This is the 777th most frequent Malay word.
mengelak
To avoid or evade.
In this sentence, 'mengelak' is used to mean avoiding or evading responsibility or action, as the person is avoiding answering a question.
Dia cuba mengelak daripada menjawab soalan itu.
He tried to evade answering that question.
Here, 'mengelak' describes a physical action of moving to the side to avoid danger, showing its meaning of dodging something physically.
Kereta itu segera mengelak ke tepi untuk mengelakkan kemalangan.
The car immediately swerved to the side to avoid an accident.
In this instance, 'mengelak' conveys the sense of avoiding certain truths by giving excuses.