01/01/2026

THURSDAY | JAN 1, 2026

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Values on display, not practised S OME films entertain. Others quietly unsettle you, not because they are loud or dramatic, but because they hold up a mirror you were not expecting to look into.

embraced personal responsibility over their health, the ripple effect would be profound. The demand for hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, medications and long term care would ease significantly. Our healthcare system – already under severe strain – can then focus on those who truly need medical intervention rather than preventable lifestyle- related illnesses. The government also has a role to play. It must ensure recreational and sporting facilities are accessible, safe and plentiful. When healthy choices are convenient, more people will embrace them. Ultimately, no policy can replace personal responsibility. Health cannot be outsourced to doctors or hospitals alone. It begins with the choices we make every day and in how we prioritise movement, rest and balance. Let 2026 be the year Malaysians stop treating health as an afterthought. Let us choose to live not just longer lives but healthier and more meaningful ones – for ourselves, our families and our beloved nation. Pola Singh adjustment, there was insistence. Instead of attunement, endurance was demanded from them and from everyone else. This is where the film’s message gently but firmly steps off the screen and into real life. Zootopia asks us to examine how quickly we label entire groups based on fear, how easily we dismiss voices that do not fit our expectations and how dangerous it is to prioritise appearances over truth. But these lessons cannot remain abstract. They must show up in everyday decisions, in how we choose experiences, how we read the emotional temperature of a space and how we recognise when something is simply not age appropriate, even if it is well intentioned. Mindfulness is not about forcing exposure; it is about discernment. Public spaces are shared ecosystems – just as social harmony depends on recognising differences without panic, shared environments depend on mutual consideration. Teaching children about inclusion, empathy and coexistence does not happen by sitting them through narratives they cannot yet process. It happens through R A J E N D R A shared silence of the cinema. Eventually, those around them quietly moved to other seats, not out of hostility, but out of necessity. What stayed with me was not irritation but irony. Here was a film centred on the cost of forcing identities – silencing unease and ignoring readiness – being watched in a space where misalignment was overridden rather than attended to. The children were not being malicious; they were overwhelmed. And yet, instead of M I N D

AS we look ahead to 2026, there is one resolution Malaysians should make – across race, religion and income: to take charge of their health and the health of their families. This may sound obvious, yet our collective attitude towards health tells a different story. Many of us, especially the younger generation, live by an unspoken mantra: “I eat what I like, I’ll exercise when I have time and I want to enjoy life now.” While understandable, this mindset is quietly costing us – physically, emotionally and financially. True enjoyment of life should never come at the expense of our bodies. Good health is not the enemy of pleasure; it is the very foundation of it. Without health, quality of life diminishes, independence is lost and families are burdened – often in ways that money cannot repair. There is a timeless saying shared across many faiths and cultures: God helps those who help themselves. Taking ownership of our health is helping ourselves – being mindful of what we eat, how much we move, how we rest and how we manage stress. These are not luxuries; they are daily responsibilities. If more Malaysians Beneath that surface, it is a study of fear, historical erasure and the ease with which societies decide who belongs and who must remain suspect. The film revisits a familiar question. How do stereotypes take root and why do they persist long after their origins have been forgotten? In this imagined Zootopia , snakes – absent for years – are automatically framed as dangerous, untrustworthy and incompatible with civic life. Evidence is ignored, history is distorted and power protects its own version of the truth. What unfolds is not simply a mystery but a reminder that exclusion is rarely accidental. It is often designed, inherited and defended in the name of order. Yet, what made the experience linger for me had little to do with the plot alone. A few rows away sat a mother with her young children. Within minutes, it was clear they were restless and disengaged. The story was rich with meaning, layered in its themes and emotionally demanding in ways that required patience and reflection. The children fidgeted, whispered and complained that they wanted to go home. When they were told to stay put, frustration turned outwards. Seats were shaken, constant movement followed and sounds disrupted the M I N D T B Y D R P R A V E Zootopia 2 belongs to the latter category. On the surface, it is an animated story set in a colourful, carefully ordered city of animals.

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Sometimes, the most powerful lesson a film offers is not what it says but what it asks us to notice about ourselves once the lights come back on. – AFPPIC

modelling awareness, knowing when to stay, when to leave and when adjusting is an act of respect rather than failure. There is a deeper parallel here. In the film, an entire community is marginalised because history was rewritten by those in power. In the cinema, discomfort was minimised because the priority was staying rather than listening. In both cases, the cost is the same. Disconnection. Perhaps the quiet invitation of

Zootopia is this: to notice the gap between values and behaviour. To recognise that unity is not proclaimed; it is practised. And that the work of not shunning others begins not only with how we speak about race, religion or status but also with how thoughtfully we move through shared spaces with others in mind. Sometimes, the most powerful lesson a film offers is not what it says but what it asks us to notice about

ourselves once the lights come back on. Mind the mind and the world we share will begin to soften, not through grand gestures, but through the quiet discipline of awareness in everyday life. DrPraveena Rajendra is the author of Mindprint: Engineering Inner Power for Growth, Purpose and

Regeneration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

COMMENT by Liong Kam Chong

Honesty the best policy THE increasing number of

Health is wealth: The smartest investment you can make

moral lectures; it must begin with education that emphasises values alongside skills. Children and young people should learn that integrity matters more than shortcuts. Leadership also plays a crucial role. When leaders demonstrate transparency and accountability, they set standards for the rest of society. Strong laws and swift justice are important but prevention through ethical behaviour is even more powerful. In conclusion, the growing number of corruption and fraud cases in our courts is a warning sign that cannot be ignored. Legal action is necessary but it addresses the problem only after damage has been done. To truly combat corruption, our nation must rediscover and practise the simple yet powerful principle that honesty is the best policy. Only by restoring integrity at both individual and institutional levels can we hope to build a just, trustworthy and prosperous society. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

how strong its legal system may be. Fraud and corruption also slow economic and social development. Funds meant for education, healthcare, infrastructure and welfare are diverted for personal gain. As a result, inequality increases, public services deteriorate and the gap between the rich and the poor widens. Honest citizens are discouraged when they see unethical behaviour rewarded while integrity appears to go unnoticed or even punished. Over time, this creates a culture where dishonesty becomes normalised, making reform even more difficult. This is why the principle “honesty is the best policy” remains timeless and relevant. Honesty is not just a virtue; it is the foundation of good governance and sustainable development. When individuals act with integrity, decisions are fairer, resources are used responsibly and institutions gain credibility. Honest systems may not always deliver instant results but they build long-term stability and respect. However, falling back on this basic truth requires more than slogans or

corruption and fraud cases being deliberated in our courts is a deeply worrying trend for any nation. Courts are meant to uphold justice and protect the moral and legal fabric of society. When they are overwhelmed with cases involving dishonesty, misuse of power and financial deceit, it signals not only a legal failure but also a moral crisis. Returning to the basic truth that “honesty is the best policy” is not merely idealistic but necessary for national renewal. Corruption erodes trust. When citizens see public officials, business leaders or influential individuals involved in scams and frauds, faith in institutions weakens. People begin to believe that success depends on manipulation rather than merit, and that rules exist only for the powerless. This loss of trust can be more damaging than the financial losses caused by corruption because it undermines social unity and respect for the law. A society without trust struggles to function effectively, no matter