GOSSIP KRYSS Network

Many of us consider internet access as a utility we consume rather than a human right. Yet, only a fraction understand that our human rights should extend into digital spaces, intercepting into the design and application of digital technology. As our lives, both online and offline intertwine, it becomes crucial to recognise our digital rights as inseparable from our broader human rights framework.



However, when having discussions on digital rights, we often overlook the rights of persons with disabilities. How do we ensure their access to information when it's not tailored to their needs? Who advocates for their rights when their personal struggles are documented in the digital sphere without their consent? 



In this episode of GOSSIP, we invited Beatrice Leong, an Autistic Rights Activist and Filmmaker, and Mediha Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer at Content Forum Malaysia to understand into their works to champion the rights of persons with disabilities in digital spaces and explore what governments and other stakeholders can do to support this. 



*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organizations or institutions they are affiliated with.

Misogyny is often used as a weapon against women and those who are gender non-conforming, leading to detrimental effects including instances of gender-based violence, both in the real world and in digital spaces. There are often no consequences for such actions, as misogyny is not criminalised in Malaysia and is not recognised as hate speech. In our podcast, we delve into the roots of misogyny, primarily stemming from sexism, to better understand this pervasive issue. In the Malaysian context, there have been several incidents where public figures use misogyny to dehumanise women. This is especially evident in the political arena, where representatives across parties don’t hesitate to employ misogyny, even within the parliament and state legislative assemblies, to undermine women.

In this episode, we invited Nalini Elumalai from Article 19 and Barathi Selvam, Senior Researcher at Women’s Aids Organisation, to unpack the ways in which sexism and misogyny contribute to violence against women with a number of global examples highlighting the prevalence of sexism worldwide.

*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organisations or institutions they are affiliated with.

Late last year, Malaysia had its 15th General Elections after a series of government changes since the pandemic. The stakes were high and the battle for voters was intense. This led to the use of propaganda by various parties to pursue voters, including the propagation of gendered disinformation.



There is growing research that shows that women in politics are disproportionately targeted by gendered disinformation. It is aimed at delegitimising, depersonalising and ultimately dissuading them from being politically active. Gendered disinformation aggravates harmful stereotyping of women as “weak” and “domestic” and harmful sexualisation of women as “available” or “slutty”. Gendered disinformation is also a form of online gender-based violence that has the effect of silencing their voices.



In this episode, we unpack the concept of gendered disinformation within the Malaysian context, its impact on women's public and political participation during the 15th General election, and the recommendations for addressing the issues.



Featuring guest speakers:
YB Amira Aisya, the State Assemblyperson for Puteri Wangsa, Johor & Cynthia Sylvia, the Media and Communications Officer at the Centre for Independent Journalism.



*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organizations or institutions they are affiliated with.

More than just access to government services, every citizens ought to have the right to vote, right to freedom of opinion and expression, right to hold public office, to own land, to public education and to be free from violence and hate. All citizen are equal but is that true for everyone?



The LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia continues to face significant challenges, enduring targeted persecution and discrimination. The situation was exemplified by a distressing incident last year when a Halloween party, meant to be a safe place for the community, was unexpectedly raided by the police. These discriminatory actions and laws not only violate the human rights of LGBTQ+ individuals but also deprive them of their right to feel safe and secure in their own country.



In this episode, we explore the meaning of citizenship beyond just having a nationality and the constitutional guarantee of equality before the law. We also discuss how we can move forward to create a Malaysia where equal right to citizenry is a reality.



(Featuring guest speakers: Numan Afifi, Founder of JEJAKA and Larissa Ann Louis, Partner and Head of Pro Bono Unit of Messrs Azri, Lee Swee Seng & Co, Advocates and Solicitors)



*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organizations or institutions they are affiliated with.

Earlier this year, Malaysia's Cabinet took a significant step by agreeing to amend the Federal Constitution, aiming to grant automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers married to foreigners. However, this announcement does not mark the finalisation of the process. There are still multiple stages that must be completed before Malaysian mothers can confer citizenship to their overseas-born children. 

The proposed constitutional amendment is scheduled to be tabled in September, leaving impacted mothers anxiously hoping for recognition as equal citizens and for their children to bear the Malaysian nationality, just like them. 

In this episode, we explore the broader context of citizenship rights in Malaysia, shed light on the struggles faced by the mothers, and examine the significance of achieving equality in conferring citizenship to all Malaysians, regardless of their place of birth.

(Featuring guest speakers: Shamila Unnikrishnan, a Malaysian mother who has had to fight for her equal right to confer citizenship to her children born abroad and Sarah Czarina Mashanis, Programme Coordinator from Family Frontiers) 



*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organizations or institutions they are affiliated with.

“Cancel culture” is notably one of the most contentious phenomena, and more people are trying to define and understand it. The act of publicly denouncing misconduct or problematic opinions, especially from those who wield power or authority, has long been practiced by society. However, social media has changed how people are able to network and mobilise others to act in solidarity.

Many construed the #MeToo movement as cancel culture and compared it to mob rule or a short-lived sense of justice that punishes and shames the accused summarily without a fair trial. The lack of nuanced conversations on social media further adds to polarising the discourse, and often does not address the structural problems of sexual harassment.

The criticism towards the #MeToo movement assumes that everyone has equal access to freedom of opinion and expression. For a long time, the public and political spaces were insulated by the norms of acceptable sexual behaviours from perpetrators. The #MeToo movement gave people the collective power and strength to tear down the wall of silence and demand for accountability as their last attempt for justice. To describe cancel culture as either good or bad is not helpful and may risk obscuring the power dynamics in which it operates.

In this episode, "Fighting Sexual Harassment - Call Out or Cancel Culture", we interrogate cancel culture against the history, context and power relations in which it is defined, and its effectiveness to bring about the necessary discourse and social change beyond call-outs towards community-supported but survivor-centric solutions 

(Featuring guest speakers: Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, a lawyer by training and currently doing her PhD in Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and Daniella Zulkifli, Vice President of the Association of Women Lawyers and is part of the team that drafted the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill.) ⠀   

*NOTE: Views presented by the speakers are their own personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of KRYSS Network, or the organizations or institutions they are affiliated with.  

This episode contains content that might be distressing to some listeners as we delve into the topic of sexual harassment. GOSSIP has always been about having difficult conversations and exploring the nuances of the issues with a gender lens. Questions are deliberately designed to provoke in order to help deepen reflections from guest speakers. It is in no way an attempt to diminish or discredit the struggles of survivors of sexual harassment but an attempt to initiate a conversation on how we should move forward in a way that addresses the issue and provides survivor-centric redress with the full support of the surrounding/affected community.