Channelling anger to a good cause

PLATO supposedly said, “There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.” Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I have decided to analyse every time I recently was brought to anger and whether I can help in any particular situation.

There are many causes for my anger. First, in my experimental month of using public transport in KL, I realised we could have done so much better in connectivity and frequency of public transportation.

Instead of blissfully using the time on public transport to catch up on my reading, I became quick to anger and stressed over its inadequacies. It was worse when I gave up on waiting and resorted to either walking home or getting a Grab car for an exorbitant price.

I timed myself going to work and back. It took me an average of two hours and 55 minutes going doorto-door, which meant I spent a total of six hours every day on commuting alone. In comparison, driving would have taken me 20 minutes on a good day and 50 minutes in heavy traffic.

I took the experiment further by comparing the costs of both means of transportation. While public transportation won hands down (even with the occasional surgedprice Grab), I had to factor in convenience and time, resulting in me concluding the experiment with the choice of driving to work.

I caught myself turning into one of the many (obnoxious) Malaysians- who- have- lived- in- London when I commented to a friend that I miss reading on the tube and the convenience of walking everywhere in between the ease of public transportation.

I got angry that I can no longer easily clock in 10,000 steps per day on my fitness app, that I cannot emulate my London life in Greater Kuala Lumpur.

Then, I started chatting with a few fellow commuters while waiting for the MRT feeder bus. Quite a few are migrant workers earning minimum wage.

While I, the Malaysian, not only have the privilege of a car as a choice of transport but also a gov- ernment scheme that allows me unlimited rides for RM100 a month, they have no choice but to use public transportation as it is the cheapest means of getting around.

Instead of being angry at myself for not completing a fitness goal, I should instead find a way to lobby for the extension of the unlimited rides policy for all users of public transportation and make time for the gym to achieve my personal fitness targets.

Second, I am angry at the lack of compassion exhibited by fellow Malaysians. There are reported cases of innocent dogs being poisoned just for being, well, dogs.

Worryingly, such acts are applauded and even promoted on social media. Makes me reminisce on the hate that was received by the “I want to touch a dog” event held a few years ago, when the event’s very objective was to overcome the stigma against strays and promote their neutering instead.

It hints at a more concerning psy- chological tic that prefers violence over just letting another living being to “just be”. Perhaps I am overthinking it but could this violent streak among us, if left unchecked, escalate to extremist tendencies that might lead to inhumane killings?

Third, I caught myself being angry at the many posts of parents who cannot afford to send their kids to school. I know I should have felt differently, but upon reflection, I am pretty sure it is anger.

I am angry that in 2019 Malaysia, we still fail to provide equal education for all our citizens. I am angry at the knowledge that public school fees could be as exorbitant as RM1,000 per student to start the semester, a cost too much for some households, especially those with multiple school-going children.

Diving into this issue would require patient and determined untangling of a noodle bowl effect, yet for me, this at the very least is anger that I can channel to better purposes. Many years ago, I was a prefect who saw a parent paying the daughter’s school fees with jars of small change.

Needless to say, it was an emotional scene. Thankfully, following a report to our school principal and administration, the school was able to offer assistance to the student and many others in similar situations.

With that very scene still embedded in my memory, I never hesitate to help with my alma mater’s fundraising efforts. I can only hope that many more of us would be able to contribute what we can afford to our old schools, if only just to pay it forward for another young girl or boy to not have to worry about school fees.

In the cacophony of many of us being quick to anger, perhaps a simple reflection on how we can overcome the very reason for this emotion would not only abate our anger but allow for more goodness to spread within our community.