30/09/2026

WEDNESDAY | SEPT 30, 2026

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Let art break free from the familiar ART has never been about fitting into a single mould. It thrives on diversity and experimentation. Today, however, audiences seem more comfortable from netizens over his jazz and blues-inspired singing style. Many labelled his performance as “over” because it differed from the conventional pop vocals we hear every day. What many failed to recognise is that jazz and blues are built on expressive

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

cultural significance.

A nation remembers – Tun Dr Siti Hasmah TODAY, Malaysia pauses, quiet and still, to remember a woman of courage and will; healthier Malaysia to see. And when she became First Lady, she carried her own voice, purpose and stand; seemed without end; Her legacy lives where compassion still grows, in every life her example now knows.

Jazz and blues are more than musical styles. They have shaped generations of musicians and influenced many of today’s most popular genres. Social media has only accelerated this narrowing of taste. Viral trends and short attention spans often reward familiarity over originality, leaving little room for creativity. The reaction to Qilo’s performance is more than just another online debate. It reflects a broader question about whether society is slowly losing its appreciation for artistic diversity. Daninas Hezry City University Malaysia Cyberjaya

consuming what is familiar than appreciating what is unique. As trends dominate the entertainment industry, anything that falls outside the norm is often dismissed without much understanding. This preference for sameness raises an important concern. Have we become so accustomed to commercial entertainment that we no longer recognise artistic expression? A recent example can be seen on Big Stage , where contestant Qilo faced criticism

A doctor who served with compassion and grace, bringing hope to each village, home and every place. Before titles were given, honours were known, she walked where the people were often alone; For mothers, children, women in need, she gave them her knowledge, patience, her deed. She championed health when the journey was hard, made rural communities part of her heart; For family, children and lives yet to be, she planted the seeds of a

Malaysia mourns but gratitude remains, for a century of service, through joys and pains; And many will remember, with affection and pride, the remarkable woman who walked by our side. Rest peacefully, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. Your service remains part of Malaysia’s story and your legacy will continue to remain in our lives. R. Murali Rajaratenam

storytelling, improvisation and dynamic vocal techniques. These characteristics are not flaws but defining features of the genres. There is nothing wrong with preferring pop music. The problem begins when unfamiliar art is judged as bad because it does not match mainstream expectations. Art should not be measured using a single standard. Every genre has its own identity, techniques and

For literacy, health and the young she would plead, and against drugs, she spoke with conviction and heed. Yet perhaps what the rakyat remember most, was not just the office, the titles, the post; It was the warmth in her smile, humility in her way and the gentleness she carried through each passing day. A mother, a doctor, a leader, a friend, a life of service that

COMMENT by Dr Mohamad Fazli Sabri and Dr Amirah Shazana Magli

How ready are we for an emergency? M ALAYSIA has set RM650,000 as the benchmark for an adequate retirement at age 60. Yet today, six in 10 Malaysians struggle to raise just RM1,000 for an emergency. EPF members had achieved the “adequate savings” benchmark applicable to their age. Among members aged 56 to 60, the proportion was only 13.3%. Median savings among active EPF members stood at RM35,000.

The challenge, therefore, exists at both ends of the financial journey: building enough liquidity for today’s emergencies and accumulating enough wealth for tomorrow’s retirement. We should also be careful not to reduce inadequate savings to a lack of financial discipline. The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported that households spent an average of 74.5% of their disposable income on consumption in 2024. Between 2022 and 2024, household disposable income grew by 3.2% while consumption expenditure increased faster, at 3.9%. When housing, food, transport, utilities, childcare and debt commitments absorb much of monthly income, telling families simply to “save more” is unlikely to be enough. Financial behaviour certainly matters. Research on Malaysian households consistently shows that financial knowledge, behaviour, debt, income vulnerability and financial stress are connected to financial well-being. But knowing what to do does not necessarily mean having the financial capacity to do it. This is why Malaysia’s financial education agenda should increasingly move from financial literacy towards financial resilience. Financial literacy asks whether people know how to manage their money. Financial resilience asks a harder question: Can they withstand a financial shock when it actually happens? One way forward is to think about household savings through what I describe as a “Three-layer Savings Architecture”. 0 The first layer is emergency: Accessible and liquid savings that can absorb unexpected expenses and temporary income disruptions. 0 The second is protection: Appropriate insurance or takaful coverage, together with manageable debt, so that a major illness, accident or other financial shock does not wipe out household savings.

The distance between RM1,000 and RM650,000 tells us something important about the state of household finance in Malaysia. We are asking people to prepare for financial security 20 or 30 years from now when many are still struggling to build a financial buffer for the next unexpected expense. Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Capability and Inclusion Survey 2024 found that 61% of Malaysians would struggle to raise RM1,000 in an emergency. Only 37% could sustain their living expenses for more than three months if they suddenly lost their income. These figures deserve attention because they tell a different story from the picture we see at the aggregate level. Malaysia’s household balance sheet remains relatively sound. Bank Negara Malaysia reported that household financial assets expanded at an annualised pace of 6.2% as at end December 2025. EPF savings and deposits accounted for 68% of household financial assets while total household financial assets stood at 2.1 times household debt. This is reassuring for financial stability. But national financial stability does not necessarily translate into financial resilience at the kitchen table. A family may own a house, have savings in the EPF and hold unit trusts or shares. On paper, it is wealthy. But when the car breaks down, a parent needs urgent medical care, working hours are cut or a job is lost, what matters is not wealth on paper but how quickly money can be accessed. Distinction between wealth and liquidity Retirement savings protect our future. Investments build long-term wealth. Properties provide shelter and may appreciate over time. Emergency savings perform a different function: they buy time when life does not go according to plan. The retirement numbers themselves also warrant attention. At the end of 2025, only 28.2% of active formal-sector

“Financial literacy asks whether people know how to manage their money. Financial resilience asks a harder question: Can they withstand a financial shock when it actually happens?

A financially resilient nation is not merely one where people accumulate assets. It is one where an unexpected bill or temporary loss of income does not immediately push families towards debt. – AFPPIC

0 The third is future: Retirement savings and investments that allow households to accumulate wealth and prepare for longer-term needs. These layers are complementary. A household should not have to sacrifice tomorrow to survive today. for Financial Literacy 2026-2030 already recognises precautionary savings and protection against financial shocks as important components of financial resilience. Significantly, it aims to reduce the proportion of Malaysians struggling to raise RM1,000 for an emergency from 61% to around 45% by 2030. That is a good start. But we can go further. The RM1,000 test could become a simple national indicator of household financial resilience. We should also measure how many households can meet an unexpected RM1,000 expense without borrowing, selling long-term investments or tapping retirement savings. Employers and financial institutions can help through voluntary automatic emergency-saving arrangements, where small amounts are transferred into a separate liquid account after payday. Digital financial tools can similarly make “save first, spend later” easier. Passing the test Malaysia’s National Strategy

Financial education programmes should also be judged not only by how much participants know but by whether their behaviour, financial buffers and resilience actually improve. The RM650,000 benchmark is important for the Malaysia we hope to live in when we retire but the RM1,000 test tells us something equally important about the Malaysia households are living in today. A financially resilient nation is not merely one where people accumulate assets. It is one where an unexpected bill or temporary loss of income does not immediately push families towards debt. Passing the RM1,000 test should become one of the clearest measures of whether Malaysia is genuinely progressing from financial literacy towards financial resilience. Dr Mohamad Fazli Sabri is a professor of personal financial planning at Universiti Putra Malaysia and president of the Malaysian Consumer and Family Economics Association and Dr Amirah Shazana Magli is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, and an executive committee member of the Malaysian Consumer and Family Economics Association. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com