ditelan mati emak, diluah mati bapak

Malay

Etymology

Literally "swallowed by mother's death, spitted by father's death", meaning if the person's parents were perished, one would suffer in a difficult situation, because no one will take care or provide the needs of their children, the result is that children who lost their parents would affect their future.

Prepositional phrase

ditelan mati emak, diluah mati bapak

1. (idiomatic) between a rock and a hard place, to have the wolf by the ear