The Circle of Uncertainties: Are We Passing Down Burnout to the Next Generation?

What if burnout isn’t just a personal issue—but a national failure?

What if the long hours, unpaid Saturdays, and silent mental struggles aren’t isolated cases, but signs of a deeper problem no one wants to fix?

We talk about Vision 2035 like it’s a destination. But how do we get there with tired minds, empty wallets, and broken trust?

This isn’t just about work-life balance. It’s about a generation asking:

“So who’s really willing to act?”

Read what Bruneians are really saying—before the silence becomes permanent.

☕ Kopi Talk with MHO

📍 Introduction

“A broken system thrives when everyone shifts blame. Citizens want change without sacrifice; governments want trust without transparency.” 

This comment struck a chord. Since publishing Burnout Nation, public feedback has been pouring in. 

Not just complaints—but reflections from exhausted citizens trying to make sense of a system that seems increasingly detached from their realities.

📉 “As we can't cope with inflation with our cut-cost salary every year.”

🗣 “So who’s really willing to act? Or kitani akan biarkan sampai generasi kemudian akan melaluinya?”

These are not isolated sentiments. They’re becoming the norm.

🔹 Part II: Salary Stagnation and the Cost of Coping

“As we can't cope with inflation with our cut-cost salary every year.”

No meaningful salary revision in nearly five decades. Living costs are rising. Yet many civil servants continue working six days a week—with no overtime and diminishing morale. 

Gratitude is important—but when it replaces fairness, it breeds quiet resentment. Burnout has become our national baseline.

“We’re heading for Vision 2035 with broken minds.”

🔹 Part III: Burnout Is Not a Weakness—It’s a Warning

Mental health isn’t a buzzword. It’s a growing crisis. Over 7,000 people received treatment by 2021. Many more never come forward.

 

“Mental illness is still taboo. If you're struggling, you're seen as weak.”

We praise resilience but punish vulnerability. Some suffer silently. Others just… disappear.

🔹 Part IV: The People Are Speaking—So Why Aren’t We Listening?

Bruneians are not just venting. They’re offering solutions:

• ✅ Pay revisions tied to inflation
• ✅ Flexible hours across sectors
• ✅ Tech-driven processes to reduce overload
• ✅ Healthier work cultures based on trust

At the core: No vision will succeed if the people behind it are depleted.

🔹 Part IV-A: Between Entitlement and Exhaustion

“Overtime is only worth it if the paycheck is comfortable and you get actual respect.”

“Rights must come with responsibility. Someone had to work the fields to feed you.”

Some voices caution against rising entitlement. Younger workers seek passion but face a harsh job market with few options.

Balance means shared responsibility—not just policy shifts, but mindset shifts too.

🔹 Part V: Breaking the Circle of Uncertainties

“Ani bukan circle of life, tapi ani circle of uncertainties.”

Change starts with asking the right questions—and being ready to hear the hard truths. Public voices aren’t just noise. They’re warnings. And maybe, just maybe, a map out of the mess.

📣 So who’s really willing to act? Not as an accusation—but as a shared challenge. Let’s break the circle—together.

🗨️ Share your thoughts. Tag someone who needs to read this. Let’s keep this Kopi Talk going.

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