Malaysia has always been known as a melting pot of various ethnicities and worldview giving us many different celebrations and holidays.
Being an individual raised in such a diverse community supposedly would have made them more socially aware and respectful towards those who differ.
However, during the recent Thaipusam celebration on 18th of January, some individuals from a local burger chain, Aris Burger (@arisburgerofficial), just proved us wrong. They uploaded a video of them giving out free chicken burgers in the temple areas of Batu Caves, one of the top religious sites for the Hindu community in Malaysia.
As we are aware during Thaipusam, devotees would gather to pray and celebrate for the day there. However, the burger distribution did not sit well with the Indian community. Gaining more than a million views on TikTok was a response by a lawyer, Usha Veerasenan. In her video, she explained that Hindus come to Batu Caves during Thaipusam to pray, “This place is for prayers, this place is not for you to promote your (products),” and she also added “Please respect our religion, as a Malaysian.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@usha_veerasenan/video/7054382968764255514
The burger chain’s TikTok account has since removed the burger-distribution video, and uploaded a public apology video. The representative stated that they went there to interview the Malaysian Hindu community on how they celebrate Thaipusam, and gave away free burgers in appreciation to those who celebrated.
They also explained that the interview was done the day before Thaipusam. In the comment’s section of the apology video, it can be seen that the community accepted the apology and positive words of encouragement were expressed in the comments section.
@arisburgerofficial Maaf Terbuka Buat Yang Terkesan Dengan Pemberian Burger Free Di Batu Caves #arisburger #makanlokal #burgermalaysia #malaysiabrand
♬ original sound – Aris Burger Official – Aris Burger Official
We hope every single member of society will be more aware of issues like this in the future, and may we live harmoniously as Malaysians!
Source: China Press.
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