25/09/2025

THURSDAY | SEPT 25, 2025

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Goodbyes that set you free G OODBYES are never easy. They carry the sting of loss, the weight of uncertainty and the ache of what could have been. our sense of well-being. Saying goodbye is not an act of rejection but an act of boundary- setting. It is choosing to accept reality rather than staying trapped in “maybe one day”. M I N D T H E M I N D

Second, community-based conservation must be scaled and sustained. Indigenous and rural communities are not obstacles; they are allies. Equip them, compensate them and let them lead. Their knowledge of the land is not anecdotal; it is ancestral. Conservation cannot succeed without local ownership, and yet too often, these communities are sidelined in favour of top-down programmes that lack cultural resonance or practical reach. Third, climate resilience must be embedded into land-use planning. Fires, floods and droughts are no longer rare events. Protected areas must be buffered, corridors must be restored and development must be reimagined, not just rezoned. Environmental impact assessments must evolve to include climate vulnerability and biodiversity thresholds, not just economic feasibility. We often speak of extinction as a distant tragedy but it is not distant; it is incremental. It is happening in the quiet disappearance of a paw print, the absence of a call in the canopy and the empty nesting beach. These losses are not dramatic; they are quiet. And that quiet is dangerous because it breeds complacency. Malaysia still has time but time is not infinite. And silence, in the face of vanishing icons, is no longer neutral; it is complicity. Let us act not just to protect the species but also to protect the integrity of our future because when the tiger disappears, it is not just the jungle that suffers, it is the soul of a nation. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Animal welfare advocate Surround yourself with people who uplift and encourage progress rather than reinforce the pain. And when the emotions feel overwhelming, reaching out for professional support can provide strategies for regulation and resilience. When the draining source is removed, something shifts; the cycle of waiting ends. The ache of unmet expectations dissolves, replaced by relief and a quieter sense of freedom. Energy once wasted on holding together fragile bonds becomes available for resilience building; for creating, learning and rediscovering the parts of ourselves buried under compromise. In that space, we strengthen identity, restore autonomy and recover the dignity of living by choice rather than by compulsion. Goodbyes may hurt in the short term but research and lived experience show they are not just painful endings; they are springboards into renewal. A goodbye handled with closure and mindful coping is not only an act of letting go but also a deliberate step towards peace, strength and growth. DrPraveena Rajendra is a certified mental health and awareness practitioner specialising in narcissistic abuse recovery. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

closure, where we feel we have tied up loose ends, done what we could and completed the phase fully. People who experienced endings in this way reported more positive emotions, less regret and smoother transitions into the next chapter of life. In other words, it is not only the act of letting go that matters but also how we bring closure to that goodbye. Closure does not always require confrontation; it can be private and symbolic. Writing a letter you never send, revisiting the lessons you gained from the relationship or simply acknowledging you have given enough can provide that sense of completion. These rituals help reduce the pull of regret and ease the transition forward. And when mental chaos follows, as it often does, systematic steps can help restore balance. First, name the loss clearly to yourself – ending denial prevents rumination. Allow grief but contain it by giving it time and space, so sorrow does not consume every moment. Ground yourself through routines like mindful breathing, walking or engaging in physical activity that reanchors your body. Redirect energy towards growth: explore a new hobby, reconnect with neglected passions or invest in professional development.

Practitioners Bill is a timely step to update and strengthen the regulation of the medical assistant profession, which has long operated under an outdated framework. Medical assistants have been central to Malaysia’s healthcare system for decades, yet they remain the unsung heroes in the shadows while the law governing them has not kept pace with their evolving responsibilities. According to the Health Ministry’s consultation paper, the bill seeks to give the Medical Assistant Board greater powers in governance and regulation. Among its provisions are recognition of specialisations, temporary practice certificates for foreign practitioners, competency monitoring to safeguard patient safety, disciplinary powers to curb malpractice and enforcement measures to tackle fake or unregistered practitioners. These reforms are necessary to protect patients and to raise the standing of medical assistants in line with international standards. While MCA welcomes this progress, we must also emphasise that the bill should not only focus on regulation but also on the welfare and recognition of medical assistants themselves. They are often the first responders in emergencies, stabilising accident victims and making split-second decisions that save lives. Beyond this, they support doctors and nurses in procedures, manage equipment, conduct tests and carry out vital public health work in the community. Their contribution, however, extends far beyond clinical tasks. Medical assistants endure long and irregular hours, the emotional toll of Yet, sometimes the most necessary farewell is the one we owe ourselves – the goodbye to a relationship that quietly drains us of energy, joy and peace. What makes draining relationships so exhausting is not only the imbalance of give and take but also the psychological weight of unmet expectations. We invest emotional labour hoping the other person will notice, change or finally meet us halfway. This creates cognitive dissonance – the gap between what we want the relationship to be and what it really is. Holding on to this gap becomes its own form of stress. The waiting turns into an ache for something that may never exist. This cycle leaves us in a state of emotional depletion. Resentment grows alongside yearning and our mental resources become overextended. We replay conversations as though another outcome may appear but the truth is clear: some people will never become who we need them to be. And the constant mismatch between expectation and reality quietly erodes

By disengaging from relationships that drain us, we reclaim agency over our emotional energy. We stop pouring resources into survival and free them for healthier bonds and purposeful growth. Of course, endings still come with grief. The mind clings to memories, the heartaches for comfort and guilt often surfaces. This grief is not only for the person but also for the imagined future that will never unfold. Allowing ourselves to mourn this loss is part of the healing. Journaling can release what weighs us down, stillness offers perspective and leaning on supportive friends helps shift focus towards life beyond the loss. It is important, however, that these friends are not those who keep us stuck in retelling the pain but those who remind us of joy, possibility and growth. Psychological research offers another important insight: how we say goodbye matters. In a study published in Motivation Science , researchers introduced the concept of a “well rounded ending” – an ending marked by

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“By disengaging from relationships that drain us, we reclaim agency over our emotional energy. We stop pouring resources into survival and free them for

healthier bonds and purposeful growth.

Don’t let the jungle fall silent: Time to rethink conservation

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

Honour unsung heroes of healthcare THE proposed Paramedic

THE Malayan tiger, orangutan and sea turtle are not just symbols of Malaysia’s natural heritage; they are sentinels, warning us of a system unravelling. Their decline is not merely ecological; it is emblematic of a deeper fracture in our relationship with the natural world. Climate change, poaching and habitat loss are not isolated threats; they are symptoms of a broader malaise: our collective detachment from the ecosystems that sustain us. When forests are cleared for profit, when enforcement is sporadic and when conservation is treated as a charitable afterthought rather than an imperative, we are not just losing species; we are losing integrity. WWF-Malaysia’s recent alert is not new. These warnings have echoed for years. What is new and increasingly disturbing is the silence that follows. We mourn the loss of species in documentaries and social media posts, yet the forests continue to shrink, enforcement remains patchy and conservation budgets are stretched thin. The disconnect between public sentiment and policy action is growing. This is not just an environmental issue; it is a governance, public accountability and moral issue. Three things must change. First, transparency in wildlife protection must be non-negotiable. Where are the poaching hotspots? How many patrols are deployed? What happens to confiscated animals? These questions deserve public answers, not just internal reports. Conservation data should be open-source, accessible and subject to scrutiny. Without transparency, trust erodes and with it the effectiveness of any intervention.

Medical assistants have been central to Malaysia’s healthcare system for decades, yet they remain the unsung heroes in the shadows while the law governing them has not kept pace with their evolving responsibilities. – MASRY CHE ANI/THE SUN

accountability while also uplifting those who serve at the frontline of healthcare. MCA urges the Health Ministry to engage medical assistants meaningfully in this process so that their voices and experiences directly shape the law. At the same time, we stress that its ultimate measure of success will not only be stronger governance but also whether it empowers and honours medical assistants in carrying out their crucial duties to the rakyat . Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon MCA Deputy President

high-pressure situations and the unseen labour, such as preparation work and logistical support, that keep hospitals and clinics running smoothly. This is demanding and essential work that deserves an acknowledgement of dignity and respect. It is also hoped that current diploma course for medical assistants will be upgraded to degree level with newer medical technologies on treatment and care inserted into the course to reflect the professionalism of duties undertaken. For this bill to succeed, it must strike a balance, ensuring professional