As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.
Latest episodes
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40 min
What Can We Learn From Indonesia’s Development Policies?
For decades, many developing countries have relied on exporting raw materials to drive economic growth. But when countries export commodities without developing the industries to p…
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48 min
Why is Voting Important?
Voting is often seen as the cornerstone of democracy, giving ordinary people a say in who governs them and the direction their country takes. But what does it mean to participate i…
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40 min
Gender Gap Report 2026 - Women are Highly Educated but Severely Underrepresented
Since 2006, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report has measured how far countries have come in closing the gaps between men and women across four areas: economic parti…
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47 min
Will Ideology Help Us Navigate the Problems of the 21st Century?
We live in a world grappling with growing inequality, political polarisation, a climate crisis and rapid technological change. From socialism and liberalism to nationalism, conserv…
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46 min
Does Budget 2027 Address the Needs of Regular Malaysians?
Last Friday, the MADANI government unveiled Budget 2027, proposing RM459.8 billion in spending for the year ahead, up from the revised RM444.1 billion for 2026. With plans to raise…
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49 min
Making Sense of the Rise of Far-Right Movements Globally
Over the past decade or so far-right parties and leaders have moved from the fringes to the forefront of global politics. Figures like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni,…
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43 min
What Do Malaysian Indians Need From Budget 2027?
Budget 2027 will be tabled in Parliament this Friday. In the lead-up to it, former Klang MP Charles Santiago who also runs the think tank Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization…
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48 min
World War III, Climate Crisis, AI: Is the World on the Brink of Collapse?
We’re living through a period of enormous uncertainty. Great power tensions are rising, from the US and China to Russia and Europe. The climate is warming, bringing more extreme he…
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37 min
How Unpaid Care Work Is Becoming a Foreign Policy Issue
Across Asia-Pacific, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. The situation is becoming increasingly challenging as societies age, birth rates decli…
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43 min
What Would an Alternative Economic System Look Like?
Red Tiger: Practical Socialism in Malaysia is a new book by Arveent Kathirtchelvan. In it he argues that Malaysia's problems aren't simply the result of bad politicians and that th…
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48 min
What Would Socialism Look Like in Malaysia?
Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. Like much of the world, it is also a nation-state deeply embedded in the global capitalist economy, shaped by d…
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48 min
Ones to Watch #12 - Youth, Political Parties and GE-16
It's a wrap! The Ones to Watch series has heard the journey and stories of 10 young politicians wanting to make Malaysia a better place. To discuss how youth enter and rise in poli…
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37 min
Sabah: A History of Struggle, Identity and Resistance
Nadira Ilana is a Sabahan filmmaker, activist and storyteller. Born and raised in Sabah, she has spent years documenting stories that often sit outside the dominant national narrat…
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41 min
Sabah: A History of Struggle, Identity and Resistance
Nadira Ilana is a Sabahan filmmaker, activist and storyteller. Born and raised in Sabah, she has spent years documenting stories that often sit outside the dominant national narrat…
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38 min
Ones to Watch #11 - How do young politicians learn the ropes?
Every minister in Putrajaya has a private secretary, a press officer, and a special officer. Many of these officers go on to become politicians themselves. To examine how young pol…
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41 min
ASEAN in a Multipolar World
The global order is shifting, with the dominance of the US being challenged by a rising China and a more multipolar world taking shape. For Southeast Asia, these changes bring both…
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41 min
Ones to Watch #10 - Where are youth in Sarawakian politics?
The Sarawak State Assembly is predicted to be dissolved this year, paving way for the 13th Sarawak general elections. Amidst the talk of seats and the redelineation of boundaries,…
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31 min
Reading History Through Letters
Sepucuk Surat, Sebuah Episod is a new book by Raja Ahmad Aminullah, a writer, poet and cultural activist. The book documents a particular episode from around 25 years ago through p…
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41 min
Ones to Watch #9 - Can Muslim youth usher in progressive politics?
In an increasingly fragmented political space where identity politics rule, what do progressives need to do in order to win? We speak to Fadhli Umar Aminolhuda of Pemuda Amanah to…
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45 min
Ones to Watch #8 - Can youth revive a party?
The Malaysian Indian Congress won all four seats it contested in the recent Johor elections, with its youngest newly minted ADUN only 29 years old. For a party almost wiped off the…