potential, deserving students with a strong commitment to contribute to the development of Malaysia. What's interesting is that this isn't a merit-based scholarship but a holistic and equitable scholarship. We speak to Raenuga Indran and Celine Looi from Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman.Image credit: Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman

The Tuyang Initiative describe themselves as a community-led arts management company, with a dream. Established in 2017, this Miri-based award-winning social enterprise is focused on Dayak cultural heritage, and aims to generate meaningful livelihoods for cultural custodians, and lead efforts in its continuity. This is done by facilitating capacity building and participation into the creative and cultural industries through strategic industry partnerships. Founded by father -daughter team John Wan Usang and Juvita Tatan Wan, the team also want their culture and traditions to continue well into the future – and thrive. The team have been invited to perform at the World Music & Dance Festival in Japan in August 2024, and are currently raising funds to get there. We speak to Juvita to find out more about their work and plans. Image credit: The Tuyang Initiative

The Cipta Seni Incubator is a new artist development programme for performance artists based in Malaysia. It's a three-month artist development programme in Malaysia in which participants will receive guidance and feedback on their work. There will be mentorship and workshops, culminating in a live event where participants will get to showcase their work-in-progress to an audience. The programme will be running from May to September this year. We speak to Sharmilla Ganesan and Tom Curteis, Co-Founders, Cipta Seni Incubator.

A Malaysian filmmaker currently based in Chicago, Jean Ho has been working on directing and producing an animated docuseries called 'Invisible People', which highlights Malaysia's stateless and refugee communities. Set to be released sometime in May this year, the documentary explores why citizenship should be a fundamental right rather than a government-mandated privilege, and why stateless and refugee communities deserve access to basic rights like education, affordable healthcare, and a stable income, as other Malaysians do. We find out more about this animated documentary series, and how Jean hopes to enact big and small changes through the stories showcased in the film.Image credit: Invisible People

What does a gallery, museum, and cafe look like when all rolled into one space? That's what Harta Space is, as an initiative by Habib Jewels to feature local artists as well as the unique heritage of Peranakan jewellery in its museum. Here to share more about what they do is Harta's director, Mirsham Meer. Image credit: Habib Jewels

What is it like working with visual effects if you were colourblind? Some of us might think it'll be extremely difficult, if not impossible but McLelun Lee has shown that it can be done. Currently the director of the R&D Studio, a creative content studio, he joins us to share more about his journey from a game developer to being a filmmaker and the work he and his team are doing.

Gene Eu is a Malaysian artist whose interests and dedication lie with sustainability and conservation. His artistic journey has taken him from Santa Monica to rural North Carolina in the US, to back home here in Malaysia, where he is currently focusing on new art techniques and sustainable farming methods to promote harmony between agriculture and wildlife in the region. He joins us to share more about how these different environments have influenced his work and perspective, and we also discuss his body of works featured in Things That Move, which is an art exhibition happening at The Godown KL, that celebrates Malaysia's rich biodiversity, and which features a series of paintings of wildlife mammals. Image credit: The Godown

Taylor Swift became the latest high-profile woman to become the target of AI-generated online sexual abuse, when explicit deepfake photos of her were created and went viral across social media platforms. In her case, it was quickly taken down but what about other women who don't have the kind of publicity and influence that she has? We speak to Dr Dyah Pitaloka, a senior lecturer in communications & media studies to find out how emerging technologies, especially generative AI, is disproportionately harming women and whether there is a solution to this growing problem. Image credit: Shutterstock

Can children's literature spark conversations around sustainability, health, and social issues? These were the questions posed for the Jom Kita Bincang! (Let's talk about it!) project, which was spearheaded by the Embassy of Sweden in Malaysia, together with the Raja Tun Uda Library, and the Malaysia Board on Books for Young People. The impact of Swedish children's literature on global kids' books has been significant, and over time has moved from "watered-down” or “preachy" to instead encourage children to be thinkers, to dream and to ask questions about the world, with a focus on the “child's perspective.” We speak to His Excellency Dr Joachim Bergström, the Ambassador of Sweden to Malaysia, and Ingrid Källström, a pedagogue and librarian, to discuss the importance and profound impact of Swedish tales on young readers worldwide, and also to find out more about the events offered for Malaysians through the Jom Kita Bincang! project.

Junior Achievement (JA) Asia Pacific - an arm of JA Worldwide – is an Non-Profit focused on empowering youth through education, financial literacy and entrepreneurship programmes to get young people ready for the future. We speak to Maziar Sabet, President and CEO of JA Asia Pacific on the NGO and their upcoming Company of the Year competition.Image credit: JA Asia Pacific

In April 2023, Malaysia passed the bill for the mandatory death penalty to be repealed, marking a significant step forward for human rights advocates. But that is only the first step towards the complete abolishment of the death penalty in Malaysia, which can still be handed down for several crimes. We speak to Katrina Jorene Maliamauv of Amnesty International Malaysia on the need to push for a complete abolition of the death penalty. Image credit: Shutterstock

Ho Yewweng and Gordon Lewis are long-time collaborators who have worked on several films together. They first formed Lewis and Ho Productions to make the film Secret Child: The Bridge in 2017, which was based on Gordon's bestselling book, Secret Child, and which went on to win many international awards. This led to even more film collaborations between the two including Mical, Dream of the Return and The Maverick, which cover various topics such as dealing with dyslexia and overcoming loneliness. We speak to both Yewweng and Gordon to find out more about their careers, collaborations and current projects, and why they want to make films that are impactful and which shine a light on lesser-discussed topics.

Bersih has released their Election Observations Report of the 6 state elections that took place in 2023. The report details various violations and misconduct that took place during the elections and also provides suggestions to make elections fairer and more accessible. We speak to Asraf Sharafi, Senior Manager, Bersih.Image credit: Shutterstock Inc.

Earlier this month (February 2024), we heard of yet another tragic incident where a young child died after being left in the back of the car, following several other similar incidents late last year. Often described as forgotten baby syndrome, it's every parents' nightmare. So why does this happen and how can we collectively prevent it from happening? We find out from consultant paediatrician, Dato' Dr Amar-Singh HSS.

Navigating the art world is tricky - being creative and producing art is one thing, but navigating the business side of being a successful artist requires one to also be an entrepreneur, marketer, accountant, sales expert, inventory manager, social media strategist, and so much more. It can be quite overwhelming. So that's where an artist coach comes in, bringing their expertise to the intersection of creativity and personal growth. We speak to Melor Mokhtar, an artist coach who helps artists achieve their career goals and guide them through their challenges, to discuss why she believes in unleashing the business potential within every artist, and how she goes about doing that. Image credit: Melor Mokhtar

“Burma, Three Years of Resistance” is a photo exhibition by David Verberckt, a Belgian photojournalist, and is currently ongoing at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH). The exhibition is co-organised by the Youth Wing of KLSCAH and Beyond Borders Malaysia. We speak to David Verberckt.Image credit: David Verberckt

Female genital mutilation or cutting is a form of hidden gender-based violence against women that is unfortunately still practised here in Malaysia, as is in many other countries around the world. In conjunction with International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation which is observed annually on 6th February, we're joined by Rozana Isa, executive director of Sisters in Islam, to dive into the controversies and challenges that advocates continue to face as they push for the practice to end.Image credit: Shutterstock Inc.

All eyes are on Johor this week, as HRH Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the ruler of Johor, is set to be installed as Malaysia's next Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. To commemorate, we speak to author Peggy Loh, who has written extensively about Johor through her "My Johor Stories" series, which include personal accounts of her own family life, but also stories of former and current personalities who have left their own mark in Johor. We take a walk down memory lane with Peggy, exploring Johor's vibrant history and culture, while also reflecting on its royal legacy, in relation to the Sultanate of Johor.Image credit: Shutterstock Inc.

Last week, Malaysia held its first trial under the anti-stalking law. Mohamad Safiq was on trial for stalking photographer Acacia Mardinana Daud for eight years. However, Safiq was acquitted and discharged by the court, as the court ruled that he was of unsound mind. It is important to note that Safiq was ordered to be held at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor.So, what does the court ruling mean? What is its potential impact on future stalking cases?Credit Image: Shutterstock Inc.

On the 17th of January, the producer and director of locally-made film Mentega Terbang, Tan Meng Kheng and Khairi Anwar Jailani, were charged under Section 298 of the Penal Code for ‘hurting religious feelings', a blasphemy provision. The charge carries a punishment of up to one year imprisonment or a fine or both. Mentega Terbang was banned by the Home Ministry back in September 2023 and taken down from the streaming platform Viu in March 2023, and the filmmakers have faced both online and offline threats since a social media campaign was launched against the film, and those involved in it. This latest move has several human rights groups, including the Freedom Film Network (FFF), urging the government to drop the criminal charges against the director and producer, and protect artists and artistic expression in Malaysia. We discuss this and more with the Freedom Film Network's co-founders, Brenda Danker and Anna Har.

Traditional textiles can tell us a lot about the people and cultural traditions behind it, and one such textile is the Pua Kumbu, which is hand-woven and designed by Iban women. However, like many other traditional knowledge and skills, it is becoming a dying art as fewer of the younger generation of Iban women pick it up. Here to share more about the Pua Kumbu and what stories textiles can tell us is Dr Welyne Jeffrey Jehom, a senior lecturer at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Universiti Malaya. She's also the founder of the Rumah Gareh Pua Kumbu Community Project, which involves Iban women coming from or living at Rumah Gareh in Kapit, Sarawak and helps them to develop the weaving of Pua Kumbu into a cottage industry. Image credit: Dr Welyne Jeffrey Jehom

For many Malaysians, it can be hard to imagine what a vegan diet would look like, if you had to give up all animal-based products in your diet. But today, it's become more common to hear or know of people around you who have adopted a plant-based lifestyle - or are at least putting in the effort to eat less meat. As this January marks the 10th year of the annual Veganuary campaign - where people challenge themselves to go vegan for the month - we're taking this opportunity to dive into the rise of veganism, particularly here in Malaysia, and to also address why vegans still tend to get a bad rep.Image credit: Shutterstock

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. On the one hand, this feels like the next chapter of the democratization of the media space, which is something to be welcomed and another great tool to reach out to the masses. After all, even BFM shows are available as podcasts. On the other hand, it could also become another avenue to spread misinformation or half-truths. Dr Benjamin Loh is a Senior Lecturer, School Of Media and Communication, Taylor's University, and he recently wrote a column for Malaysiakini titled Rise of podcasting and its threat to critical discourse – which is what we discuss on this episode.

New year, new me, or at least that's how the saying goes. But the last few days of the year - and the first few days - can also bring up an extra dose of nostalgia as we think about the past and meet up with friends and family. Why do we tend to feel nostalgic as we grow older and is there such a thing as being too nostalgic? Here to help us delve into that is clinical psychologist Dr Joel Low.Image credit: Shutterstock