03/02/2026

TUESDAY | FEB 3, 2026

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When tired rakyat stop clapping L ET Makcik start gently because we are polite people – even when exhausted. in the supermarket, wondering which item can be sacrificed this week without sacrificing dignity. don’t translate into lived relief, they remain… speeches. And the rakyat have listened to enough speeches to last several lifetimes. “When policies are designed without

mistakes matters. Fixing them matters even more. What are the rakyat actually asking for? Not grand visions that only make sense in conference rooms. Not slogans that age badly. Not empathy expressed only during disasters. We want: 0 stability that lets us plan life without fear; 0 policies that reduce pressure, not add to it; 0 leaders who listen even when the feedback is uncomfortable; and 0 progress we can feel, not just applaud politely. That’s it. No drama. Makcik ’s closing note (because someone has to say it) Dear ministers, if you’re wondering why applause feels quieter these days, it is not because the rakyat are ungrateful; it is because we are tired. Read theSun . Read the room. Read the exhaustion between the lines. Because a tired rakyat don’t need more motivation; we need leadership that understands fatigue is not laziness – it’s a signal. And signals, darling, are meant to be responded to. Now go. Let the policies rest on empathy; not just ambition. Azura Abas is the associate editor of theSun. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

If your policy sounds impressive but doesn’t make life lighter, it becomes background noise. And Malaysians are already drowning in noise. Tired of being told to be patient (again) Patience is something Malaysians have – in abundance. We queue, we wait, we tahan , we adapt and we joke through hardship because crying is inefficient. But patience without progress becomes fatigue. When the same problems resurface year after year – education stress, transport, healthcare strain, job insecurity – the rakyat do not explode; we sigh. That sigh should worry you more than anger – because tired people don’t riot; they disengage. Tired of announcements that don’t change our Mondays Press conferences are energetic, slides are glossy, hashtags are catchy but Monday mornings still look the same – bleak. Traffic still crawls, parents still worry and young people still ask: “Is this all there is?” The sandwich generation is quietly crumbling under responsibility no policy speech has acknowledged properly. If policies C I K B A S M A K outside buildings. These are aligned with international frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and ISO 21542 on accessibility and usability of the built environment. Collectively, they emphasise continuity, safety, usability and dignity across the entire pedestrian journey – not just at building entrances. Yet on the ground, accessibility is too often treated as a box-ticking exercise rather than a system. A kerb ramp may exist but it leads to a broken sidewalk. Tactile paving may be installed but it ends abruptly at a pole or drain. A walkway may appear compliant on paper but becomes unusable halfway through. These failures reflect not a lack of technical guidance but weak adoption, fragmented responsibility, inconsistent enforcement and the absence of systematic auditing. The scale of the issue demands attention. As of March 31, 2025, Malaysia has 767,243 registered persons with disabilities. This figure alone represents a substantial segment of the population whose safety and independence depend on functional pedestrian infrastructure. It is also widely acknowledged that under-registration means the real number is higher. When combined with Malaysia’s rapidly ageing

The rakyat are not angry all the time; we are tired – bone-deep, soul level tired. The kind of tired

because this part matters. The rakyat are tired, yes – but we are not cynical by default. We want this country to work because we still care. We still show up, pay taxes, vote, contribute, complain and hope. But hope needs evidence; not perfection, not miracles – just consistent, visible effort that puts people before optics. Small wins matter. Clear communication matters. Admitting counters and a hotline that never answers, the rakyat don’t feel helped; we feel tested. empathy, people feel it immediately. You can’t spreadsheet human exhaustion. If a policy requires 10 clarifications, three

Tired of feeling like data, not people Somewhere along the line, the rakyat became “stakeholders”, “demographics” and “case studies”. But we are also tired mothers, anxious fathers, burnt-out workers, confused youths and elderly parents who just want dignity without paperwork that feels like an obstacle course. When policies are designed without empathy, people feel it immediately. You can’t spreadsheet human exhaustion. If a policy requires 10 clarifications, three counters and a hotline that never answers, the rakyat don’t feel helped; we feel tested. Tired of being told the problem is us This one needs a gentle lempang (symbolic). Every time something goes wrong, there’s a subtle suggestion that the rakyat need to adjust their attitudes, mindsets or expectations. Work longer, spend wiser, be grateful and be resilient. We already are. Resilience without relief becomes exploitation wearing a motivational badge. Tired but not hopeless Now listen carefully, dear ministers,

that no long weekend, motivational quote or “we hear you” press statement can fix. And before anyone gets defensive and reaches for a committee, let me save you the trouble. This isn’t opposition talk. This isn’t M A R I

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negativity. This is observation – something you may recognise if you’ve been reading theSun like Makcik suggested. So sit, breathe and let Makcik explain why the rakyat are yawning through your announcements. Tired of running just to stay in the same place Ministers, the rakyat wake up early, sleep late, work harder and somehow still end up poorer. Salaries creep but prices sprint. Groceries now require strategic planning, emotional resilience and sometimes a quiet stare before items are returned to the shelf. It is not because we are dramatic; it is because maths is unforgiving. When people say “cost of living”, they don’t mean an abstract economic term; they mean standing

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

Ensuring safer streets and pathways for everyone

EVERY day in Kuala Lumpur, thousands of Malaysians step out of their homes unsure whether they will reach their destinations safely. For persons with disabilities, older persons, parents with strollers and even children, a simple walk can quickly turn into a dangerous obstacle course. Uneven pavements, missing kerb ramps, obstructed pathways, dead end walkways and tactile blocks that abruptly stop are not isolated defects; they are common features of the urban environment. These are not minor inconveniences – they are design and governance failures that expose people to injury, force them into traffic and exclude them from full participation in society. Recent calls by civil society groups to establish a committee on walkability, universal access and connectivity in Kuala Lumpur are therefore timely and justified. However, for such a panel to deliver real improvements, it is important to first address a foundational issue: Are we facing a lack of standards or a gap in implementing the standards that already exist? Malaysia is not short of standards. We already have established Malaysian Standards, such as MS 1184 on universal design and accessibility in the built environment, MS 1183 on fire safety provisions for persons with disabilities and MS 1331 on access to

Uneven pavements, missing kerb ramps, obstructed pathways, dead-end walkways and tactile blocks that abruptly stop are not isolated defects; they are common features of the urban environment. These are not minor inconveniences - they are design and governance failures. – BERNAMAPIC

rates, promote healthier lifestyles and enhance tourism. More fundamentally, they reflect cities designed for safety, dignity and inclusion for all. Standards already exist. Best practices are well documented. By putting standards first, Malaysia can ensure that walkability and universal access move from well intentioned commitments to safer streets and more liveable cities. Accessibility works best when standards lead the way. Saral James Maniam Secretary General Malaysian Association of Standards Users Affiliate of Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association

This is why putting standards first matters. By mapping existing Malaysian standards and international benchmarks before establishing a panel, the government can define a clear and credible mandate – one focused on implementation, monitoring and accountability rather than policy duplication. Such an approach prevents policy fatigue, strengthens institutional coordination and ensures that recommendations translate into measurable outcomes on the ground. Framed this way, a walkability and universal access panel becomes a solution, not a symbol. Importantly, walkability is not only a disability issue. Accessible pedestrian networks reduce traffic congestion, encourage public transport use, lower accident

population, the number of people affected by unsafe and inaccessible walkways already runs into the millions. International experience across Commonwealth cities, such as London, Melbourne and Singapore, reinforces the importance of a standards-led approach. Their progress did not come from forming panels in isolation but from embedding accessibility standards into planning approvals, procurement processes and maintenance regimes, supported by regular, independent audits and transparent public reporting. Panels, where they exist, function as implementation and oversight mechanisms, not advisory bodies detached from standards.