Tan Sri Dato Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) has always been the pride of Malaysia, especially after being the first Malaysian (and first Asian actress) to ever win an Academy Award. The “The Brothers Sun” star made headlines over the weekend for being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal.
While such news would normally excite fans, many were left disappointed with the legendary superstar for accepting the award from President Joe Biden. Here’s how fans reacted to the news:
Michelle Yeoh was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for being the first Asian to win an Oscar in the Best Actress Category in 2023 for her movie “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once”. While presenting the medal to the Malaysia-born celeb, US President Joe Biden said, “[Michelle] has shattered stereotypes and glass ceilings to enrich and enhance American culture. Her roles transcend gender, cultures and languages, from martial arts to romantic comedies, to science fiction, to show us what we all have in common”.
Although the 60-year-old has expressed gratitude for receiving the award in her Instagram post, her fans, especially those from Malaysia, were mostly displeased with her actions. As seen in the screenshots below, after the news broke out, many believed that she should’ve declined the honour since the US Government had been constantly accused of supporting the genocide of Palestinians over the past 7 months.
However, there were fans who did congratulate Michelle on her milestone as she has always represented Malaysia on the world stage. With that being said, some also suggested that the actress could’ve used her platform better to educate her audience on the ongoing atrocities in the Middle East.
At the time of writing, Michelle Yeoh has yet to respond to the criticism she’s currently facing for accepting the medal. Do you think there shouldn’t be an issue with Michelle receiving another prestigious award or were fans right to call her out?
