The Rise of the Malay Man Bun …

Once upon a time, the average Malay man was known for his clean-cut appearance and pomade-slicked hair, parted with military precision—almost always sporting his parents’ silent (or very vocal) stamp of approval.

Hair was more than just style; it was discipline.

Growing up, my father had a simple, unwavering rule: his two sons were to keep their hair short while they were in school. It wasn't up for debate, nor was it a passing preference—it was a standard, one he believed reflected discipline, order, and a proper upbringing. Every month or so, like clockwork, my brothers were marched to the barber’s chair for their trims.

At the time, short hair was just part of the routine—as natural and expected as wearing a school uniform. As we grew older, the haircuts never stopped. Long after our father stopped enforcing the rule, my brothers continued to keep their hair short. Not because they had to, but because they had come to prefer it that way.

But in recent years, a quiet rebellion has taken root—one that started not with megaphones or manifestos, but with loose strands of hair pulled into a knot.

Enter the man bun: half hairstyle, half personality.

Once the calling card of yoga instructors and bohemian artists, the man bun has now been fully localised. No longer a niche urban oddity, it’s been absorbed, reinterpreted, and embraced. 

The Malay man—once loyal to the Indian barbershop—has now taken full ownership of the knot.

What often begins as an innocent case of "Malas nak potong lah" quickly spirals into a full-blown identity shift.

And just when we thought the trend couldn’t be tied any tighter, along came a politician with a low knot that made Malaysians do a double take—of both his hairstyle preferences and his political leanings.

With one viral clip, the man bun became less of a lifestyle and more of a national talking point. What does it mean when your former elected representative—who may or may not contest in the next general election—looks like he might also sell cold brew at a weekend art market?

Even a senior member of a royal family was once spotted with enough hair to tie into a respectable man bun.

Suddenly, it wasn’t just a trend. It was a cultural reckoning.

If the highest figures in the land could entertain the man bun, who were we to resist?