As celebrities or public figures, one must think thrice before posting or even commenting on something, especially if it’s regarding a very sensitive issue. Entrepreneur Aliff Syukri and hockey player Hanis Onn were previously called out for their racist comments and it looks like another celeb has joined the party.
Earlier this week, the Namaste Bollywood Instagram page posted a Reel of actress Aishwarya Rai posing on the red carpet at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The star was seen donning an extravagant blue and white sparkly gown which drew mixed reactions from fans. Most commented mainly on the dress itself but no one expected this comment from Chef Wan.
As seen in the screenshot above, the celebrity chef jokingly described that the actress was, “carrying Kavadi on herself heading to Batu Cave Taipusam ceremony😂.” For your information, a Kavadi Aattam is a ceremonial sacrifice performed by devotees during the Thaipusam celebration. Obviously, the comment did not sit well with netizens who then accused the Malaysian public figure of being racist.
Those on Instagram called Chef Wan out for his insensitive joke saying that he should not have made fun of another race’s religious practice. Others were disappointed that an esteemed cook such as himself would make such a remark. One netizen on Twitter brought up his infamous 2021 Gawai Festival Platter where the menu barely had any Iban dishes in it.
At the time of writing, there is currently no information on whether or not Chef Wan has apologised for the distasteful joke. It’s probably because the celebrity chef is currently on holiday in Greece to even notice the backlash he’s been receiving. Let’s hope that he’ll address the issue soon and refrain from making similar comments in the future.
Here’s the video where the public figure left the comment:
