Welcome to Seek to Speak’s podcast where we aim to empower people to express themselves through speech!  I’m Ain Aissa and in each episode, we will seek to speak about ways to better verbalise ourselves and our stories. We will have topical interview sessions with special guests and share select speaking tips, useful for the casual and competitive speaker.  For more public speaking resources, check out SeektoSpeak.com.

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<h3>Empowering Voices: Essays on Gender Equality and Women&#39;s Empowerment from women in Malaysia</h3> In this special episode of Seek to Speak, we celebrate International Women&#39;s Day by sharing six essays from the Demi Gadis Creative Writing Competition. The essays, written by emarkable women, explore themes of gender equality, women&#39;s empowerment, and societal challenges, offering a deep and thought-provoking look into the diverse experiences and insights of women from different backgrounds.<ol><li>Healing from Trauma by Chero: Chero recounts a survivor&#39;s journey, confronting societal constructs that perpetuate victim-blaming and finding empowerment in reclaiming her voice.</li><li>Women&#39;s Struggles in Palestine by Nur Syariha: Nur Syariha Binti Masri reflects on the challenges faced by Palestinian women, highlighting their resilience and the need for support and empowerment.</li><li>Traditional Gender Roles by Kheerthana: Kheerthana explores the realities of gender roles in different cultures, including the expectations placed on women in families and the societal norms that perpetuate inequality.</li><li>Overcoming Societal Pressure by Mireverie: Mireverie&#39;s story demonstrates a woman&#39;s journey in breaking free from societal expectations, pursuing her own path, and finding self-empowerment through entrepreneurship, travel, and independence.</li><li>Cultural Expectations and Duties by Puteri Nur: Puteri Nur&#39;s essay explores how cultural norms affect gender roles and how these pressures can be confronted and navigated.</li><li>A Tale of Independence by Ashwini Ravan: Ashwini Ravan highlights the journey of a woman striving to break free from societal molds, embracing her independence, and achieving financial stability through entrepreneurship.</li></ol><h4> </h4>Thank you to our volunteers who help voice the wonderful stories of authors, Ayuni, Casadra, Sunitha, Athirah, Li-Wei and Sharon. For more information about the Demi Gadis competition, check out our socials at: https://www.instagram.com/demi.gadis/Episode is produced by Renegade Radio.

DEMI GADIS Special [Part 1] - Empowering Essays by women in Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia

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In part 4 of this Special, you will listen to the final 11 stories that we have on gender equity! Yesssss, we are finally at the finishing line. If this is your first time listening to this special, please don’t forget to check out our episode 1, 2, and 3 to continue being inspired and in awe of the women and girls who shared their stories.In this episode, we will hear experiences and opinions on equity and how it is different from equality, great observations on gender roles and unfair biases, as well as what we can do to do better.  💜PART 4 AUTHOR &amp; STORIES💜1. Sofia A. - Nina2. Mia - For the next generation3. Sybil Yasin - Millennial Parents4. Devy - L&#39;ÉGALITÉ DES SEXES5. Nufa Zulia - Jangan perkecilkan semangat aku6. Anonymous- Strong Women7. Amel - Bravery8. Aina - Malaysia’s double standard9. Flower - Women’s Potential10. Yana Pekabee - Building a Fairer and More Justice Society11. Tee Ying Yin - An environment that is equal, fair, and just for all 💜 PART 4 VOICE OVER VOLUNTEERS 💜Ainaa, Aifa, Lingeswary, Celine Tan, Yashwini, Sharon, Vivien Lim Zhi Ling, Hani, Najihah, Eena, Alison

#KisahKita Special [Part 4] - Malaysian women and girls share their stories on Equity

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In this International Women’s Day special, we are celebrating the stories and experiences shared by all of you during our KisahKita short story competition with the theme, Embrace Equity. We received 43 entries from women and girls hailing from 10 different states with the youngest being 11 years old and the eldest being 54. We cherish the diversity in these stories they have been such a joy to read, compile and produced. In part 3 of this Special, you will listen to 10 stories tackling the issue of gender equity from the perspective of job opportunities and promotion, educational institutions, and family dynamics. Do check out our show notes for the full list of authors and voice-over volunteers for this episode. Do also check Part 1 and Part 2 of this special if you want to keep being inspired by the words and stories of women and girls in Malaysia.Trigger warning: Stories shared here do touch on themes concerning gender discrimination and bias, schools, at the workplace and on a societal level.  PART 3 AUTHOR &amp; STORIES<ol><li>cheekylizzy123 - This is for all the girls who dream </li><li>Dum-E - The audacity of this woman</li><li>Kita tetap SAMA bersahabat - AMNA NAFISA BINTI SHAIFUL</li><li>a3ruh - let&#39;s #EmbraceEquity! #AndEquality!</li><li>Ahnusha - I am a fearless woman </li><li>Rheya N - biased education systems</li><li>Yie - Meet our hero; Ayu</li><li>Janice Lai Yi Xuan - Biases &amp; stereotypes</li><li>Anonymous - Growing up as a girl</li><li>Tifa Tifalis - Nisha</li></ol>

#KisahKita Special [Part 3] - Malaysian women and girls share their stories on Equity

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In this International Women’s Day special, we are celebrating the stories and experiences shared by all of you during our KisahKita short story competition with the theme, Embrace Equity. We received 43 entries from women and girls hailing from 10 different states with the youngest being 11 years old and the eldest being 54. We cherish the diversity in these stories they have been such a joy to read, compile and produced. In part 2 of this Special, you will listen to 12 stories ranging from school place discrimination, gender roles, and family dynamics. To find out more about these stories, check out our show notes! Also! Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of this special which we released last Sunday - lots of great stories there too! PART 2 AUTHOR &amp; STORIES<ol><li>Aeva Poon - Gender inequality is like folding an angel&#39;s wings</li><li>Poorni Villai Samy - Nevertheless, she persisted</li><li>Mimi - Punishment should be equal</li><li>Foxy - Cerita Sya</li><li>Misya - Embracing equity &amp; breaking the structural barriers </li><li>Nurul Irdina - Our differences are what distinguish us</li><li>VV - Girls in STEM</li><li>Aireen - Maia &amp; Toby</li><li>Vivien Lim Zhi Ling - Witnessing Inequality</li><li>Rin - Memperjuangkan hak-hak yang sama</li><li>Sofiya - Don&#39;t doubt yourself</li><li>May A. - Juggling many responsibilities</li></ol>

#KisahKita Special [Part 2] - Malaysian women and girls share their stories on Equity

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In this International Women’s Day special, we are celebrating the stories and experiences shared by all of you during our KisahKita short story competition with the theme, Embrace Equity. We received 43 entries from women and girls hailing from 10 different states with the youngest being 11 years old and the eldest being 54. We cherish the diversity in these stories they have been such a joy to read, compile and produced. In part 1 of this Special, you will listen to 10 stories, 2 of which were written in Malay, and 7 of which were submitted anonymously, touching on issues ranging from workplace discrimination, gender bias in schools, and generational trauma.PART 1 AUTHOR &amp; STORIES<ol><li>Ashwinee Rvan Ravindran - Just like you</li><li>Missdhani - Gender Norms</li><li>Nur Farah Diana Binti Affnininirwandi - Sexual Harassment Survivor</li><li>Nia - Aireen Zafhira</li><li>KitKat - Workplace Discrimination</li><li>Valkie - Family Dynamics</li><li>Sorrowful Student - Girls in Leadership</li><li>Iman - Generation Gap</li><li>Kris - Adakah ini salah wanita juga?</li><li>Jananie Chandrarao - Down with the wooden fence</li></ol> Just a quick trigger warning that the stories shared here do touch on themes concerning gender discrimination, victim blaming, bullying, rape, child marriage, and sexual harassment. Should you find this type of content triggering, please stop now and come back when or if you&#39;re ready.In the meantime, don’t forget to celebrate women everywhere today and continue to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/embraceequity/" rel="nofollow">#EmbraceEquity</a>. Let’s keep fighting the good fight and champion women together.

#KisahKita Special [Part 1] - Malaysian women and girls share their stories on Equity

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The final episode of the season welcomes back our community members discussing Malaysia&#39;s biggest speaking fails! Why do we keep joking about rape? What happens when a member of parliament challenged another to a debate? What do we do about religious sensitivities?Here, we discuss 3 recent speaking fails and deconstruct what happened, why did it happen and what do we do from here. We also provide our views on other speaking fails that did not quite make the list but were worth mentioning.Speaking fails discussed:Segment 1: Actor and hosts jokes about a movie rape scene on national television. Who is to blame? Who should be accountable?Segment 2: Member of parliament in the sitting government challenges an opposition member to a debate on the cabotage policy. Is this a good thing? Do people care?Segment 3: Locally produced, award-winning whiskey brand name enrages many quarters of society and politicians are quick to respond. What precedent does this set? Are they justified in their reaction? Bonus lightning round discussion:1) Lahabau Melaka, let&#39;s vote! Misguided use of slang.2) Communications minister tweets on future video quality. But 1080p already exists?3) Harassment of a journalist by PAS leaders. Why attack my family and the language I use?

S3E17 Malaysian Speaking Fails 2 - Jokes about rape? MPs debate challenge? Drinking women in parliament? (With Mas, Vishal, and Aissa)

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This episode is all about Seek to Speak&#39;s journey through 2021 in the form of reflections, lessons learned, and hopes for the future. Explore our story through the lens of our Founder, Ain Aissa, and community member, Maslin Roslan, as we bring you through the challenges and joys that we face along the way. What we will be discussing in the episode would be:<ul><li>Challenges faced throughout the year</li><li>How Seek to Speak has changed us</li><li>Regrets or Lessons learned</li><li>Hopes and dreams for the future</li></ul>

S3E16 Behind Seek to Speak  - A Year in Review (with Founder and Community Member)

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Welcome to our 2nd Speech Session where we highlight amazing speeches based on a theme. This episode’s theme is Purpose &amp; Passion and along with our community members, Sasha and Abigail, we have curated a list of our top Purpose and Passion speeches. So what we will do is introduce the speech, play our chosen snippet, talk about the context of the speech, and the speaker’s style. There are some you may know and others may enjoy discovering as we go through the episode.Speeches Discussed:<ol><li>Chadwick Boseman - Howard University Commencement Speech 2018: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHZypMyQ2s" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHZypMyQ2s</a></li><li>Lady Gaga&#39;s speech at ELLE&#39;s 25th annual Women in Hollywood event (2018): <a href="https://youtu.be/14KX7xOJsqE" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/14KX7xOJsqE</a></li><li>Beyoncé Knowles, Dear Class of 2020: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLo5XMjIJD8" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLo5XMjIJD8</a></li><li>Denzel Washington - University of Pennsylvania (2011) Commencement speech: <a href="https://youtu.be/JEFbfwg9dek" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/JEFbfwg9dek</a></li><li>Taylor Swift accepting the Woman of the Decade Award: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpkFb9-fts" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpkFb9-fts</a></li><li>Elizabeth Gilbert&#39;s TedTalk on Success, failure and the drive to keep creating: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_waBFUg_oT8" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_waBFUg_oT8</a></li></ol>

S3E15 Speech Sessions with Abigail and Sasha - Discussing our Favourite Purpose and Passion Speeches

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Welcome to Part 2 of our cerita hantu special in conjunction with Halloween, which happened on the 31st of October. You are about to hear another 6 spooky encounters with the unknown. From sleep paralysis to room disturbances, to unexplainable sightings. These are things that were heard, seen, or felt but still remain a mystery to them.Thank you for listening. We hope this spooky special kept you up at night. Stories by:<ul><li>Morning paralysis - Alison</li><li>House Hauntings - Cass</li><li>Is that you Nizam? - Zul</li><li>Otw home - Arisha</li><li>What was that sound? - Anonymous</li><li>Jungle Possession - Ikram</li></ul> Music from Dirges of the Undead:https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Haunted_Corpse/Dirges_for_the_Undead

S3E14 Halloween Special - My Spooky Story / Cerita Hantu Malaysia (Part 2)

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Welcome to Part 1 of our cerita hantu special in conjunction with Halloween, which is happening on the 31st of October. You are about to hear from 6 real people telling you about their spooky encounters with the unknown. From a near-death experience to house hauntings to an unearthly possession. All 6 of these individuals swear by the things they had seen or felt, and I hope you feel a bit of their fear and horror as they tell you their stories.Be sure to tune in to Part 2 next week to hear more Malaysian spooky tales. Until then, enjoy. Stories by:<ul><li>I almost died - Arianna</li><li>Sekolah Asrama - Zul</li><li>Library Possession - Alison</li><li>I can&#39;t Move - Aiman</li><li>What was that? - Aifa</li><li>New house, new visitors - Ikram</li></ul> Music from Dirges of the Undead:https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Haunted_Corpse/Dirges_for_the_Undead

S3E13 Halloween Special - My Spooky Story / Cerita Hantu Malaysia (Part 1)

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Welcome to the very last installment of our 4 part mental health special in conjunction with World Mental Health Day which happened on 10 of October. This week, we discuss our favourite or least favourite Mental Health Hacks - simple home remedies that we can all try at home! Joining us today are our lovely community members, Jaspreet, Sasha, and Abigail. The theme for this year&#39;s World Mental Health Day is &#39;Mental health in an unequal world&#39;. While the pandemic has affected everyone&#39;s mental health and close to one billion people have a mental disorder - the gap between the demand for mental health services and supply remains substantial. Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services. While we are no experts in mental health care, we thought to share with you some easy and inexpensive ways to feel better. Of course, there is no real substitute for medication or psychotherapy for those who need them, but some of these practices may work for those interested in some quick mood boosters.Segments in the Episode:<ul><li>Segment 1 - Things we&#39;ve tried but didn&#39;t work/like (Closer: Can you relate?)</li><li>Segment 2 - Things we love and have worked for us (Closer: Underrated or Overrated?)</li><li>Segment 3 - Things we want to explore and try in the future (Closer: Do you believe in this?)</li></ul> Things we discussed during the episode include:<ul><li>Exercise and eating well</li><li>Meditation and mindfulness</li><li>Scheduling and habit making</li><li>Cleaning and lighting candles</li><li>Journaling and self-reflection</li><li>Self-help and self-development</li><li>Yoga, talking to someone, taking it slow</li><li>Feng Shui, Astrology, Law of Attraction</li></ul> Abigail&#39;s Highly Recommended Scented Candles:Bern Candles - https://www.instagram.com/berncandles/#SupportLokal

S3E12 Mental Health Special 4: Mental Health Hacks - Easy DIY Remedies to improve our Mental Health at Home

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In conjunction with World Mental Health Day which happened over the weekend, Seek to Speak is presenting a 4-part podcast special dedicated to normalizing conversations about mental health. In part 3 today, you will be hearing from 4 community members talking about their experience with common mental health myths and misconceptions, as well as stereotypes.This is a trigger warning as the episode will touch on issues surrounding mental health stereotypes, self-harm, and stigma. In this episode, our community members will discuss their difficulties with diagnosis and getting the right help for their medical condition due to ongoing misconceptions that people have about mental health, and how these stereotypes harm more than it helps. They also discuss how to better respond to loved ones sharing their struggles as well as how to live with a mental illness. As usual, this episode should not be taken as medical advice and you should still consult your own mental health care provider for help.Over the weekend, we also held a Women with Words meeting on the theme, Mindfulness, in order to teach our girls to be more resilient and ready to face the daily stresses and anxieties that life throws at them. Our guest speaker, a mindfulness teacher and practitioner, Noelle Lim, founder of the Kindermind Centre, not only shared valuable insights on how to be more mindful but also guided us through a short meditation practice during the session. We thought it would be fitting to end this episode by reproducing this mindfulness practice to help center ourselves and be more present in the moment. We hope you learn from the views shared by our brave community members as well as heal from the short 8 min mindfulness practice with Noelle at the end of this episode.

S3E11 Mental Health Special 3: Breaking the Stigma - Deconstructing Common Mental Health Myths and Misconceptions (Feat Community Members and Noelle of the Kindermind Centre)

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In part 2 today, you will be hearing from Tanushri &amp; Siro of MISI Solidariti who campaigned for the decriminalization of attempted suicide in Malaysia as well as Dato&#39; Mah Weng Kwai, the commissioner of SUHAKAM, which is the National Human rights institution of Malaysia.This is a trigger warning as the episode will touch on issues surrounding suicidal ideation, domestic abuse, self-harm, depression, and LGBTQ discrimination. In this episode, our guests will talk about the history behind criminalizing attempted suicide, why this law continues to harm people and does not act as a deference to the act, the intersectionality of mental health with the pandemic, gender roles and discrimination, and what we can do to help.To our listeners today, thank you for taking the time to learn, spread awareness and maybe even help someone else along the way.DISCLAIMER: This episode should not be taken as medical advice and you should still consult your own mental health care provider for help.CONTACT: MISI: Solidariti - msolidariti@gmail.com, SUHAKAM - humanrights@suhakam.org.myMISI SOLIDARITI<ul><li>A youth-led collective aspiring to empower society through the value of direct action in Malaysian activism</li><li>Website:<a href="https://msolidariti.org/" rel="nofollow"> https://msolidariti.org/</a></li><li>Decriminalize Suicide Now Campaign: <a href="https://decriminalisesuicidenow.msolidariti.org/" rel="nofollow">https://decriminalisesuicidenow.msolidariti.org/</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/msolidariti/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/msolidariti/</a></li></ul> SUHAKAM<ul><li>The national human rights institution of Malaysia</li><li>Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/suhakam_malaysia/" rel="nofollow"> https://www.instagram.com/suhakam_malaysia/</a></li><li>Website: <a href="https://www.suhakam.org.my/" rel="nofollow">https://www.suhakam.org.my/</a></li><li>Suicide National Registry: <a href="https://suhakam.org.my/2021/06/press-statement-no-23-2021_suhakam-calls-for-a-revival-of-the-national-suicide-registry-malaysia-nsrm/" rel="nofollow">https://suhakam.org.my/2021/06/press-statement-no-23-2021_suhakam-calls-for-a-revival-of-the-national-suicide-registry-malaysia-nsrm/</a></li><li>Decriminalise Suicide: <a href="https://www.suhakam.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Press-Statement-No.-2-2020-Decriminalise-suicide-attempt-by-amending-the-Penal-Code.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://www.suhakam.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Press-Statement-No.-2-2020-Decriminalise-suicide-attempt-by-amending-the-Penal-Code.pdf</a></li></ul> CARELINES:<ul><li>Buddy Bear (Children): 1800-18-2327</li><li>COVID-19 Psychosocial Line by Mercy: 03-29359935</li><li>Let&#39;s Talk (Media Sihat): 03-29359935, 014-32223392, 011-63996482, 011-63994236</li><li>Talian Kasih (Women): 15999 (WA - 019-2615999)</li><li>WAO Tina (Women): 018-9888058</li></ul>

S3E10 Mental Health Special 2: Decriminalizing Attempted Suicide (The intersectionality, inaccessibility, and stigmatization of mental health care in Malaysia) (MISI Solidariti / SUHAKAM)

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TW/CW: Suicidal ideation, Domestic abuse, and Self-harm.In conjunction with World Mental Health Day happening on 10 of October as well as Suicide Prevention Day that passed on the 10th of September, we will be presenting a 4-part podcast special dedicated to normalizing conversations about mental health. In part 1 today, you will be hearing from Dina Murad, a reporter of a local newspaper who recently covered the issue of mental health and increased suicide rates during the pandemic. You will also be hearing from Dr Stephen Jambunathan, the Medical Director and senior clinical psychiatrist with the Mind Faculty who specializes in trauma, OCD, ADHD and depression.In this episode, Dina and Dr Stephen will discuss the reasons behind the recent spike of suicide cases in Malaysia, the role that gender plays in the numbers we are seeing, how to spot signs of suicidal risk in loved ones as well as what we can do to help those in need.Next week, we will be speaking to SUHAKAM, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia as well as the youth-led collective, MISI Solidariti, on the issue of decriminalizing suicide.DISCLAIMER: This episode should not be taken as medical advice and you should still consult your own mental health care provider for help.CONTACT: Dina Murad: <a href="mailto:dina@thestar.com.my" rel="nofollow">dina@thestar.com.my</a>, Dr Stephen: <a href="mailto:enquiries@themindfaculty.com" rel="nofollow">enquiries@themindfaculty.com</a>  ABOUT:<ul><li>https://www.thestar.com.my/news/focus/2021/07/04/mental-health-dont-give-up-we-are-here-for-you</li><li>https://www.thestar.com.my/news/focus/2021/07/11/are-malaysian-women-facing-an-increased-risk-of-suicide</li><li>https://www.themindfaculty.com/stephen-jambunathan</li></ul> CARELINES:<ul><li>Buddy Bear (Children): 1800-18-2327</li><li>COVID-19 Psychosocial Line by Mercy: 03-29359935</li><li>Let&#39;s Talk (Media Sihat): 03-29359935, 014-32223392, 011-63996482, 011-63994236</li><li>Talian Kasih (Women): 15999 (WA - 019-2615999)</li><li>WAO Tina (Women): 018-9888058</li></ul>

S3E9 Mental Health Special 1: How the pandemic and gender roles affected suicide rates in Malaysia

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Seek to Speak Showcase! 💜 Thank you to our amazing guest speaker @sheenabaharudin for sharing your experience with us! We were very inspired by you! Here is a list of the talented performers who shared their lockdown experience with us today:1) @priyanka_a_a_2) @theloudergirl3) @s0larmoons4) @adiel_ikram5) @abbyandherowls6) @ainaamd7) @arathijane8) @iamsnekhagbr9) @skategalz10) @lostnaadodi11) @mysafespace.mss12) @inderjitkaurkuldipsingh13) @_mishalini_21

S3E8 Seek to Speak Showcase - An Open Mic Night on our Lockdown Chronicles

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Welcome to Season 3 of the Seek to Speak Podcast where we celebrate the power of words and what better way to celebrate our words by discussing our freedom to speak in a mock trial setting with our wonderful guests!On the side of Plaintiff, we have the amazing debater extraordinaire, Mai Mokhsein, the first Malaysian to be crowned Asia&#39;s best speaker and the only person to be in 4 consecutive Asian finals. She is currently the head coach for Malaysia&#39;s debate team and works for a private education firm in Hong Kong. Her client, and also Plaintiff for this case is Civil Liberties!Representing the Defendant, Law &amp; Order, we have the esteemed Ahmad Zulfikri, a famous litigator and advocate fighting for public order and security. Zul was the captain of his varsity moot team where he represented his institution in several international moot competitions, moot author and coach for several national and international level moot competitions. Zul is currently a civil litigator specializing in private and commercial disputes and has appeared in all levels of courts.We hope that this Mock Trial will educate and enlighten you on the nuanced issues surrounding freedom of speech in Malaysia as well as highlight the arguments on both divided in order for you to best make your own decisions.Subjects and Personalities that we will be discussing in the episode include:<ul><li>Censorship</li><li>Governmental abuse</li><li>Political dissent</li><li>Misinformation and Fake News</li><li>COVID-19 vaccination</li><li>Spread of Religious and Racial hatred</li><li>Cyberbullying</li><li>Nudity and Porn</li><li>Blasphemous texts</li><li>Arrest of Fahmi Reza</li><li>Banning of Zakir Naik</li><li>Anti-Fake News Act &amp; Sedition Act</li><li>The Emergency Ordinance</li></ul> Listen and tell us what you think! Who do you think won?

S3E7 Seek to Speak (Mock) Trials - Should Freedom of Speech be limited in Malaysia?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/9/6/5/52c526b1-95dc-49a1-b677-4c51644cc9f4_lets_get_lit_final.mp3

In conjunction with International Literacy Day, our community members come together to talk about the importance of literacy, the power of reading, and the joy of expressing yourself through the written form. During the episode, we will also be describing, analysing and discussing our favourite works of literature. From short stories by Roald Dahl and Raymond Carver to Naomi Alderman&#39;s book, &#39;The Power&#39; to Faizal Tehrani&#39;s opinion piece, &#39;Jangan Diam Boleh Tak&#39; - there is definitely a lot to learn and discover along the way! We hope this episode inspires you to pick up reading or finish that piece you&#39;ve been working on since forever! Big props to community members, Maslin (@maslovecats ), Alana (@lanerd ), and Cass (@therealraffinit ), as well as a friend to the community, Dimi @dimitron.x ), for their input on this episode! Literary works discussed are:<ol><li>Roald Dahl - Lamb to a Slaughter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_to_the_Slaughter" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb_to_the_Slaughter</a></li><li>Naomi Alderman - The Power <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_(Alderman_novel)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_(Alderman_novel)</a></li><li>Jangan Diam Boleh Tak - Faizal Tehrani <a href="https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2021/07/30/jangan-diam-boleh-tak/" rel="nofollow">https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2021/07/30/jangan-diam-boleh-tak/</a></li><li>A small good thing - Raymond Carver - <a href="https://commonplaces.davidson.edu/vol-3/in-hopelessville-a-reconsideration-of-raymond-carvers-a-small-good-thing/" rel="nofollow">https://commonplaces.davidson.edu/vol-3/in-hopelessville-a-reconsideration-of-raymond-carvers-a-small-good-thing/</a></li></ol>

S3E6 Let's Get Lit! - Discussing our Favourite Literary Pieces in conjunction with International Literacy Day

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In this Seek to Speak&#39;s Merdeka Special entitled, &#39;Malaysia, did you know?&#39;, we will take you through 3 quiz show segments centered around Malaysian history, past achievements, and our amazing rakyat! In every segment, our guests will have to answer Malaysian trivia while our listeners learn and laugh along the way! From true or false questions on our independence to guessing quotes from famous Malaysians to reimagining memorable moments in history! This is definitely the episode to listen to in order to celebrate our independence and cherish all things Malaysian!In true Merdeka fashion, you will learn about our past successes historical figures that you didn&#39;t even know about, and hear us (dreadfully!) re-enact Malaysian history. This is definitely an episode where you will laugh, learn, and even get inspired along the way!Big props to community members, Maslin &amp; Alison, as well as a friend to the community, Ikram, for their input on this episode! Tell us a fun fact about Malaysia below! We would love to hear from you! Lisa Kamal&#39;s Wisconsin Speech Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cuqEmomnlU

S3E5 Malaysia, Did you know? - A Merdeka Quiz Show Special!

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/8/22/4/3be9815b-959a-46a2-8efa-08f540cf8d5e_speech_session_final_-_mp3.mp3

In this first Speech Sessions episode, we highlight 6 amazing Call To Action Speeches. Speeches that inspire people to move, to fight, to make a change. From Greta Thurnberg&#39;s How Dare You speech to Winston Churchhill&#39;s Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat speech. There will be fan favourites and new speeches to discover along the way. Joining Aissa in this episode is Roeshan Gomez from the Rumah Roy podcast! Listen to this episode to be inspired by the speakers&#39; words and message. Hear how we discuss each speaker&#39;s background, how they used their words for action, and how different each speaker&#39;s style was. Don&#39;t forget to let us know what your favourite speech was? Did we miss out on a good speech? What are your thoughts on these speeches? Let us know at helloseektospeak@gmail.com or DM us at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seektospeak/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/seektospeak/</a> Rumah Roy PodcastAbout: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therumahroypodcast/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/therumahroypodcast/</a>Listen: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2LU8f5V13tDO9EzTZ6edts?ltclid=63acaa29-629b-4f31-a6b9-473101a72123&nd=1&si=7SFX5sFVTW6iPCd0ADo1Ww" rel="nofollow">https://open.spotify.com/show/2LU8f5V13tDO9EzTZ6edts?si=7SFX5sFVTW6iPCd0ADo1Ww&amp;ltclid=63acaa29-629b-4f31-a6b9-473101a72123&amp;nd=1</a> Speeches Discussed &amp; their Snippets:Winston Churchill - May 13, 1940I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory; victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, &#34;Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.&#34;How Dare You Speech by Greta ThunbergMy message is that we&#39;ll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn&#39;t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I&#39;m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you! For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you&#39;re doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight. You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe. Second inaugural address by Abraham LincolnFondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. Martin Luther King, I have a dreamSo even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. Quit India by Mahatma GandhiThen, there is the question of your attitude towards the British. I have noticed that there is hatred towards the British among the people. The people say they are disgusted with their behaviour. The people make no distinction between British imperialism and the British people. To them, the two are one. This hatred would even make them welcome the Japanese. It is most dangerous. It means that they will exchange one slavery for another. We must get rid of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British people, we fight their imperialism. The proposal for the withdrawal of British power did not come out of anger. It came to enable India to play its due part at the present critical juncture. It is not a happy position for a big country like India to be merely helping with money and material obtained willy-nilly from her while the United Nations are conducting the war. We cannot evoke the true spirit of sacrifice and valour, so long as we are not free. I know the British Government will not be able to withhold freedom from us, when we have made enough self-sacrifice. We must, therefore, purge ourselves of hatred. Speaking for myself, I can say that I have never felt any hatred. As a matter of fact, I feel myself to be a greater friend of the British now than ever before. One reason is that they are today in distress. My very friendship, therefore, demands that I should try to save them from their mistakes. As I view the situation, they are on the brink of an abyss. It, therefore, becomes my duty to warn them of their danger even though it may, for the time being, anger them to the point of cutting off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh, nevertheless, that is my claim. At a time when I may have to launch the biggest struggle of my life, I may not harbor hatred against anybody. JK Rowling Harvard Commencement AddressOne of the many things I learned at the end of that Classics corridor down which I ventured at the age of 18, in search of something I could not then define, was this, written by the Greek author Plutarch: What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. That is an astonishing statement and yet proven a thousand times every day of our lives. It expresses, in part, our inescapable connection with the outside world, the fact that we touch other people’s lives simply by existing. But how much more are you, Harvard graduates of 2008, likely to touch other people’s lives? Your intelligence, your capacity for hard work, the education you have earned and received, give you unique status, and unique responsibilities. Even your nationality sets you apart. The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government, has an impact way beyond your borders. That is your privilege, and your burden. If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.

S3E4 Speech Sessions with the Rumah Roy Podcast - Discussing our Favourite Call To Action Speeches

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2021/8/16/4/04b0af53-4ccb-45ab-9186-39275925f4ed_tions__future_hopes___allyship__part_2__final_.mp3

In Part 2 of Seek to Speak&#39;s Pride Podcast Special, we will be exploring and most importantly, debunking popular myths and misconceptions around LGBTQ persons. We will be exploring the hopes that local queer communities have for the future and their message to young LGBTQ youths. We will end this episode on allyship, how you can help and what you can meaningfully do to move the needle. We&#39;ll hear from local queer advocates, individuals, and just generally brave souls who have decided to share their stories today.We hope to build a connection through these stories, and in the process, build awareness and create empathy between our local communities. While we do not claim that the views shared here are representative of the wider LGBTQ experience in Malaysia, the stories here are true and real to the people who shared them.Here is a trigger and content warning on what we will discuss today, which does touch on issues surrounding LGBTQ discrimination, common misinformation on queer folk, and a discussion on mental health, and in particular, conversion therapy. Should you find this type of content triggering, please don&#39;t listen to this episode and come back when or if you&#39;re ready.We invite you, our listeners, to keep an open mind and encourage you to talk about these issues in a meaningful and productive way. Remember, It takes a lot of courage for the people on this episode to come out and tell their stories, so we hope you feel as deeply as we do when we heard them. Seek to Speak values compassion, tolerance, and respect, and we hope that since you&#39;re listening to this episode, that you share the same values as well. Please remember the quote by Lord Shaftesbury which reads. “Prejudice is a mist, which in our journey through the world often dims the brightest and obscures the best of all the good and glorious objects that meet us on our way.”  Thank you to all the people and personalities who shared their views for this episode:1) Ken &amp; Justice from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pluho_org/" rel="nofollow">PLUHO</a>2) Mitch of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seedmalaysia/" rel="nofollow">SEED Foundation</a>3) Li of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tabungpelangi/" rel="nofollow">Tabung Pelangi</a>4) <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kumelakumslut/" rel="nofollow">Kumela Kumslut</a>5) G6) Miemo7) Kimchi8) Raj9) Anonymous story submissions10) S2S Community Members: Abigail, Samantha, Priya, Alana, Mindy, and Jaspreet. About PLUHO &amp; BlueBirdPLUHO, or People Like Us Hang Out!, is an LGBTQ-inclusive organisation focused on community building, service delivery and empowerment in Malaysia. Since its founding in 2016, PLUHO has grown from a loose social collective of queer activists to a registered organisation running a number of projects on HIV &amp; sexual health, LGBTQ mental health (‘the BlueBird project’), a community-run shelter (‘Rumah Angkat’), and various community engagement events.The BlueBird project is a mental health referral service based in Malaysia that is queer-affirming, inclusive, and open to all LGBTQ individuals who seek sustainable mental health treatment. As of June 2021, BlueBird has served more than 80 LGBTQ individuals who submitted enquiries seeking peer support and recommendations for therapy. Buy Stories for a Cause 2 by Tabung PelangiPurchase link <a href="https://ko-fi.com/s/15d9bc9957" rel="nofollow">here</a> SEED FoundationDonate to the Trans Solidarity Fund h<a href="https://seedfoundation.com.my/" rel="nofollow">ere</a> Kumela Kumslut on SpotifyListen to Sunshine on <a href="https://l.instagram.com/?e=ATOupGWlxn-vA2iKkQeOACCIg9eWVo5ph0QEGQN6wnZAT8DYleVp9e7VC8oxGEnd8hVvetZBTrG_3jLZOtLTQME&s=1&u=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F71YQ3rDvSrFKRcwby5O6Vm%3Fsi%3D2Ul1IeWQQ4itH-Pfdt29Gw%26utm_source%3Dcopy-link%26dl_branch%3D1" rel="nofollow">Spotify</a> Watch Raj&#39;s ABC News FeatureDarwin&#39;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBrtjrMmd80" rel="nofollow">Karaoke Culture</a> Recommended places or resources for queer-affirming support (Compiled by PLUHO)<ul><li>About BlueBird / LGBTQ-affirming therapy</li><li>BlueBird sign-up sheet: <a href="bit.ly/bluebirdproject" rel="nofollow">bit.ly/bluebirdproject</a></li><li>Questions, ideas, feedback: bluebird@pluho.org</li><li>Register as BlueBird/ PLUHO volunteer: <a href="bit.ly/pluhovolunteer" rel="nofollow">bit.ly/pluhovolunteer </a>(*If BlueBird-specific, please mention &#34;BlueBird&#34; in your submission)</li><li>For mental health professionals interested to be included in BlueBird project&#39;s directory: <a href="https://www.queerlapis.com/lgbtq-affirming-mental-health-survey/" rel="nofollow">https://www.queerlapis.com/lgbtq-affirming-mental-health-survey/</a></li><li>Context, information, and resources for LGBTQ-affirming therapy in Malaysia: <a href="https://www.queerlapis.com/where-to-find-lgbtq-affirming-therapy-in-malaysia/" rel="nofollow">https://www.queerlapis.com/where-to-find-lgbtq-affirming-therapy-in-malaysia/</a></li></ul> Resources &amp; trainingFree and accessible resources about common mental health issues, including worksheets and guides on how to take better care of ourselves and others:<ul><li><a href="https://www.orygen.org.au/Training/Resources" rel="nofollow">https://www.orygen.org.au/Training/Resources</a></li><li><a href="https://cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Overview" rel="nofollow">https://cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Overview</a></li></ul> Sign up for Psychological First Aid (PFA) training, or learn about it online. PFA isn&#39;t therapy, it&#39;s a set of techniques anyone can practice for helping people experiencing a crisis. It focuses on helping them feel safe, connected to others, calm and hopeful, and be able to access physical, emotional, and social support.An overview:<a href="https://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/ppt.pdf" rel="nofollow"> https://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/ppt.pdf</a> For emergencies:Hotlines:<ul><li>Befrienders: 03-7627 2929</li><li>Women&#39;s Aid Organisation: 03-3000 8858 (call) / 018 988 8058 (SMS, WhatsApp)</li></ul> If you are dealing with thoughts or feelings of harming yourself or others, we would advise that you go to the emergency (A&amp;E) department of a general hospital, ask to see a psychiatrist and tell them your situation. The psychiatrist will assess your situations and needs, and assist you accordingly. Hospital emergency staff are generally equipped to deal with this. Effective allyship:Check out Queer Lapis&#39;s resources on SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity &amp; expression, sexual characteristics):<ul><li><a href="https://www.queerlapis.com/gender-bear/" rel="nofollow">https://www.queerlapis.com/gender-bear/</a></li><li><a href="https://www.queerlapis.com/glossary/" rel="nofollow">https://www.queerlapis.com/glossary/</a></li></ul> Opening Audio Snippet Sources:<ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlAqxFyoOCA" rel="nofollow">Alok V Menon on Fashion&#39;s Genderless Future | #BoFVOICES 2019</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=28s&v=vPBEZmuuPAw" rel="nofollow">Rachel Maddow - David Bahati &#34;Kill The Gays&#34; Bill Sponsor - Pt. One</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGhZRMzZ52w" rel="nofollow">A queer Queen&#39;s speech from LGBTQIA+ icons Sam Smith, Munroe Bergdorf, Rina Sawayama and more</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1s&v=HAfpxMMlx9A" rel="nofollow">Celebrities and fans react to DaBaby&#39;s recent homophobic comments | GMA</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=604s&v=ivfJJh9y1UI" rel="nofollow">This Is What LGBT Life Is Like Around the World | Jenni Chang and Lisa Dazols | TED Talks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V00lN9t3a-0" rel="nofollow">Munroe Bergdorf Clashes With Piers in Heated Debate on Gender Fluidity | Good Morning Britain</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1s&v=jZuIdQVEVY0" rel="nofollow">Anne Hathaway at 2008 HRC Los Angeles Dinner</a></li></ul>

S3E3 Pride Podcast Special on LGBTQ Misconceptions, Future Hopes & Allyship (Part 2)

Conversations that help you better express yourself

Welcome to Seek to Speak’s podcast where we aim to empower people to express themselves through speech. 

I’m Aissa and in each episode, we will seek to speak about ways to better verbalise ourselves and our stories. We will have topical interview sessions with special guests and share select speaking tips, useful for the casual and competitive speaker. 

For more public speaking resources, check out SeektoSpeak.com.