OPINION | What is 'Yeye Culture' and why the Army is against it?
20 Jan 2026 • 1:00 PM MYT
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Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)
Photo credit: Malay Mail
Let’s start simple. Because apparently, we need to.
If you’ve been offline, off‑WhatsApp, or living peacefully without reading NewsWav for the past few weeks, here’s the tea: the Malaysian Army is very upset. Not about invasion. Not about sovereignty. But about something called “yeye culture.”
Suddenly, press conferences. Suddenly, investigations. Suddenly, words like integrity, discipline, and image are being repeated like a patriotic playlist.
So what exactly is going on?
The issue (for those who are confused)
There were videos that went viral. As viral things usually do.
They allegedly showed army officers entertaining outsiders inside military premises. There were women. There were parties. There was socialising that did not look like marching drills or weapon cleaning.
And the internet did what the internet does best - gave it a name. Thus, “yeye culture” was born.
The Army confirmed investigations. Officers were identified. Statements were issued. Serious faces were worn. Because nothing says national security like vibes.
So… what is “Yeye Culture”?
There is no official dictionary definition, but Malaysians are very good at reading between the lines.
“Yeye culture” seems to refer to all of the following:
If you’ve been offline, off‑WhatsApp, or living peacefully without reading NewsWav for the past few weeks, here’s the tea: the Malaysian Army is very upset. Not about invasion. Not about sovereignty. But about something called “yeye culture.”
Suddenly, press conferences. Suddenly, investigations. Suddenly, words like integrity, discipline, and image are being repeated like a patriotic playlist.
So what exactly is going on?
The issue (for those who are confused)
There were videos that went viral. As viral things usually do.
They allegedly showed army officers entertaining outsiders inside military premises. There were women. There were parties. There was socialising that did not look like marching drills or weapon cleaning.
And the internet did what the internet does best - gave it a name. Thus, “yeye culture” was born.
The Army confirmed investigations. Officers were identified. Statements were issued. Serious faces were worn. Because nothing says national security like vibes.
So… what is “Yeye Culture”?
There is no official dictionary definition, but Malaysians are very good at reading between the lines.
“Yeye culture” seems to refer to all of the following:
- Bringing non‑authorised individuals into camps
- Hanging out instead of standing at attention
- Parties instead of parade practice
- Alcohol allegedly being present
- A general ‘relax lah, boss not around’ energy
In short: behaviour that looks more like a messy college party than a disciplined military environment.
Is it illegal? That depends.
Is it against military rules? Apparently yes.
Is it shocking? Hmm. That one we need to talk about.
Why The Army Is Against It (Official Version)
According to official statements, the Army is against “yeye culture” because it breaches discipline, it violates regulations, it damages the image of the Armed Forces, and it affects public trust.
Fair enough.
The military is built on structure, hierarchy, and rules. Not vibes. Not TikTok energy. Not lepak culture.
When soldiers start acting like they’re at a bachelor party instead of a barracks, someone has to say, “Eh, hello?”
So yes. On paper, the Army has every right to be upset.
This is where Malaysians tilt their heads - because let’s be honest, nobody believes this behaviour started last month.
Are we seriously saying this is brand new? Nobody ever brought outsiders into camps before? Officers suddenly forgot discipline only in 2026?
Please lah.
This feels less like “we just discovered this” and more like “now everyone discovered this.”
The problem isn’t that it happened. The problem is that it went viral.
In Malaysia, things only become wrong when they become embarrassing.
The Real Question We’re Avoiding
Here’s the spicy part. When similar things happen outside the Army:
- Office affairs? Biasa lah.
- Boss brings girlfriend to company trip? As long as work done.
- Politicians partying? Personal life.
- Celebrities? Don’t judge.
But when it happens in uniform? Suddenly it’s about morality. Suddenly it’s about national values. Suddenly everyone remembers discipline. Interesting, no?
The behaviour didn’t shock us. The uniform did.
Is the Army angry because the behaviour is immoral?
Or because it happened in the wrong place? With the wrong people watching? And at the wrong time?
Because if we’re being honest, Malaysian society has always been very flexible about morals - as long as nobody records it.
Yeye culture is not new. What’s new is visibility. The Army is not wrong to enforce discipline. But let’s not pretend this is a sudden moral awakening.
This is about control, image, and damage management. And that’s okay. Just don’t sell it to us like it’s a shocking discovery.
We’re Malaysians. We know how this works. We’re not shocked. Just entertained.
The behaviour didn’t shock us. The uniform did.
Is the Army angry because the behaviour is immoral?
Or because it happened in the wrong place? With the wrong people watching? And at the wrong time?
Because if we’re being honest, Malaysian society has always been very flexible about morals - as long as nobody records it.
Yeye culture is not new. What’s new is visibility. The Army is not wrong to enforce discipline. But let’s not pretend this is a sudden moral awakening.
This is about control, image, and damage management. And that’s okay. Just don’t sell it to us like it’s a shocking discovery.
We’re Malaysians. We know how this works. We’re not shocked. Just entertained.
***
The Officers' Mess is like a club - in fact it IS a club, meant for all officers. Hence it can be rendered PRIVATE, very very private, and facilitate very TOP "people" partying from prying eyes - that's when monkey business (call it ye-ye or whatever) happened and happens, for aeons.
That's what it is - ye-ye or monkey business for TOP people, to jolly etc etc etc away from prying (wives') eyes, wakakaka.
And when I say 'TOP people' I mean very very TOP people.
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