March 28, 2025
PETALING JAYA – ANAK Siapa Ni? (Who Could That Be?)
You know it’s that time of the year again when PETRONAS releases its annual Hari Raya video.
Heartwarming, laced with humour and thought-provoking, Anak Siapa Ni? is the latest edition in the long line of PETRONAS festive videos. They are the gold standard and this year, the GLC is joined by other companies that have also released their own short Raya reels – Astro, Julie’s biscuits, Farm Fresh, Proton, PKNS, KTMB, RTM and Ambank.
I look forward to watching these videos, knowing that Aidilfitri is around the corner. It’s one of my favourite times of the year, not least because I get to enjoy ketupat and rendang, but also because it’s a stretch holiday and the roads in the Klang Valley will be relatively empty with the balik kampung exodus.
With Ramadan coming to an end this week, it always amazes me how my Muslim friends are able to fast for the 30 days leading up to Hari Raya.
As has been the case over the years, I have attended several official buka puasa events as well as breaking fast with some close friends. The one thing I’ve learnt is that Ramadan teaches patience and humility as well as being grateful for God’s blessings.
But patience and humility are the two traits missing on Malaysian social media. The toxicity here has not abated during this holy month with netizens spewing racial and religious rhetoric, while slander and fake news are the norm.
I have written about this before and I still maintain that the negative influence of social media is fuelled by an unchecked and unbridled avalanche of hateful rhetoric. And this in turn is a result of the polarisation in our schools. We need to instil among our teachers, and not only our students, the urgency to ensure that unity is the bedrock of the success of our nation.
If there’s nothing else in this day and age, our teachers need to understand that a unified society plays a crucial role in strengthening the economy.
But while we live in a world where social media posts that attack, abuse and humiliate are the ones that get the most traction, likes and shares, there are also content creators out there that try to reach out and help others. They use social media platforms to bring positive change.
These Internet personalities, who also happen to be entrepreneurs, produce heartwarming content about ordinary Malaysians helping others. And this cuts across all races.
Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, popularly known as Khairul Aming, is one such person. He is no stranger to Malaysians, having first gained attention with his simple, easy-to-do recipes.
These short videos became immensely popular, and he then went on to produce his own line of sambal and ready-to-eat food. Sales have skyrocketed but he remains humble and down-to-earth.
Known for his generosity, his latest post shows him treating his 100-strong staff to new clothes, duit raya and a sumptuous buka puasa feast.
Another popular content creator that I follow is Mek Yun, real name Wee Yu Nee. The 28-year-old Chinese lass is popular among the Malays because much of her content is in Bahasa Malaysia, delivered in her trademark Kelantanese dialect.
Her content features aspects of her personal life, lifestyle and travel, and she has also acted in local films and drama series.
Mek Yun has tried fasting this Ramadan and in one of her recent Instagram posts, she visited a mosque in Kelantan with her entire family to break fast with her Muslim friends.
The Internet personality isn’t the only non-Malay creating wholesome content this Ramadan. Every Hari Raya, you expect to hear a new festive song that goes hand in hand with old favourites like Seloka Hari Raya and Suasana di Hari Raya.
However, the biggest hit this year appears to be popular comedian Douglas Lim’s Aidilfitri di Malaysia released just last week.
The catchy four-minute tune with tongue-in-cheek lyrics is already one of the most downloaded local songs on Spotify and sees Lim collaborating with Indian singer Murty and actress Chelsia Ng.
The video accompanying the song is pretty good and needless to say, I’ve got the track on repeat every time I’m on the road.
If like me, you are troubled by the toxicity on social media, try not to get too down. As I look forward to attending the Raya open houses of my friends next week, I reflect that there are right-thinking Malaysians who believe in promoting harmony and unity in our country.
It is important that personalities like Khairul Aming, Mek Yun and Douglas Lim are recognised and emulated. Their positive content gives us hope.
As the line from Lim’s new raya song goes, “walaupun budaya berbeza, kita tetap jaga kita”.
The writer wishes all Muslim readers a safe and joyous Hari Raya Aidilfitri.