17/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 17, 2025

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COMMENT by Chin Yew Sin

Leveraging data to save lives I N Malaysia, we experience the equivalent of two passenger jet crashes’ worth of fatalities on our roads every month. being struck by a moving object. This clear and persistent pattern demands intelligent focus. Addressing these high-fatality

The tragic loss of nine FRU personnel must serve as a wake up call that will shift focus onto the silent, persistent human toll on our roads, which seems to

coffee, buy fresh flowers, maybe even take a nap in the middle of the day if I want to. I allow the messages and wishes to come in, and I actually receive them. Not just skim through them and brush them aside but let them truly land. As a child, birthdays were rarely celebrated. I don’t say that with resentment, just as a simple fact. Maybe, there wasn’t time. Maybe, no one thought it was important. I didn’t grow up with the tradition of balloons or cakes or being sung to. As an adult, this has left me with a bit of a love-hate relationship with the day. Part of me longs to feel acknowledged while another part dismisses it: Don’t be silly – it’s just another day. Apparently, I’m not alone. Many people struggle with their birthdays. For some, the day can trigger feelings of loneliness – that feeling of not being remembered or celebrated in the way they hoped. activities through robust Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) is paramount. This is not a passive exercise; it demands dedicated budget allocation and the deployment of adequate resources, including trained personnel, necessary equipment and ongoing training programmes, specifically targeting these identified risks. Generic safety plans are insufficient. Precise planning, informed by available data and backed by tangible investment, is crucial to saving lives. Furthermore, available data reveals an even more startling fact concerning work-related road safety (WRRS). Injuries occurring while commuting to and from work significantly outnumber injuries happening within the physical workplace itself. In 2024, Malaysia reportedly recorded 731 commuting fatalities, compared with 314 industrial fatalities. This means WRRS incidents tragically result in more than twice the number of deaths compared to accidents at the worksite. Unfortunately, many employers still view commuting safety as solely the employee’s responsibility. This perspective is short-sighted and morally questionable. Employers have a moral obligation to extend their duty of care. Leveraging DOSM data on commuting accidents can provide proactive and life-saving measures like written safe driving policies and training. Tragic road crashes involving animals, like the death of a baby elephant struck by a truck or the rare loss of a tiger, have surprisingly

What if people feel obliged to wish me a happy birthday or worse, feel like they have to give me a gift? I would rather they did not. It feels easier to just ignore the day altogether. However, I always think of one of my sisters overseas, who taught me otherwise. When I lived in London, no matter what was happening in her life, she always made it a point to celebrate me on my birthday. I never asked her to – it was just something she did. Every year, in one way or another, she would create a moment that made me feel truly special, seen and loved. She celebrated me. And in doing so, she taught me how to celebrate myself. More importantly, she taught me how to receive love – a lesson that took me years to fully grasp. So now, even when the “nah” instinct kicks in, I pause. I soften. And I do something, however small, to mark the day. I treat myself to a good cup of This grim statistic – reflected from the 6,443 total road fatalities recorded in 2023 alone – highlights a national crisis that persists largely unnoticed despite its devastating scale. In a recent positive step towards tackling such tragedies, the transport minister announced a new funding mechanism: 50% of AWAS traffic camera fines will be channelled towards crucial road safety initiatives, specifically targeting identified fatal accident hotspots, with measures like improved street lighting. This decision demonstrates a commitment to leveraging data to pinpoint and address high-risk areas. While this is a welcome step towards using data to ensure safety, it draws attention to the broader potential and current under utilisation of vital safety information across various domains. Malaysia invests significantly in agencies like the Department of Statistics (DOSM), which collects extensive national data, including detailed occupational safety and health statistics. Despite this significant investment, are we consistently using all this valuable, publicly funded information to prevent suffering? Ignoring this data is not only a waste of taxpayers’ money but a profound ethical failure measured in preventable human harm. The statistics compiled by DOSM are not mere abstract figures; they are guideposts pointing directly to where danger lies. Data consistently shows that approximately 70% of fatal workplace accidents stem from three primary causes: falls from height, being struck by a moving vehicle and

have been normalised. –

BERNAMAPIC

For others, birthdays highlight ageing, regret or unmet expectations. And for some, the discomfort lies in simply being seen. Receiving attention, love or even a few kind wishes can feel unfamiliar or overwhelming, especially if those things were lacking earlier in life. Here’s what I’ve Instagram posts. At their heart, birthdays are about honouring your existence – the fact that you have made it through another year. That your life is still unfolding. That you are still here, still trying and still growing. If you are unsure where to start, begin small. Choose one comforting ritual – a walk in nature, a new book, a slice of cake or simply switching off your phone for a few hours. Create a moment that feels nourishing. Birthdays can be an received more public attention than the routine loss of human lives on the road. However, recent devastating events, such as the tragic loss of nine FRU personnel, must serve as a wake-up call that will shift focus onto the silent, persistent human toll on our roads, which seems to have been normalised. Given their responsibility for safeguarding human lives, the lack of urgent and comprehensive action by the relevant ministries and agencies on this readily available data is perplexing and deeply concerning. Adding to the worry is the emerging trend in occupational diseases, showing an increasing trend, with a staggering 85% of causes linked to hearing impairment, primarily noise induced. Musculoskeletal disorders also contribute significantly. These are often chronic conditions, developing gradually, which are conveniently “forgotten” by organisations learned: birthdays are not about extravagance or needing a crowd. They are not defined by surprise parties or

invitation to come home to yourself, to ask: What do I want today to feel like? Instead of chasing what is missing, gently notice what is already here. For me, celebrating my birthday has become a quiet act of rebellion against the parts of myself that still feel invisible. It is a way of saying: I matter. I am worthy of love. I am worthy of joy – even in small and simple ways. There have been years where I celebrated with friends and years when I celebrated alone. Some birthdays were loud and filled with laughter; others were quiet and contemplative. Some years, the tears came – unexpected but welcome. Other years, the day passed by almost unnoticed. Through it all, I have slowly found my own rhythm of celebration. Today, I have chosen peace. To stay present. I have chosen to reflect on those who reached out and those who did not. I’m allowing myself to feel whatever I feel, without forcing gratitude or joy but simply letting the day be what it is. reluctant to invest in preventative measures that lack immediate, visible returns. Compounding the issue is the perceived lack of rigorous enforcement by authorities, often evident in the absence of basic hearing protection for vulnerable workers in high-noise environments. Amid this troubling landscape of statistics and what can often feel like an indifferent response, there are some positive signs beyond the minister’s announcement. Notably, NGOs like the Alliance for A Safe Community have been actively partnering with authorities such as DOSH (Department of Occupational Safety and Health), Socso (Social Security Organisation) and the Malaysian Employers Federation to educate and raise awareness, particularly among small and medium enterprises. These collaborations represent crucial steps towards fostering a more proactive safety culture. This is a wake-up call for corporate leaders

I have also made it a point to celebrate others on their birthdays. Every single person born into this world deserves to be celebrated – even in the smallest of ways. To anyone reading this who finds birthdays hard, I want to say: it’s okay. You don’t have to celebrate the way others do. But don’t skip over yourself entirely. Find one small way to honour your life – even if it’s lighting a candle, taking a long shower or quietly whispering happy birthday to yourself in the mirror. Because you deserve to be celebrated. Even if it’s just by you. Especially by you. So here’s to me. And here’s to you. To another year of learning, loving, falling apart and putting ourselves back together. To letting the love in – one message, one flower and one sip of coffee at a time. NahlanaT. Kreshnan is a somatic psychotherapist and life and executive coach. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com and enforcement agencies in Malaysia. The data exists. The patterns are clear. The human cost of ignorance and inaction is unacceptable. It is time to move beyond box-ticking exercises and generic safety slogans. It is time to intelligently leverage DOSM’s valuable statistics and dedicate adequate budget and resources to focus on preventative efforts where they are most needed – addressing fatal accident hotspots through enhanced HIRARC, taking responsibility for work-related journeys through robust WRRS initiatives and tackling the silent epidemic of occupational diseases. The data is not just numbers; it represents lives, livelihoods and the fundamental right of every worker to return home safely. ChinYew Sin is the author of the book “Unlocking the Secrets of Making Safe Choices”. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Finding meaning in a quiet birthday TODAY is my birthday, and as with every year, my first instinct is to say no – I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to trouble anyone.