The official Star Wars Day this year has a whole new meaning for Malaysians and Musk as he welcomes baby boy with partner Grimes

By HARIZAH KAMEL

EVERY year on May 4, fans of the Star Wars franchise would flood the Internet with “May the 4th” wishes, taken from the “may the force be with you” quote as it is the official Star Wars Day.

However, for Malaysians, May 4 this year had a whole new meaning.

After more than six weeks of being cooped up at home, with many on the verge of losing their jobs, the Movement Control Order (MCO) was eased and almost all businesses were allowed to resume.

Under the Conditional MCO, roadblocks were lifted, the public can travel more than 10km and certain outdoor sports are allowed, among others.

Malaysians wished each other “May the 4th”, but not in the Star Wars context. Instead, they wished for each other’s safety, especially for those going back to work and exposing themselves to the pandemic.

Netizen @brendayee tweeted: “Let’s not forget this time of our lives, how hard we struggled and the sacrifices it took to get us all here. Be mindful, be patient, be safe. May the 4th be with you and the rest of Malaysia.”

Another Twitter user @zacknorman97 questioned whether going back to work is the right move for the country when, at the time, new Covid-19 cases jumped to 122 after the country enjoyed days of double-digit records.

“Today is #MayThe4th in Malaysia, and it’s also the first day of our partial lockdown’s gradual easing.

“After two weeks of double-digit cases and a steady decrease, it shot back up to 122 yesterday! Is this really the right move?” he said.

On the same date, Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk (picture) welcomed a baby boy with his partner, Canadian musician Claire Boucher, known professionally as Grimes.

The pair’s choice of name for the child made global headlines, especially on how to pronounce it.

Musk announced his son’s name —XÆA-12—to his 33.8 million Twitter followers.

The Internet was taken by storm with memes, jokes and people trying to solve the formula behind the baby’s name.

On comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, Musk explained the reason and meaning behind X Æ A-12.

“My partner was the one who came up with most of the name.

“It’s just the letter X, the Æ is pronounced ‘ash’ and then A-12 is my contribution,” he said.

He added that A-12 or Archangel 12 was the precursor to reconnaissance aircraft Lockheed SR-71.

Later last week, Malaysians were riled up at various animal videos which were shared on social media platforms.

First, a video of a dog being hung on a tree trunk by its neck with the perpetrator just looking on went viral.

A passerby who recorded the video told him to release the canine which had stopped moving, and threatened to make a police report. The perpetrator challenged this by saying he was not doing anything wrong.

A track down by the police found that the incident took place at Batu 17, Sungai Sedu, Banting-Klang road, Selangor.

Reports said the dog is now with the Animal Welfare Division of the Department of Veterinarian Services.

The offender was a 45-year-old local man who claimed the dog was his. The unemployed man has been receiving treatment at Banting Hospital for the past three years for mental problems.

He was detained by the Animal Welfare Division and handed over to the police.

Meanwhile, a video of a group of women crushing a kitten to death with their feet had also gained attention from the authorities after receiving reports from the public.

Further investigation by netizens revealed that the gruesome incident took place in Brazil in 2015.

According to reports, actions were already taken against the women.