KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Long associated with illegal street racing and reckless behaviour, drifting in Malaysia is still often viewed through the lens of its ‘hooligan’ image — a misconception many in the community say no longer reflects the motorsport’s reality today.

Yet for the drivers themselves, that perception misses the point entirely as the appeal is far more nuanced and some even describe it as an experience that goes beyond adrenaline.

“I don’t quite know how to explain it, it’s like putting the car out of control, yet still being in control.

“But if you talk about the biggest misconception everyone has about drifters, which I think is slowing down now, it’s that drifters are street racers,” Beysshwen Dasnamurthy, who goes by “Bear”, told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

For many in Malaysia’s drifting scene, this experience offers a sense of control, expression and escape which continues to draw in newcomers despite the risks and costs involved.

That growing interest has also helped push the scene to evolve into a more organised, community-driven motorsport, as drifters and organisers work to create safer, more structured pathways through grassroots programs and independently organised events.

Beysshwen said drifting is like many things that begin informally on the streets before evolving into something more structured, much like how early human life began in caves but did not remain there.

Drifting traces its roots to Japan in the 1970s, where drivers began experimenting with controlled oversteer on winding mountain roads, or touge.

The technique involves deliberately inducing a loss of traction while maintaining control, allowing the car to slide through an entire corner with precision and balance.

What started as an informal street technique gradually evolved into a defined motorsport, with organised competitions emerging in Japan by the 1980s and 1990s.  

“The idea is that the sport has to evolve and become more professional,” Beysshwen said.

Chen Wing Hong, who goes by “Wing” and is also a friend of Bear, said drifting’s relatively low barrier to entry appeals to aspiring drivers looking to start from scratch.

“It’s like if I want to be an F1 driver, I can’t just start now and become an F1 driver because I would need a huge amount of funding and backing.

“But drifting is where with RM15,000, you can buy a second-hand car and start learning,” said Chen,  who started drifting with Beysshwen as early as 2019.

While the motorsport remains open to newcomers at the grassroots level, Beysshwen said the gap widens quickly at the competitive level where costs can escalate sharply due to specialised modifications, high-performance parts and professional support teams.

“That is why entering drift isn’t hard but competition-wise, it gets very expensive because you have guys spending RM600,000 to RM700,000 on their cars, with the best tyres in the world and the best teams in the world to compete,” he said.

Chen and Beysshwen posing with their modified Corolla KE70, the car that kickstarted their drifting journey back in 2019. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

It was for this very reason that Drift Underground — an independently organised annual event started by Chen and Beysshwen in 2024 — was launched, providing drifters an avenue to earn a side income while showcasing their skills in a controlled and safe environment.

“Drivers are given free admission and at the same time they can start making money as well because every taxi ride that they do, they are going to get a certain cut from that,” he said.

A drift taxi ride is a paid passenger experience where a skilled driver takes a passenger for a high-speed drift run on a controlled track.

Overcoming stereotypes

For many in Malaysia’s drifting scene, the relationship between driver and car goes beyond simple control, becoming a near-symbiotic connection where instinct and machine work in unison.

Drifter Bryan Ho Ruey Ren, said aspiring drivers often quickly realise it is unlike conventional driving when they first start out.

“So you are going sideways, it’s going out of control, but you are still controlling (the car) and at the same time they would begin to learn the car’s potential and maximum capability.

“As familiarity builds, the body begins to react instinctively and that is how we feel the car as one,” Ho, who works as a full-time renovation contractor, told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

The 30-year-old, who began drifting in 2022, also acknowledged the “hooligan” image often associated with the sport — where drivers are normally seen doing “crazy” and aggressive things — but said the reality is quite the opposite.

“There are many drivers who started on the street but at events like Drift Underground, we want to promote proper and professional drifting,” he said.

Ho poses for a picture with his modified BMW E46 at Drift Underground 2026 held at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan. — Picture by Yusof Isa

For full-time professional magician Mark Yong, a vehicle mishap during a downhill drive at Genting Highlands became the turning point that motivated him to take up drifting to confront and overcome his fear.

Yong, who drives a modified Corolla E70 featuring a distinctive black-and-white livery inspired by Japanese police vehicles, said he was drawn to drifting for its adrenaline-fuelled nature as well as its ties to Japanese subculture.

“It pumps up my heart, keeps me excited, and makes me want to learn more and improve my skills,” he said.

“After learning drifting, to be honest, I drive pretty slowly on the road now.”

He also acknowledged that drifting is often associated with illegal street activity, where some do it on public roads. 

However, he stressed that their approach is very different, saying they aim to keep it professional and avoid causing trouble. 

“We do it on a safe course, we rent a place and do it there,” the 41-year-old father said, adding that even when mistakes happen, they remain within a controlled environment and do not endanger others.

Yong poses for a picture with his modified Corolla E70 at Drift Underground 2026 held at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan. — Picture by Yusof Isa

Mohd Said Halil, 43, who has been drifting since he was 24, said drifting is still often misunderstood and unfairly associated with reckless street behaviour or “rempit” culture.

“To help people understand, we show them our cars’ specifications. 

“These are not simply rempit cars, our vehicles are properly built and equipped to participate in major events,” said Mohd Said who drives a modified Corolla KE70 that belonged to his son.

He stressed that competitive drifting today is far more technical and structured than many assume, involving heavily modified cars built to professional specifications for sanctioned events and controlled environments.

From learning by observing more experienced drivers long before YouTube tutorials existed, to crashing into walls and trees while honing his skills, he said drifting taught him discipline, control and a deeper understanding of the car’s limits.

With greater access to information and technological advancement, Chen said the scene is also evolving, making it easier for newcomers to learn the sport compared to its earlier days.

Where drivers once relied largely on observing experienced drifters and learning through trial and error, he said aspiring drifters today can train using simulators, watch online tutorials, and even receive coaching from former competitors who now mentor the younger generation.

“For some people, drifting serves as a way for drivers to better understand vehicle control and a car’s limits, particularly in situations where it loses traction. 

While some may already have experience racing on tracks or driving go-karts, he said many still do not fully understand how to react when a car skids. 

“Through drifting, drivers are able to experience that fear (in a controlled environment) and learn to control it,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — In Malaysia’s crowded and seemingly expanding e-commerce space, a different kind of competitor is gaining attention and making notable inroads — one where price trumps all and reshapes consumer expectations.

Founded in 2015 by Shanghai-based PDD Holdings, Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo has turned e-shopping into digital bargain-hunting, where prices fall further as more users participate.

True to its slogan, “Together, more savings, more fun,” the platform rewards collective purchasing — using bulk demand to drive prices down to levels that feel less like traditional retail and more like an endless clearance sale.

From group discounts to referral links, Pinduoduo’s social group-buying model blends sharing with aggressive discounting, making securing the lowest price into a “group sport”.

But did you know that before Pinduoduo became one of today’s leading online retailers, it initially started as an agricultural e-commerce platform to help Chinese farmers sell produce directly to urban consumers?

Pinduoduo now serves approximately 900 million users worldwide, with the company recently announcing roughly 432 billion yuan (US$61.8 billion or RM244.8 billion) in revenue for its Fiscal Year 2025 Unaudited Financial Results, an increase of about 38 billion yuan from the previous year.

While Pinduoduo primarily focuses on China, its parent company has aggressively expanded overseas through its sister platform, Temu, which launched in 2022.

Like Pinduoduo, Temu enables China-based vendors to sell and ship directly to customers without relying on local intermediaries, which keeps prices significantly lower for consumers in destination markets.

In Malaysia, Pinduoduo is available on the Apple App Store in both Simplified Chinese and English (it is not yet listed on the Google Play Store).

It currently offers a streamlined checkout experience limited to two payment methods, credit card and TNG eWallet (integrated in early March).

A ‘group sport’?

At its core, Pinduoduo operates much like any other e-commerce platform where users browse listings, compare prices, read reviews and place orders through a standard checkout process.

However, the key difference emerges at the point of purchase, where shoppers are given a choice — buy individually at a fixed price or opt into a group buy that unlocks cheaper prices if enough buyers join the deal.

This group-based option also known as pin dan is what sets Pinduoduo apart from other platforms, where users unlock deeper savings by sharing the purchase links with friends, family or even strangers.

Pinduoduo’s homescreen interface operates much like any other e-commerce platform, the key difference is that multiple consumers can opt into a group order to unlock cheaper prices through bulk purchases. — Picture courtesy of Pinduoduo

On Pinduoduo, group deals are often bound by a ticking clock — buyers typically have a limited window to form or join a deal before the discounted price expires and the order is automatically cancelled.

This time pressure not only drives urgency but also fuels the creation of informal bargain-hunting networks, where users coordinate bulk orders and share links in real time to secure enough participants before deals expire, turning group buying into a fast-moving, highly social effort — essentially a “group sport”.

The pressure is on

Although the platform has gained traction in Malaysia in recent months without a formal launch date, local businesses have raised concerns over its growing presence in the country’s online shopping landscape.

Through an aggressive low-price strategy, enabled by direct-from-manufacturer sourcing and bulk purchasing efficiencies, the platform lists many products at prices small and mid-sized local sellers struggle to match.

For many of these local sellers, competing on price alone will likely be a struggle, given Pinduoduo’s scale advantages and direct-from-factory supply chains. 

Potential shifts in consumer expectations toward cheaper goods and ease of payment are also valid concerns, especially if ultra-low prices for everyday goods become the baseline in the future.

By lowering friction at checkout through a simple, seamless payment experience and familiar digital wallet options, Pinduoduo reinforces impulse buying driven by its aggressive low-price strategy. 

For local sellers, this further intensifies competitive pressure by shortening consumers’ decision-making process and making price differences even more decisive in driving purchases.

Shoppers can choose to buy individually at a fixed price or opt into a group buy that unlocks cheaper prices with varying discount rates if enough buyers join the deal. — Picture courtesy of Pinduoduo

According to TNG Digital, which operates the TNG eWallet, there is encouraging momentum indicating Malaysian users are increasingly embracing the application not just as a payment tool, but as a gateway to a broader lifestyle ecosystem.

“Customers are drawn to the ease of discovering products, the smooth checkout journey and the overall value offered, including perks like free international shipping and no additional service charges.

“These elements combine to create a more rewarding and accessible shopping experience, which naturally drives repeat usage,” the company said in a brief reply about the latest customer uptake and usage patterns of TNG eWallet on Pinduoduo.

Although the immediate impact is felt through sharper price competition and shifting consumer behaviour, it remains to be seen how far local vendors can adapt by differentiating their service, speed and trust rather than relying on price alone.