08/07/2025

TUESDAY | JULY 8, 2025

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Malaysia, why so marah one? E H, Malaysia, what’s going on lah ? One moment I’m sipping my teh tarik and the next minute, a fella on a motorbike R I N A T E D M A K

civil: “ Tak apa , boss, jalan dulu-lah ,” delivered with a forced smile that can crack glass. Then we go home, open WhatsApp and type three paragraphs, scolding the entire nation. Let’s be real – passive-aggressive has practically become our unofficial mother tongue. And of course, social media – the sacred battlefield. Post a harmful photo of your lunch and suddenly someone from Penang declares that your entire existence is an insult to society. Online, everyone is a black belt in keyboard silat . Face to face? Still can smile awkwardly and ask: “ Eh , weather so hot today, kan ?” Sometimes, that anger finds a real-world exit and that is when bullets fly instead of insults. That is when “Bro, can settle?” actually means “Bro, I brought a gun” while the rest of us sit at home reading the news thinking, “ Aiya , seriously?” – but secretly also thinking, “Actually… not surprised lah .” Here is my theory. We are living in a society that has been emotionally constipated for far too long. You want to cry but cannot – nanti people say you are lembik . You want to complain also cannot – nanti kena label “negative vibes”. You want to scream into the void? Sure, go ahead but the void also has internet coverage problems – the scream is delayed by three seconds. And all this pent-up anger, resentment, betrayal and heartache – we keep deep inside. And since most of us have not been taught how to say “Bro, you hurt my feelings”, we do the Malaysian thing – bury it inside until one day we explode – sometimes as a petty insult to a waiter who forgot your “ kurang manis ” and sometimes, tragically, as something far worse. provoke aggression. Exhausted and dehydrated animals are often forced to participate in jallikattu after standing in queues for hours without overhead shelter in the sweltering heat. In every district investigators visited, there was no food available for the bulls and very limited water. Bulls are yanked roughly by nose ropes, causing their nostrils to bleed and many collapse from exhaustion or dehydration after the events. They are beaten, pinched and their tails are yanked, twisted and bitten by their owners and event organisers. These events are dangerous for bulls and humans alike. In India, since just one state legalised jallikattu in 2017, at least 136 men and children have been killed and thousands more injured. Countless bulls have also been hurt or killed in jallikattu events, although reports rarely cover what bulls endure. Make no mistake: if this barbaric event is allowed to take place, blood will be spilled and human lives will be lost, and the responsibility will rest squarely on those who allowed this dangerous sport to be introduced in Malaysia despite clear warnings.

baik je… Makcik tak sangka ”. And so we all sigh, sip on our teh tarik and secretly wonder if tomorrow will bring another headline. What has happened, Malaysia? Somewhere between our obsession with celebrity scandals and overpriced durian, we forgot how to be kind. But maybe there is a better way. Maybe we need to teach “emotional intelligence” in schools – between Moral classes and Pendidikan Jasmani – on how to walk away, how to lose an argument gracefully and how to say sorry without adding, “but you also…”. Help our uncles learn that real power is walking away from an argument, not storming off like they are starring in a local drama. In the meantime, dear abang abang gangsta wannabe – if you are angry, just go boxing at a gym- lah and punch a sandbag, not somebody’s chest. You want adrenaline? Climb Bukit Gasing. You want to feel powerful? Help your mum vacuum the living room – confirm she will promote you to general of the house in 10 minutes. At the end of the day, sometimes the strongest move is not fighting back but walking away – ideally towards a hot plate of nasi lemak . So, Malaysia, let’s laugh a bit more, scold a bit less and honk only when necessary. And remember: sometimes the most gangster thing you can do is mind your own business, eat your roti canai and leave the shooting to bad Netflix dramas. Now excuse me, even Marinated Makcik needs to go scold the cat for scratching the sofa – but I promise, no bullets, just a good old-fashioned “ Oi! ” AzuraAbas is the associate editor of theSun. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

could be whose rendang tastes better. Now? “Who voted what” and “petrol price naik again- ah ?” Next thing you know, cousin stands up, auntie throws cushion and someone announces they are leaving – but never actually leaves because kuih belum keluar – priorities, kan . Then, there is the “ Aku-kenal orang-dalam ” brigade. Can’t win a small argument? Instantly summon an imaginary army: “ Eh, aku got contact in balai , you know.” Bro, calm down. It is just parking. And let’s not pretend- lah , the daily marah moments come in all shapes and sizes: 0 Queue too long at McD drive-thru? Angry. 0 Neighbour’s cat knocked over your flower pot? Angry. 0 Stranger sneezes too loudly at MRT? Angry. We walk around like pressure cookers with no release valve. It is exhausting for everyone – even the poor cat. But what to do? The internet teaches us that louder is better – type in ALL CAPS, add 10 exclamation marks and sprinkle in “ bodoh ” for seasoning and the world will clap back, if not even louder. In the end, no one will even remember what the fight was about. The irony? Most of the time, these warriors cannot even look someone in the eye in real life but give them WiFi and suddenly they are ready to debate the meaning of life and call your grandmother’s cooking “overrated”. But the most worrying part is not the insults or the honking; it is when someone stops playing villain online and starts trying to be one in real life. That is when “ Bang , relax- lah ,” no longer works. That is when it ends up on the evening news and someone’s mother is left whispering, “ Dia budak

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is firing shots like he is auditioning for KL’s Fast & Furious: Pasar Malam Edition . And this is not even in some hidden back alley, mind you, but smack in the middle of afternoon traffic – sun blazing, birds chirping happily – and suddenly pop, pop, pop. Once upon a time, the scariest thing flying at us in traffic was a used tissue from a car window. Now? We are reading headlines that sound like deleted scenes from a low-budget action movie shot behind a hypermarket. Yet, can we say we are shocked? Let’s be brutally honest, my fellow Malaysians: we have all been simmering just below boiling point for years, like rendang on slow fire – bubbling, bubbling, waiting for that one spark to make us overflow. Just step outside and you will notice it – or rather, feel it. The marah vibes are almost everywhere. Someone takes half a second too long at the traffic light and suddenly there is a symphony of honking, complete with bonus hand gestures that would make even your most gangster cousin look twice. And have you tried finding a park at one of the popular malls on a weekend? It’s a masterclass in creative swearing. Abang in Hilux rolls down his window to question your entire family tree because you reversed slightly slower than the speed of light. Some of us have so much pent- up rage that even the cats try to walk faster past certain humans. It is like we are all permanently stuck in “hangry” mode – except that we are not even waiting for food; we are just waiting for a reason. The best part? We pretend to be so TRAVELLERS from around the world visit Malaysia to revel in its vibrant cultural diversity, remarkable food, stunning natural beauty and genuinely welcoming people. The idea of allowing a ruthless and deadly pastime like jallikattu in the country is abhorrent, which is violence defended under the guise of culture. But cruelty should be unequivocally condemned. There is no doubt that jallikattu is merciless. This vicious pastime takes advantage of bulls’ natural caution as prey animals by deliberately placing them in a terrifying situation in which they are forced to run away from those they rightly perceive as a threat. The bulls become so frightened by the mob of men who swarm them that they slip, fall and run into barriers and traffic in their desperate attempts to escape, frequently leading to broken bones or death. Comprehensive investigations conducted by Peta India documented that bulls are poked and jabbed with sticks and metal sickles, hit and jumped on, tackled and hurt in other ways. Some bulls have reportedly been made to drink alcohol or had chilli peppers rubbed on their eyelids to

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“So, Malaysia, let’s laugh a bit more, scold a bit less and honk only when necessary. And remember: sometimes the most gangster thing you can do is mind your own business, eat your roti canai and leave the shooting to bad Netflix dramas.

Even family gatherings are not spared. Last time, the hottest topic Time to shut door on jallikattu cruelty

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

In India, since just one state legalised jallikattu in 2017, at least 136 men and children have been killed and thousands more have been injured. – AFPPIC

Malaysian authorities should slam the door shut on this barbaric jallikattu “ sport”. Jason Baker Peta Asia’s senior vice president

framework. The negative impact on tourism is a very real consideration. It is clear that jallikattu is inherently cruel and dangerous and that no regulations can protect animals or human participants and spectators.

In today’s global community, travellers have vast amounts of information readily available to them and many compassionate tourists may shun trips to Malaysia if jallikattu becomes part of the country’s