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#132 Tariq Ramadan Aired Thursday, 13 September 2012
We talk to Tariq Ramadan, world renown academic and writer, about the Arab Awakening, the intellectual revolution and saving the Middle East.
#131 Jaunique Sealey Aired Tuesday, 7 August 2012
This week, Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to social media savant, Jaunique Sealey, about the importance of having an authentic online presence, about twitter damage control, and whether what you see is what you get with Lady Gaga. (Here's a hint: She's actually like that. All the ...
#130 Bridget Welsh Aired Friday, 27 July 2012
Bridget Welsh gives us her analysis and predictions on the upcoming Malaysian General Elections, and tells us why every vote is crucial this time around.
129.1 Ted Schilowitz Aired Wednesday, 18 July 2012
This week, Uma speaks to employee #1 of RED Digital Cinema, Ted Schilowitz about the future of cinema, the disconnect between watching something on your mobile device and your 100-inch plasma display. Uma also questions as to whether we really need 4k resolution. Ted was here for the Cinecast ...
129.2 Ted Schilowitz (Bonus) Aired Wednesday, 18 July 2012
In this bonus footage, Uma and Ted discuss The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby and watching movies in 48 fps.
#128 Zaid Ibrahim Aired Monday, 9 July 2012
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim talks to us about king and constitution. He explains the laws that should govern these two institutions; a subject that he investigates throughly in his aptly titled book "Ampun Tuanku."
#127 Dr Maya Soetoro-Ng Aired Wednesday, 20 June 2012
We discuss the meaning of Peace Education and how multiculturalism should impact the way we teach with Dr Terance Bigalke from the East-West Center and Dr. Maya Soetero-Ng, education specialist and sister of President Barack Obama.
#126 Irshad Manji Aired Wednesday, 13 June 2012
The Fairly Current Show kicks off its new season with internationally reknown author and activist, Irshad Manji. New host, Umapagan Ampikaipakan talks to her about the hazards of being a person with chutzpah, the problem with moderate Muslims and her definition of moral courage. More info:
#125 Dato' Seri Idris Jala Aired Thursday, 27 January 2011
We return briefly for 2011 with an exclusive one-on-one talk with Dato' Seri Idris Jala (DSIJ). DSIJ is a Minister without Portfolio in the Prime Minister's Department and more widely known as the CEO for Pemandu. DSIJ took some time off to honour our persistent requests and let us in on the ...
#124 Radio Demokratika Aired Thursday, 25 November 2010
We have more F's this week to rival That Effing Show! For the final episode of The Fairly Current Show this year, we get Fahmi Fadzil to chat with Farez Jinnah and Fahri Azzat, representing Radio Demokratika. Farez and Fahri talk about the upcoming CD called Radio Demokratika, ...
#123 Sivaselvi Supramaniam Aired Thursday, 18 November 2010
With us in the studio this week is Sivaselvi Supramaniam, a Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF. We speak with her about the scenario of child abuse in Malaysia and Malaysians' lack of education on the topic. She also talks about the Get on Board initiative, and how we can better protect ...
#122 Prashun Kumar Choudhury Aired Thursday, 11 November 2010
This week we talk with Prashun Kumar Choudhury, the Project Manager for TEDxYouth@KL. We get Prashun to give us a glimpse of the upcoming TEDxYouth@KL, as he elaborates on the unique relationship between the youths and their elder leaders. Fahmi Fadzil and him also discusses a number of ...
#121 Ong Kian Ming Aired Thursday, 4 November 2010
This week we have in the studio with Fahmi Fadzil, political analyst Ong Kian Ming. We chat with Kian Ming, as he gives his shot on the likelihood of the General Election happening soon, and have his thoughts on the Sarawak state election. He also offers his opinion on how Malaysians should ...
#120 Chuah Siew Eng Aired Thursday, 28 October 2010
Let's Talk About is an online project that aims to put on centre stage topics that Malaysians have always been told were, well, best kept hushed. Covering 12 areas including federalism, civil or shari'ah law, indigenous rights, student rights, the death penalty among others, this site ...
#119 Hata Wahari Aired Thursday, 21 October 2010
This week we chat up Hata Wahari, the newly-elected President of National Union of Journalist (NUJ) Malaysia. Hata chronicles the reemergence of NUJ after a fairly subdued period and the freedom of press problem in our nation. He also puts out his thought on alternative media, and answers the ...
#118 Shelah Aired Thursday, 14 October 2010
This week Fahmi Fadzil catches up with old acquantaince, entertainer Shelah. In this episode, Shelah talks about her return to stage, and a certain "orphan" that precipitated the process. She also explains the concept behind the 3-year-old Seksualiti Merdeka, and talks about the repressive ...
#117 Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim Aired Thursday, 7 October 2010
Our guest this week is Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chaiperson of PAGE. In response to the abolishment of PPSMI (Teaching of Maths & Science in English), Datin Noor Azimah exposes the unspoken damage behind the move. Fahmi Fadzil also gets her opinion on longstanding arguments about ...
#116 Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan Aired Thursday, 30 September 2010
This week we meet with Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0. Fahmi Fadzil questions Dato' Ambiga on the marked difference between BERSIH 2.0 and its predecessor. She also enlightens us on the challenges that are still faced by Malaysians in having clean and fair elections. ...
#115 Syahredzan Johan Aired Thursday, 23 September 2010
This week we talk with Syahredzan Johan, lawyer and member of the PerlembagaanKu/MyConstitution team. We ask Syahredzan about the motives behind the MyConstitution programme, and whether this effort seeks to amend our nation's Constitution, as alleged. Our guest also explains why the ...
#114 Jahabar Sadiq Aired Thursday, 16 September 2010
This week we have Jahabar Sadiq, CEO of independent news site The Malaysian Insider. We confront Jahabar on the allegations of his ties with Indonesian nationalist front Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (BENDERA) and the police report lodged against his site. He also weighs in on our Prime Minister's ...
#113 Zurairi AR Aired Thursday, 9 September 2010
This week's Special Raya episode features Zurairi AR of Unscientific Malaysia! We speak with Zurairi about the downturn of supernatural activities during the holy month of Ramadhan and the zam zam water swindle in some of our local hotels. He also shares his thoughts on the 'controversial' ...
#112 chi too Aired Thursday, 2 September 2010
This year Malaysians seemed to celebrate Merdeka Day in a more muted and less flaggerific fashion than usual. While the official event was staged in the "air-conditioned comfort" of Stadium Putra, conceptual artist chi too decided to organise a simple merdeka + cake = event at Dataran ...
#111 Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa Aired Thursday, 26 August 2010
In May of 2010, PAS reached a milestone when it launched the Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (or PAS Supporters Congress), a body which it hopes will help galvanize support from non-Muslim Malaysians for the Islamic party. Even so, questions about PAS' true intentions with this body abound. Is it ...
#110 Fahmi Reza Aired Thursday, 19 August 2010
After a series of cancellations and rebuffs, documentary filmmaker Fahmi Reza is challenging Universiti Malaya students to organise his Student Power lecture on campus next Tuesday, 24 August 2010. We speak with Fahmi about his ongoing research into the Malaysian student movement of ...
#109 Hishamuddin Rais Aired Thursday, 12 August 2010
Ramadhan and fasting season has begun, so who better to talk about food, spirituality and sex than Malaysian iconoclast and connoisseur of free food, Hishamuddin Rais? Isham shares advice and tips for the fasting month, and reveals what he'll be eating at buka puasa and sohor. He also tells ...
#108 Azmi Sharom Aired Thursday, 5 August 2010
As we enter the month of August and approach Merdeka, we speak with Dr. Azmi Sharom about the freedoms we are still lacking in Malaysia. The outspoken law lecturer comments on the Selangor government's proposed Freedom Of Information Bill, recently tabled at the State Assembly, as well as the ...
#107 Yasmin Ahmad Aired Thursday, 29 July 2010
Just a little over a year ago, the much-loved filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad passed away. She was one of The Fairly Current Show's earliest guests and supporters, so it's only appropriate that we remember her by featuring her episode this week. Here's Yasmin on the back story of one of her ...
#106 Jacqueline Ann Surin Aired Thursday, 22 July 2010
The Nut Graph launched almost two years ago at a time when 'new media' gained prominence for helping chart a new dawn in Malaysian politics. Since then, Malaysians looking for news online have been spoilt for choice. Mainstream news outlets renewed their focus online even as a handful of new ...
#105 Edmund Bon Aired Wednesday, 14 July 2010
The Internal Security Act has been receiving much attention of late, with high expectations that the Home Ministry will be tabling amendments to this controversial law during the current Parliament sitting. However, civil society groups have been fighting to draw more focus on two other laws ...
#104 Hilman Idham, UKM4 Aired Thursday, 8 July 2010
The Malaysian student movement, which was extremely vocal and visible in the 60's, began slowing down when the 1971 University and University Colleges Act (UUCA, or AUKU in BM) came into effect. Yet of late, student activism and campus politics has regained traction among undergraduates, who ...
#103 Woon King Chai, UKM 4 Aired Thursday, 1 July 2010
Last 25th April 2010, during the Hulu Selangor by-election, four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political science students were held by the police on their way to Kuala Kubu Bharu. Subsequently, officials from UKM appeared and said that the UKM 4 would be subject to disciplinary action for ...
#102 Liew Seng Tat Aired Thursday, 24 June 2010
Liew Seng Tat has somehow convinced 250 people to get up early on Saturday, 26 June morning to move a traditional Malay kampung house in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. With their bare hands, yes. We speak to Seng Tat about the inspiration and motives behind this quirky and highly unusual ...
#101 His Excellency Boyd McCleary Aired Thursday, 17 June 2010
On May 12th 2010, the UK saw the formation of its first coalition government since the Second World War, with the youngest UK Prime Minister since 1812 no less. Inheriting a gloomy economic landscape, the Cameron-Clegg government will be likely to revise the administration's budget and curtail ...
100.1 100th Episode (Part 1) Aired Thursday, 10 June 2010
On 12 June 2008, The Fairly Current Show aired for the very first time on PopTeeVee. Suddenly, it's 2 years later and we've done 100 episodes! Looking back at the past 99 episodes, our 7-minute talk show has featured a diverse range of Malaysian stories, issues and personalities. We've ...
100.2 100th Episode (Part 2) Aired Thursday, 10 June 2010
(Part 2) On 12 June 2008, The Fairly Current Show aired for the very first time on PopTeeVee. Suddenly, it's 2 years later and we've done 100 episodes! Looking back at the past 99 episodes, our 7-minute talk show has featured a diverse range of Malaysian stories, issues and personalities. ...
#99 John-Son Oei Aired Thursday, 3 June 2010
Since it's launch several months ago, EPIC's 'Voice Your Choice' project has registered 22,000 new Malaysian voters across the peninsula. While this is an impressive number by most standards, this youth initiative has set a target of registering 2 million new voters by the next general ...
#98 Chou Z Lam Aired Thursday, 27 May 2010
Over the past month, the related issues of self-censorship and political interference in the mainstream media industry has been receiving much debate in the social media, prompting a number of public protests and flash mobs. We speak with former RTM TV2 producer Chou Z Lam, who was sacked on ...
#97 Wong Tack Aired Thursday, 20 May 2010
For the past few years, Sabahan activists have been battling the government's proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant on the east coast of the state, one of the most pristine marine environments in Malaysia. The proposed site for the power plant has been moved several times, from Silam to ...
#96 Ivy Josiah Aired Thursday, 13 May 2010
Since the death of 14-year old Aminulrasyid Amzah several weeks back, public debate on the police force has exploded in the mainstream media, kopitiams, schools and blogosphere. In the meantime, several more young people have been shot. Are we just going around in circles? We speak with Ivy ...
#95 Puspa Rosman Aired Thursday, 6 May 2010
The fatal shooting of 14-year old schoolboy Aminulrasyid Amzah by the police has profoundly shocked the nation over the past two weeks. We speak with young lawyer Puspa Rosman, who will be acting on behalf of Aminulrasyid's family, on the controversy and politicking that surrounds the case - ...
#94 Ronnie Khoo Aired Thursday, 29 April 2010
The recent Hulu Selangor by-election was described by Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as the "most vicious, corrupt and dirtiest" of his political career. One of the chief images of the personal and moral attack against Zaid was a poorly Photoshop-ed photo of him holding onto ...
#93 Kubhaer Thakurdas Jethwani and Rajiv Naidu Aired Thursday, 15 April 2010
Malaysia is experiencing it's 10th by-election since the 12th General Election of 2008. This time, the folks of Hulu Selangor will be picking a new Member of Parliament. Will it be from PKR? BN? Or will there be an 'independent' upset?? This week, we speak with potential candidate Kubhaer ...
#92 Haris Ibrahim Aired Thursday, 8 April 2010
April 3 marked the one-year anniversary of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's premiership. Since taking office, much has taken place under his watch: the propagation of the '1Malaysia' concept; the economic crisis and subsequent unveiling of the 'New Economic Model'; the rising tide of racial and ...
#91 Ho Yuhang Aired Thursday, 1 April 2010
Award-winning filmmaker & funnyman Ho Yuhang's new movie, At The End of Daybreak, opens in Malaysia today, and runs until April 7 in selected GSC cinemas (Mid Valley, 1Utama and Pavillion). The film has picked up several international awards, the latest being 'Best Newcomer' (for Jane Ng) and ...
#90 Masjaliza Hamzah Aired Thursday, 18 March 2010
On January 25 2010, High Court Justice Mohamad Ariff Yusof quashed the Home Ministry's ban on 'Muslim Women and the Challenges of Islamic Extremism', a compilation of essays based on research carried out by renowned international scholars and activists. The academic book is edited by Prof ...
#89 The Panda Head Curry? Aired Thursday, 11 March 2010
Do you support the right for all Malaysians to refer to each other as 'macha'? This week, we speak with The Lord Panda and General Panda of satire shock punk band The Panda Head Curry? about their wildly popular side project. Their Facebook group, We support the right for all Malaysians to ...
#88 Sharyn Shufiyan Aired Thursday, 4 March 2010
As Malaysia faces a prolonged crisis of leadership, the image and ideas of Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman have become popularised again by civil society groups, think tanks, and the mainstream media. We speak with Sharyn Shufiyan, Tunku's great granddaughter, on how he ...
#87 Nurul Izzah Anwar Aired Thursday, 25 February 2010
"Sodomy II" - the media has framed Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim's ongoing trial as a sequel. And as with many sequels, the elements are discussed and dissected with greater detail than the original - the formulaic and predictable plot, the returning cast of characters, the introduction of new ...
#86 Tengku Razaleigh Aired Thursday, 18 February 2010
Of late, much has been said about the direction (or lack thereof) of Malaysian politics - be it in Barisan or Pakatan. With Barisan, the poor public relations due to its mismanagement of issues has done little to attract the support of the youth and the non-Malays. With Pakatan, internal ...
#85 Manesh Nesaratnam Aired Thursday, 11 February 2010
"We want to make a movie with you." Having tried writing his own script, Manesh Nesaratnam (and team) realised that the quintessential Malaysian story (or stories, rather) resided in none other than... all Malaysians! So, instead of working alone to imagine this Malaysian movie, Manesh and ...
#84 Sivin Kit Aired Thursday, 4 February 2010
It has been more than a month since the High Court ruling which allowed the Roman Catholic publication, the Herald Weekly, use of the word 'Allah' in their newsletter. Since then, that ruling has been stayed while numerous churches, mosques, a Christian convent, and a sikh gurdwara have been ...
#83 Grace Chin Aired Thursday, 28 January 2010
The blogosphere is an interesting space - those who refer to it as an alternative to mainstream media are missing the point. Information networks are being are being rethought, and we are beginning to see that the blogosphere is really a form of crowd-sourced news-wire. We speak with ...
#82 Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar Aired Thursday, 21 January 2010
With so much emotion and politicking surrounding issues of national interest, we sometimes overlook the fact that since March 8 2009, many progressive civil society groups have been formed and are adding more diverse and non-partisan voices to the national dialogue. We speak with ...
#81 VIMA 2010 Aired Thursday, 7 January 2010
The Voize Independent Music Awards (VIMA) is into its second year, celebrating music that more and more Malaysians are tuning in to. From singersongwriters to rock bands to rappers, this all-genre-embracing music awards looks to be a neat alternative to your run-of-the-mill mainstream ...
#80 PopGang Aired Thursday, 31 December 2009
Selamat tinggal 2009, hello 2010! After trying (not very) hard to get a guest for the last Fairly Current episode of the year, we took the easy way out and decided to interview ourselves. In a playground. Please bear with us. And stop asking us about our business model. We are also ...
#79 Tony Pua Aired Thursday, 24 December 2009
Earlier this month, the controversial Goods & Services Tax (GST) was tabled in Parliament by 2nd Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, with the reassurance that "the rakyat will not be burdened under the GST". We speak with Tony Pua, Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara ...
#78 Leslie Lau Aired Thursday, 17 December 2009
2009 is nearing an end, yet some things are only just beginning. On 19th December Malaysians will see Pakatan Rakyat hold its first national convention to put forth a common platform that will determine the future of this young (and sometimes wobbly) coalition. Will this be a seminal moment for ...
#77 Azmyl Yunor Aired Thursday, 10 December 2009
One of the lesser-known facts about the versatile troubadour Azmyl Yunor is that he lectures on media in a local college in the Klang Valley. We speak with him about media ownership in Malaysia, and how mainstream media content has changed (or not) after March 8. Azmyl Yunor is a ...
#76 Premesh Chandran Aired Thursday, 3 December 2009
Formed in November 1999, online news portal Malaysiakini celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, having published 117,000 stories and 2,000 videos (and counting!). In the process, it paved the way for independent media initiatives in a landscape where for too long, the mainstream press have ...
#75 Elaine Pedley Aired Thursday, 26 November 2009
We finally ran out of "Unwelcome Words"! But because Elaine Pedley is such a fan favourite, here's a proper interview with her. She reveals the secrets to shooting the "Unwelcome Words" segment, talks about the words she cannot speak, and introduces the new, big change in her ...
#74 Chris Chong Aired Thursday, 19 November 2009
Much has been written about Chris Chong's debut film feature, Karaoke - screened earlier this year at the Directors' Fornight of the prestigious 62nd Cannes Film Festival. This award winning film opens in Malaysia on 26 November and runs for a week till 2 December - don't miss it! We talk to ...
#73 Vizla Kumaresan Aired Thursday, 12 November 2009
Recently, a court case involving a notable Malaysian TV personality invoked an archaic law that has gotten many parties up in arms. The law in question, Section 498 of the Malaysian Penal Code, deals with the issue of "enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman" ...
#72 Youth for Change Carnival Aired Thursday, 5 November 2009
A frequently cited statistic from 2006 stated that 70% of the 4.7 million Malaysians yet to register as voters are aged between 21 and 35 years." So goes the opening description of the upcoming Youth for Change Carnival. Yet after the historic March 8 2008 General Elections, Malaysians saw ...
#71 Beerbeer.org Aired Thursday, 29 October 2009
Consumption of fermented beverages, especially imported labels, appears to be on the rise in Malaysia (according to 2006 figures from the Institute of Alcohol Studies, Malaysians consumed 11 liters of beer per capita!). Even so, the political realities on the ground - the case of model Kartika ...
#70 Zulhabri Supian Aired Thursday, 22 October 2009
This week we interview cultural activist Zulhabri Supian about the Frinjan indie movement. Frinjan was established to organise fringe cultural activities with huge doses of pop culture, literature, music and activism. Since they've begun, their events, gigs, readings and projects have ...
#69 Amin Iskandar Aired Thursday, 15 October 2009
The past weekend saw two landmark events in Malaysia's political landscape: Tan Sri Isa Samad's whopping win in the Bagan Pinang by-election, and the dramatic MCA EGM which has shaken the very foundations of the party. We speak with Amin Iskandar, the Exective Director of the National ...
#68 Kashminder Singh Aired Thursday, 8 October 2009
Mobile communications is no longer just about convenience. In developing countries, mobile communications leads to significant cultural and economic shifts. There are about 4 billion mobile phones in use world-wide, 3 quarters of which are in developing countries, allowing a significant number ...
#67 Ioannis Gatsiounis Aired Thursday, 1 October 2009
Life as a foreign correspondent can be an interesting one - the sights, sounds, and social life of wherever one is currently located can provide many perspectives, points for reflection, and of course, ideas for stories. This week, we speak with writer Ioannis Gatsiounis about writing ...
#66 Jay Cee the Cow Aired Thursday, 17 September 2009
Much has been written and debated about on the Shah Alam cow-head controversy. Members of the Section 19 and 23 communities, politicians, provocateurs, bloggers, the mainstream media, the online media, the international media, concerned Malaysians, ugly Malaysians, beautiful Malaysians - ...
65.1 Steven Gan Aired Thursday, 10 September 2009
On 28th August 2009, some 50-odd Shah Alam residents protested the relocation of a Hindu temple from nearby Section 19 to their neighbourhood in Section 23. During this protest, they carried - and stepped on - a cow's head, an important religious symbol for Hindus. This entire episode was ...
65.2 Sharil Tarmizi Aired Thursday, 10 September 2009
On 28th August 2009, some 50-odd Shah Alam residents protested the relocation of a Hindu temple from nearby Section 19 to their neighbourhood in Section 23. During this protest, they carried - and stepped on - a cow's head, an important religious symbol for Hindus. This entire episode was ...
#64 Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad Aired Thursday, 3 September 2009
From issues of constitutional and civil liberties to the politicisation of everyday life, the events of the past few weeks have provoked much reflection, argument and soul-searching in Malaysians. To make some sense of all this, we speak with PAS politician Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad on the caning ...
#63 Wong Chin Huat Aired Thursday, 27 August 2009
As Malaysia approaches its 52nd Merdeka anniversary, we speak with one of the nation's most insightful and cogent political scientists and public intellectuals, Wong Chin Huat. Chin Huat talks to us about the 1Black Merdeka project, a citizen action to wear black this 31st August, and to ...
#62 John Lee Aired Thursday, 20 August 2009
John Lee has been blogging on politics, society and economics since 2005, when he was just 15 years old. He also become known as one of the youngest and hardest-working contributors on Wikipedia, specialising in entries related to Malaysia. As the nation celebrates its 52nd National Day ...
#61 Jac SM Kee Aired Thursday, 13 August 2009
Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual sexuality rights festival featuring a programme of talks, lectures, forums, workshops, theatre and music performances, interactive installations and film screenings. Launched in 2008, the festival aims to underscore the fact that even after all these years since ...
#60 Fauziah Ramly Aired Thursday, 6 August 2009
The recent anti-ISA rally on 1st August 2009 saw tens of thousands of Malaysians take to the streets of KL to express their disagreement with that law. It also saw the largest number of arrests - some 600 people, children included. Questions about how arrested children are handled and the ...
#59 Yasmin Ahmad Aired Thursday, 30 July 2009
Much has been said and shared about the late Yasmin Ahmad in the short time since her passing on 25 July 2009. Such was the profound grace, humour, intelligence and influence that was in her person and her work that tributes and thoughts continue to flow online and in the mainstream media. ...
58.1 Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Pt 1) Aired Wednesday, 22 July 2009
2-part special with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah! Watch part 2 here. Much has happened in Malaysia in the past 2 weeks - the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Shah Alam office, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to ...
58.2 Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Pt 2) Aired Wednesday, 22 July 2009
2-part special with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah! Watch part 1 here. Much has happened in Malaysia in the past 2 weeks - the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Shah Alam office, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to ...
#57 Bukit Bintang Girls' School Aired Thursday, 16 July 2009
The Bukit Bintang Girls' School (BBGS), founded in 1893, was a pioneer of womenââ¬â¢s education in Malaysia. Although the school no longer stands on Jalan Bukit Bintang (it was relocated to Taman Shamelin in 2001 and renamed SMK Seri Bintang Utara), the BBGS spirit continues to live on in ...
#56 Ibrahim Suffian Aired Thursday, 9 July 2009
Are Malaysian youth apathetic, confused or trapped in a web of contradictions? Post-March 8, everyone from political parties to telcos want a piece of "the youth". But what do they do really want? In the recently released 'National Youth Survey 2008', 52% of Malaysian youth believe that the ...
#55 Tash Aw Aired Thursday, 2 July 2009
Award-winning writer Tash Aw returned to Kuala Lumpur recently on whirlwind tour of readings, interviews and book signings to promote his new book, 'Map of the Invisible World'. We caught up with him to talk about writing, book signings and the new novel, which follows the divergent paths ...
#54 Charlene Rajendran Aired Thursday, 25 June 2009
Charlene Rajendran is one of many Malaysians living in Singapore, and she chooses not to own a car. Her new book, the best-selling 'Taxi Tales on a Crooked Bridge', chronicles her conversations with some of the 'driving philosophers' she has met on the hundreds of taxi rides she has ...
#53 Patrick Saw Aired Thursday, 18 June 2009
Earlier this month, Patrick Saw's t-shirt stall in Central Market was raided by a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs' Publication and Quranic Texts Control Division. The ministry officials confiscated over 80 t-shirts - including Pop images of Bruce Lee and Mao Zedong portrayed as 'Mickey ...
#52 Dr. Farish A. Noor Aired Thursday, 11 June 2009
Much has been made about the recently concluded 55th PAS muktamar (general assembly) as a fight for the soul of the Islamic party. Amongst the most important issues issues highlighted over the weekend include the apparent internal struggle between the 'ulama' and 'professionals' factions, ...
#51 Hardesh Singh Aired Thursday, 4 June 2009
The Fairly Current Show & PopTeeVee turn 1 next week! Over the past year, we've done 54 interviews on fairly current issues in Malaysia, with community organisers, fortune tellers, eligible bachelors, lawyers, artists, politicians, phantom voters, Santa Claus, and more. To mark this ...
#50 Hatim Abdullah Aired Thursday, 28 May 2009
For many (urban and suburban) Malaysians,crime incidences appear to be a constant, endemic national problem. As an attempt at curbing crime in their neighbourhoods, many suburbs have either been wholly developed as gated communities or, for those established before the trend, are finding an ...
#49 Gertjan Zuilhof Aired Thursday, 21 May 2009
Malaysian independent filmmakers have been creating waves on the international film festival circuit for several years now. Yet there is still a struggle for audiences and recognition at home. We speak with Dutchman Gertjan Zuilhof, a longtime programmer at the International Film Festival ...
#48 Hassan Muthalib Aired Thursday, 14 May 2009
This week, to mark the 40th anniversary of May 13 1969, we speak with Hassan Muthalib, who was a witness to the violent racial clashes in the heart of Kuala Lumpur on that fateful day, as well as the trying and difficult days that followed. In 1969, Hassan was a 23-year old bachelor and ...
#47 Pang Khee Teik Aired Thursday, 7 May 2009
For the past 2 and a half years, The Annexe has become an important platform for Kuala Lumpur's artists, activists and audiences, particularly those interested in multidisciplinary, thought-provoking and socially-conscious work. This week, we speak with Pang Khee Teik about cultural ...
#46 Michael - Burmese Refugees Aired Thursday, 30 April 2009
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (led by former Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry) has recently released a report, titled 'Trafficking and Extortion of Burmese Migrants in Malaysia and Southern Thailand'. The report was the result of investigations prompted by ...
#45 Phantom Voter Aired Thursday, 23 April 2009
It seems that the by-election fever has not subsided! With five by-elections done and one more (possibly?) to come, it's pretty safe to say that some kind of a democracy is definitely in action in this country. Looks like we all have to work overtime, phantom voters notwithstanding. As such, ...
#44 Kubhaer Jethwani Aired Thursday, 16 April 2009
Every year, Cleo magazine gathers together 50 young, attractive, and very eligible bachelors together for a very public contest: to see who is the most desirable lad of the lot. This year's batch is no less fun, comprising TV/Radio personalities, engineers & bankers, and even the Malaysian ...
#43 Zaid Ibrahim Aired Thursday, 9 April 2009
This week we speak with former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to hear his thoughts on the results of the April 7 tri-by-elections, Malaysia's new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's return to UMNO. He also talks about his new book and ...
#42 Marion D'Cruz Aired Thursday, 2 April 2009
We've reached the end of our 3rd season for The Fairly Current Show, so that means it's time to speak to Marion D'Cruz again - this time she talks about how she once danced in front of our future Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak! She also reveals how Five Arts Centre, the collective ...
#41 Mark Disney Aired Thursday, 26 March 2009
Are Malaysian graduates employable? What challenges do our graduates face when they enter the workforce, and how can they better equip themselves in the ongoing economic crisis? This week, we speak to Mark Disney, who has been involved in the education field in Malaysia since 1992 - he was ...
#40 Janet Tay Aired Thursday, 19 March 2009
MPH has just published the Urban Odysseys: KL Stories anthology, where 18 writers present a sweeping literary portrait of the city as seen through their eyes, and where Kuala Lumpur is as much a character as any of the denizens, drifters and dreamers portrayed in the stories. Featured writers ...
#39 Charles Santiago Aired Thursday, 12 March 2009
Water tariffs in Selangor are poised to be raised by March 31 2009, due to concession agreements which were signed in 1994. As part of efforts to stem these tariff hikes, both the Federal and Selangor State governments have begun negotiations with the various concerned concessionaires: SYABAS ...
#38 Anas Zubedy Aired Thursday, 5 March 2009
The 12th General Election on 8th March 2008 was a watershed moment in Malaysian politics. Unfortunately, one year on, it seems like water has not stopped shedding! From government takeovers, threats of party-hopping, and scandalous exposés seem to show that focus on politics has increased ...
#37 Mona Eltahawy Aired Thursday, 26 February 2009
Musawah, a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family initiated by Sisters In Islam, was launched at an international meeting in Kuala Lumpur in mid-February 2009. The event gathered approximately 250 activists, scholars, academics, legal practitioners and policy makers from ...
#36 Yasmin Ahmad - Earth Hour Malaysia Aired Thursday, 19 February 2009
Imagine a major part of Kuala Lumpur turning its lights out almost simultaneously for one hour. On Saturday, March 28 2009, Malaysia will be taking part in a global movement to stand united with 1000 cities for Earth Hour by switching off non-essential lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm (local time). ...
#35 Malik Imtiaz Sarwar Aired Thursday, 12 February 2009
The ongoing constitutional crisis in Perak, with the switch of Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional state governments, has shocked and angered many Malaysians. The forced resignation of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, the defections of PKR (Parti KeADILan Rakyat) and DAP (Democratic ...
#34 Amir Muhammad Aired Thursday, 5 February 2009
Hot on the heels of the best-selling first volume, Amir Muhammad has compiled more quotes from the last two decades which range from the sublime to the ridiculous in Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things Vol. 2 (with artwork by Fahmi Reza). We ask Amir his thoughts on the Malaysian ...
#33 K. Azril Ismail Aired Thursday, 29 January 2009
The Sentul Workshop, the central locomotive depot that services the entire railway industry in Peninsula Malaysia, will be closing its doors soon. The workshop, which which began operations in 1905 under the Federated Malay States Railway (which evolved into Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad), is ...
#32 Master Chin Aired Thursday, 22 January 2009
For our Chinese New Year special, we talk to popular fortune teller, Master Chin. Master Chin specialises in palmistry, numerology, face reading, tarot cards and feng shui. He reveals how he developed his passion for fortune telling, and tells us what to expect in the Year of the Earth ...
#31 Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir Aired Thursday, 15 January 2009
Beginning this year, Muslims couples seeking to get married must undergo mandatory HIV testing. We asked Malaysian AIDS Council advisor Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir about what this move means for Malaysians. She also speaks about the increasing incursions made by state religious authorities ...
#30 Dr Jomo K.S. Aired Thursday, 8 January 2009
The Fairly Current Show interviewed leading economist Dr. Jomo K.S. during his recent return to Kuala Lumpur in December. Dr. Jomo sheds light on the ongoing global financial crisis, and the daunting challenges that economies across the world, including Malaysia, will face in 2009. Dr. ...
29.1 Deputy Minister of Space and Tourism Aired Thursday, 1 January 2009
2 episode New Year Special: the YB and the Youth. For the first interview of 2009, we bring you an exclusive with the Deputy Minister of Space and Tourism! The YB reflects on the year that was in 2008 ("nothing much happened... business as usual"), and ...
29.2 The Youth Aired Thursday, 1 January 2009
2 episode New Year Special: the YB and the Youth. The Fairly Current Show went down to The Annexe in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur during the recent Arts for Grabs weekend in December. We asked a whole bunch of (mainly) young people what the highlights and ...
#28 Santa Claus Aired Thursday, 25 December 2008
In the spirit of the Christmas season, we worked hard, pulled strings, met with influential people and finally managed to secure an exclusive one-on-one with Santa Claus. Despite his hectic schedule (he's lost a little weight, as you can see), Santa was able to take some time out to to talk ...
#27 Yoga Fatwa Aired Thursday, 18 December 2008
Some time ago, the National Fatwa Council issued a fatwa declaring the ancient practise of yoga haram for Muslims in Malaysia. While the fatwa has not been gazetted by law - at which point anyone who refutes, defy or disobey it can technically be prosecuted in a Malaysian Shariah Court - many ...
#26 Preeta Samarasan Aired Thursday, 11 December 2008
Malaysian-born, France-based writer Preeta Samarasan was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote her debut novel, Evening Is The Whole Day. Set in Ipoh, the book illuminates in detail an Indian family's layers of secrets and lies, while exposing the complex underbelly of Malaysia itself. The book ...
#25 Termana Ngurah Aired Thursday, 4 December 2008
This week, we speak with Balinese activist Termana Ngurah about the reformasi of the late 1990s, and its continued effects on the student and civil society movements in Indonesia. Termana recently took part in the REFORMASI'LAH! - Membincangkan (lagi) 10 Tahun Reformasi Malaysia dan ...
#24 Lorna Tee Aired Thursday, 27 November 2008
In conjunction with the 2008 Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival this week (not really, heh), we talk to film producer Lorna Tee about the way forward for the Malaysian indie film movement. Having produced many local indie theatre, music and film projects over the last decade before ...- #23 Lim Kong Soon Aired Thursday, 20 November 2008
We met 16 year-old Lim Kong Soon during the recent Emergency Festival!, where he was by far the most experienced participant in the We! Will! Wikipedia! The Emergency! project to grow contributions related to the 1948-1960 Malayan Emergency. We were fascinated with his extensive knowledge ... - #22 Kee Thuan Chye Aired Thursday, 13 November 2008
This week, The Fairly Current Show talks to Kee Thuan Chye, whose new book, March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up is available in all major bookstores nationwide. A compilation of eyewitness accounts, interviews and essays, the book documents the diverse reactions, hopes and expectations that ... - #21 Danny Lim Aired Thursday, 6 November 2008
What goes bump, thump, or 'kak-kak-kak-kak-kak' in the night? This week The Fairly Current Show speaks with Danny Lim about his book, The Malaysian Book of the Undead, which compiles stories and curious facts about the our imaginations of, and fascinations with, Malaysian ghosts. Malacca-born ... 
#20 Izham Fazely Aired Thursday, 30 October 2008
The PopMalaya t-shirts first appeared in 2006, and their designs sold out quickly through MySpace, word-of-mouth and at indie gigs. Their designs are Inspired by typical, everyday scenes of KL and Malaysiana, carrying the cheeky tagline "Pakai, Buang, Suka Hati Korang!" Since then, ...
#19 Nisha, Social Worker Aired Thursday, 23 October 2008
The Fairly Current Show crew met up with Nisha sometime ago at Seksualiti Merdeka, an event that hoped to raise awareness among Malaysians about sexuality rights and issues in Malaysia. At the event, she spoke at length about the discrimination that transexuals faced, how she overcame the ...
#18 Fahmi Reza Aired Thursday, 16 October 2008
Documentary filmmaker Fahmi Reza and his debut film 10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka became an internet sensation last year because of its powerful storytelling of the largely forgotten Hartal, and the way it was made freely available across many online platforms. This week, we talk to Fahmi ...
#17 Michelle Gunaselan Aired Thursday, 9 October 2008
Founded by leading human rights lawyer and activist Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Project Malaysia is an "experiment in nation building". This online journal was launched on 31st August 2008, and provides a monthly, thematic platform for analysis and commentaries by specialists, academics, law ...
#16 Suflan Shamsuddin Aired Thursday, 2 October 2008
Many would blame Malaysia's current political upheaval on decades of ineptitude, abuse and race-based politics. Although the electoral 'tsunami' earlier suggested a rejection of past methods, an alignment on the way forward remains in doubt. Suflan Shamsuddin's book, RESET: Rethinking ...- #15 Nam Ron Aired Thursday, 25 September 2008
In 2006, 3 directors from very different companies decided that it was important for Malaysians of all ethnic and language backgrounds to come together to create one piece of theatre. Loh Kok Man of Pentas Projects, Jo Kukathas of The Instant Café Theatre Company and Nam Ron of ... 
14.1 Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Simon Sipaun - Part 1 Aired Thursday, 18 September 2008
Much ignorance still surrounds Semenanjung Malaysia's relationship and history with Sabah. And more recently, there has been much hype and uncertainty surrounding Sept 16 and Sabah's role in the national political landscape. In the first part of our Malaysia Day bumper episode, we talk to ...
14.2 Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Simon Sipaun - Part 2 Aired Thursday, 18 September 2008
In the 1970s, Filipino refugees from Southern Mindanao were welcomed into Sabah by Tun Mustafa Harun, the then Chief Minister who provided them citizenship and residency status. This policy was continued by the next Chief Minister Harris Salleh. For the last four decades, the refugee population ...
#0 Pilot Aired Thursday, 11 September 2008
We're taking a break from our regular programming this week. But we still got an episode for ya! To mark the end of Season 1 of The Fairly Current Show, we thought it would be a good idea to go back to the very beginning. This week's episode was our original pilot, shot on April 15 ...
#13 Devi's Corner Aired Thursday, 4 September 2008
Devi's Corner has been synonymous with the Bangsar area in Kuala Lumpur for over two decades. Started 22 years ago with a simple push-cart of Indian dishes next to TMC Mini Market in Lucky Garden, Devi's is today located on the corner of Jalan Telawi 5, opposite Bangsar Village II. This ...
12.1 Pengerang - Part I Aired Thursday, 28 August 2008
In May 2008, the International Court of Justice ruled that Pulau Batu Puteh, or Pedra Bianca, was owned by Singapore, while Malaysia has sovereignty over the small outcrop of rocks known as Pulau Batu Tengah, or Middle Rocks. Both these islands lie several nautical miles out of Pengerang on the ...
12.2 Pengerang - Part 2 Aired Thursday, 28 August 2008
Pengerang, Johor is the southern most tip of not only Malaysia, but also the entire Asian continent. In this second part of our Merdeka special, Pak Haji Ali recounts names and tales of living in Pengerang. A simple celebration of a Malaysia we should not forget. Haji Ali bin Daeng Jidah, ...
#11 Andrew Senior Aired Thursday, 21 August 2008
If creativity is the developing world's last natural resource, how do we build, nurture and sustain it, while ensuring that it remains competitive? Recently, Andrew Senior (Senior Expert, Creative Economy, British Council) was in KL to have dialogues with policy makers, creative collectives ...
#10 Zain HD Aired Thursday, 14 August 2008
Earlier this year, 1,000 individuals gathered at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for 'KL Freeze In Unison'. The event originated from a Facebook shoutout calling for people to congregate in a public place and freeze simultaneously for 4 minutes on April 13, 2008 (watch the YouTube clips
#9 Ida Nerina Aired Thursday, 7 August 2008
Susuk opens nationwide on Thursday, 7 August 2008. This eagerly anticipated horror movie has been 2 years in the making, and has received eight nominations for the 2008 Festival Filem Malaysia, including Best Actor (Adlin Aman Ramlie), Best Cinematography (Daven Raghavan), Best Music ...
#8 Derek Fernandez Aired Thursday, 31 July 2008
In May 2008, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) released a document entitled 'Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020' which aims to mark out the direction of development for the city of Kuala Lumpur until the year 2020. Many see the publishing of this draft plan as a step in the right direction ...
#7 Hannah Yeoh Aired Thursday, 24 July 2008
Prefects from Hannah Yeoh's highschool, SMK Subang Utama, had invited her to attend their annual reunion, a tradition she helped to start when she was head prefect of the school. Unfortunately, about a month ago, Hannah was informed that she could no longer attend the event. The rationale: she ...
#6 Yasmin Ahmad Aired Thursday, 17 July 2008
Since making their first appearance in 1995, Yasmin Ahmad's annual Merdeka TV commercials for Petronas have become eagerly anticipated and much-loved gems. For the latest commercial in the series, last year's Tan Hong Ming In Love (- #5 Pete Teo Aired Thursday, 10 July 2008
Malaysian Artistes For Unity (MAFU) is an independent, zero budget, non-partisan, non-profit, multi-artistes racial unity project involving over 120 Malaysians including students, arts activists, actors, musicians, entrepreneurs and more. The project released a song and music video entitled ... 
#4 Jacqueline Ann Surin Aired Thursday, 3 July 2008
Shape of a Pocket is a compilation of award-winning journalist Jacqueline Ann Surin's fortnightly column in theSun newspaper which she wrote from mid-April 2005 to the end of January 2008; four previously spiked columns; and two news commentaries. The selection of 59 essays, ...
#3 Shanon Shah Aired Thursday, 26 June 2008
A school. A dead body. A scandal... Air Con is award winning singer-songwriter Shanon Shah's first full-length play, developed under the banner of The Instant Cafe Theatre Company's (ICT) FIRSTWoRKS playwriting programme. The play is co-directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian ...
#2 Adrian Yap Aired Thursday, 19 June 2008
Urbanscapes is Kuala Lumpur's first all-day, 'user-generated' creative arts festival. Organized by KLue, its sister publication Junk, and fashionistas Tongue-in-Chic, this festival (in its third iteration since 2002) works together with members of the public to put forward what Malaysians would ...
#1 Ng Sek San Aired Thursday, 12 June 2008
In early June, the residents of Lucky Garden in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, were horrified to find workers from the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) chopping down 40-year old angsana trees under the pretext of solving the issue of crow over-population. This seemingly ...
