Podio

E-cigarettes are an ever-growing phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. The Malaysian Perception of Smoking and Vaping Survey states that a clear majority (69%) of smokers want to see legislation that would allow for the distribution and sale of e-cigarettes as a viable alternative to help them quit smoking regular cigarettes.

However, the much discussed and mooted Generational End Game proposes that both smoking and vaping be banned for those born after 2007.

E-cigarettes have proven to be effective in reducing smoking rates in countries like New Zealand, the UK and Japan, hence why some believe regulating vape and vaping products separately from cigarettes is crucial, as the smoking of tobacco and associated chemicals does most of the harm.

Exploring this topic with host Shazmin Shamsuddin on Beyond Breakfast is Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh - Chairman of the Malaysia Society for Harm Reduction (MSHR), Tengku Aslahuddin Ja’afar, the President of Vape Consumer Association of Malaysia (VCAM) and Balan Kashmir, a local artist and Harm Reduction advocate.

We weigh the risks and effectiveness of vaping as a smoking cessation tool along with the long-term health effects of using vaping devices, its impact on society and youth, and concerns about addiction.

We discuss the potential challenges or unintended consequences of over-regulating vaping products, such as potential limitations on individual autonomy or freedom of choice, and explore how vaping rights can be effectively advocated for and protected, while still taking into account the potential health risks and other concerns associated with vaping products.

Can education and public awareness campaigns be used to support both vaping rights and developing responsible vaping behaviour? Can negative public perception be flipped to understand and accommodate those with nicotine addictions to successfully wean themselves off potentially more harmful substances found in cigarettes? We explore this and more.

* The Vibes does not advocate smoking or vaping. This discussion is to understand the importance of proper legislation in the context of the larger debate surrounding the potential inclusion of nicotine in the Poisons Act.

Chen Yih Wen and Syahmi Norsan count themselves among the young directors that have won the BMW Shorties film competition in the past few years. 

The pair recently sat down with Datuk Kamil Othman and Manvir Victor to talk about their careers before and after winning the prestigious award on the latest episode of Artizens. 

Chen has been hard at work making documentaries, a passion for her. Her award-winning BMW Shortie, Like Toy Dolls has helped propel her ideas and her work to an international audience. 

The same happened for Syahmi, whose production Fasa was something that struck a chord with those who watched it. 

The BMW Shorties have been around for 17 years, crowning 15 grand prize winners thus far. This year they will select a grand prize winner, whilst partnering with the Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) for the first time. The event is scheduled to take place from July 23-29. 

As we look at some of the past winners, one can only hope that other organisations that are mandated with raising the standards of our creative works like Finas, can think outside the box and build from this momentum to help the local creative talents. 

For more insight and even comments on this podcast, do follow or DM @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor on Twitter.

PROF Dr Vickneswaran Mathaneswaran is a Malaysian neurosurgeon and one of the top in his field globally. Besides being an integral part of the University Malaya Neurosurgery team, he is also an inventor of many groundbreaking innovations.

On this week's episode of Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor, he speaks exclusively on some of these innovations and studies that he has been a part of.

One of those innovations is the 3D printing of the brain, which is now becoming something that the medical world at large is taking notice of. In this video here, one can better visualise how surgeons can prepare better putting life saving techniques into action

Prof Vicky also talks about equitable access for healthcare and how it is something that PPUM, a public and private facility innovated in early 2012.

Besides this, Manvir talks to him about the use of video clips transfer for mobile phones, which surprisingly began in Malaysia.

From this episode we learn that once again, Malaysia has the right ingredients i.e. the correct talent with great innovative ideas, but we need a better system to appreciate and promote these ideas lest they leave our shores for opportunities overseas.

With his team at PPUM, one can appreciate why our neurosurgeons are quite sought after by our neighbours.

For more similar programmes and comments, do follow @manvirvictor for the latest in healthcare globally.

Admired for his approximately 30 years of rapidly growing, disruptive online businesses, Georg Chmiel has built significant expertise on a global scale in strategy, innovative technologies and corporate finance.

The founder of Chmiel Global Advisory has led more than 30 acquisitions and been taken over 6 times.

He was instrumental in creating already three unicorns during his career and is known to significantly grow shareholder value for all companies he is and was involved in.

Chmiel is the Co-Founder / Chair of Juwai-IQI Holdings, the largest proptech group in Southeast Asia with more than 30,000 sales agents.  

He is also the non-executive Chair of Spacetalk (ASX:SPA), Director of Centrepoint Alliance (ASX:CAF), the Prop Tech Group (ASX:PTG) and BUTN (ASX:BTN). 

His vast experience has garnered him a position as Senior Advisor of brioHR.com, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing HR platform and madeComfy.com, one of the most innovative short term and holiday rental platforms in Australia.

On Top Guns with Anne Edwards, Chmiel shares how the many global issues like global supply chain shortages, war in Ukraine and Covid-19 related economic issues can be overcome by entrepreneurs and businesses.

He also spoke of his new venture Spacetalk, an affordable smart watch for kids (and later also for senior citizens) which Chmiel intends to introduce in Malaysia for the safety and well being of its people.

Amanda Nell Eu just got back from the trip of her lifetime. While at the Cannes Film Festival to premiere her directorial feature debut Tiger Stripes, she was awarded the Grand Prix Jury award.

The movie, which hopefully will be available in local theatres soon, had been on a 5 year journey, literally around the world, in its making.

From the spark of an idea, to collaborating with a like-minded producer, this project saw her travelling the world to learn from the many film and script labs before she perfected her script and was ready for production.

She reveals how Covid-19 affected the production and the lengths international partners went to help make this movie a reality.

As we discover her story, we realise what Malaysia needs to do to encourage and develop local talent who have the ability to tell great local stories at a global level.

In 1996, Sharizan Borhan exploded onto the scene when he won the Best New Artist award at the Anugerah Industri Music (AIM) with the song, Hadir. 

Since then, he has become a great entertainer, much sought after voice-over talent and emcee for many high level corporate events. 

From his humble start at The Singing Shop and initial defeat at talent show Asia Bagus, Sharizan regales us with how it all started, where it has taken him, and where he hopes it will continue to lead.

Sharizan also gives us a sneak peek into his next passion project, and invites us to follow him on social media to find out where you can experience his enthusiasm and energy. 

Artizens is a platform where you can promote your project or talent so do DM us at @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor on Twitter to find out how you can be on the show.

Medical cannabis is ground breaking and something that needs to be discussed more openly and intelligently today. The biggest misconception is the notion that it is smoked and is addictive, which needs to be dispelled. 

Dr Janethy Balakrishnan Bokstrom, the President of the Association for Integrative Medicine Malaysia and a patient, Mike Michael are here to discuss some of those misconceptions.

Together they talk about the 65 countries that have legalised medical cannabis, how it is used safely, and the benefits for patients as well as the chemical composition of this drug. 

Mike, a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease and a veteran of many surgeries who is in constant pain, says he would definitely use medical cannabis if it is available as it has been proven to reduce pain with less side effects than conventional medications. 

Dr Janethy explains the technology behind the making of medical cannabis and the cannabis receptors that we have in our bodies that helps to enhance this treatment. 

Medical cannabis is by no means a cure but merely a treatment for certain conditions and must be prescribed by a specialist for use and the administration of it must be followed strictly. 

Together they assert that proper legislation and adherence to strict use will bring more benefit to patients that need it (e.g. those undergoing chemotherapy, etc.).

As Malaysia considers the legalisation of this in the future, we should know more about its uses and potential benefits. Dr Janethy shares her thoughts on a course that is available for members of the public who are keen to know more in this podcast.

As always, please DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor if you have any questions or need further resources.

MRANTI, an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) serves as a one-stop research commercialisation agency with the resources to accelerate ideas to impact.

Driven by the Ideas to Innovation roadmap, Mranti’s Drone Tech initiative aims to revolutionise Malaysia’s drone industry through its 3Ps: Programme, Partnership and Park, changing the way Malaysia operates and paving the way for a new era of aerial innovation.

Mranti currently leads the national drone tech industry development initiative as part of its mandate to catalyse emerging technology innovations adoption and create a future economy.

But when did drone tech become an entire industry? And how did Malaysia become such a big player in drone tech standing on the global scale?

Top Guns speaks to Safuan Zairi, chief ecosystem development officer, Mranti and Mohd Syafiq Salleh, CEO of Asia Drone IoT Technologies to discover how the Malaysia Drone Technology Action Plan 2022-2030, or MDTAP30, intends to leverage the potential of drone technology for economic, social, and environmental benefits.

The plan is aimed at establishing Malaysia as a regional hub for drone technology development and deployment.

We also discover how drones will be used in the future, and what impact they will have on various industries and talent development as well as job opportunities and career options for the next generation of Malaysians.

How has drone tech impacted the way we live and work? Find out on this episode of Top Guns

Produced and hosted by Shazmin Shamsuddin

IF you’ve ever wondered what it is like inside the mind of an autistic person, Beatrice Leong, a late diagnosed autistic woman, sheds some light on how she perceives the world through her mind.

She talks of the challenges and the wonder of walking in a world where the vast majority of people are neurotypical.

Leong also delves into the unsaid expectations to conform and communicate in a ‘normal’ way to fit into a world that’s not built for those who are different.

In this six-part podcast series, we explore the neurodivergent experience, the meltdowns, the anatomy of communication for the autistic, and the intersection of living with trauma and their autistic lived experience.

We also look at how can we reconcile to build a more inclusive world for all to be who they are, as they are intended to be.

Leong is a documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur attached to a health tech startup initiative and runs an autism advocacy group called Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group (Aida).

Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at age 35, she dedicates her life path to reframing our understanding ASD to foster a greater understanding of and for meaningful participation and inclusion of autistics themselves across all levels of society.

Produced and co-presented by Shazmin Shamsuddin

Dr Murugaraj Rajathurai, the President of Malaysian Medical Association visited Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor and shared some of his goals for his term. 

Dr Murugaraj talks about the bullying of doctors by a system that badly needs updating, the threat of strikes and the effects of it on patients, as well as medical cannabis and how it may help alleviate pain for some patients. 

Besides this, he also talks about his meeting with King Charles as the President of the Commonwealth Medical Association and what this actually means to members of the Commonwealth like Malaysia.

As an experienced GP and former doctor trained by the public health system, he is well placed to share his opinions on the current system and how it can be improved. Today’s healthcare is rapidly changing with more patients being empowered and educated online and hence digital healthcare is sorely needed. 

As we delve into this and more, do DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor on future topics you would like this show to highlight and tackle.

Are we totally done with Covid-19? Whilst we seem to have turned the corner from this pandemic, there are still daily cases of people all around us who are still getting and spreading the flu. 

This week on Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor, local GP and medical practitioner with the project “ Quickly Test & Treat” - Dr Balachandran Krishnan gives us insights into the situation. 

We talk about the lack of data now due to the fact that Covid-19 is being under-reported even though many are still spreading it. 

As we look at the spread, long Covid symptoms are again discussed as they are becoming more prevalent now. 

Do the boosters really help us? 

With the advent of vaccines and boosters for the more vulnerable, we find that more can be saved from serious harm by taking it. 

However, who exactly should be concerned about this? Those questions and more are addressed here. 

If you have any questions or comments, do share them on Twitter @manvirvictor.

DATUK Freddie Fernandez is well known as a defender and promoter of the music industry here. For years he has led Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia and continuously brought up issues that plagued the industry.

Recently, 15 of the main associations have banded together to set up a consultative body for music called Music Malaysia. They have appointed Fernandez to helm it.

Together with another key member of the team, Professor Ramona Mohd Tahir, who is the head of UITM Music Faculty and president of Malaysian Association for Music Education, he joins Artizens with Datuk Kamil Othman and Manvir Victor to talk about their top priorities.

In this podcast, we look at the various genres of music and musicians that Music Malaysia represents and the importance of music education in schools and higher education.

As we continue to promote education in the arts, which covers films, music, sculptures, paintings and all things creative, this is a key economic area that many countries successfully built by just having productive discussions about it before embarking on properly developed plans.

Your thoughts and suggestions are crucial to moving this forward. Engage with us on Twitter @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor. 

A regular presence at 27 Scotts, a cafe at the back end of Bangsar Shopping Centre, one would assume that YAM Tunku Kamariah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is just another striking tai tai who chooses to spend her hours entertaining friends over food and drinks at the popular eatery.

In fact, she frequents the cafe and uses it as a base for her various meetings - and in the lull in between, to people-watch and get inspiration as she sketches.

Tunku Puteri (as she is known) hails from the Royal Family of Johor - the eldest child of His Majesty the late Sultan Iskandar of Johor and Her Royal Highness Enche’ Besar Khalsom Abdullah. She is the elder sister to the current Sultan of Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and Her Majesty the Queen, Tunku Hajjah Azizah Aminah Iskandariah.

The visual artist with an interior architecture degree had from a young age been very much indulged in her love of art by her parents and gives us a glimpse of just how ordinary her childhood was growing up in the royal household.

Her father, the late Sultan of Johor, used to personally drive her to and from school, where they would occasionally stop at the bookstore afterwards for art supplies. A frequent visitor to the eateries at Lido beachfront in Johor Bahru, the late Sultan was popular with his subjects and down to earth with anyone who approached them.

Tunku Kamariah delves deep on how social media, technology and pop culture has shaped her art and the medium she uses to express herself. She discusses her upcoming exhibition, Reemergence of My Soul, where a whole new adventurous and eclectic expression has emerged from her debut exhibition held in 2021 titled By the Illumination of the Moon, which reflected her new passage in life. This upcoming showcase will also feature the launch of Tunku Kamariah’s first limited edition lifestyle collection.

Reemergence of My Soul is open to the public and will be held at the function room, Serai Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar from 10am - 4pm on Saturday, 18 March.

Malaysian movie Pulau opens in 127 cinemas throughout the country today and Artizens duo, Datuk Kamil Othman and Manvir Victor speak exclusively to producer Fred Chong and actor Evelyn Feroza, one of the main cast of this ‘controversial’ movie. 

We discover the processes the movie underwent to obtain its PG13 classification and how their approved trailer seemed to have caused a somewhat public outrage.

The duo address the criticism that the movie is riding on influencer’s fanbase, that the cast (with the exception of Aliff Satar, Amelia Henderson and Namron) cannot act and are there just to titillate. 

Newcomer to the acting scene, Feroza shares how she landed the role as the ‘witch’ and her preparations for her big screen debut.

Pulau producer Chong discusses his aspirations for the movie and the international audience that will soon be seeing the movie in their theatres. 

For more comments you may have or to engage with the hosts, do DM them on Twitter @othman_kamil or @manvirvictor.

Festival organiser Joanna Gan gives us the lowdown

This week Artizens Datuk Kamil and Manvir sat down with Joanna Gan, the founder and organiser of MIFFEST since its inception in 2017. 

She explains the idea behind the festival and also shares some of the inroads Malaysian movies have made abroad thanks to being featured on this festival. 

Artizens continue to push the envelope and promote more inclusivity and hope that policymakers note that the industry needs more leeway to express and promote themselves especially so that global financing is available to them with due process. 

This year MIFFEST 2023 will be held at LaLa Port in Kuala Lumpur from 23rd to 29th July and Artizens will revisit the programme and list of movies in another episode. 

For more information and to comment do DM @othman_kamil and @manvirvictor on Twitter.

Erstwhile Perak mentri besar and former youth and sports minister gives a lively take on the politics confronting him today.

BERSATU deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, popularly known as Peja, has a reputation for being quite a jester and someone who simply loves to laugh.

He claims that not many people can place his face against his real name if they have to. Even young children in his former parliamentary constituency of Tambun know him simply as Peja.

This week, our hosts on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly are joined by The Vibes’ sports and fitness editor T. Vignesh as they engage in conversation with possibly one of the most vivacious and animated personalities to be interviewed in our Podcast series.

Peja talks about where his focus now lies after narrowly failing to defend Tambun in the 15th general election against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who would go on to become prime minister

He confirms that he will not be running in the state election in Perak which is due by the middle of this year. He reasons that there are enough leaders in Perikatan Nasional (PN) to take this on, and that his current concentration is on grooming more leaders in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan.

Faizal also shares his thoughts on the lack of appeal that PN has among liberal Malays and other races – an important factor standing against PN – and what can be done to overcome the perception of PN among a wider audience.

The former youth and sports minister also discusses his legacy in the ministry. He dives deep on the proposed Safe Sport Act and why it is crucial to safeguard athletes. He discharges his frank opinion and thoughts on his successor, the current Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, and his hopes for the development of sports in Malaysia. 

Presented by Petra News chief executive Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohamed Isa, executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez

Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin

This week, the Minister of Health, Dr Zaliha Mustafa joins Manvir Victor to highlight some of the key issues that she has had to address in her first 90 days in office.

Having experienced serving her community, she now manages the national healthcare with the same care and attention she did as a general practitioner.

Dr Zaliha expounds on the immediate issues in public health, continuous strives for improvement and the all important digitisation of healthcare facilities which has been long overdue.

She discusses the important role of wellness as the Ministry of Health actively tackles non communicable diseases (NCD).

Dr Zaliha also breaks down how improvements to public health will benefit the public with digital transformation.

With the budget looming tomorrow, she shares what we can hope to expect and the key areas that bode well for improvement.

This episode is not the end of the discussion but merely one in a series of discussions that the Ministry of Health will have to engage with the public.

Feel free to DM @manvirvictor on Twitter and follow for more regular healthcare updates. -END

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On this week's episode of Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor, Nephrologist Dr Mohammad Zaimi Abdul Wahab and transplant surgeon Mr Vijay Manogran from Hospital Kuala Lumpur talk about the kidney transplantation and why this should be the main priority for those suffering with kidney ailments.

They talk about the current long list of kidney patients on dialysis, the success of the local transplants and what exactly patients and caregivers can do to find out more about how they can have access to this life transforming surgery.

Transplantation for kidneys has been done in Malaysia since 1976 and although we are behind our neighbours Singapore and Thailand in the total number of transplants, we are among the highest percentage for success. Our funding from the Ministry of Health has been lacking although the obvious "gold" standard for kidney ailments have been recognised as transplants. 

Successful transplant patients get to resume normal life, work, have families and contribute to society within the year, post transplant.

We discuss exactly what kidney disease is, how to keep kidneys healthy and what the process is to do kidney transplants in case you are undergoing dialysis or even pre-dialysis. 

Patients have an opportunity to save money by doing transplantation locally instead of dialysis as currently these life transforming operations are free for citizens and even the post transplant medication is heavily subsidised. 

For more information on this you can contact the National Kidney Transplant Centre at 03- 03-2615 5555 Ext 7359 or even follow their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nephrohklmibextid=LQQJ4d.

Further information on kidney health can be directed on Twitter @manvirvictor for links and other info you need to know.

Recorded and Edited for the last time by Ethan Phoon

Tunku Mona and Haris Sulong are two well known names in the movie industry here in Asia. 

Their film “Redha”, a movie about a young boy with autism and the challenges and joys his family face in raising him, has garnered worldwide attention upon its release in 2016.

Tunku Mona and Haris discuss the challenges and also the accolades they have received on the success of this movie, and what changes they would like to see in the industry so that more notable films like Redha can reach the heights that many films from neighbouring countries have gone. 

As we continue to strive for the arts to be accepted as an essential educational tool for a developing country, we chat about what it takes to achieve this. 

As usual, we are always available on Twitter @othman_kamil and @manvirvictor to bounce off ideas and discuss these topics in more detail.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

In a candid conversation following his sacking from Umno, the former Putrajaya division leader reflects on how the party has morphed to its present state of affairs.

“IT’S a relief.”

That was Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz’s reply when asked how he felt about his sacking from Umno, which some quarters have decried as unjustified, earlier this week.

According to the former Putrajaya Umno deputy division chief, being sacked is better than being suspended, as one can now openly say what needs to be said without having to carry the burden and responsibility of “saving” the party.

And boy, does he let loose.

On The Good, The Bad and The Ugly this week, Tun Faisal discusses the factors that led him being fired for good from the party, after having been suspended for six years in March 2021.

He also weighs in on the current climate at both leadership and grassroot levels, likening the machinations of those politicking to either maintain their positions or to try to make reforms from within Umno as akin to a ‘Game of Thrones’.    

It is perhaps no coincidence that he is a former press secretary to ex-minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa who was himself expelled from Umno last December despite being a veteran in the party. 

Annuar had been very vocal in his criticisms against the leadership of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Umno.

In an interview with Getaran, The Vibes’ Malay-language sister portal, last week, Tun Faisal had asserted: “It has become a ‘jewel’ for the president to strengthen his power, because in reality, the disciplinary board is not functioning; it hands down punishments without due process. 

“My punishment from the board was not based on facts, which proves that it is just a ‘cartoon’.” 

In a podcast interview with The Vibes, he goes deeper into what changed from the time he was an ardent supporter of Ahmad Zahid to when he withdrew his support for the Umno president, leading to his six-year suspension from the party in March 2021.

What is next for this self-identifying ‘William Wallace’? Is there a ‘Robert the Bruce’-type character left, now that Khairy Jamaluddin and Tan Sri Noh Omar have also been sacked, who can bring together what he deems to be reformist factions from Umno? 

Does the blood of Umno still course through his veins?

He answers unflinchingly that it does, but not the ‘Umno-Zahid Sdn Bhd’-type blood.  “That one is so deviated from the true path of Umno,” he says.

Presented by Petra News chief executive Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohamed Isa, executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez

Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin and sound edited by Ethan Phoon

When Datuk Kamil Othman and Manvir Victor began Silver Screens and Guitar Strings in June of 2022, they didn’t expect their podcast rantings about movie and music industry best practices would be taken seriously. 

About 20 and some episodes later, they realised that there was more to this than just movies, music and entertainment. The show needed to cover the entire arts industry and emerging talent in Malaysia and the region. 

Hence, Artizens - a new podcast for creatives to share the highs and lows in this competitive and ever changing industry.

For the 1st episode for 2023, they speak with Feisal and Iskander Azizuddin, who are following in the footsteps of the Farelly, Coen and even Wachowski brothers (now sisters). 

This duo come fresh from their win for Best Short film at the Festival Filem Malaysia, with their winning shortie, “Can you love me most?”  

They discuss the theme of this film which is child trafficking, and how this film came to be made.

Interestingly, Feisal and Iskandar have figured out a way to make films from the previously unheard of budget of RM15,000 or US4,000. 

Other movies of theirs to note are Undur and Tauhu Sumbat. Both these movies touch on subjects that are sensitive, highly relatable, yet seldom discussed.

Tauhu Sumbat for instance, subtly references child molestation in the context of religion. These issues are pervasive in society and so must be watched with this in mind. 

For those who want to contact or follow Artizens, it’s Twitter @manvirvictor or @othman_kamil.

Recorded and Produced by Ethan Phoon

Shazmin Shamsuddin catches up with author Tunku Halim, who has finally come home to roost after many years abroad. My Lovely Skull & Other Skeletons is Tunku Halim's latest dark offering of nasty tales for horror fans everywhere.

Tunku Halim shares his surprising discoveries when he embarked on writing his father’s biography, titled ‘Tunku Abdullah – A Passion for Life’ (1998), which was reissued as A Prince Called Charlie (2018). His father, Tunku Abdullah, from the Negri Sembilan royal family, was one of many children who were taken to Japan during the Japanese Occupation, to be reeducated and molded for a career in administration for a Japanese Malaya. 

He reveals how Charles Dickens inspired his children’s encyclopedia of Malaysia and how his concern for the waistlines of Malaysians compelled him to write So Fat Lah! – 30 Perfect Ways to a Slimmer You (2016), and cookbook titled So Fat Lah! Cookbook with Christina Hiew (2018).

It was a story-writing competition in a local daily that fueled his passion for short story writing, and horror, a genre that came easily to him. 

Tunku Halim waxes lyrically on literary snobbery, critical success versus book sales, and if a spirit attachment from a university Ouija board experience has been the monster he has been feeding as the source of his macabre interest in all things horror.

THE Good (Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohamed Isa), The Bad (Datuk Ahirudin Attan) and The Ugly (this time Terence Fernandez is represented by journalist A. Azim Idris) returns after a short New Year hiatus with special guest Denys Mykhailiuk, counsellor and deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia.

Next month will mark a full year since the invasion by Russia on Ukraine. Despite the tragic headlines and widespread impact of the conflict upon the world, they appear to have little traction among Malaysians who are mostly nonchalant about news coming out of Ukraine.

Is it due to frontline news fatigue? Are we more inclined to empathise with the plight of brown refugees compared to the thousands of displaced Ukrainians who seem to be more readily embraced in the west? 

Is the Malaysian public more pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine? What are the sentiments of the Malaysian public on this conflict and why the seeming lack of condemnation of the aggressor? 

MH17 an early casualty 

It can be said that Malaysia, along with The Netherlands, was one of the first international casualties of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine when a Malaysia Airlines aeroplane was shot down, killing all 298 people on board on July 17, 2014. The incident is the deadliest airliner shoot-down incident to date.

On November 17, 2022, following a trial in absentia in the Netherlands, two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist were found guilty by the District Court of The Hague of murdering all 298 people onboard flight MH17 by shooting it down. 

The Dutch court also ruled that Russia was in control of the separatist forces fighting in eastern Ukraine at the time. Mykhailiuk elaborates on Ukraine’s role in granting every effort to bring the criminals to justice. 

Geopolitics and the threat of nuclear war

How much longer will this war continue? What are China’s thoughts on the conflict? How will the impending change in weather impact the progress of the war? What is the actual risk of a nuclear attack on Ukraine? 

Eleven months on from the start of the Russian invasion last February, some foreign missions and embassies have returned to Kyiv, the capital. Is this an indication that security is relatively tighter and infrastructure operational, despite continued attacks by Russian forces on power grids and supply lines linked to the city?

Mikhailiuk paints a picture for us on what day-to-day life currently looks like around Kyiv, and for the 3 million people who continue to live and work there, while sharing his hopes for bilateral relations between the Ukraine and Malaysia. – The Vibes, February 21, 2023

Presented by Petra News chief executive Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohamed Isa, executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez

Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin and sound edited by Ethan Phoon

This week's episode of Healthcare Today got a huge boost when patient advocates for kidney health from 4 continents joined the podcast. 

Vasundara Raghavan from India, Richard Knight from the USA and Joab Wako from Kenya, represented their continents to brief us on the situation on the ground in their nations. 

Listeners will get to hear the different systems of healthcare representation for the treatment of this disease in their respective countries and the importance of transplantation as opposed to dialysis there. 

We learn how each of them engage with their governments to try and advance the care of patients. 

We also hit upon a great solution for promoting kidney and other transplants from a financial aspect for each country. 

If you need more information on this disease or any healthcare issues do DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

Malaysian Healthy Aging Society President Professor Shahrul Bahyah has spent over 20 years teaching and working locally trying to prepare Malaysia for its future as an ageing nation. 

In this week’s podcast, she explains in detail what ageing actually entails and how some of us can better prepare for it.

We explore dementia and the latest information on Alzheimer's disease and how it can be prevented and how to recognise early signs in friends and family members. 

Professor Shahrul also talks about aged care homes and how we can continue to keep our loved ones both close to us and better cared for with community green spaces and centres to keep them occupied and engaged.

If you have any other suggestions or experiences you would like to share, do DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

Relatively new on the sports scene, esports has been sweeping across the globe at a truly remarkable pace. 

But how does it fare locally? What is the current state of the esports industry in Malaysia? Where is it headed? 

What can we do to boost its surge in popularity and at the same time weed out talents that can bear the Malaysian flag and compete on the international stage?

The Vibes sat down with esports commentator and team owner Andrew Cheong, or better known in the scene as “Sir Cloud”, to hear what he has to say about the growing industry. 

Starting in esports back in 2001, Andrew said back them it was just known as “people going to a cybercafé and just playing.”

But now, it has evolved into a million-dollar industry that has major leagues and tournaments happening around the world. 

Andrew says the Malaysian esports sector is still relatively small compared to our neighbours in Indonesia and the Philippines, but we do have the necessary qualities to excel on the world stage. 

He says this is evident after Malaysia won three gold medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year, while we brought home three bronze medals at the Hanoi SEA Games. 

Andrew also says esports should not just be labelled as another sporting category, but to be classified alongside sports as different online games resemble different sporting events. 

“A lot more understanding needs to go into esports, it is not just people sitting around playing games, there is much more than that,” said Andrew.

Recorded and Produced by Ethan Phoon

TWENTY towerrunning competitions, 19 wins, six course records and ranked number one in the world – pretty much sums up the year 2022 for Soh Wai Ching. 

However, that may not be enough for the 28-year-old as he is eyeing more goals to achieve in 2023. Hailing from Selayang, Wai Ching is now on a mission to get the sport included in the 2027 SEA Games when Malaysia becomes the host. 

He has a lot of work cut out for him to get support from the Youth and Sports Ministry in further promoting towerrunning in Malaysia and also to assist the SEA Games Federation member countries to form their associations. 

The Vibes recently spoke with the towerrunning athlete in a podcast series called More Than a Game in which he revealed his plans for 2023. “Although I have broken a few course records, I am still not satisfied because I was hoping to break the course records for more than half of the total of competitions I participated in. “So, next year, I look forward to starting my year right and training harder. “But at the same time, I would also need to manage my time well between training, promoting the sport, and also steering the Malaysian Towerrunning Association (MTA),” he said, adding that MTA is also looking forward to opening membership to the public to join. 

With his hectic schedule, the Universiti Malaysia graduate also shared how he applied the sports science knowledge he acquired from his study to his daily training regime. 

Join sports reporter Julie Jalaluddin as she delved deeper into Wai Ching’s inspiration and aspirations as well as what it takes to be on top of the world (in ranking and top of the building stairs).

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

AS we start a new year, are we advancing as a nation and are starting to accept mental health is a bona fide issue with our citizens? 

Professor Amer Siddiq is well known both locally and internationally for his work on mental health, and speaks to Healthcare Today with Manvir Victor about how we are tackling this issue here. 

As we unpack a topic that has gained more global recognition thanks to the pandemic, we look at what we as citizens can do to both recognise and help those in need. 

Our very own workplaces are great places to start as many of us spend at least 1/3 of our lives at work. 

What are the tell tale signs we can look out for, how and when can we reach out for some much needed help. 

DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor for more information and comments you may have about this topic, especially if you are triggered by any of the discussion points.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

The Qatar World Cup is over and Argentina, led by football maestro Lionel Messi clinched their third world title after an exciting win against 2018 champions France.

Can we say that the Qatar World Cup will go down as the best edition so far in the history of televised football?

The Vibes Sports talk to Executive Editor Manvir Victor to get his views and how he rates the recently concluded World Cup.

Some fans believe that Qatar has hosted the best World Cup edition - some may beg to differ, citing political and ideological differences with the Qataris and the ban of alcohol sales in the vicinity of the stadium took away from the spirit of the World Cup.

Whatever has been said and done, we feel that the Qatar World Cup had everything it needed to be rated as one of the better World Cup editions.

There were shock defeats, surprise packages, and also drama up until the last day of the tournament.

What most football fans can agree on is that the final between Argentina and France was the best final match in the history of modern football.

The final was filled with drama and in the end the entire world saw the greatest player on earth at the moment – Messi - get to lift the World Cup trophy.

Join us as we wrap-up the Qatar World Cup. Although we are not professional pundits or even wannabe pundits – we love talking about the game.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

This week, medical students Ong Jelyn, Ameera Nailya Zamsury and Rahul Raj Suraj from University Malaya share their reasons for wanting to become doctors and to serve the nation. 

These 19 year olds, from diverse backgrounds, talk about their motivations, how they managed to get into the course of their choice and more importantly, what they think they can do for the future of this country. 

As our future healthcare providers, are we doing enough to prepare them to take care of us?

Connect with us and share your thoughts @manvirvictor on Twitter as we continue to look at healthcare from every side.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

Who will win it - Argentina, with GOAT Lionel Messi, or defending World Cup champions France with Kylian Mbappe at the helm? 

Emotions will surely be riding high as one team will be going home empty handed while the other lifts the greatest trophy in the sporting world. To sum up the World Cup journey this past month, The Vibes Sports Desk is joined by PETRA News CEO Datuk Zainul Arifin Mohammed Isa as we look outside the pitch to see where the influence of football extends its reach. 

The last time both teams met was in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. France won that match 4-3 with Mbappe scoring two goals back-to-back within five minutes to give his side the edge, and later went on to win the competition. 

However, Argentina currently holds the head-to-head advantage with six wins and France with three, while three meetings between the two ended in a draw. 

Will this be Lionel Messi’s moment to lift the coveted cup? The last pair of Argentine hands to grip the golden trophy was the legendary Diego Maradona in Mexico in 1986. 

We also look at the third-place match between Croatia and everyone’s favourite underdogs, Morocco. 

This episode also takes a more local approach as we discuss the winning mentality countries need to have if they want to make it all the way at the World Cup, and how Malaysian athletes need to adapt that mentality as well. 

Who will win? Will France be able to defend their last World Cup win? Or will Argentina bring the cup home again with Messi at the helm? 

Either way, there will only be one winner. 

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon.

Pn Mediha Mohammad, the Executive Director of Content Forum joins Datuk Kamil and Manvir to inform us on what exactly the Content Forum does and how they can help impact the local content providers positively. 

With the newly launched code available for all categories of content providers, her team is geared to dialogue with a variety of providers. 

Mediha explains the origins of the code, how it was rewritten to fit the latest trends, especially the influx of influencers. 

Listen in and also learn how you may help understand the ways one can manage programming for kids at home as well. 

As we enter a new year in a few weeks, let’s take this opportunity to embrace the changes that are required as we move ahead. DM me on Twitter @manvirvictor with any questions or queries you may have on the subject matter.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

As we continue to modernise and personalise the effectiveness of the healthcare delivery system, digital healthcare has the ability to reach and serve us, the patients and caregivers, with higher effectiveness that we expect for our health. 

Malaysia has to advance and join its Asian neighbours in providing safe, quick, affordable and effective healthcare quickly. 

This week, Tengku Azrul, Head of Innovation Ecosystem for Futurise (www.futurise.com.my), Maran Virumandi, Co- Founder of DoctorOnCall (www.doctoraoncall.com.my) and Andrey Abraham, Founder of Pulse Data Technologies (www.pulsedt.tech) joined Manvir Victor to discuss how each are striving to move this effort forward.

These 3 organisations have differing roles, expertise and  services that Malaysians can have access to to make their healthcare delivery better. 

As we discuss this and areas that the public should be more aware of, any questions that you may have can be forwarded via Direct Message to twitter @manvirvictor.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

How have the newly minted Ministers done in their first week in Putrajaya? The Good the Bad and the Ugly discusses the hits and misses of the new Unity Government in this week's podcast. Petra News chief executive Datuk Zainul Ariffin Mohamed Isa, executive director Datuk Ahirudin Attan (better known as Rocky Bru) and editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez believe that civil servants for instance should not be spooked each time there is a new Government. 

With the replacement of the Secretary General of the Treasury Datuk Asri Hamidin, there are fears that the new government could be going back on its word of not launching a witch hunt. Fernandez also revealed that another Secretary General will be sent to the pool soon. Zainul concurred by saying that the announcements of the movement of civil servants should be made by the Chief Secretary to the Government and not the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 

However Anwar received kudos for getting down to work immediately after his swearing in to attend to the cost of living issue before it becomes a crisis. Rocky meanwhile touched on the new Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil meeting Tiktok to take down over 1,000 posts that could be regarded as inflammatory and seditious. The President of the National Press Club believes this is veering on censorship and said this is the right time to discuss the long shelved National Media Council. 

Produced by Shazmin Shamsuddin and sound engineered by Ethan Phoon

Kini, semua orang mampu menjadi seorang jurufoto bawah air merakamkan suasana dasar laut namun yang membezakan sama ada mereka amatur atau profesional adalah pengalaman.

Menurut tetamu Borak Foto - Podio kali ini, Irwan Ismail, berbanding dahulu, kini lebih ramai penyelam skuba boleh memiliki kamera bawah air dengan harga yang tidak membebankan poket.

Namun untuk menjadi seorang jurufoto bawah air yang baik memerlukan mereka mempunyai pengalaman dalam selam skuba terlebih dahulu.

Menurut Irwan, adalah lebih baik penyelam skuba yang baru sahaja mendapat lesen untuk melakukan selaman lebih banyak sebelum berkecimpung di dalam bidang fotografi bawah air.

Selepas puas mendapatkan pengalaman menyelam, ia akan memberikan lebih banyak kebebasan kepada mereka untuk berkecimpung di dalam bidang fotografi bawah air.  

Sertai aktiviti selam skuba bersama Irwan dengan mendapatkan maklumat lanjut di https://www.facebook.com/sortemetstellascuba.

Audio siar Borak Foto ini dihos dan diterbitkan oleh Mohd. Hazli Hassan (Bobo) manakala kejuteraan audio dilakukan oleh Ethan Phoon. 

Only eight countries remain in the FIFA World Cup to fight for the world’s biggest prize, and everyone already have their predictions set in place as to which teams will make it all the way through to the end. 

Could it be Brazil itching to claim their 6th title after failing to do so in 2014 as host? (Yes, Germany fans, we remember)

Or England, who are desperate to finally “Bring it home” since their sole victory in 1966?

Portugal could prove that they are more than just a team with star player Cristiano Ronaldo on their side. (But sometimes on the sidelines as well)

Join us in today’s episode as we have The Vibes chief news editor and ‘Iron Lady’ Khaw Chia Hui in the studio to talk about how the world cup has become a good distraction in the newsroom from the weeks-long 15th general election coverage. 

We name our predictions for what the final will look like but given how the tournament has been going so far, anything can happen, and rest assured, something will happen. 

Mind you, we are not experienced football commentators, nor are we football pundits, but just a bunch of people who enjoy the game.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

2022 brought to the fore some great moments in both music and movies from various accomplished Malaysians. 

Datuk Kamil and Manvir have a retrospective look at their guests, who earned recognition in both categories. 

Winners like singer Lyia Meta, Air Force The Movie and Spilt Gravy On Rice have been celebrated, even though they received their funding from private investors – not the current administration that was set up to do just that. 

As we celebrate these victories, we also note the evolution this show has gone through since its inception and why next year there will be a newer and bigger show with more arts to celebrate and elevate. 

In that spirit, we are looking for budding singers or songwriters to contribute a new theme song for this podcast. 

DM @manvirvictor on Twitter to find out how you can be a part of this show moving forward.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

DR Ganesh Vythilingam and Dr Hans Mattias Larsson are partners who met while working in Europe. 

This was a very chance meeting and the story of how and why they met is definitely one for the history books.

As they share the amazing work that is being done with a fantastic research team based in Universiti Malaya, we can understand better what it takes to achieve innovation on this global scale. 

Together they founded Regenosca, a Switzerland-based start-up that is developing a safe and body-friendly implant that allows surgeons to successfully reconstruct the urethra. 

Their vision is to develop a less invasive and less painful intervention for urethral reconstruction surgery. They have successfully done this in collaboration with researchers in Malaysia through an R&D lab in Universiti Malaya. 

Two patients with urethral stricture were successfully implanted with our bioengineered graft at University Malaya Medical Centre on August 14.

Join us this week as we learn more about this collaboration and what it aims to do medically and how it can save someone you may know from terrible pain and suffering. 

Tweet me @manvirvictor for more details and do share any questions or comments you may have for healthcare.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

The Vibes marketing consultant Anne Edwards shares how she became an England supporter because of her father.

“Three Lions on a shirt. It is coming home. It’s coming.” 

Those were the lyrics from the song, Three Lions by English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds that came out in 1996.

Yet, it has never come true since England’s only title claim in the FIFA World Cup in 1966.

They came close in 1990 and 2018 but made it to fourth place after losing to Italy and Belgium in the semifinal, respectively.

Could 2022 be their year? Their fans would certainly hope so, including one in particular, The Vibes marketing consultant Anne Edwards.

In today’s episode, Anne, who is a MotoGP and Formula One fan, said she came to be an England fan because her father is a loyal supporter. 

“I remember every time my father watched an England match, he would never fall asleep. He is so focused.

“So, for this year’s World Cup knockout stage, I will be coming home to watch England vs Senegal with him. I look forward to it,” she said during the podcast interview.

Join us in the fourth episode of Football Vibes as we discuss how the other underdog teams have been making surprises at the World Cup and putting big teams, such as England, in the hot seat in a race to claim the 2022 Qatar World Cup title.

Disclaimer – we are not football experts nor pundits, but only a couple of people who love talking about the game and learning about each other’s experiences.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

FOR the first time in history, we have a unity government. And one of the developments of this is the formation of unlikely parties coming together. 

It wouldn’t be unheard of to think that this motley crew of strange bedfellows would be more preoccupied with looking over their shoulders and politicking, than focusing on governing in this new administration.

Prominent lawyer Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos shares his thoughts on the practicalities of constitutionally forming this new government so that a political government can administer the existing administrative government.

Edited by Ethan Phoon

The Vibes’ Sports speaks with an ardent Brazilian supporter G. Surach on the samba boys chances of winning the Qatar World CupBrazil has always been the favourites to win the world cup although the last time the South American giants carried the cup was 20- years ago when the tournament was held in South Korea & Japan.

Since then, they have always made to the quarterfinals or semifinal of the World Cup. This year, Brazilian supporters are once again hoping that the World Cup will go home to Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil has the highest number of World Cup wins since it was first held in 1930. The Selecao World Cup triumphs came in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 

In today’s episode, we have ardent Brazilian supporter and The Vibes News Editor G. Surach giving his take on the samba boys’ chances of winning their 6th World Cup.

Join us in the third episode of Football Vibes as we get into his mind as well as to our expectations on teams progressing into the knockout stage tonight.

Bear in mind, we are not football experts to be dissecting the games in detail, but we love talking about the game and learn about each other’s experience and opinion of it. 

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon

As the knockout stages of the 2022 Qatar World Cup approaches, many countries will be heading home as the top two teams of each group will advance to the round of 16. 

The Vibes Sports sits down for another episode of Football Vibes, and this time we dive into the upcoming matches tonight. 

The competition already saw several upsets including Germany’s defeat to Japan, Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia, and even Ghana toppling South Korea. 

Japan take on Spain and Germany face Costa Rica in Group E’s final match.

Can Germany make it to the Round of 16, or will Costa Rica win and kick the 2014 World Champions out of the tournament for a second consecutive time? In 2018, Germany went out after losing to South Korea in their final group match.

Can Japan repeat their giant slaying magic against the Spaniards?

While Group E could see some nail-biting finales, the same can be expected in Group F as Belgium have their crunch match against Croatia, while bottom place Canada take on Morocco.

Join us as we have our fun talk session discussing which team we think will make it to the Round of 16 and which will be heading home. And a happy reminder that we are not professional pundits or even wannabe pundits - we just like to talk about the game that we love.

Recorded and Edited by Ethan Phoon