A Malaysian woman has gone viral after sharing her experience riding with a Grab driver who disclosed that he suffers from a rare metabolic disorder that can cause a strong body odour often described as fish-like.
The post has since sparked widespread sympathy online, with many praising the driver for his honesty and effort in maintaining cleanliness despite his condition.
Driver placed sign in car explaining condition
In a Threads post, a netizen named @husnazaris shared a photo of a sign displayed inside the vehicle.
The sign read: ‘Hello, I am a Grab driver suffering from a metabolic disorder with no cure. But I am clean. Hope you understand.’
It also referenced the TMAU Awareness Foundation.
Passenger says driver tried his best to minimise smell
In a follow-up comment, the passenger clarified that while the condition can cause a fish-like odour, the driver had done his best to manage it.
She said the car was clean and smelled pleasant, adding that the driver had even chewed gum before she entered the vehicle.
Due to his efforts, she urged others not to judge people too quickly based on body odour alone.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, the woman, Husna admitted she initially noticed a slight smell during the ride but did not realise where it came from at first.
To be honest, I thought the smell was coming from me,” she said jokingly.
However, she stressed that the odour was not strong and that the driver had clearly gone out of his way to minimise it.
Driver made extra effort to keep passengers comfortable
According to her, the driver had chewed gum before greeting her, kept his car clean, used air freshener, and even prepared extra face masks for passengers.
She described him as a thoughtful person who had clearly put in effort despite his condition.
He is indeed a very thoughtful person,” she said.
As the ride was short and she was feeling unwell at the time, the two did not speak much during the journey.
Hopes public will be more empathetic
The woman said she decided to share the experience online in hopes of encouraging others to be more understanding towards people with invisible medical conditions.
I hope people will have more empathy towards others and not judge first when they do not know the full story,” she said.
“Not everyone is as lucky as you, especially when it comes to health conditions.”
She added that many people may be silently struggling to cope with or hide conditions others know nothing about.
The least we can do is be more empathetic and kind.”
What is trimethylaminuria?
According to information shared in the post, the driver suffers from trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish odour syndrome.
It is a rare metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to properly break down trimethylamine, causing a strong fish-like smell to be released through sweat, breath, and urine.
While there is currently no cure, symptoms may be managed through dietary control and lifestyle adjustments.
Netizens express sympathy and support
Many netizens said the post served as an important reminder that not everyone with body odour is simply neglecting hygiene.
Some also expressed sadness that the driver felt the need to publicly explain his condition to avoid being judged by passengers.
One commenter wrote: ‘The fact that he has to display that sign hurts my heart. I hope he is always blessed with good رزق. (wealth).’
Another said: ‘This educates me and reminds me to be kind, because we never know what people are going through.’
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