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Beyond the Ballot Box

BFM Media
Malaysia
ASEAN
United States
Neoliberalism
Corruption
China
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Tariffs
Political Financing Act
Economics
DAP
Labor Rights
Kuala Lumpur
Iran
Capitalism
Palestine
Israel
Digital Economy
Development Economics
Human Rights

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.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes456Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsHistoryNews

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Artwork for Beyond the Ballot Box

Latest Episodes

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 participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival,... more

We live in a world grappling with growing inequality, political polarisation, a climate crisis and rapid technological change. From socialism and liberalism to nationalism, conservatism and fascism, political ideologies offer different explanations f... more

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 the minimum wage to RM2,000, expand cash assistance and increase tax ... more

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, Narendra Modi and the BJP, Nigel Farage in the UK, AFD in Germany and ... more

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Recent Guests

Sivananthi Thanenthiran
Executive Director of the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women
Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women
Episode: Gender Gap Report 2026 - Women are Highly Educated but Severely Underrepresented
Jeremy Lim
Editor of Jentayu
Jentayu
Episode: Will Ideology Help Us Navigate the Problems of the 21st Century?
Jeyakumar Devaraj
Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Episode: Does Budget 2027 Address the Needs of Regular Malaysians?
Azif Azhuddin
Senior Research Director at Iman Research
Iman Research
Episode: Making Sense of the Rise of Far-Right Movements Globally
Charles Santiago
Former Klang MP; Director of MSN (Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization)
MSN; Gelombong Sak Sama coalition
Episode: What Do Malaysian Indians Need From Budget 2027?
Mikhail Rosly
Researcher from the Kazan Research Institute
Kazan Research Institute
Episode: World War III, Climate Crisis, AI: Is the World on the Brink of Collapse?
Spogmay Ahmed
Deputy Director of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative
Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative
Episode: How Unpaid Care Work Is Becoming a Foreign Policy Issue
Arveent Kathirtchelvan
Author of Red Tiger, Practical Socialism in Malaysia
Parti Socialism Malaysia (PSM)
Episode: What Would an Alternative Economic System Look Like?
Deborah Dries
GPS representative in Sarawak
GPS
Episode: Ones to Watch #12 - Youth, Political Parties and GE-16

Hosts

Dr. Yohan
Host and interviewer with affiliation to BFM 89.9 (The Business Station)
Jason Wee
Host guiding interviews and introducing guests; often involved in segment direction

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 19 ratings
  • Oversea listener

    Keep it up . Listening oversea 😎. Nobody cover it like bfm

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kazuo Ting
    Australia4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show provides long-form conversations that are insightful for policy-oriented audiences.
Listeners appreciate the rigorous policy focus anchored in Southeast Asian context.
Guests often bring nuanced, expert perspectives on reform and rights.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Gender Gap Report 2026 - Women are Highly Educated but Severely Underrepresented
Q: What is causing women's career breaks, and how can this structural problem be resolved?
Thanenthiran points to the high cost of care and household financial pressures, which can push women to pause work for childcare or other care responsibilities. She calls for care services to be recognized and properly compensated, and for policies such as parental leave to support shared caregiving.
Gender Gap Report 2026 - Women are Highly Educated but Severely Underrepresented
Q: What exactly does the Global Gender Gap Report measure?
It measures gaps between men and women across economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Thanenthiran emphasizes that it compares relative access and outcomes rather than the absolute resources or living standards people have.
Does Budget 2027 Address the Needs of Regular Malaysians?
Q: Is this the government moving in the right direction?
Responding to the minimum wage increase and exemptions for many MSMEs, Devaraj says the change is inadequate and could exclude about two million workers. He proposes adjusting public-sector contracts and offering targeted support to smaller firms that cannot afford the increase.
Does Budget 2027 Address the Needs of Regular Malaysians?
Q: Does Budget 2027 address the needs of regular Malaysians? Does it address the problems you have just brought up?
Devaraj says he is disappointed, citing falling government revenue as a share of GDP and large losses from corruption. He argues that the budget does not adequately confront these constraints or provide enough for public services.
What Do Malaysian Indians Need From Budget 2027?
Q: What institutional changes could make progress more durable for the Indian community?
Establish a Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs to fast-track education and social programs, and create Minda or Taraju-like structures to provide sustained funding, planning, and accountability across ministries.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Beyond the Ballot Box

What is Beyond the Ballot Box about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Beyond the Ballot Box offers in-depth conversations on political economy, democracy, and human rights with a distinctly Malaysian and Southeast Asian lens. Across episodes, core themes include governance, political reform, party dynamics, youth participation, and the role of social movements in shaping policy. Guests range from politicians and activists to academics and journalists, often discussing practical pathways for reform, wellbeing-oriented economics, and the politics of identity. The show tends to feature nuanced, long-form discussions that connect local political realities to regional and global trends, with a consistent emphasis on democratic resilience, inclusivity, and accountability. A notable strength is its ability to pair p... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Beyond the Ballot Box?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Beyond the Ballot Box:

1. Morning Brief
2. The Breakfast Grille
3. Ringgit and Sense
4. Enterprise Explores

How many episodes of Beyond the Ballot Box are there?

Beyond the Ballot Box launched 5 years ago and published 456 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Beyond the Ballot Box?

Recent guests on Beyond the Ballot Box include:

1. Sivananthi Thanenthiran
2. Jeremy Lim
3. Jeyakumar Devaraj
4. Azif Azhuddin
5. Charles Santiago
6. Mikhail Rosly
7. Spogmay Ahmed
8. Arveent Kathirtchelvan

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