Ketupat & Co.

Posts

Showing posts from 2026

Leadership Is Not About Slogans. It’s About Results.

- April 05, 2026

Leadership Is Not About Slogans. It’s About Results. Malaysian politics has a favourite topic that appears every few months like a seasonal flu: race, religion, and who should lead the country. Every time the economy is slow, wages are stagnant, or young people are worried about the future, suddenly the national conversation becomes an identity discussion instead of a performance discussion. It’s a very clever strategy, actually. If people argue about who should lead, they spend less time asking how well the leaders are doing. Recently, the statement was made again that the struggle must continue to ensure the country continues to be led by Malay leaders who are fair, guided by religion and the Rukun Negara, and who can deliver justice for all. It sounds noble. It sounds patriotic. It sounds like something that should be printed on a poster with a waving flag in the background. But here’s the awkward part that nobody wants to say too loudly: Malaysia has already been ...

SPM Results Mean Everything in Malaysia Except Whether You Can Think

- April 05, 2026

SPM Results Mean Everything in Malaysia Except Whether You Can Think “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” — Albert Einstein First of all, congratulations to all the straight-A students. Seriously. You worked hard, you sacrificed time, you memorised entire textbooks, you survived tuition, extra classes, trial exams, real exams, and relatives asking, “So how many A?” at every family gathering since Form 3. You earned your results, and nobody should take that away from you. In a system that rewards discipline, memory, and exam strategy, you played the game well — and you won. Now to those who didn’t get straight As, didn’t get many As, or maybe didn’t even pass a few subjects — listen carefully: it is not the end of the world. It just feels like it because in Malaysia, SPM results are treated like a life-or-death document, somewhere between a birth certificate and a marriage certificate in importance. Every year when SPM results...

Understanding the Roots of Mahathir's Legacy in Malaysian Politics

- April 05, 2026

Understanding the Roots of Mahathir's Legacy in Malaysian Politics To understand Malaysian politics, you must understand one man: Mahathir Mohamad. And to understand Mahathir, you must first understand one important Malaysian political reality: in this country, retirement is often just a short coffee break. Mahathir’s legacy is so deeply embedded in Malaysian politics that even when he is not in power, he is somehow still part of the conversation, the strategy, the headlines, and occasionally, the problem. Some countries have founding fathers. Malaysia has a founding father who came back, retired, came back again, fought with his own successors, created new parties, brought down governments, and still had time to write blog posts. If Malaysian politics were a movie, Mahathir would not just be a character. He would be the franchise. To understand his legacy, you have to go back to the 1980s, when Mahathir first became Prime Minister. This was the era of big visions, ...

Why Zebra Crossings Are Just Road Art Here

- April 03, 2026

Why Zebra Crossings Are Just Road Art Here In theory, a zebra crossing is a very simple concept. The car stops. The human walks. Nobody dies. Everyone goes home happy. In Malaysia, a zebra crossing is not a traffic rule. It is road decoration . It is street art. It is a suggestion. It is a place where pedestrians stand at the side of the road and question their life decisions while cars fly past like they are qualifying for Sepang Circuit. You can stand at a zebra crossing in Malaysia wearing bright red shirt, waving your hands, making eye contact, holding a child, holding groceries, holding your own hopes and dreams — and cars will still pass you like you are invisible. Then one kind driver stops. You feel grateful. You feel emotional. You feel like hugging him. The car behind him honks like he just committed a crime against humanity. How dare you stop for a pedestrian? This is Malaysia. We stop for toll. We stop for traffic light. We stop for police roadblock. Pede...

Pedestrian Bridges Nobody Uses: A Malaysian Story

- April 02, 2026

Pedestrian Bridges Nobody Uses: A Malaysian Story There is a very unique structure you can find all over Malaysia. Tall. Expensive. Usually painted in bright colors. Comes with stairs that feel like you are climbing Genting Highlands. Sometimes got roof, sometimes don’t. Sometimes got lift, but the lift rosak since 2014. Yes. The pedestrian bridge. The government builds it. The pedestrians ignore it. And cars continue driving like Formula 1 below. Welcome to one of Malaysia’s greatest urban design mysteries: Why build pedestrian bridges if nobody wants to use them? Let me describe the typical Malaysian pedestrian bridge experience. You want to cross the road. The shop you want is right there. You can see it. Maybe 20 meters away. But the pedestrian bridge? 120 meters away. With 35 stairs up, then walk across, then 35 stairs down. In Malaysian weather. 34°C. 90% humidity. You reach the other side already sweating like you ran marathon. So what do people do? They look l...

Mat Rempit: Criminal Problem or Socioeconomic Symptom?

- April 02, 2026

Mat Rempit: Criminal Problem or Socioeconomic Symptom? Every few months, the same video goes viral in Malaysia. A group of teenagers on modified motorcycles, weaving through traffic, doing wheelies, blocking highways, revving engines at 2AM like they are auditioning for Fast & Furious: Kampung Drift. Everyone gets angry. Facebook experts come out. WhatsApp uncles forward messages. Politicians give statements. Police do operations. Headlines appear. Then two weeks later, everyone forgets — until the next video. And the national debate begins again: Are Mat Rempit criminals, or are they victims of society? The honest answer that nobody likes is this: They are both. Let’s be very clear about one thing first. Racing illegally on public roads, endangering other people, making noise at night, blocking highways, risking lives — this is not “youth culture.” This is dangerous. People can die. In fact, people have died. Innocent drivers, riders themselves, passengers, someti...

The Opposition’s Dilemma: Criticizing Everything, Fixing Nothing?

- April 02, 2026

The Opposition’s Dilemma: Criticizing Everything, Fixing Nothing? Malaysian politics has a very interesting job position. It’s called Opposition Politician — also known as Professional Complainer With Press Conference. Now before anyone gets angry, relax. This is not about one party or another. This is about a pattern Malaysians have seen for the past 30 years. When you are not in power, everything is wrong. When you are in power, everything is “complicated.” Funny how that works. In Malaysia, the opposition has one main KPI: Complain. Petrol price naik — complain Petrol price turun — say not enough Toll — complain No toll — complain maintenance cost Subsidy — complain not enough No subsidy — complain rakyat suffering Flood — complain government slow No flood — complain no preparation Economy bad — complain Economy good — say previous government effort Basically, whatever happens, the press statement already prepared. Now don’t get me wrong. Opposition i...

The Great Malaysian Double Parking Debate: Who Is Really Wrong?

- April 02, 2026

Woman Damaged a Double Parked Car Blocking Her There is a very special type of genius in Malaysia. Not the kind that invents things, not the kind that builds companies, not the kind that writes books. No, I’m talking about a different category of genius. The Double Parking Genius . This person believes that hazard lights are a magical legal document that transforms illegal parking into a temporary, morally acceptable life decision. Put hazard lights, suddenly rules don’t apply. Suddenly the road belongs to your father. Suddenly everyone else must adjust their life because you want to buy bubble tea for “five minutes.” Five minutes in Malaysia is a very flexible unit of time. Five minutes can mean: – 5 minutes – 20 minutes – 45 minutes – Until the shop close So recently there was a case: a woman couldn’t exit because someone double parked and blocked her car. She got angry, damaged the blocking car, and then — plot twist — she was the one who had to apologize . And ...

Road Rage in Malaysia: Getting Worse or Just More Visible?

- April 01, 2026

Road Rage in Malaysia: Getting Worse or Just More Visible? “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” — Buddha Let’s be honest about one thing: Malaysians are very polite people — until we sit behind the steering wheel. Then suddenly, we transform from “boss, sorry boss, after you boss” into Formula 1 drivers with anger management issues. So the question is: Is road rage in Malaysia getting worse, or is it just more visible now because everyone has a dashcam and a smartphone? Short answer? Both. And also because many people drive like their brain is on airplane mode. You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. Everyone has seen it. The guy who cuts three lanes without signal like he’s Moses parting the Red Sea. The driver who tailgates you so close you can read his IC number. The abang who drives 60 km/h in the fast lane like he bought the highway. The Myvi that appears in your rearview mirror out of nowhere like a boss-level video game...

The Malaysian Habit of Parking Wherever They Please

- April 01, 2026

The Malaysian Habit of Parking Wherever They Please A National Sport We Never Officially Admitted There are many unique cultural behaviors that define a nation. The British queue. The Japanese bow. The Germans engineer. And Malaysians? Malaysians park. Anywhere. Everywhere. All at once. In Malaysia, parking is not a skill. It is not a responsibility. It is not even a driving activity. It is a creative expression. A form of street art. A statement that says, “I exist, therefore I park.” You can travel across the entire country — from Perlis to Johor, from Kuantan to Kota Kinabalu — and you will witness the same magnificent behavior: a car parked diagonally across two lots like it is marking territory, a car parked in front of a shop “just for 2 minutes,” a car parked blocking another car with the phone number on the dashboard like a romantic invitation to strangers, and of course, the most powerful move of all — the double park and disappear technique. Malaysians don’t...

Why Malaysians Don’t Trust Malaysians (And Then Wonder Why Everything Is So Expensive

- April 01, 2026

Why Malaysians Don’t Trust Malaysians (And Then Wonder Why Everything Is So Expensive) Let’s start with a simple Malaysian business model: Step 1: Customer comes Step 2: Overcharge customer Step 3: Customer never comes back Step 4: Complain economy bad Brilliant. Nobel Prize in Economics is on the way. In many countries, business owners think about lifetime customer value . In Malaysia, many people think about today value . Not long-term relationship. Not reputation. Not referrals. Just: “How much can I squeeze this fella today before he disappears forever?” And then we have the audacity — the absolute audacity — to complain: “Malaysian customers very stingy.” “People always ask for discount.” “People don’t trust local business.” “People prefer Shopee / foreign brands.” You trained them to be like that. The Great Malaysian Pricing System Malaysia has one of the most advanced pricing systems in the world. Very sophisticated. Very scientific. Pri...

Public Toilet Disgrace: Why Basic Cleanliness Is Too Much to Ask

- March 31, 2026

Public Toilet Disgrace: Why Basic Cleanliness Is Too Much to Ask “Cleanliness is not next to godliness — it is common sense.” — Unknown There are many mysteries in Malaysia. Why does every meeting start late but everyone says they are “on the way”? Why do people queue so close behind you like they are trying to enter your family tree? Why do drivers see a signal light as a personal challenge instead of a warning? But perhaps the greatest mystery of all — the one that has puzzled scientists, philosophers, and every poor soul with a weak bladder — is this: Why are some public toilets in Malaysia so disgustingly dirty like a crime scene? Let’s be honest. We are not asking for a five-star hotel toilet with marble floors, scented candles, and Mozart playing in the background. Nobody expects a public toilet to look like a spa in Mont Kiara. We are asking for very basic things: Flush the toilet Don’t pee on the seat Throw tissue in the bin Don’t treat the floor like ...

Why Food Delivery Riders Are Malaysia's Most Dangerous Road Users

- March 31, 2026

Why Food Delivery Riders Are Malaysia's Most Dangerous Road Users Drive in any Malaysian city for more than 20 minutes and you will experience it. A motorbike appears out of nowhere on your left. Another squeezes between you and a lorry on the right. One more runs a red light like traffic signals are merely festive decorations. And almost always, there is a brightly coloured food delivery box at the back. Let’s be honest about something many Malaysians already know but are afraid to say out loud: food delivery riders are slowly becoming some of the most dangerous road users in the country. This is not written out of hatred. It is written out of reality. The problem is not that they are bad people. The problem is that the system they work under almost forces them to ride dangerously . Food delivery is not paid by the hour. It is paid by the delivery. The more orders you deliver, the more money you make. Simple. So if you are a rider trying to earn RM150–RM200 a day,...

Are Malaysian Women Actually Safer Drivers Than Men

- March 31, 2026

Are Malaysian Women Actually Safer Drivers Than Men? This is one of those topics that can start a war at a mamak stall faster than a football match and a political argument combined: Who are safer drivers — Malaysian women or Malaysian men? Now before everyone gets emotionally घायल and starts typing with their feelings instead of their brains, let’s be very clear about one thing: this is not about who thinks they are a better driver. If confidence was the measurement, Malaysian men would be Formula 1 champions and parking lots would not look like abstract art exhibitions. This is about behavior. And behavior on Malaysian roads is less “civilized transport system” and more “Mad Max: KL Drift.” Let’s start with Malaysian men. Malaysian men don’t drive. Malaysian men dominate territory . The road is not a road — it is a battlefield where every signal is a suggestion, every gap is an opportunity, and every other driver is an obstacle sent by fate to test their masculinity....

Why Tailgating Is Practically a National Sport Here

- March 30, 2026

Why Tailgating Is Practically a National Sport Here There are many sports in this country. Badminton. Football. Sepak takraw. But there is one sport that does not get enough official recognition, even though millions of people practice it every single day. That sport is tailgating . Not the American kind with BBQ and pickup trucks. No, no. I’m talking about the high-speed, bumper-kissing, life-flashing-before-your-eyes kind of tailgating. The kind where you are already driving at a perfectly reasonable speed, and suddenly a car appears behind you so close you can read the driver’s dental records through your rear-view mirror. You don’t see their headlights. You see their soul . The Tailgater Mindset Tailgaters all believe the same thing: “If I drive 0.7 meters behind you, you will somehow go faster.” This is fascinating logic because the car in front is already limited by: Traffic The car in front of them Traffic lights Speed cameras The basic laws of phys...

The Art of Complaining About Traffic While Driving Like a Maniac

- March 30, 2026

The Art of Complaining About Traffic While Driving Like a Maniac There is a very special type of human being that exists in every country, every city, every highway, every morning and every evening. This person is angry about traffic. Not mildly annoyed. Not slightly frustrated. No — this person is personally offended that other human beings also need to use the same road at the same time. But here is the interesting part: this same person who complains about traffic is traffic . The Main Character of the Highway These drivers believe they are the main character and everyone else is just a side character with a slower car and worse life decisions. They say things like: “Why is everyone so slow?” “Why is there so much traffic?” “People don’t know how to drive!” “Move!” “Idiot!” Meanwhile, they are: Switching lanes every 12 seconds Not using signal Driving 140 km/h in a 90 zone Tailgating like they are magnetically attached Braking late like it’s a racing...

Reality of Stateless Persons in Malaysia: Forgotten and Neglected

- March 28, 2026

Reality of Stateless Persons in Malaysia: Forgotten and Neglected There is a group of people in Malaysia who exist, but not officially. They are born here, speak Bahasa Malaysia, eat nasi lemak, complain about traffic, know all the lyrics to Sudirman songs, and can argue passionately about whether Penang food or KL food is better. They are, in every cultural sense, Malaysian. But legally? They are nobody. Welcome to the strange, uncomfortable, rarely discussed world of stateless persons in Malaysia — a world where you can be born in a country, live your entire life in that country, and still be told you don’t belong anywhere. Statelessness is not a dramatic issue, which is probably why it doesn’t get dramatic attention. There are no viral TikTok dances about it. No political ceramah shouting about it. No election banners saying “Justice for the Stateless.” It is a quiet problem, affecting quiet people, who are ignored quietly. But make no mistake — statelessness is not...