Between Syukur and Silence: Rethinking Gratitude in an Asian–Muslim Context

There’s a phrase many of us Malay-Muslims grow up hearing:  “Sentiasalah bersyukur.”  Always be grateful. We’re told that every blessing, ev...

Is Being Kind the Same as Being Nice?

It’s Kindness Week. Everywhere you turn, there are reminders to “be kind.” Schools, offices, public campaigns—your social media feed is like...

Publicity, Staged Conflicts, and the Price of Being Seen

There’s a saying that  bad publicity is still publicity . The idea is simple: as long as people are talking about you, you have power. Visib...

When the Masks Became Merchandise: Halloween’s Drift from Samhain to Sales

  Every October, the world seems to forget that ghosts were once taken seriously. Supermarkets stack plastic pumpkins, malls start selling c...

The Ceiling Still Speaks: On Living With Family Trauma

Sometimes, I look at people who grew up in homes filled with laughter and warmth. They speak fondly of childhood holidays, of parents who ne...

“You Got It Easy” — When Empathy Sinks Beneath the Surface

It was a Friday night. The kind where everyone is half-awake but too wired to sleep. My friends and I were deep in our WhatsApp group chat —...

When the Warning Bell Is Muted: Lessons from Megan Khung and the Legend of Hang Nadim

In early 2020, four-year-old Megan Khung died after more than a year of horrific abuse. The child was found in a metal pot, her small body b...

When the Ink Runs Dry and the Candle Burns Out.

I once had a conversation with a friend who candidly pointed out that a teacher is — “bagai lilin membakar diri, menerangi orang lain” — lik...

Rolling for Control: The Allurement of Playing Dungeons & Dragons

Imagine this: you’re with a group of friends, snacks all over the table, someone’s got a suspiciously fancy set of dice, and everyone’s argu...