Kuala Lampur, Dec. 9 -- In the recent Sabah state election, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) was decisively routed, swept completely off the map. Yet what was most striking was not the defeat itself, but the chilling silence that followed. No outrage. No sympathy. Not even a sigh of regret.

Instead, an unprecedented wave of schadenfreude washed across social media.

On Chinese platforms, the response was perhaps the clearest indicator of current sentiment.

The moment DAP collapsed in Sabah, comment sections exploded not with sympathy, but with sarcasm and laughter.

On election night, I was at a wedding dinner when news broke that DAP had been wiped out. Someone at the table let out a cold laugh. Another quipped: "Good job, Sabahans. N...