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Issue no. 2 | 2021

Launch of Sabah from and the majority of authors from

the Ground Edited Sabah. Traditional explanations
prioritize
federal-state
the
Volume relationship in shaping Sabah
politics.
Sabah’s 2020 election was Malaysia’s pandemic election.
this
This collection challenges
While attention centers on the impact the election had on
paradigm, suggesting that politics
the increase of Covid-19, "Sabah from the Ground: The
in Sabah needs to be better
2020 election and the politics of survival" brings together
understood as a reflection of
scholars, journalists and social activists who were on the
ground in Sabah to analyze what happened, why and the conditions within Sabah – as Sabahans struggle to
broader implications of the outcome for Sabah and navigate and survive on Malaysia’s periphery. The book
Malaysian politics. was published by SIRD and ISEAS. Dr. Vilashini Somiah of
the Gender Studies Programme along with Dr. Bridget
The book is the first in-depth study of a Sabah election. It is Welsh (Nottingham University Malaysia), and Dr. Benjamin
multidisciplinary – with authors from different perspectives YH Loh (Taylor's University) were the editors for the book.
Inaugural Lectures of the
FASS International Guest Lecture Series

BY MAHRUKH BEG MOGHAL BINTI SHARUKH BEG MOGHAL
3RD YEAR B.A. INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

On the 30th of April 2021, the Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences collaborating with the Global Network Club
(GNC) inaugurated the International Guest Lecture Series
through organising guest lectures. The first one was by
Professor Dr Ahn Sang Wuk; a well-known academician
and expert of economy from Pukyong National University,
South Korea. Professor Ahn also served as an Associate
Professor in Universiti Malaya at the department of
International and Strategic Studies from 2016 to 2017 and
says that students of Universiti Malaya are very dear to him.
Dr. Erez Yerushalmi on Covid-19 and the Cost of Vaccine

Nationalism lecture was chaired by AP Dr. Thirunaukarasu
This lecture, entitled “Covid-19 and Economic Transition”,
Following this was the lecture by Dr. Erez Yerushalmi, a
was focused on Covid-19 in relation to previous pandemics
senior lecturer at Birmingham City Business School, UK. Dr.
of the world such as the Spanish Flu, and the impact that
Erez is a respected economist and his research has
the pandemic has had on the global economy. It was a
contributed to the understanding of international vaccine
stimulating and insightful 2-hour lecture that provided
distribution. The lecture titled “Covid-19 and the Cost of
great insight on how states are handling the pandemic in
Vaccine Nationalism” focused on the distribution of Covid
tandem with national as well as global economy.
vaccines globally, the disparities between the developed
and developing world and the implications of vaccine
nationalism. The lecture provided great insight on the inner
workings of vaccine distribution and the perspective of the
global north on this issue.

These guest lectures received wide reception not only from
students of the Faculty and Universiti Malaya, but also from
across Asia including the Philippines, Indonesia and
Pakistan. It is safe to say that the first two international
guest lectures were successful and have created
The first guest lecture series was from Professor Dr. Ahn Sang Wuk anticipation for future lectures such as the one by Professor
and chaired by a GNC member, Nur Syahmina Aza
Kim of Yonsei University on the 11th of June.

7 | Pulse @ FASS