Malaysia Boleh
Malay
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]Malaysia + boleh. Coined by Malaysian politician and sports administrator Hamzah Abu Samah in 1993 as a marketing slogan for the chocolate drink brand MILO and to support local athletes during the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore. Popularised by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad as a catchphrase for Vision 2020.
With the rise of social media websites in the 2000's, the phrase was later used in a sarcastic way.[1]
Interjection
[edit]- (Malaysia) "Malaysia can [do it]", an expression of patriotism or national pride.
- (Malaysia, humorous, sarcastic, politics) An expression of disappointment towards failures in Malaysian society and corruption by political leaders.
Descendants
[edit]- → English: Bolehland