It’s truly an extraordinary time to be alive. Not because of medical breakthroughs, AI advancements, or space exploration — but because we are now witnessing, in full view, the determined efforts of some of our elected officials to rewrite biology in the name of political posturing.

Yes, dear reader, it appears we now have a Yang Berhormat who has taken up the noble crusade of renaming Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, for the sole reason that it sounds too… ridding ourselves of anything colonial.

Let that sink in.

Instead of tackling the crushing cost of living, environmental degradation, or the state of education — we are being treated to a linguistic safari where scientific nomenclature is suddenly offensive. All in the name of ridding ourselves of the imperial shadow cast by Sir Stamford Raffles, as if colonial trauma can be healed by rebranding botany.

Let us be clear: Rafflesia is not a brand. It is not a street name. It is the scientific name of a genus of parasitic flowering plants found right here in Southeast Asia — one that predates your parliamentary career, YB, and if we’re lucky, will outlive it.

Changing the name Rafflesia doesn’t decolonize anything. It just announces to the world that you have no idea how scientific classification works. You can call Rafflesia by any other name - Hadi Awang, Najib bosku, Anwar ketimbang, or even Ghazally - that’s fine. We already have a name for such magnificent name Bunga Pakma, but its name remains Rafflesia. By that same logic, perhaps next week we should rename Homo sapiens as well? After all, “Homo” might confuse those less inclined toward Latin, and “sapiens” suggests wisdom — which clearly not all who belong to the species possess in equal measure.

But even if you renamed Homo sapiens to “Homo Akmarensis” , after your like-minded comrades in stupidity and moronic thoughts, human would still exist. Humanity would march on. And yes, Rafflesia would still bloom in our jungles, unbothered by your identity crisis.

You are not challenging colonialism, YB. You are embarrassing the very Parliament you swore to serve — reducing a serious legacy of colonial injustice into a cheap branding exercise. What’s next? Rename Newton’s Laws because Newton is white, wasn’t a Malaysian? 

This level of discourse does not elevate the dignity of the Dewan. It turns it into a parody of itself. You, sir, have not distinguished yourself as a thinker — merely as another Homo sapien of very small brain, if any at all. 

Let’s leave Rafflesia alone. The flower may smell like death, but it pales in comparison to the intellectual decay we’re witnessing under your watch.