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OPINION | "Pain Is Coming" - Dear Minister, What Are You Talking About?
17 Apr 2026 • 2:00 PM MYT
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Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)
(Photo credit: Malay Mail)
“Pain is coming.”
Not a horror movie trailer. Not a breakup text. That’s the official message from Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to the people of Malaysia.
And just in case you were about to react like a normal human being—panic, worry, maybe ask questions—don’t.
Because we are also told: Don’t panic. But also don’t be complacent.
Which raises a very important question:
Minister… what the heck are you talking about?
No, seriously. What kind of pain? Economic pain? Supply shortages? Job losses? Price hikes?
Or are we just meant to wake up one day, feel vaguely worse, and go, “Ah yes, this must be the pain”?
Because right now, this isn’t communication. It’s performance art.
You’ve essentially told 30 million people: “Something bad is coming. We won’t tell you what. React—but not too much. Prepare—but we won’t say how.”
That’s not leadership. That’s a teaser with no release date.
Imagine your doctor saying: “I’m afraid something is wrong. Don’t panic. But also don’t ignore it. Anyway, see you next month.”
You wouldn’t call that reassurance. You’d call it deeply unhelpful.
And here’s the thing—Malaysians can handle bad news. We’ve lived through enough of it. What we cannot handle is being treated like we’ll fall apart if someone speaks plainly.
If prices are going up—say it. If supplies will be disrupted—tell us which ones. If households need to adjust—explain how.
Give people something concrete. A direction. A plan.
Because “pain is coming” without details doesn’t calm people—it irritates them. It leaves them suspended in that uniquely exhausting state of almost worrying but not knowing why.
And then comes the follow-up: Projects will be reviewed. Non-essential spending postponed. Ah yes. The classic move.
But again—what does that mean for the average Malaysian? When the government tightens its belt, it usually means the rakyat is already on the last notch.
So while policymakers are “reassessing priorities,” regular people are doing their own version: Do I cut groceries or petrol? Do I save or survive? Do I prepare—or am I overreacting?
And the answer from above is… “Feel the right amount of concern.”
Perfect. Very actionable.
Minister, if you’re going to warn the nation about incoming hardship, then do it properly. Spell it out. Respect people enough to tell them the truth—even if it’s uncomfortable.
Because right now, the only thing worse than the idea of “pain coming”… is being told to brace for it without knowing where it’s going to hit.
And Malaysians are not asking for miracles.
Just clarity.
And maybe—just maybe—a little less poetry, and a lot more substance.
“Pain is coming.”
Not a horror movie trailer. Not a breakup text. That’s the official message from Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to the people of Malaysia.
And just in case you were about to react like a normal human being—panic, worry, maybe ask questions—don’t.
Because we are also told: Don’t panic. But also don’t be complacent.
Which raises a very important question:
Minister… what the heck are you talking about?
No, seriously. What kind of pain? Economic pain? Supply shortages? Job losses? Price hikes?
Or are we just meant to wake up one day, feel vaguely worse, and go, “Ah yes, this must be the pain”?
Because right now, this isn’t communication. It’s performance art.
You’ve essentially told 30 million people: “Something bad is coming. We won’t tell you what. React—but not too much. Prepare—but we won’t say how.”
That’s not leadership. That’s a teaser with no release date.
Imagine your doctor saying: “I’m afraid something is wrong. Don’t panic. But also don’t ignore it. Anyway, see you next month.”
You wouldn’t call that reassurance. You’d call it deeply unhelpful.
And here’s the thing—Malaysians can handle bad news. We’ve lived through enough of it. What we cannot handle is being treated like we’ll fall apart if someone speaks plainly.
If prices are going up—say it. If supplies will be disrupted—tell us which ones. If households need to adjust—explain how.
Give people something concrete. A direction. A plan.
Because “pain is coming” without details doesn’t calm people—it irritates them. It leaves them suspended in that uniquely exhausting state of almost worrying but not knowing why.
And then comes the follow-up: Projects will be reviewed. Non-essential spending postponed. Ah yes. The classic move.
But again—what does that mean for the average Malaysian? When the government tightens its belt, it usually means the rakyat is already on the last notch.
So while policymakers are “reassessing priorities,” regular people are doing their own version: Do I cut groceries or petrol? Do I save or survive? Do I prepare—or am I overreacting?
And the answer from above is… “Feel the right amount of concern.”
Perfect. Very actionable.
Minister, if you’re going to warn the nation about incoming hardship, then do it properly. Spell it out. Respect people enough to tell them the truth—even if it’s uncomfortable.
Because right now, the only thing worse than the idea of “pain coming”… is being told to brace for it without knowing where it’s going to hit.
And Malaysians are not asking for miracles.
Just clarity.
And maybe—just maybe—a little less poetry, and a lot more substance.
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