A viral video showing a man believed to be Rohingya being questioned and having two bottles of drinking water taken from him has left many uncomfortable, with some saying that basic needs should never be used as content.
The clip, which was shared on Threads, showed a local actor and content creator confronting the man together with his friends, while asking where he had gotten the water from.
Took away two bottles of drinking water
In the video, the actor was seen questioning the man about the two bottles of drinking water he was holding.
However, the man appeared confused and did not answer the questions being asked.
The actor then appeared to tell the man that the water “belonged to Malaysians” and that he was not allowed to have it.
Where did you take the water from? This is water belonging to Malaysians. Take it, take it. Confiscate it,” he was heard saying.
Following that, the actor and his friends were seen taking the bottles away from the man.
In the same video, one of the actor’s friends was also seen lifting the man’s arm and checking his pockets and clothing, in a manner that some netizens felt resembled an authority-style inspection.
The actor later said that he would bring the man to the police station.
While the video quickly went viral, it is believed that that the clip may have been made merely for content as another video involving the Rohingya community was also uploaded recently.
Checks on the actor’s social media account found that he often posts parody clips and videos with social themes.
‘Water is a basic need!’
Despite the possibility that the clip was staged or made for content, many netizens still felt that the way it was presented was inappropriate.
Many also criticised the actor and his friends for taking matters into their own hands.
One netizen said that water is a basic necessity and should not be denied to anyone, regardless of whether the person is Malaysian or a foreigner.
“We should push the government to act, not simply take matters into our own hands,” the netizen added.
Another netizen urged content creators to stop making videos of this nature.
Some also questioned the message behind the video, saying that even if it was made as content, it could still normalise humiliating others in public.
One netizen said he did not blindly defend foreigners, but asked how Malaysians would feel if they were treated the same way while trying to earn a living in another country.
Another commenter said the man in the video could have felt wronged by the way he was treated.
Another netizen said that confronting people in such a manner is not part of Malaysian culture, adding that if the Rohingya man had truly committed an offence, the proper thing to do would be to lodge a report and leave the matter to the authorities.
However, not everyone disagreed with the actor’s actions.
Some netizens defended the video, saying that many people were being too emotional in their reactions.
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