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New Naratif empowers Southeast Asians by giving them the information and tools to be fully engaged and participatory citizens.

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Highlights

The False Scarcity in Singapore's Meritocracy

Meritocracy is marketed as a system for the management of scarce resources but is in fact the imposition and justification for scarcity. This article examines university education in Singapore as the prime site for the production of meritocratic ideology and considers the consequences more generally on the Singapore polity.
  • Stefano Harney
  • Adriena Fong
research

The Angel of the Transgender Community

June Chua, founder of The T Project, Singapore's first transgender shelter, joins PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han to talk about her life, her activism, and the state of transgender rights and social services in Singapore.
  • Thum Ping Tjin
podcast
Members only

Wanita Tanpa Dokumen Takut Ditangkap Semasa Hamil Di Malaysia

Kos yang tinggi dan ancaman penahanan telah lama menjadi penghalang kepada akses penjagaan kesihatan ibu dari golongan pendatang, pelarian dan pencari suaka tanpa dokumen. Pandemik COVID-19 telah menambahkan lagi risiko yang dihadapi oleh para ibu dan anak-anak.
  • Emily Fishbein
  • Jaw Tu Hkawng
  • Ang Hui Qing
  • Tina Carmillia
journalism

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Members only

In Malaysia, Undocumented Women Fear Arrest During Pregnancy

High costs and fear of arrest have long stood in the way of maternal healthcare access for undocumented migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The COVID-19 pandemic has put mothers and babies further at risk.
  • Emily Fishbein
  • Jaw Tu Hkawng
  • Ang Hui Qing
journalism

A Deep Dive Into Indonesia's Human Rights Anthem

Dwitri Amalia speaks to Cholil Mahmud, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Efek Rumah Kaca, about using their music to advocate against regressive policies, and the role of art and music in a democracy.
  • New Naratif
  • Dwitri Amalia
podcast

Youth Betrayed: Reflections on the 2017 MRT Protest

Sean Francis Han talks with PJ Thum about his role in the 2017 MRT protest commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Spectrum, why he chose to take part, and how it transformed his life. We stand in solidarity with Jolovan Wham.
  • Thum Ping Tjin
podcast
Members only

Why Is It Difficult to Organise Around Class in Malaysia?

Despite the drastic rise of global inequality, left-wing parties continue to struggle to build class solidarity which transcends ethnic nationalism. Audi Ali looks at the historic and local factors in Malaysia that make class solidarity difficult to achieve.
  • New Naratif
  • Audi Ali
  • Amita Sevellaraja
research

Myanmar Activist: We Want Our Own Script

Amid the anti-coup protests in Myanmar, activist Thinzar Shunlei Yi went into hiding to avoid arrest. After years spent protesting her country’s military, she explains why current demonstrations must do more than just restore civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
  • Jacob Goldberg
journalism

Making Opposition Politics Relevant and Diverse in Singapore

Wendy Low and Terence Soon, the newly appointed heads of the Progress Singapore Party's new Women's and Youth Wings respectively, talk to PJ Thum about the Youth Wing and its relationship to the party as a whole. They also discuss the challenges to creating a more diverse PSP, especially with regard to women and youth.
  • Thum Ping Tjin
podcast

On Patrol, a Mekong Village Tackles Electric Fishing Scourge

Volunteer community patrollers along the Mekong in Cambodia aim to stop a rise in illegal electric fishing, which harms river ecosystems and livelihoods that rely on protected fisheries. But the sale of outlawed gear allows the dangerous practice to continue.
  • Gerald Flynn
  • Andy Ball
  • Sorn Srenh
journalism

Female Genital Cutting in Singapore

Ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on the 6th of February, Sya Taha and Saza Faradilla join PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) to discuss the issue of Female Genital Cutting in Singapore, the harm it causes, and the barriers to eliminating it.
  • New Naratif
podcast

Getting to Know Our New Editor-in-Chief

Deborah Germaine Augustin sits down with New Naratif's new Editor-in-Chief, Jacob Goldberg, and they talk about his direction and what members can look forward to under his leadership.
  • Kelly Anissa
  • Deborah Augustin
podcast
Members only

From Barricades to Community Housing Plans, San Roque Still Standing

After a decade of resistance to home evictions and demolitions, the Philippine community of San Roque has kept up its barriers against authorities and corporate developers. Residents have also added alternative housing plans to their defensive strategy, but will they hold?
  • Michael Beltran
journalism

Building a New Opposition Political Party in Singapore

Wendy Low and Terence Soon, the newly appointed heads of the Progress Singapore Party's new Women's and Youth Wings respectively, talk to PJ Thum about why they decided to join politics, what they hope to achieve, their values and vision for Singapore, and the challenges of establishing their respective wings.
  • Thum Ping Tjin
podcast

“We Have to Hide Our Face”: Cambodia’s Eco-Activists Go Undercover

Environmental advocacy group Mother Nature Cambodia is known for their confrontational videos, with activists exposing crimes against nature. But with three members jailed, and others facing harassment, the group has decided to conceal their identities.
  • Ouch Sony
  • Matt Surrusco
journalism

Building a Mentally Healthy Community

PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) speak to Reetaza "Reetz" Chatterjee, the founder of "Your Head Lah!" about her own experiences with mental illness, her journey in figuring out her role in activism, and about the mental health landscape in Singapore.
  • New Naratif
podcast
Members only

In Surabaya’s Abandoned Colonial Warehouses, Hundreds Make Their Home

With land and adequate housing out of reach for many working poor in Indonesia’s Surabaya, some have made their home for decades in abandoned colonial-era warehouses. The squatters say it’s not ideal, but it’s what they can afford, and it’s home.
  • Reno Surya
  • Fully Syafi
journalism
Members only

“I Lost My Education”: Refugees in Malaysia Face Widening School Gap

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities in access to quality education around the world. In Kuala Lumpur, an underfunded informal education system for refugee and asylum-seeking youth may soon collapse, leaving their education outlook bleak.
  • Jaw Tu Hkawng
  • Emily Fishbein
  • Benjamin
journalism
An illustration showing a crowd of protestors with giant yellow rubber ducks.

Artists Respond: Hindsight Is 2020

Ten artists take us on a journey from virtual meeting rooms in Malaysia and Singapore to the streets of Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. They ponder the intensely personal impact of the pandemic and picture large-scale protests for democracy.
  • Yunroo
  • Sunny Go
  • Afif Slim
  • Julia Hannie
  • Stephani Soejono
  • Richard Mercado
  • Townsunder
  • Ollie
  • Pssyppl
  • Suppachai Vong
comic
A header image showing one hand handing a passport over to another hand. A man is balancing on the passport, leaning away from the approaching hand. Other passports can be seen in the background.

A Mass Trial in Cambodia Points to Far-Flung Anti-Opposition Efforts

A general contractor in Texas who has never set foot in Cambodia is among more than a dozen foreign citizens called up to a mass trial of the banned main opposition party. Their experiences suggest Thai authorities supplied a Cambodian court with their names.
  • Matt Surrusco
  • Ouch Sony
  • Charis Loke
journalism