FEAR mongering is defined as the deliberate spreading of exaggerated, misleading or unfounded rumours of impending danger.
It exploits human anxieties to manipulate public opinion or behaviour. Often used in politics or media, it aims to force quick, emotional reactions rather than rational, evidence-based decisions.
It most definitely applies to the current unease that is being peddled by politicians, social media influencers and cybertroopers with regard to the supposed threat posed by the Chinese to Malay identity on these shores.
While that narrative is being hailed loudly by the rightist faction, there have been pushbacks from liberal-minded brethren or those who take a different perspective.
One such example is Threader injangnation who argued that the Malays are NOT being oppressed by other races but elite-Malays.
The prominent current affairs commenter contended that this elite-class of Malays would create imaginary bogeymen to scare ordinary Malays. These elites would also hold out some form of aid to the Malay masses to create the illusion of being the saviour to their people.
The social media influencer who also has handles on X and Instagram made the pointed observation that it was a tragedy that the ordinary Malays failed to recognize who the real enemy was.
The post sparked lively debate by virtue of its 4.5K likes, 174 comments, 1.2K re-posts and 193 shares at time of writing.
Quite a few agreed with the poster that certain Malay parties are only capitalising on the DAP, MCA, MIC (and other non-Malay political entities) as a scare tactic.
This prompted one cheeky commenter to illustrate absurdity of the scenario with a meme of child holding a boot to his own head.
A Thread user with the handle @hemaramadas further remarked that the problem was not confined to just the Malays. The battle between the haves and the have nots also was also waged in Malaysian Indian and Chinese communities.
However, she conceded that many citizens “are not yet ready to have that conversation”.
This sentiment was echoed in another comment that argued the scenario is ripe to be exploited in any system driven by cronyism. “The ordinary rakyat will always pay the price regardless of skin colour” was the damning observation.
“This is the way the world over” seems to be this commenter’s lament who pointed to US President Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies getting rich while portraying China and Islamic extremists as the bogeymen.
The view was backed by another netizen who argued that every Malaysian Prime Minister has been Malay with the political landscape dominated by Malay parties yet the Malays have remained poor.
Ironically, the Malay’s economic plight will only become an issue during elections whereby the familiar line that Malays are being sidelined is trotted out. “Only the elite-Malays holding high political positions are rich,” he wryly observed.
Firebrand UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh got special mention as one of the prominent agent provocateurs.
This politically-savvy citizen questioned the Merlimau state assemblyman for his selective highlighting of issues to suit certain agendas, ie he remains muted on the “Johor land encroachment by Zionists”.
Judging from the many comments, it is obvious that many netizens see through the charade. One commenter summed up best by quoting the famous line from sci-fi classic The Matrix that signified the removal of illusions.
However, the pertinent question is how many wilfully remain submerged in the country’s matrix of fitnah (malicious lies), threats (real or imagined) and misinformation designed to create a climate of fear and distrust among the races.
The uncomfortable reality is that there is always a ready Malaysian audience willing to consume what politicians dish out. – July 21, 2026
