ke belakang pusing

Meanings

1. To make an about-turn; more precisely, to turn 180 degrees clockwise, then stomp one’s left foot.
2. To turn around and retrace one’s steps (e.g., when one has lost their way or gone in the wrong direction); to turn around and run away (e.g., from a problematic situation).

1. A 180° turn; an about-turn.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Malay ke belakang pusing, a military drill command used in the Singapore Armed Forces, meaning to “turn and face the rear”, i.e., to turn 180 degrees and face the other way.