Free speech, inequality and the role of women. Malaysians debate the issues affecting their country. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Should there be affirmative action to get more women to the top of the media? How about a law to make politicians keep their promises? Jonny Dymond chairs a diverse panel fielding questions from a passionate audience in Kuala Lumpur, as they critique their own laws on freedom of speech. The Panel: Senator Dr Fuziah Salleh, Secretary General of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Deputy Minister for Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Dr Tricia Yeoh, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s School of Politics and International Relations Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, MP, Bersatu Party and Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Dr Vilashini Somiah, Head of the Gender Studies Programme, Universiti Malaya Recorded on 10 June 2025. 00:00 Introducing the panel 02:16 Most bosses in Malaysian media corporations are men 11:54 Malaysia' significant disparity in wealth 17:55 Malaysia as a diverse, secular country vs prioritising Malay Muslims 25:10 How can we ensure that rights to freedom of expression? 32:17 Can political parties be accountable for their promises? ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #malaysia #kualalumpur

On this episode of #TheFutureIsFemale Melisa Idris speaks with Dr Vilashini Somiah, Senior Lecturer with the Gender Studies Programme, at Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dr Vila was recently elected the 2026-2028 Chair of the Southeast Asia Council at the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) in the US. The AAS is the governing body of the world’s largest academic organisation dedicated to Asian Studies, and Dr Vila is the first-ever Southeast Asian scholar based in Southeast Asia to chair Southeast Asia Council since the Council's founding in 1970. SUBSCRIBE now! @Astro Awani https://www.youtube.com/c/astroawani?sub_confirmation=1 Berita lanjut di: http://grid.astroawani.com Astro AWANI LIVE https://www.astroawani.com/video-terkini Social Media: FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/astroawani TWITTER https://twitter.com/501Awani INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/501awani TELEGRAM https://t.me/astroawani #AWANInews

Social media can serve as an avenue for empowerment but also has the capacity to deepen exclusion of already marginalised groups. How can we ensure online spaces are safe and equitable for all? Tonight on #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to researchers Vilashini Somiah and Benjamin YH Loh. SUBSCRIBE now! @Astro Awani https://www.youtube.com/c/astroawani?sub_confirmation=1 Berita lanjut di: http://grid.astroawani.com Astro AWANI LIVE https://www.astroawani.com/video-terkini Social Media: FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/astroawani TWITTER https://twitter.com/501Awani INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/501awani TELEGRAM https://t.me/astroawani #PantauKerajaanBaharu #AWANInews

Recently Rapid KL introduced a pilot programme of women-only carriages on its MRT Kajang Line, which was met with a spectrum of responses from the public, including praise and support, but also scepticism and criticism. How do we think through the purpose and effectiveness of creating women-only spaces on public transport? And more generally, how do we constructively address the concerns and objections that were raised, while building consensus in the pursuit of safer, more inclusive public transportation systems? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Sofiah Hussein, Head of Rail Operations for the MRT Kajang Line, Marina Abdullah, Head of Campaigns at Women's Aid Organisation, and Dr Vilashini Somiah, anthropologist and Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies at Universiti Malaya. SUBSCRIBE now! @Astro Awani https://www.youtube.com/c/astroawani?sub_confirmation=1 Berita lanjut di: http://grid.astroawani.com Astro AWANI LIVE https://www.astroawani.com/video-terkini Social Media: FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/astroawani TWITTER https://twitter.com/501Awani INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/501awani TELEGRAM https://t.me/astroawani #AWANInews

*Editor's note: The episode has been updated for clarity and to include recent developments that occurred after the initial airing. It has been 10 years since the Lahad Datu-standoff, where armed militia from Sulu invaded the Malaysian State of Sabah. The month-long confrontation left 71 dead and led to tightened security in Malaysia’s easternmost state. More recently, individuals representing the Sulu Sultanate attempted to seize assets from Malaysian state-owned company, Petronas, claiming arrears for unpaid dues over the disputed territory. As the Malaysian government challenged the seizure in court, their Filipino counterparts have said it will not interfere in the affair. The Sulu Sultanate, meanwhile, continue to press their claims over what they see as their ancestral lands. Could tensions lead to a repeat of the violence from 10 years ago? 00:00 Introduction 01:43 How the Sulu militia tried to invade Lahad Datu, Malaysia 07:30 When the Lahad Datu standoff turned deadly 10:53 Victims of Lahad Datu stand-off 14:50 Why Sulu militia tried to seize Sabah 21:24 The Sulu's thoughts on Lahad Datu 27:05 Aftermath of Lahad Datu standoff 33:16 Philippines president Marcos' stand on Sabah 36:23 Impact of Lahad Datu standoff, 10 years on For greater INSIGHT into issues affecting Asia: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkMf14VQEvTaHr6oTqYbWqKOsmcveuhca =============== ABOUT THE SHOW: Insight investigates and analyses topical issues that impact Asia and the rest of the world. ========================== #CNAInsider #CNAInsiderInvestigates #Malaysia #Sabah #Sulu For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER https://cna.asia/insideryoutubesub Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnainsider/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnainsider/ Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider

This month, we paint the town purple! Join Dr. Vilashini Somiah and Rizal Rozhan as they discuss Dr. Vila's new book 'Irregular Migrants and the Sea at the Borders of Sabah, Malaysia: Pelagic Alliance'. Listen to stories of how migrant women found strength, courage and empowerment through the sea. About the speakers Dr. Vilashini Somiah (PhD, NUS) is a Sabah anthropologist at the Gender Studies Programme at Universiti Malaya. Her work focuses on the underrepresented narratives of Bornean women, migrants, indigenes, and other sexual and gender minorities. She co-edited “Sabah From the Ground: The 2020 Elections and the Politics of Survival (SIRD/ISEAS, 2021), and authored "Irregular Migrants and the Sea at the Borders of Sabah, Malaysia: Pelagic Alliance" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022). Outside of academia, she writes on and speaks about the local socio-political landscape and oppressions. Rizal Rozhan is a proud Sabahan from Penampang who yearns for more discussions on healthy positive masculinity in Malaysia. In 2018, he had the privilege of hosting a Men Act Tough (MAT) camp with selected male participants to unpack and find ways to address issues of hypermasculinity and how it affects gender equality in Malaysia. The group has since been repurposed as a support group for existing and external (new) members to navigate the hypermasculine world with each other as a support system. In his free time, you can find him jungle trekking in random forests, kayaking on the seas... or at least, he wishes to be. #IWD2022 #Breakthebias #GTLF