Most people get emotional over lost childhood items.
But one Malaysian man received his bantal busuk (smelly pillow) back in a way he never expected—encased in a glass box like an ancient artifact.
Bantal busuk goes MIA for 5 years
TikTok user @muniswaranharirama recently shared a story that has Malaysians in stitches.
His beloved bantal busuk, which had been with him since he was four years old, mysteriously disappeared in 2020 when he moved houses. Like any bantal busuk loyalist, he assumed it was lost forever.
But plot twist—his friend had secretly “stolen” it.
The ‘rehab’ plan: 3 years to break the addiction
Speaking to WeirdKaya, he shared that his friend read a study that claimed if someone stays away from an item they’re addicted to for three years, they’ll forget about it and no longer be dependent on it.
This was apparently a well-intentioned intervention because he always eat or even watch TV with the pillow nearby.
His housemates saw the situation and thought, “Hmm, not okay.”
So they decided to test the scientific method.
But instead of three years, they kept it for five years—just to be extra sure.
A birthday surprise fit for a museum exhibit
After almost half a decade of separation, the bantal busuk finally made a grand comeback—as a birthday gift this year.
But this was no ordinary reunion.
His friend encased the pillow in a glass display box, complete with childhood photos and a plaque that made it look like an exhibit from a national history museum.
The plaque even read “MIMEE 1996 – 2019”, as if the pillow had tragically “passed away.”
“I don’t need it anymore”
Shockingly, the man admitted that after five years apart, he no longer needs his bantal busuk.
Looks like the ‘rehabilitation programs’ actually worked.
@muniswaranharirama ne lh bantal busuk tambi dari umur 4 tahun, last 2020 pindah rumah ingtkan tercicir or tertinggal kt mana2, rupa2 nyer member katek tambi ne simpan selama selama 4 tahun semata2 nk bagi gift hari jadi tambi bulan january 😭
♬ original sound – Tambi Mamat Insurance AIA
Netizens, however, had their own take on it. Some called it “the real heritage item”, while another joked, “I thought that was a stone for heating.”
