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Recently, an AI image of “All Eyes on Rafah” surges on social media after what the cable news coined as “deadly Israeli airstrike killing dozens of civilians” based on reporting by Hamas-controlled local officials. Other alternative medias reported verified sources from IDF that strikes were conducted outside of designated humanitarian areas.
Increasingly, we are seeing schism caused by media biased which influence our political worldview. In this episode, we attempt to break down our thought processes and present ways to view news objectively without being overly emotional by the reporting.
Credit: Cartoon by Vitaly Podvitski
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At the 4th week of hush money trial, Trump decried election interference upon arrival at a Manhattan courthouse. “I should be out campaigning now instead of sitting in a very cold courthouse all day long,” Trump told of the reporters outside the courtroom. “This is a Biden persecution. It’s election interference at a level that nobody in this country has ever seen before.”In this episode, we discuss how Lawfare has limited freedom of speech under the guise of stability and how it’s linked to cancel culture.
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Of recent years, there is a voice from Sarawak which has pro-independence stirring but the results over the last few election cycles do not seem to support the rise of a strong call for independence. Drawing parallels from the contentious issues concerning Texas border security, we discuss with Michele on how Sarawak could demonstrate a strong identity yet bringing out the flavours of self-determination and pursuit of happiness in this place we call home.
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Some crypto enthusiasts intone the halving like a religious event with near mystical importance which relies on the hard-coded mining mechanics, whereas some detractors argued that it’s merely smoke and mirrors.
But here’s the key thing - so many people look to government for solution in light of falling Ringgit, when the only way out for us is to take accountability and initiative for financial security. In this episode, we have a special guest who is a self-taught Bitcoin enthusiast that challenges our mindset to explore the possibility of self-custody of assets that can’t be inflated away by the whims and fancies of those in power.
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In the era of misinformation, where we begin to hear terms such as digital leviathan, how do we navigate through the swampy media narrative? In this episode, we break down the process of dismantling the mainstream media narrative, and take a deep dive into the process of verification at source so that discernment arises to see through any political witch hunt.
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Our special guest, David Tiang, made an appearance to discuss with our host, Simon Yeo, the decision delivered by Malaysian Federal Court where 16 provisions of offences in Kelantan Syariah Penal Code (1) Enactment 2019 are deemed to be void and not validly enforced in the state. 9 February 2024, the day which the decision was delivered, was hailed by the Kelantan ruling party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) to be “Black Friday”. Is it Black Friday or is it a day we slowly break away from religious control in a secular nation? Tune in for more.
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On 21 February 2024, we saw the demise of a notable longest serving head of state in Sarawak, former Governor and Chief Minister of Sarawak, Tun Taib Mahmud. Many obituaries were written; some coined him as the Father of Modern Sarawak, whilst others referred him as The Godfather of Sarawak. In this episode, we discuss the achievements and the controversies that followed thirty-three years of Taib's chief ministership. Is it one that resulted in political stability, social and religious harmony in Sarawak or one that caused schism between the various people groups in Sarawak?
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Texas sued to stop federal agents from cutting the border wire, claiming trespass a tort and a violation of Administrative Procedure Act. In this episode, we talk about Texas, borders security, issues of self-determination, balance of power between federal vs state.
Do leave a comment or email us at [email protected]
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“The race is far from over,” said Nikki Haley after losing New Hampshire primary to Trump. In this episode, we discuss Donald J. Trump’s appeal and what we are not getting at?
Trump represents a populist move that demands a shift away from global elite management. What MAGA movement brings about is a fresh take on “no taxation without representation”, which is a lesson that Malaysia could draw parallel from in the areas concerning self-determination.
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Former President Donald J. Trump cruised to victory in the Iowa caucuses, and we see the world is having mixed emotions towards the victory and also the suspension of presidential campaign by Ron DeSantis.
With the Iowa win, it is clear, at least to DeSantis, that “a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump a second chance.”
Don’t miss out this episode where we discuss the man who rises above every media attack, political lawsuits and old guard establishment effort that tried to destroy and force him out of the election.
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We learnt the lessons of 2023 and look forward to a brighter 2024 where we see more of these in Malaysia:
1. Self determination
2. Small government
3. Pursuit of happiness and necessity of flourishing Middle class
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Despite Speaker McCarthy's shocking victory over the deep state by securing House passage of a 45-day stopgap bill to keep the government open and cut off funding for Ukraine, Rep. Matt Gaetz has filed a motion to vacate House Speaker to which he succeeded with the help of Democrats.
While many Republicans think that McCarthy has been "rock solid" as a leader in the House, Matt Gaetz disagreed and justified on grounds that he "takes no lecture from those who would grovel and bend knee for the lobbyists and special interests who own our leadership, hollow out this town, and borrow against the future of our future generations."
In Malaysia, we see the similar tension and cringe when the incumbent unity government justified the continual advancement of NEP mainly in the name of stability and unity. What can we learn from the US Speaker race so that the nation can move away from affirmative action policies that have been hijacked and weaponised to cultivate a culture of fear and insecurity for politicians to remain in high places?
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During his address for the Malaysia Day 2023 celebration here on Saturday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had hailed Sarawak as the nation’s “most advanced state”, underlining the remarkable strides that it has made since the birth of Malaysia. In a viral video, it was seen that Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg was humbled and bemused that the Prime Minister would request him to give a lecture on the green economy that Sarawak is adopting and leading in the nation.
We were inspired by the Sarawak premier's phrase that Malaysia will be prosperous if Sarawak is prosperous in our pursuit of happiness in the nation that turned 60 on 16 September 2023.
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In the article titled "What Malaysia Day means to us" published by The Star, one particular comment aptly describes the confusion between Merdeka on 31 August and Malaysia Day on 16 September, where many thought the celebrations are interchangeable.
"I personally wish we are educated more on the cultures, customs and experiences of people of Sabah and Sarawak. I feel it’s important to celebrate a historical event such as Malaysia Day, as many might not actually know the reason behind the celebration and I think it should be more prominently explained or highlighted on the same level as our National Day. Many in the peninsula are largely unfamiliar with traditions of Sabahans and Sarawakians aside from what we are taught in our Civics textbook."
Though the celebrations for both days have passed, may this song "Malaysia Forever" that was even considered as Malaysia's "unofficial national anthem" spurs your consideration of which day to be celebrated widely by Malaysians.
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Over the last week, many Malaysians have joined the bandwagon of those who have expressed great disappointment and even anger at Anwar and his unity government over Zahid’s DNAA.
In this episode, we asked few questions to cause us to think beyond the confines of political games.
1. What are some of the constraints faced by the unity government?
2. Is PMX still the one?
3. Are we placing too much hope on the government?
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We are seeing some feisty fisticuffs in a Trump-less Republican debate night. There were some interesting school kids moments of show of hands to see who would support former President Trump as the party’s choice if he is convicted in a court of law, and there were other moments where ChatGPT’s and Obama’s words were being regurgitated by one of the Republican candidates. We give you our post debate view to see who’s the biggest winner and who’s the biggest loser of the fight night.
On the same night, former President Trump was running a counter programme with Tucker Carlson. Here we discussed why we are studying American election cycle closely as we glean useful insights for Malaysian context.
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Previously, we discussed American Supreme Court case - Harvard / UNC decision at length whereby the Court reversed a 45 year old precedent on affirmative action on the ground that it violates the Constitution and the Civil Acts Act. In our discussion, our thoughts are frequently turned to the situation here back in Malaysia. We know very truly in the practical reality the existence of affirmation action in Malaysia, across all sectors – economy, education, civil service and others.
Is affirmative action a constitutional foundation of this nation? Or is it simply a policy made by the government of the day? This is what we want to explore in this episode.
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In this special episode to analyse the State Elections 2023 results, together with our special guest, David Tiang, we touch on several key issues, such as the legitimacy of Green wave, the Trump-like populist “Sanusi wave”, PAS’ clean sweep in Terengganu, super majority results in most of the 6 state elections, the irrelevance of UMNO, and what it means moving forward for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
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We are just one day away from the polling day where the registered electors in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu will be determining the fate of their state legislative assembly away from the general elections for the first time in history.
Will Muda party, led by Syed Saddiq, tank in this state elections, or will they be successful in emerging as the third force to challenge the lack of reforms by the incumbent unity government?
Is green wave narrative a real threat, as propagated by Pakatan Harapan leaders, as well as pro PH media?
Is affirmative actions here to stay following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's reply to a student that abolishing quota system will cost him the state elections?
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Martin Luther King said many years ago, when he said he had a dream…that someday, his children will be judged, not by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. However, the victimhood and undealt trauma of the race-conscious generations have resulted in the progressive activism of social racism with government-imposed racism. Simply put, affirmative action in fact prolongs and further promotes systemic racism in a society that should have thrived in meritocracy.
When we are able to look objectively as a nation at the immediate 3R issues (i.e. race, religion, and royalty) at hand in our home turf, Malaysia, we are not succumbing to what Justice Jackson dissented in the landmark case as “let-them-eat-cake obliviousness”. In fact, quite the opposite - we would be moving closer towards becoming a nation that overcomes racial discrimination when we allow the Constitution to be colour-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.
Supreme Court of the United States: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf
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