The disabled (OKU) community in Malaysia have long faced discrimination and stigmatisation due to their physical disabilities. In some cases, they’ve even been mocked openly on social media.
A steamboat stall in Kedah faced intense backlash from netizens after a clip of one of its staff pretending to imitate an OKU person went viral, prompting a wave of condemnation for its poor taste.
M’sian steamboat stall staff pretends to be disabled
In the now-deleted clip which was shared by the steamboat stall, it showed a female staff attending to a customer at its premises.
All throughout the clip, the staff pretended to be disabled by cocking her head to the side, walking with her knees bent in, and receiving payment with a “crooked” hand.
Although the clip was later removed from the stall’s TikTok account, it didn’t take long for netizens to leak the video elsewhere as well as express their disgust over the clip’s insensitive tone.
Stall apologises, says it was following a ‘trend’
Following the online uproar, a staff member of the stall later released a video explaining their side of the controversy yesterday (Jul 31).
In the clip, the staff said the stall had no intention of mocking the OKU community with the clip, adding that it was merely following an online trend.
We didn’t mean to mock anyone with disabilities at all. We were only following a trend where people pretend to be an OKU.
The stall also included screenshots of other restaurants doing the same in the clip to prove that it was indeed an ongoing trend.
Towards the end of the clip, the staff asked netizens to refrain from wishing ill on the stall or its workers and said she hopes everyone will accept her explanation.
What do you think of the stall’s actions and explanation? Share with us in the comment section!
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