A gentleman’s guide to digital chivalry in Malaysia

GC Illustration.

Yet here we are, where random Instagram comments can destroy a small business and anonymous Twitter feel bold enough to attack even the royals. Our elders taught us about budi bahasa, adab sopan, and timbang rasa. But scroll through Twitter (or should I say, X) on any given day, and you’ll see those very values being sacrificed at the altar of virality. Sarcasm is celebrated. Respect is ridiculed. And worst of all, faceless, nameless profiles—often created just to throw stones—are given more attention than those who speak with intelligence and dignity.

When Did Keyboard Warrior Become Power?

I ask this not just as a woman, but as a Malaysian who still believes that how we speak—yes, even behind a screen—is a reflection of who we are. The internet has enabled voices from every corner, but with it comes a darker freedom: the ability to hurt without consequence.

We’ve all seen it: fake profiles, keyboard warriors who delight in tearing down politicians, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and even everyday citizens. Screenshots are weaponised. Reputations are destroyed. And it begs the question—where is our maruah?

Some blame the anonymity, others the lack of repercussions. But in truth, the issue runs deeper: we’ve lost the art of dignified disagreement. It’s no longer enough to have a different opinion—you must annihilate your opponent, cancel them, and maybe throw in a racial slur or two for good measure.

Where, then, is the gentleman in all this noise?

The Gentleman’s Code in the Age of Virality

At GC, we’ve always believed that a true gentleman isn’t defined by his clothes, his car, or his bank account—but by his conduct, especially when no one is watching. In the realm of social media, that means choosing dignity over drama, restraint over retaliation.

He does not troll under a pseudonym. He does not pick fights in comment sections. He does not celebrate the downfall of others, even if they were wrong.

Instead, he crafts his words like a statesman—thoughtful, and never cheap. He defends the truth with facts, not feelings. He knows that real influence is not measured in followers or likes but in how people remember his character long after the comment fades.

This is the kind of digital chivalry Malaysia needs right now.

A Call to Digital Chivalry

To the young men reading this, remember this: your tweets, posts, and comments are an extension of your legacy. The internet never forgets, but neither do people. And how you carry yourself online will speak volumes about the kind of man you are becoming.

Let us reject the noisy mob of online hostility. Let us bring back the quiet strength of a man who knows that respect is not weakness, and compassion is not naiveté. Let us build a new standard for Malaysian masculinity—one tweet, one post, one noble act at a time.

From behind the screen, you can still stand tall.