Kuala Lampur, April 3 -- Syed Saddiq's decision to include Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad and Tabung Haji savings for Bella Astillah, alongside National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) contributions for her two children, gave his recent engagement a significance that went beyond ceremony and into long-term responsibility.

From a financial planning and education perspective, that is what made the gesture stand out, not its publicity or symbolism, but the clear structure behind it. There is nothing inherently wrong with symbolism, and engagements will always carry cultural and emotional meaning.

However, symbolism on its own does little to prepare a couple for what comes after. In a period marked by rising living costs, education expenses a...