31/03/2026

TUESDAY | MAR 31, 2026

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Agak-agak-lah , Oxford say can already A FTER years of red-pen trauma, our pasar malam vocabulary gets stamped, sealed and served with a measurement. No apology. Just instinct, inherited kitchen wisdom and a whisper from your ancestors standing behind you, judging your sambal . UK, a polite British man opens a dictionary and reads: “ Mat Salleh .” He pauses. Adjusts his glasses. Reads again. “Am I… the Mat Salleh ?” Yes, Jonathan. Yes, you are. that one friend who says, “I just come for five minutes”, and ends up closing the shop.

one feels less like an addition and more like a public service announcement. Definition upgrade: not just theatre. Also: premium-grade, fully rehearsed, performative nonsense. Corporate meetings? Wayang . Politics? Wayang deluxe. Instagram apologies? Director’s cut, with soft lighting and zero accountability. The folks at the Oxford English Dictionary didn’t just learn a new word. They accidentally uncovered an entire national coping mechanism – now with international recognition. Boleh : The most dangerous yes in the world Apparently this is one of the freshest additions in the said dictionary too. It defined boleh (verb and interjection) as having the power or capacity to do something. For makcik , this is a single word that contains optimism, hesitation and a high chance of ghosting. This is the most emotionally complex word in Southeast Asia. “Can you finish this by tomorrow?” “ Boleh .” Meaning: Yes. No. Maybe. Let me disappear first. I regret everything. If Oxford truly wants to understand human ambiguity, this is their final boss. Mat Salleh : Plot twist of the century The dictionary moment that made Britain pause, blink and quietly sip tea. Imagine this: somewhere in the M A K C I K B A S

Bit by bit, line by line, “ lah ” here, “ meh ” there – until one fine day… Oxford looked up, adjusted its spectacles, and went: “Right. We can’t ignore this any longer.” Boom. Stamped, sealed, masuk syllabus energy. Because like it or not, this is English now – not the Queen’s tea-and-scones version but the mamak -table, teh tarik , extra sambal , pass-me-the-tissue version. The one that multitasks three languages in one sentence and still lands the punchline. So the next time someone tries to correct your “ Eh don’t like that- lah ,” just smile sweetly and say: “Sorry- ah . Oxford English Dictionary already say can.” Because somewhere, in a very serious, very atas building in the UK, the fine people at the Oxford English Dictionary have been quietly cataloguing our daily “nonsense” like it’s rare artefacts. Every “ lah ”, every “ eh ”, every gloriously chaotic sentence - is being observed, defined and stamped like a linguistic passport. And honestly? English didn’t just evolve. Don’t be so polite. It packed its bags, flew economy and rocked up at the mamak . Ordered a teh tarik . Sat under a fan with attitude problems. Listened to unfiltered mamak commentary. And finally – finally – stopped being so proper. AzuraAbas is the executive editor of theSun. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

THE government’s decision to reduce the petrol subsidy limit under Malaysia’s Budi95 programme from 300 litres to 200 litres has sparked various reactions among the public. Some view it as a necessary step to reduce national expenditure, while others are concerned about its impact on the rising cost of living. The question is to what extent is this measure justified from an economic perspective and how does it affect the everyday lives of the people? From an economic viewpoint, this move is grounded in a fairly strong rationale. Fuel subsidies represent one of the government’s largest expenditure components. When global oil prices fluctuate, the total subsidy bill can increase rapidly and place significant pressure on national finances. Hence, by reducing the subsidy limit, the government aims to control the fiscal deficit while ensuring that financial resources can be redirected to more critical sectors such as education, healthcare and infrastructure development. In other words, this move helps to maintain the country’s economic stability in the long run. However, the direct effects on the side of vindication. Aiyoh , gather round, children. Sit properly. Don’t scroll first. This is a historic moment – and not the kind your school textbook will bother to explain properly. Because after decades – DECADES, mind you – of being told to “please speak proper English”, the mighty has quietly, sheepishly and rather deliciously admitted: “Actually… your pasar malam English quite power.” Makcik nearly dropped her kuih lapis when she found out how these words made it in. Not by vibes alone, okay. Not by auntie committee approval. But through citations, historical usage and printed evidence – people out there have been documenting our nonsense like it is Shakespeare. Jaw? On the floor. Yes. Our words – the ones your teacher used to underline like crime scene evidence – are now being studied, traced and in some cases, officially entered into the English language. Not simply borrowed. Not reluctantly tolerated. Properly adopted – with receipts. Agak-agak , but make it academic The scientific method finally meets vibes, instinct and inherited kitchen wisdom. Let us begin with the crown jewel. For years, Western recipes have been bullying us with instructions like: “Add 2.5g of salt. Simmer at precisely 83°C.” Meanwhile, Malaysian cooking instructions: “ Agak-agak-lah .” No

And now the Oxford people – the same ones who gave us “anti disestablishmentarianism” (which nobody has ever been caught using at a mamak , please be serious) – have looked at this chaos and said: yes, this deserves documentation. Makcik would like to say: “Welcome. Took you long enough.” I N A T

Play play: A warning, not a joke “Don’t play play with me.” Translation: do not test boundaries, do not act clever and definitely do not bring nonsense energy into this situation. Frankly, this deserves to be printed on office walls and whispered before every group project disaster. Kicker: The day English tapau -ed itself at the Mamak Please- lah , these words didn’t waltz into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) because some editor went, “ eh , quite cute, can- ah ?” This is not pasar malam clearance bin. The OED is fussy like that one auntie who inspects your kuih lapis layer by layer. They want receipts – years of receipts – printed usage, recorded speech and proper cultural mileage. Not one viral tweet and suddenly masuk . No, no. This is long-game behaviour – the linguistic equivalent of queuing for nasi lemak at 7am because you know it’s worth it. Which means – brace yourself – our everyday mamak nonsense? It’s been on tour. Yes, that conversation. The “ eh bro, can or not”, the “don’t like that lah ”, the “okay what”, the dramatic “ aiyaaa ”. Our gloriously rojak , zero grammar-but-maximum-vibes sentences have been quietly slipping into books, newspapers, subtitles and academic papers – creeping in like

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Kaypoh goes corporate From neighbourhood aunty behaviour to a fully recognised linguistic category. Next, we have – or as we know it, kaypoh energy in its purest form. M

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The word that has described every aunty, neighbour and distant relative who somehow knows: your salary; your relationship status and why you gained weight since last Raya . And now, this behaviour has been elevated from neighbourhood nuisance to linguistic category. Imagine dedicating your academic career to tracing the history of being busybody. Somewhere, a very serious researcher has cited WhatsApp aunties as cultural evidence. Makcik is screaming in elation. Wayang : Finally, a word for all this drama When everyday performance art finally gets its proper label – no tickets, no interval, just vibes. Enter wayang – and honestly, this

COMMENT by Assoc Prof Dr Azlina Abd Aziz

Fuel subsidy cuts: National necessity or public burden?

domestic economy cannot be overlooked. When subsidies are reduced, petrol costs increase for certain segments of the public. This effect can spread to other sectors, particularly transport and logistics. As delivery costs rise, the prices of goods and services may also increase. Although these increases may not be substantial in the early stages, they still add pressure to the overall cost of living. The most noticeable impact felt is the decline in purchasing power. With the lower subsidy limit, consumers must pay more for petrol consumption that exceeds 200 litres. This means that a larger portion of monthly income must be allocated for fuel expenses, thereby reducing the remaining funds available for other needs such as food, education and savings. Lower- and middle-income groups, particularly those who rely on vehicles for work, are those among the most affected. Nevertheless, the measure can also be seen as an effort to encourage more efficient use of resources. When prices reflect their actual costs, consumers are more likely to reduce wasteful consumption.

The reduction of petrol subsidy limit is a policy with clear economic justification but its impact on the public must be managed with caution. – BERNAMAPIC

acceptance of the reasoning behind this decision. Ultimately, maintaining a balance between economic stability and the well-being of the people should remain as the central priority. DrAzlina Abd Aziz is an associate professor at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

public must be managed with caution. The government should strengthen a targeted approach by considering factors such as location, type of employment and income level. In addition, cash assistance and improvements to public transport systems can help to ease the people’s burden. A transparent and accessible policy of communication will ensure the public’s better understanding and

In the long-term, this may encourage more sustainable behavioural changes, including a shift in transport modes, from private vehicles to public transport, carpooling, cycling or walking. It may also lead to fewer trips and shorter distances, while boosting demand for hybrid and electric vehicles. The reduction of petrol subsidy limit is a policy with clear economic justification but its impact on the