In this first part of a three-episode podcast, Penang Institute Executive Director Dato’ Dr Ooi Kee Beng shares his thoughts with analyst Fauwaz Abdul Aziz on ‘nations’, ‘states’, ‘nationhood’, and their conceptual building blocks. While seemingly removed from the minds of most ordinary Malaysians, Dr Ooi explains why – and how – he has grappled with these notions for as long as he can remember, and their importance for our efforts to make and find meaning in our everyday struggles.