Malay Proverbs 101

Salam, Peace, and Pew Pew to All!

For those who've known me for a while, you probably know that I’m RL Malaysian. And if there’s one thing we Malaysians are rich in, besides nasi lemak and traffic jams, it’s proverbs. So today, allow me to introduce some classic Malay wisdom to all Eclesiarians.

The concept is simple:

→ I give the proverb in Malay,
→ a direct translation,
→ the meaning,
→ and one very spicy example from our beloved geopolitical soap opera.

1. "Lempar Batu, Sembunyi Tangan"

Translation: To throw a stone and then hide your hand.
Meaning: Stir up conflict from the shadows, then pretend you’re innocent like a sneaky gremlin starting a fire and then running for the extinguisher.
Example: WET keeps throwing accusations at EPIC while hiding behind Poland like it’s a bomb shelter. Puppet master behavior 101.

2. "Musuh Dalam Selimut"

Translation: Enemy inside the blanket.
Meaning: A traitor in your inner circle. Someone close enough to steal your socks and your trust.
Example: EPIC gave territories to WET during the BFTE war. WET responded by sneakily signing a separate NAP. You think that snake won’t bite again? Bless your Poland.

3. "Menangguk di Air Keruh"

Translation: Fishing in murky waters.
Meaning: Exploiting chaos for personal gain. Opportunist 101.
Example: WET fanning flames between EPIC and other countries while quietly PTO-ing smaller nations and scooping up territory like a vulture at a buffet.

4. "Sepandai-Pandai Tupai Melompat, Akhirnya Jatuh ke Tanah Juga"

Translation: As clever as the squirrel jumps, it will fall to the ground eventually.
Meaning: No matter how smart or sneaky someone is, karma’s waiting with a banana peel.
Example: WET played puppet master, pitting others against EPIC… only to get nuked into a blackout and lose their whole arsenal. Splat.

5. "Kalau Takut Dilambung Ombak, Jangan Berumah di Tepi Pantai"

Translation: If you're afraid of the waves, don’t build your house by the shore.
Meaning: If you start drama, don’t cry when drama shows up at your door with a bazooka.
Example: WET is now wetting themselves as EPIC comes knocking with receipts, revenge, and righteous fury.

Bonus Eclesiar Proverb

There are many more Malay proverbs that warn people not to be stupid but in Eclesiar, we have a modern classic:

“Don’t be a Sweden.”

No explanation needed. If you know, you know.

So that’s your cultural enrichment for today. Next time you see drama unfold, just remember: somewhere out there, a squirrel is falling.

Peace out!
—Nuradeen of Eclesiar, Cultural Ambassador & Occasional Chaos Commentator