APRIL 19 — Before I go to sleep, I usually spend some time having an angry little owl yell at me.

If you’re a language enthusiast you would know I am talking about the Duolingo app and its easily annoyed owl mascot that has succeeded in getting me to finally learn the Korean alphabet.

I have struggled the past few years to pick up a third language as tiredness, irritability and the desire to do anything but study have been stumbling blocks.

It’s been novel being able to pronounce (but not yet read) Korean letters and it’s taken me some time to accept that I am no longer able to just focus for hours but do things in fits and bursts.

What has also worked out for me is to try multiple approaches until I found what stuck — Duolingo did not appeal to me at first as I got bored by repetition but each week, to be promoted to a "league” you needed to be in a certain percentage of high scorers.

It turns out I do have a bit of a competitive streak. I didn’t need to be the top scorer, I just needed to be good enough to get promoted at the end of the week.

Something clicked and I found what worked, and I already have plans to transition to another app once I have mastered the Korean alphabet and its pronunciation.

When it comes to ranking and leaderboards it reminds me a little too much about how far Malaysia has fallen on the corruption and competitiveness index.

We have the dubious distinction, however, of being ranked among the most overworked workers in the world and among the most overweight.

You would think that we could get new ideas and approaches by now but the temptation to recycle old concepts and play it overly safe is a Malaysian disease.

We have an addiction to catchphrases and slogans. Sure, words have power but I would argue that we need action over platitudes more than over.

Malaysia Madani might as well be "Malaysia mana ni?” (Where is Malaysia?)

I know our prime minister is struggling to push his vision while having to contend with that monster that will not die — EPF withdrawals.

The previous administrations opened up a Pandora’s Box when people saw EPF not as a retirement fund that must never be touched, but emergency savings.

While the idea behind EPF is solid, previous administrations never took into consideration the fact that apart from the forced savings of EPF, many Malaysians are unable to save much.

Not to mention those who are in gig work or day labour, where EPF contributions are pretty much non-existent.

While the government does understand that Malaysians need to earn money, the initiatives to push a "digital economy” and that old chestnut called entrepreneurship do not work.

There is no point in creating entrepreneurs when their customers can’t afford to buy from them or are also struggling wannabe business owners.

If the government cannot afford to dole out cash handouts, there needs to be work on the ground to identify those who need aid and figure out better ideas than asking them to sell things online.

It can be as easy as making the basics cheap or just free. I still think we should probably just start giving people rice if the government is so averse to giving money.

If this government insists on doing some of the same old things (hiring talentless politicians for cushy GLC posts and playing the I’m holier than thou game) then it needs to balance it by doing new things, instead of letting Anthony Loke do all the PR for the coalition.

Next on the agenda? Serious outreach with Malay medium media and websites who seem to have not realised who runs the government now.

If all else fails, I guess I will just have to dress up in an owl costume, head to Putrajaya and scream through a megaphone because maybe I should also start trying something new.

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.