The war against Iran, waged through Israeli strikes and direct U. S. military involvement in the Middle East region, has intensified these pressures, turning distant conflict into an immediate economic reality.

But this policy points to something far bigger than workplace logistics. It exposes a hard truth: the systems we rely on— how we work, move, consume resources, and organise our cities— are increasingly fragile in an unpredictable world.

The question is no longer where people should work. It ' s whether our infrastructure can withstand climate volatility, supply chain shocks, and mounting resource scarcity.

IT STARTS WITH MINDSET

Real transformation doesn ' t begin with new buildings or new policies. It begins with how we think.

For decades, we ' ve treated resilience as an engineering problem: build more, control more, standardise everything.

But in an era of compounding disruptions, resilience is a mindset. It means designing for adaptation, not prediction.

This orientation is rooted in the story of Prophet Yusuf( peace be upon him), as recounted in the Quran.

When the ruler of Egypt dreamed of seven fat cows devoured by seven lean ones, Prophet Yusuf( peace be upon him) interpreted the vision as a warning of seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine.

His response was not mere prediction, but strategic action: " You will plant grain for seven consecutive years, leaving in the ear whatever you will harvest, except for the

ANIS NAJIHA AHMAD

NURHIDAYU AL-SAARI

International Institute for Halal Research and Training( INHART) International Islamic University Malaysia( IIUM)

little you will eat."( Quran, Yusuf, 12:47).

By storing surplus during plenty, Egypt was prepared when drought struck; a model of anticipatory governance that remains urgently relevant today. Foresight, therefore, isn ' t optional— it ' s a responsibility.

Take initiatives like Bangun KL, which encourages commuters to beat rush hour by waking up earlier— sometimes rewarded with discounted coffee. It ' s a clever nudge.

But it also highlights a fundamental flaw: asking people to adjust their habits doesn ' t fix broken systems. An earlier alarm clock doesn ' t solve overcentralised job markets, underfunded transit, or housing priced far from workplaces.

The right question isn ' t " How do we get people to adapt?" It ' s " Why do our systems force them to?" That shift in perspective is where real change begins.

THE HIDDEN COST OF ROUTINE

Modern economic life runs on assumptions that no longer hold: cheap energy, predictable commutes, endless resources. Centralised business districts, cardependent suburbs, and rigid nine-to-five schedules aren ' t neutral. They are energyheavy, carbon-intensive, and deeply inflexible.

In a tropical country with relentless cooling demands and rapid urban sprawl, these patterns compound quickly. We optimised our cities for stability. Now we ' re paying the price in volatility, as centralised urban forms prove increasingly vulnerable to climate and resource shocks( IPCC, 2023).

Systems built for calm weather crack when the storm hits.

THE TRAP OF REACTIVE FIXES

Temporary measures work in the short term. Remote work cuts emissions. Staggered hours ease traffic. But treating symptoms without fixing root causes creates a cycle: crisis, adjustment, reversion.

This pattern is especially visible in corporate culture. Many leaders still equate physical presence with productivity, as if

oversight requires line of sight and collaboration demands shared air.

But if a team ' s performance depends on everyone sitting in the same room, the issue isn ' t discipline. Its design. Mandating office attendance " because that ' s how it ' s always been done " confuses tradition with strategy.

Research consistently shows that flexible, outcome-based work models maintain or even improve productivity while reducing operational strain( Barrero et al., 2021). In a world where agility is currency, habit is a liability.

Malaysia ' s urban layout mirrors this tension. Jobs cluster in city centres while workers are pushed to the outskirts. The result? A structural dependency on private cars, fossil fuels, and rigid schedules.

When fuel prices jump or supply chains stutter, the whole system groans. Resilience isn ' t about patching the leaks. It ' s about rebuilding the pipes.

Social routines reinforce the status quo. We adapt during emergencies, then slide back to " normal " once the pressure fades. Even when flexible models prove successful, inertia pulls us back.

Breaking that cycle means accepting an uncomfortable truth: control is not security. Flexibility is. Systems that distribute functions, empower local decision-making, and absorb shocks don ' t just survive uncertainty— they thrive in it.

We cannot afford to keep reverting. We must shift our mindset toward genuine foresight and build future-ready systems.

FOUR PILLARS

Moving from crisis response to lasting resilience requires coordinated action:

• Decentralised urban planning: Build mixed-use neighbourhoods, support regional job hubs, and design walkable communities to slash long commutes— a core recommendation for sustainable urban resilience( UN-Habitat, 2022

• Integrated mobility: Invest in reliable, affordable public transit and prioritise low-emission, shared transport over