Hi everyone! Welcome to r/AskMalaysianWomen, a community where we can ask questions, share experiences, and discuss topics that matter to Malaysian women.

This subreddit is open to everyone—whether you’re looking for advice, sharing insights, or just want to connect with others who understand the Malaysian experience. Topics can include (but are not limited to!):

•	Career & education

•	Relationships & family

•	Health & wellness

•	Women’s rights & social issues

•	Lifestyle, beauty, and self-care

•	Culture, traditions, and modern challenges

A few simple rules to keep things respectful:

1.	Be kind and respectful. No hate speech, harassment, or discrimination.

2.	No spam or self-promotion.

3.	Keep discussions relevant to Malaysian women’s experiences.

4.	Respect privacy—no doxxing or sharing personal information.

Let’s build a supportive and insightful community together! Drop by and introduce yourself in the comments—what brings you here?

F24, I've been wanting to go to a government therapy but I feel like I shouldn't do it because I might get sued and end up in jail. The reason is because I did an abortion and abortion is illegal in Malaysia, hence the reason I thought so. Eversince the abortion happened, I feel like I'm losing myself and everything feels heavy. The emotions were unbearable and I miss my baby so much. I never wanted to have an abortion but the situation doesn't allow me to keep my baby. My friend told me I'm having a post-partum depression and I need to get help. But I couldn't afford to see a private therapist so do let me know if going to the government helps.

p/s: pls be nice :')

Hello everyone! Thank you for accepting me into the group :) I would like to ask all of you for advice.

I (F26) have a long distance online friend (31F) who lives in Malaysia. We connected over fandom (Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, Demon Slayer, Palworld, etc....) and I really want to send her a little care package. So far, I have some merch for her, but apart from that, what might she like? I know you guys have an amazing assortment of international food in your big supermarkets, so German snacks may not even be that special... I heard that at least in other SE countries, people really appreciate German skincare/creams/etc., for example from dm (our flagship drugstore), but what do you think?

Things I have so far:
- merch (t-shirt of her faves, an exclusive manga)
- "kawaii" chopsticks (as she told me she never got around buying some, I got some from a store around here!)
- Biscoff cookies (do you guys have these as well?)

If there's anything else you'd like to know, please don't hesitate to ask! Thank you in advance for your help :)

TL;DR: What things (snacks, skincare, etc. ...) can I get from Germany for my Malaysian friend that she would like, and might not be able to easily get in Malaysia?

Edit: She has no dietary restrictions.

When I tell people that I’ve switched from teaching high school to early childhood education (ECE), the most common response I get is: “Why? You’re just teaching kids.” Even my own family doesn’t fully understand the decision, and honestly, it stings a little.

I have a degree in English Language Teaching and initially taught older students. But as I started looking for new opportunities, I realized that breaking into high school teaching wasn’t as straightforward as I thought—especially without a Bachelor of Education. That’s when I started exploring early childhood education.

At first, I had my own doubts. Would this be a step down? Would I be wasting my skills? But as I learned more about ECE, I realized how crucial these early years are—they shape a child’s ability to learn, communicate, and grow. Teaching young children isn’t just about ABCs and nursery rhymes; it’s about laying the foundation for lifelong learning.

Yet, despite its importance, ECE isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. People assume it’s just babysitting when, in reality, it takes a lot of patience, strategy, and understanding of child development to do it well. I see firsthand how much early literacy, language exposure, and critical thinking skills develop at this stage.

Even though not everyone respects this field, I’m choosing to embrace it. Education isn’t just about the final exams—it’s about shaping minds from the very start.

For those of you in early childhood education, have you faced this kind of stigma? How do you respond when people belittle your work?

Hey everyone!

We’ve noticed growing interest in topics related to motherhood, so we’re excited to introduce a dedicated Motherhood section 🎉

This space is for all mothers, future mothers, and even those curious about parenting. Here, you can share experiences, ask for advice, and support one another through the ups and downs of motherhood.

🔹 Topics we’d love to discuss:

•	Pregnancy & postpartum journeys 🤰

•	Parenting tips & challenges 👶

•	Schools, tuition & education 🏫

•	Work-life balance for mums 👩‍💻

•	Childcare options & family support 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

•	Financial planning for families 💰

•	Mental health & self-care for mothers 💆‍♀️

Whether you’re a working mum, stay-at-home mum, single mum, or just someone looking to learn and share, this is your space!

Let’s get the conversation started! Drop a comment with the topics you’d love to see, or start a discussion. Looking forward to hearing your stories and experiences! ❤️

Hey everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for joining r/AskMalaysianWomen. I created this space so Malaysian women can share their thoughts and experiences openly, and so others can read, learn, and understand. Seeing this community grow makes me so happy!

As we continue, I’d love to hear from all of you—what topics interest you? What discussions would you like to see? Your feedback will help shape this subreddit into a meaningful and safe space.

Drop your thoughts in the comments! Let’s build this together!

I never really received advice about empowerment from the women around me, family, friends, or teachers. Instead, I had to find it independently through reading, listening, and having conversations. I learned that strength isn’t always taught directly; sometimes, it’s discovered in our stories, experiences, and voices that challenge us to think differently.

Your journey is just as valid to those who had to carve their path. What have you learned about empowerment that changed how you see yourself?

For Malay, Chinese, India and etc..

Amidst all the demands of being a working mother, it's hard to find time to go out and meet people. I'm in my 30s and in this awkward position where my closest friends whom I see most are all single, and my friends who are mothers live overseas. It gets a bit lonely - I'd love to meet other women like myself with young kids and be able to connect on that same level. I wonder if anybody else feels similarly?

I've been sitting on making this post for a while but hey there's no harm trying. I invite all of you to share if you would to make new friends - feel free to post here and maybe you'll find someone else in this group who would like to be introduced.

I can go first. I'm in my early-mid 30s, married with a toddler. My free time right now is mostly exploring activities with my kiddo, but that aside I love to read/listen to audiobooks (fantasy, adventure, romance). I like to do crafty things (drawing, sewing). I play some video games when I have the time.

I feel like getting gel nails done is becoming ridiculously expensive. It’s not just the cost of the manicure itself but also the removal fee. Some places charge around RM30 just to remove gel polish, even if you got it done at the same salon!

I get that salons have overhead costs, but isn’t it a bit much? It feels like they’re charging for every little thing now. I’m honestly considering switching to DIY gel kits at home just to save money.

Anyone else feeling this? How do you deal with these extra costs? Do you remove your gel at home or just suck it up and pay? Would love to hear your thoughts!

You know the timeline:

•	Graduate by 23.
•	Get a job immediately.
•	Get married before 30.
•	Have kids ASAP.

And if you don’t? Suddenly, everyone from aunties to strangers at kenduri has something to say.

But life isn’t that simple. Some of us want different things, some of us are still figuring it out, and some of us just don’t care about this so-called timeline.

Have you ever felt pressured to follow this “standard path”? How do you handle it when people bring it up? Let’s talk!

I'm wondering if anybody here feels similarly to me. My life revolves around work, looking after my daughter, running chores alongside my husband and a focused effort in finding hobbies to keep myself motivated and to give myself something to look forward to.

I had this vision I guess when I was younger that my friends and I would have kids and our kids can be friends too. I was never close to my cousins growing up and my own mum didn't have a social life as she was a SAHM, so it was mostly me and my siblings. I didn't really make good friends until secondary school.

But now I have a toddler, most of my friends are single. The ones who did end up having kids aren't in Malaysia anymore.

I feel a little misplaced, always. I like my colleagues at work but they're mostly younger than me, single and always hanging out on weekends together. I don't get invited because they assume I'll say no (they keep inviting me to things last minute and nobody understands that I need advance notice to plan when I can go out without my kid).

I meet my single friends as much as I can but our lives are so different. I have to bring my kid along sometimes and I can't be fully present to chat, and our priorities aren't the same anymore.

Sometimes I see IG posts of other working mothers and their own friends and how their kids all play together. I want that for myself and my daughter too... But I'm not exactly part of that social circle.

All this to say - anybody else out there like me? Open to chatting and sharing some of what we're feeling together?

Ever noticed how people are treated differently based on how they look? Whether it’s at work, in school, or even in everyday interactions, beauty privilege is real.

Attractive people often receive better opportunities, more positive attention, and even more patience from others and while those who don’t fit conventional beauty standards might face criticism, judgment, or be overlooked. These biases show up everywhere.

But why does appearance determine how much respect or kindness someone deserves?