27/02/2026

FRIDAY | FEB 27, 2026

10

Under One Roof

Finding rhythm after relocating Q: My husband may be getting a job transfer, which means we may have to relocate soon. How can we help our children adjust to the move? even divorced. How can we handle this transition?

the changes they will be going through. The generic “everything will work out” probably isn’t the best approach. Encourage them to express their fears and concerns openly and honestly. And when they share, don’t deny or minimise how they feel. This will only increase their sense of isolation and frustration. Remember, it is normal for some children to experience a temporary regression in behaviour after a move. They may act unusually agitated or irritable, or you may even see a drop in their grades. Keep a close eye on them and don’t panic. Your assurance is their anchor when they need time and space. Although they won’t be able to adjust to their new situation overnight, which could take from a few weeks to several months, take heart that your children and your family will eventually find their rhythm again. Q: Our youngest child is heading off to university in a few months and my wife and I will be empty nesters. We know of other couples in our position who have

outward activity that go along with raising children and let your marriage stand on its own merits. You should also be aware of and honest about your temperaments and personality types. Talk about how each of you interacts with the rest of the family. If there is some baggage in those areas, professional counselling is a must if you want to preserve and revitalise your relationship during the empty-nest years. The goal is to rediscover what attracted you to each other in the first place and find new ways to fan the flames of romance. It is a tougher assignment for some couples than for others but it can definitely be done – and you are on the right track. This article is contributed by Focus on the Family Malaysia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and strengthening the family unit. It provides a myriad of programmes and resources, including professional counselling services, to the community. For more information, visit family.org.my. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Focus on the Family Malaysia: You are wise to think about the life-altering transition of this magnitude before it happens. Your marriage can thrive after the children leave home if you and your spouse are willing to make it happen. This means continually nurturing your communication, listening with empathy and ensuring that both partners have an equal voice in decisions. It is also a matter of putting forth an intentional effort to date regularly. Start by spending more time with your spouse or go on a holiday. Acknowledge that the “empty nest” is coming and discuss your expectations for the post-parenting years. Conduct a thorough inventory of your marriage. Take stock of the methods and strategies you use to confront interpersonal conflicts and challenges. Look for patterns that may become problematic when there is no one else around to act as a buffer between you. Strip away the layers of busyness and

Focus on the Family Malaysia: Relocating has a huge impact on children. It is a significant life change that, for many children, triggers physiological stress responses like anxiety, sleep disruption, regression and behavioural changes. A child’s sense of loss often goes deeper than parents realise – losing familiar surroundings like their room and leaving friends behind. Some children may even feel angry with their parents for forcing such a drastic life change upon them. First of all, help your children find social connections. Make friends with the parents of your children’s friends, host a meal or playdate, join a sports or interest group. The faster they develop friendships and routines, the sooner they will be able to settle in and feel comfortable with their new surroundings. On the emotional front, don’t play down

COMMENT by Dr Peter Brian M. Wang

Rethinking rules-based international order AT the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a striking assessment of the global situation.

Investment Bank (AIIB) – which have been viewed as some of the most credible alternatives. But China’s initiatives are only part of a broader shift. Changing power dynamics have also propelled BRICS and its institutions – such as the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement – to the forefront as alternative vehicles for post-LIO cooperation. Bolstered by expanding membership, this narrative has gained traction. Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, Asean continues to champion an institution-centred approach to regionalism – one that has long shaped the region’s order-building efforts. Even anarchy, some may argue, represents a more complex and less intuitive form of order. The system the US now appears to favour is not devoid of purpose but one driven primarily by national interest, where power is exercised openly and asymmetrically. The question, however, is whether this is an order others are willing to accept. Legitimacy – understood as the acceptance of shared rules that define the boundaries of permissible action – carries a distinct power in the creation and maintenance of international order. While material capabilities remain indispensable, order tends to endure only when power and legitimacy intersect and reinforce one another. An order grounded solely in coercion invites resistance, just as legitimacy without power struggles to withstand challenge. As Henry Kissinger once observed, “power without legitimacy tempts tests of strength; legitimacy without power tempts empty posturing”. Despite China’s growing material power – particularly its economic strength, channelled into initiatives and institutions such as the AIIB and the BRI – Beijing continues to operate within, and in some cases even lead, the existing international system. US actions have made China an increasingly attractive partner for many

His address challenged the long-held assumption that the post-World War II rules-based international order remains intact. He declared that the narrative of cooperation sustained since 1945 was just an illusion – one now broken as it gives way to a harsher reality shaped by great-power rivalry and coercion. Carney’s candour captured a sentiment already circulating in global gatherings: that the rules-based order can no longer be taken for granted. Powerful states are now weaponising instruments once associated with cooperation – economic tools, supply chains and financial infrastructure – to compel the strategic behaviour of middle and small powers. This seems to allude to the words of Thucydides’ stark observation that “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” Some, however, would argue that Carney’s sharp critique was also a challenge to middle and small powers to come together to shape the emerging new order: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” This article goes beyond describing the problem; it questions the solution being implied. Returning to the question of agency, Carney’s call for middle and small powers to shape the emerging order overlooks a critical consideration: whether existing institutions should be discarded or reformed. Discussions surrounding the fate of the current international order has often been framed around the perceived decline of the US-led Liberal International Order (LIO) and the emergence of alternative orders. Among the most prominent contenders are China’s initiatives – particularly the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Asian Infrastructure

“Rather than a single set of rules imposed by dominant powers, order may increasingly be shaped by negotiated norms and flexible networks reflecting a wider diversity of interests.

Carney declared that the narrative of cooperation sustained since 1945 was just an illusion - one now broken as it gives way to a harsher reality shaped by great-power rivalry and coercion. – REUTERSPIC

not to replace the system but to make it more equitable. What appears to be emerging is what Amitav Acharya has described as a multiplex system: adaptive, plural and layered, combining legacy institutions with new, issue-specific coalitions. Rather than a single set of rules imposed by dominant powers, order may increasingly be shaped by negotiated norms and flexible networks reflecting a wider diversity of interests. Such an order is likely to be less ideological and more pragmatic, forged through cooperation among states both large and small, provided they can act collectively. Its durability will ultimately depend on whether it can reconcile sovereignty with interdependence, power with legitimacy, and – if it is to endure – effectiveness with justice. Dr Peter Brian M. Wang is the deputy head of the Centre of Economics and Public Finance at the National Institute of Public Administration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

– though not all – countries, and participation in these institutions helps Beijing address its persistent legitimacy deficit. BRICS similarly holds considerable potential due to its economic weight and expanding membership, yet this promise remains largely unrealised because of internal complexity and ongoing questions surrounding the credibility of its members and the effectiveness of its institutions. Yet Carney’s call for middle and small powers to shape the emerging order overlooks a crucial question: Should existing institutions be abandoned or reformed? Many countries have benefited greatly, albeit unevenly, from the LIO. China’s expanding international role, often portrayed in Western discourse as an attempt to supplant the existing system, overlooks the fact that Beijing has simultaneously deepened its integration within it and created new institutions that largely mirror existing ones – in nature, purpose and structure –