COMMENT | Did the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute (Naafi) of the British colonial era influence the so-called yeye culture now under scrutiny in Malaysia’s armed forces?

The answer is "No", but the contrast matters.

Naafi is referenced here only as context, not a cause: it shows how military social spaces can operate under strict discipline and enforcement, in contrast to today’s problems, which stem from leadership tolerance and weak accountability.

“Budaya yeye” (yeye culture) is not a colonial legacy; more importantly, it is a leadership failure.

Naafi’s legacy

Wherever British forces were...