Whenever something goes viral, you can expect copies trying to ride on its popularity. However, in some cases, the accusation of plagiarism is met with more scepticism than criticism.
Recently, local social media have been buzzing about Gopeng Glamping Park’s soon-to-open dining hall. The hall, named Perabung Chulek, is located in the park in Gopeng, Perak and is scheduled to open later this month. However, ahead of its opening, the dining hall is facing accusations of plagiarising Khairul Aming’s restaurant, Rembayung.
The main argument is that Perabung Chulek shares architectural similarities to Rembayung, which utilises a glass house concept with a tall ceiling to mimic a kampung house. Some netizens also noted that the name of the dining hall and the signboard, particularly the cursive and the dark yellow colour, are similar to Khairul Aming’s restaurant.
A few netizens slammed Gopeng Glamping Park, accusing it of blatantly copying Khairul Aming’s restaurant to ride on its popularity. However, many more social media users came to the park’s defence, explaining how the dining hall couldn’t have copied Rembayung, given the circumstances.
Netizens argued that the glass house design is a common choice, especially in recent years, so to accuse a company of copying seems like a stretch. Others also noted that a dining hall that size would’ve taken months to build, and given that Khairul Aming announced Rembayung’s opening in December, it’s unlikely that Gopeng Glamping Park purposely copied the restaurant.
Additionally, for those wondering, Gopeng Glamping Park has explained the name choice for their dining hall. According to the park, the name Perabung Chulek is a combination of the word “perabung”, referring to the tip of a traditional Malay house’s roof, and “Chulek”, a reference to Kampung Chulek in Gopeng.
Despite the criticism, Gopeng Glamping Park continues to build excitement for their new dining hall. Meanwhile, Khairul Aming hasn’t commented on the matter. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is plagiarism or just a coincidence?
Sources: Twitter, Instagram
