If you’ve ever noticed children clinging to their mum's side during a family gathering, or running first to their maternal grandparents instead of their paternal ones, you’ve witnessed what experts call the matrilineal advantage.

It's a universal pattern seen across cultures — and Malaysia is no exception. Simply put, matrilineal advantage refers to the emotional closeness and stronger bonds children tend to have with their mothers and their mother’s side of the family. This phenomenon isn’t about favouritism — it's rooted in centuries of caregiving traditions, social expectations and even evolutionary logic.