Evening Edition

Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Craig Morraies lookback at the Champions & Europa League QFs and discuss the semi final draw. There's talk of Barca's reliance of Leonel Messi, Jose Mourinho's new demeanour, Bayern's formidable team & refreshing Dortmund. Is Rafa Benitez having a successful season at Chelsea? The chaps also preview the FA Cup semi finals & the weekend's BPL.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s that time of the month again, the folks from Time Out KL are here to tell us about their latest feature in their April issue.  This time around it’s tips on the things to do in KL! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irene Tan was born and bred in Kuala Lumpur. She has been collecting handmade ethnic clothing from China since the early 1990’s. Her collection, with some pieces over 50 years old, will be a showcase of dazzling colours and remarkable workmanship this Saturday, at Badan Warisan Malaysia, an NGO formed in 1983 to conserve and preserve Malaysian heritage.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The level of English proficiency in Malaysia is still at a worrying level, with schools, parents and employers concerned over the performance of students today. The passing percentage in schools in the English language has been disappointing; 22% fail at SPM level. And 48% of employers seem to be unanimous in reason as to why they turn away school leavers and graduates - their dismal proficiency in the English language. In wanting to improve and eventually solve the issue, teachers have been the identified group in bringing students closer to international standards for English education. And under the GTP 2.0’s seven National Key Result Area is “Assuring Quality Education”, where one of the initiatives is the Professional Development Course for English Language Teachers. Here to talk to us about this is Dr.Ranjit Singh Gill, Director of Ministry of Education’s English Language Training Centre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret Thatcher, like all great politicians, drastically divided opinion. She was loved and hated in equal measure. No one was neutral about Margaret Thatcher. She would survive a bomb attack by the IRA at the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference in 1984. She would appear on the platform a few hours later - calm, collected, defiant - she would cement her image as the Iron Lady, as a leader who would not give way. The United Kingdom was in a shambles. The Labour government was racked by trade union militancy and economic gloom. They were also suffering the consequences of a constitutional failure over devolution to Scotland and Wales.  1979 would see the culmination of these Labour failures, and Britain’s “winter of discontent” would give rise to Margaret Thatcher and 18 years of Conservative rule. Prime Minister James Callaghan would confess to one of his advisers before the election in 1979: “There are times, perhaps once every thirty years, when there is a sea change in politics. It then does not matter what you say or what you do. There is a shift in what the public wants and what it approves of. I suspect there is now such a sea change – and it is for Mrs Thatcher.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Bellotti, Gogulan Dorairajoo & Jeevan Selvanathan lookback at the weekend's BPL which saw Chelsea & Arsenal win, Spurs draw in the race for 3rd & 4th. At the bottom Reading & QPR look doomed but Aston Villa are fighting hard. There's also the Championship, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, a chat with Dez about the MSL & FA Cup QFs PLUS a look foward to the Manchester Derby & the UCL & UEL 2nd legs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Ang Lee won an Oscar for Best Director for his film Life of Pi, Malaysians were pleased to know that the flawless CGI was the work of talented Malaysians. A total of 400 people worked on the film, of which 85 were here in KL and 43 of them were credited in the film. While that Oscar high will last a lifetime, there’s also the daunting issues threatening the visual effects world like competitive underbidding and cheap overseas rivals.  This evening, we have Senior Manager of Rhythm and Hues Studios, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin to talk about how their painstakingly hard work paid off in a big way and the troubles plaguing the VFX industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Craig Morraies discuss the Champions League QFs which saw Bayern & Real take commanding leads, PSG & Malaga draw at home. Also chats about the Europa League, AFC Cup & Malaysian FA Cup QFs. PLUS full weekend preview & 3 big shouts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She is one of Korea's leading jazz pianists. After graduating from Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, she was able to quickly climb South Korea's jazz charts, earning multiple opportunities to perform with prominent American and Korean jazz artists  including saxophonists - Steve Wilson & Mark Turner, vocalist - Gretchen Parlato, drummers like Kendrick Scott and Marcus Gilmore. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been hearing the term ‘caretaker government’ ever since Negeri Sembilan dissolved its state assembly last week. For some, the term is familiar but for many of us, we don’t understand what it means. To help us define what and share their insights on the constitutionality of a caretaker government, we have with us prominent lawyers, Edmund Bon and Syahredzan Johan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, the Malaysian documentary industry has been picking up pace. Some of the programmes we see on National Geographic, Discovery, History and Al-Jazeera channels have been produced by Malaysia’s very own group of documentary film makers. Does Malaysia know we harbour such talent? Is there solid support for the documentary industry? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve cringed, looked away, slapped our palms on our foreheads every time we read about or hear what prominent Malaysian figures have to say. And to further express our disdain, our actions are usually accompanied by a very typically Malaysian “Aiyoooooo”. So, good on the Joint Action  Group for Gender Equality (JAG) for gathering all distasteful comments made throughout the year for fellow Malaysians to read and vote on. The 2nd annual Aiyoh Wat Lah Awards 2013 will reveal whose comments reigned victorious in the issues of sexism, misogyny, homophobia and/or transphobia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stuart Cavens, Matt Bellotti & Jeevan Selvanathan discuss Sunderland's sacking of Martin O'Neill & their appointment of Paulo Di Canio, Spurs nicking 3rd spot from Chelsea, the battle to avoid relegation PLUS Cardiff lose in the Championship, Messi sets another record in Spain, Bayern hammer 9 past Hamburg in the Bundesliga, whilst Juve & PSG march on in Italy & Spain respectively. Also Winners & Losers, MSL and European quarter final previews! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Stone began his career at Reebok product shows throughout America that included the big Reebok City Jam Kick Off in Venice Beach California as well as the Gold’s Gym Annual Shows. He then went on to work with artist such as Salt N’ Peppa, Falcon, Diana Ross, Vanilla Ice, LL Cool J, Lutricia McNeal, Kelis, Daniel Hall, Paul Cless, Anita Lixel as well as a Michael Jackson Tribute held in Los Angeles, California. Tony has also been a featured dancer/choreographer for an MTV World Tour, Fashion Rocks for the Prince’s Trust in London, the Danish Music Awards, Star Fabric in Moscow as well as an event for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Tony has trained and choreographed dancers for Britney Spears, Sisqo, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, INSYNC, Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Gwen Stefani, Lil Kim, Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Lorie and Chris Brown.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media is now so much part of our lives; whether you get married, break up, have a cute cat or dog - everything is said on Facebook and Twitter. Businesses also reap the rewards of being on social media; though it can sometimes determine their rise and fall - which is what we’re going to explore today. We’ve heard of suicidal social media situations - the posting of nasty comments, later realising it’s wrong then deleting them, fake social media users praising brands a little too obviously just to boost sales, and the name-calling in on-going spats between customer and business owner. How detrimental is it for businesses to take that wrong step in marketing in the world of social media?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kam Raslan, Stuart Cavens & Pravin Peraba lookback at England's 8-0 win in SanMarino & discuss Montenegro v England and look at the other World Cup qualifying groups which saw Scotland lose to Wales at home, Spain, Portugal & Ireland all drawing PLUS a chat with Dez Corkhill (Astro Arena) about Malaysia's win against Yemen AND North & South American qualifying.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes are now turned to the Sepang circuit for the 15th edition of the Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, happening on Friday till race day this Sunday, 24th March. There have been a number of exciting activities leading up to F1 weekend and here to talk to us about it is Petronas General Manager, Anita Azrina Abdul AzizSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Craig Morraies & Jeevan Selvanathan discuss the Rio Ferdinand affair, Michael Owen quitting football at the end of the season, the sacking of Michael Appleton PLUS there's a chat with Dez corkhill (Astro Arena) about Malaysia's crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen AND a preview of the European World cup qualifiers!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was once an ancient martial arts is now becoming a popular equestrian sport. With a number of international horseback archery  competition taking place around the world. We speak to our two very own professional horseback archery athletes to understand the sport. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kam Raslan, Stuart Cavens & Andy Whitelaw lookback at the weekend's BPL which saw Everton defeat Man City & Man Utd win against Reading to open up a 15 point lead. Also, Tottenham's 3rd defeat in a row, Lampard's 200th goal for Chelsea, Liverpool coming a cropper at St Mary's, the Championship, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga & Ligue 1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With women making up about half the global population, the power of womenomics is especially significant, more so in the 21st century. The Malaysian government recognises this, as seen in the 10th Malaysia Plan where the aim is to increase women’s participation in the workforce to 55% by 2015, within the broader framework of labour market reform. As part of the Strategic Reform Initiative on Human Capital Development, a Roadmap for Leveraging Women’s Talent was developed to outline measures targeted to all phases of a woman’s career to equally integrate women into the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Further gaining insights into these issues, Talentcorp Malaysia (TalentCorp), in partnership with ACCA, mooted a joint survey on the state of female employment and retention in Malaysia in mid-2013, entitled “Retaining Women in the Workforce”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uma and Ezra speak to the folks from Time Out KL on their March issue feature story - "Broke in KL"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Craig Morraies & Jeevan Selvanathan lookback at Barcelona's stunning 4-0 win over AC Milan, Arsenal putting on a great show in Munich and the also discuss the quarter final draws for both the Champions & Europa Leagues. There's also a chat with Dez Corkhill (Astro Arena) about Kelantan & Selangor in the AFC Cup as well as full previews for the weekend's BPL.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sun Daily reported yesterday that a 15-minute video showing the ongoing crisis in Lahad Datu, Sabah will be shown to national service trainees to instill patriotism in them. We're asking the question: is this a healthy way to instill patriotism? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early this month, The Star reported that the police had successfully busted a baby-trafficking syndicate and rescued 32 children from their adoptive parents. These babies were sold to these adoptive parents, mostly childless couples, together with original birth certs for between RM18,000 and RM30,000.The situation has left 32 children in the care of welfare homes, 32 adoptive parents questioned for illegal adoption although  sincere in their cause of caring for the child they bought, and traffickers being let out on bail. While the argument about what’s right and wrong ensues, it’s the children that bear the brunt of it all. We speak today to child advocate, Dr.Hartini Zainudin and lawyer, Nizam Bashir to get their thoughts over the matter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Craig Morraies discuss Man Utd's exit from UCL at the hands of Real Madrid. The guys also discuss Wayne Rooney's omission from the starting XI, Gareth Bale's amazing form and Chelsea's defeat in Bucharest. There's also a chat with Dez Corkhill (Astro Arena) about the MSL (round 10) and of course, the weekend preview (BPL & FA Cup) and 3 big shouts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uma & Ezra speak to Chef Lee Anne Wong, American chef and was one of the last four contestants on the first season of Bravo's reality show, Top Chef.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Orang Asli community were the first group of people to roam our lands but today, they are a marginalised group, suffering unfair circumstances in an urban and greedy world. For years, we’ve read reports about land disputes, extreme poverty and the terrible conditions they live in and years on, the situation sadly remains unchanged.  But the fight for orang asli rights is gaining momentum and one group that is doing all it can is the Malaysian Bar Council Committee on Orang Asli’s Rights, or COAR. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers hired by contractors or under contract basis suffer low wages, few medical and social benefits.  as well as lack of job security. The Malaysia Worker’s Network (MWN) is a coalition of more than 20 workers’ unions and NGOs that is calling for the abolition of contract labour. In January the MWN has launched the Worker’s Manifesto in which it demands the  much needed protection for contract workers in terms of worker’s rights and welfare among others. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Matt Bellotti, Jeevan Selvanathan & Dez Corkhill look beack at the weekend which saw Man United claim a 15 point lead at the top, QPR win only their 3rd game of the season, Spurs winning the North London derby ALSO Malaysian Super League, Championship, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 PLUS midweek European previews AND Winners & Losers.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people think homeschooling is sending your child to a home-school centre, some think it is bringing the school curriculum home and some people think it is a lot of work! So what is homeschooling? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese New Year has come and gone and with it, a flurry of TV commercials-  as expected every festive season. Some of them included Petronas’ Tau Fu Fah and rice brand, Bernas’ “Ka Fan” or “More Rice”.  But there was an obscure CNY video making its rounds online that left many moved. The video saw Malaysian Chinese writing honest love letters to their parents which were delivered to them in the form of a singing telegram. The delivery of letters and the reactions of these parents were filmed and this resulted in a 10 minute short film aptly titled Project “Ai Le You”.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 will have two dedicated modules; one for parents and one for school. This initiative  is in efforts to increase parents’ participation in school-based activities for their children, as revealed by the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin just this Monday.  The initiative is said to involve the interest and future of more than 5.4 million students, and this figure is estimated to double in 12 years from 2013 to 2025. With this initiative in place, we want to ask: What role should parents play in schools? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear complaints about how students and working adults aren’t inquisitive enough. For some, being curious and bold in asking questions is part and parcel of learning but for others, it means appearing stupid in the eyes of others.  Is it not part of our Malaysian DNA raise our hands and ask questions? Some blame the environment, the education system and the lack in communication basics for this characteristic, which is often learned from young and stays with us as we get older.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The right to personal safety and mobility, free from fear and abuse, is essential for all Malaysians. The number one factor threatening this very right is crime. The first step in tackling the problem of crime is to have a comprehensive understanding as to who the criminals are, how they operate, and why they choose to do so. With this knowledge, authorities will be able to conduct focused investigations and operations to reduce the crime rate. However, it shouldn’t and doesn’t stop there. Efforts should be taken to rehabilitate them, in order for them to become contributors to society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kam Raslan, Craig Morraies, Jeevan Selvanathan & Shiao Chan look back at the Capital 1 cup final which saw Swansea, emphatic 5-0 winners over Bradford. They also chat about the Premier League weekend which saw United briefly go 15 points clear PLUS a chat with Astro Arena's Dez Corkhill about the MSL and a look at the Championship, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 & midweek previews!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Harrison shot to stardom as one of the members of the Beatles, but after the band broke up in 1970, he enjoyed a long and successful solo career. Rolling Stones magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with George Harrison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Craig Morraies discuss Man United in the FA Cup, Arsenal in the Champions League, Barcelona's defeat, the Europa League AND there's a chat with Dez Corkhill (Astro Arena) about the Malaysian Super League PLUS previews for the weekend's BPL & Capital 1 Cup final & of course, 3 big shouts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author of 'Malaysian Maverick' - a biography on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and veteran Australian journalist Barry Wain passed away in Singapore last week. We pay tribute to the man who was considered a dedicated foreign journalist who had lived in Asia for more than 40 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The effects of plastic bags on the environment are really quite devastating. Recently the Selangor State local government announced that Selangor will embark on a statewide plastic bag ban. While there are many objections to the banning of plastic bags based solely on their convenience, the damage to the environment needs to be controlled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As of December 2012, the United Nations World Tourism Organization estimated that there were 1 billion people travelling the world. And amongst the billion- an increasing number of them are eco-conscious tourists.  Ecotourism has now become a popular trend in the tourism industry. Consumers are becoming more discerning and demanding on where they spend their hard earned money and precious holiday time.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many sporting activities are filling Kuala Lumpur’s yearly event calendar of late. We have marathons, walkathons and even a Towerthon, where runners are to climb 2,058 steps of the KL Tower to reach the top.  Joining the fun is the1KL Heritage Xplorace, to be held this 23rd February 2013. Organised by KL Tower, this competitive race will pit teams against each as they solve puzzles and loot treasures - all these while venturing across Kuala Lumpur’s national and heritage landmarks, using all means of mobility possible. Here to tell us more is Dato’ Zuraidah Hj. Mohd. Said, CEO of Menara KL. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public transport is a source of joy when we want to skip city traffic. But it’s also a source of madness while commuting. Some of us may take it in stride and for others, it can be torturous. But in the end, we depend on it because we don’t have a choice. Another group of people who depend on our public transportation are tourists. What are their thoughts about KL’s infrastructure? On a holiday here from England is Simon Okotie. He’s going to share his KL public transport experience with us because not only is he a tourist, he’s a novelist and also an environment consultant with over 20 years of massive infrastructure projects under his belt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Bellotti, Jeevan Selvanathan & Andy Whitelaw lookback at the weekend's BPL which saw Man United extend their lead at the top to 12 points. There were also ggod wins for Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal & Southampton. ALSO a tribute to Jamie Carragher, the Championship, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, the African Cup of Nations & a preview of the Champions & Europa Leagues!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese New Year is literally around the corner, and we will be ushering in the Year of the Snake. For some insights into what to expect and what to look out for in the coming new year, we have Mervin Lee, a Feng Shui practitioner, in the studio to tell us more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Craig Morraies lookback at England's 1st win against Brazil in 23 years, Spain beating Uruguay 3-1 & other friendlies PLUS a chat with Dez Corkhill (Astro Arena) about Malaysia's 2-0 defeat in Qatar in the Asian Cup qualifiers AND of course, a full preview of the weekend's BPL action!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, at a parenting seminar (held to curb LGBT tendencies) Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi called on parents to recognize the ‘early signs’ of LGBTs to be able to prevent their children from practising the LGBT lifestyle. He had said that LGBT is an illness that can be treated and that "intervention by teachers and parents, followed by counselling, can help them to return to the right path".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food is something we Malaysians speak passionately about and do well, even. And because of that, we find that we’re constantly looking for more restaurants serving up different types of food or quirky dining concepts - basically, something out of the ordinary. Amidst this constantly-changing dining environment, comes an alternative dining option of not knowing where you’ll be dining or what you’ll be served. It may sound a little suspect but the experience, according to those who’ve tried it, gives both taste buds and tummies a happy ending.  To elaborate further, we have with us the folks from Transparent Apron Underground Supper Club and Werner’s Dining In The Dark in KL.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though public caning was banned in schools by the government in 2004, caning can still be carried out by the headmaster and discipline teacher under the Education Regulations (School Discipline) 1959. Today, a number of parents have requested that this method of disciplining be completely banned. But there are still some of those who believe otherwise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.