This is perhaps the most iconic romantic sub-plot in Malay media, popularized by P. Ramlee’s films. The Rivalry:
Malay romance fiction and dramas frequently use specific formulas to explore these themes: Hi Bye, Mama! Ibu Melayu Sex 3gp
The ideal Ibu Melayu in the 20th-century romantic novel was the Batu Tungku (the hearthstone). She was stoic. Her love was tulus (sincere) but dry. Her romance was limited to worrying whether her husband had eaten nasi lemak or not. Romantic storylines involving an older Malay woman were almost exclusively tragedies: a widow living in nostalgia for her late husband, or a Mak Andam (bridal beautician) who cries at weddings because she never had a love marriage herself. This is perhaps the most iconic romantic sub-plot