Across the country, from urban Kuala Lumpur to kampungs, the lived reality is far more complex: not all families built by blood are nurturing, and sometimes, the people who stand by us most firmly are not those who share our surname but those we choose to call family.
Generational divide
Many tolerated strained relationships with parents, siblings or cousins because “that is just how family is”. A difficult uncle, a controlling auntie or even neglectful parents were endured under the belief that loyalty to bloodlines was non-negotiable.
Instead, they value sincerity, emotional support and respect, qualities often found in chosen families built among close friends, mentors and even colleagues.
It is often said parenthood is more than biology. In polite terms, some parents act only as “givers of life” but not as nurturers. In Malaysia, there are countless stories of children raised by grandparents, relatives or foster parents while their biological parents remained absent or uninvolved.
Similarly, many young adults today share their deepest emotional support does not come from home but from peers.
Malaysia’s chosen families
These groups celebrate Hari Raya, Chinese New Year or Deepavali together, often because they feel more warmth and acceptance in those spaces than at their own relatives’s gatherings.
Social media has amplified the message: family is about loyalty, not DNA.
To speak openly about toxic relatives was once taboo. Culturally, questioning elders or refusing family obligations could be seen as shameful. Yet more Malaysians now acknowledge the pain inflicted by controlling or abusive relatives.
For many, it is their chosen families who step in during these times. Friends are the ones offering a couch to sleep on, a loan to get through the month or emotional reassurance when life unravels. Unlike certain relatives who may appear only during times of success, chosen families often remain constant in hardship.
Loyalty is what transforms acquaintances into family. In Malaysia, loyalty is expressed not only through big sacrifices but also through small, consistent gestures: visiting a sick friend, showing up at court when someone faces legal troubles or simply listening without judgment.
Redefining family during festivities
Increasingly, young Malaysians treat “family dinners” as an act of choice, not obligation. Whether it is celebrating with housemates, coursemates or a tight group of friends, these chosen families provide joy without the emotional baggage often tied to blood relatives.
In a multicultural nation such as Malaysia, where community ties extend beyond race and religion, it makes sense that family can be self-defined. Loyalty bridges gaps that ancestry cannot.
The future of family in Malaysia lies not in rigid bloodlines, but in flexible circles of trust. Just as our country embraces diversity, individuals are learning to embrace families of choice.
The truth is simple yet profound: blood may connect people by name, but it does not guarantee love, respect or loyalty. Many Malaysians today recognise their truest families are not necessarily those they were born into, but those they build.
And perhaps that is the most Malaysian lesson of all: in a nation built on pluralism and shared lives, real family is never about blood alone. It is about who stays, who supports and who chooses you as much as you choose them.
Hence then, the article about looking for bonds beyond blood was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Looking for bonds beyond blood )
Also on site :
- Tom Cruise Reportedly Thinks Nicole Kidman’s Divorce Is ‘Karma’ For How He Was ‘Villainized’ During Their Split—He Took ‘So Much Grief’ From Her
- Howard Stern addresses Oprah ‘feud’ after years of criticism: ‘I love Oprah’
- ‘MAGA is sinking’: Babe, wake up, Marjorie Taylor Greene just told Trump ‘no’ to his face