There’s always a reason to carry on, despite the difficulties

APILOT fell to his death from a condominium unit in Bandar Kinrara in Serdang two months after losing his job.

Serdang district police chief ACP Ismadi Borhan said it was due to the person’s inability to cope with the stress and a post-mortem revealed that the injuries sustained by the pilot was consistent with a fall.

Life has not truly begun at 35. It has ended prematurely and tragically for him. His death was premature given that he had yet to taste all that life has to give.

The end had come too swiftly for him to realise his full potential. He had lost the opportunity to fully open up all possibilities at such an early age.

Everything that happens to us, good and bad, is merely a stepping stone if we know that there is a larger purpose.

If we look beyond the immediate and are able see the ultimate goal, a bigger perspective comes into play. Even then, the inability to achieve that itself is not a failure.

His death is tragic because every life is precious. Whatever dire situations we may be in, be it financial ruin, emotional upheaval or unbearable shame, suicide is not a way out.

Life has to end on its own, it is not up to us to cease it. Yet one person commits suicide every 40 second, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In the pilot’s case, he was pushed to the brink due to the strain of losing his job.

For many, holding a job means earning a living for themselves and their family. Being able to support ourselves and our family gives us a healthy dose of pride and self-esteem.

It also validates our existence and gives us a purpose. Certain employment offers us an opportunity to express ourselves intellectually. In that case, work becomes one of the rewards of life.

With the Covid-19 pandemic threatening our livelihoods, more jobs will be lost. At the same time, there are new openings as every crisis presents new opportunities.

When there is a dearth of talents in a certain field, it is only natural that staff are being poached to fill up vacancies.

The question is how far do we go in poaching staff from one particular company for our own. When it reaches a stage where the number of staff losses has threatened to derail another operation, it is no longer ethical.

Instead of opening up more jobs, you end up causing more unemployment by making the other company no longer operational.