As Malaysians, we definitely feel proud whenever a foreigner visits and has something nice to say about our country, regardless if it’s about the people, the attractions, or even the transportation. However, there will surely be disagreements from some.
Earlier this week, two Irish tourists, Luke and Naomi, made a post on Threads, an app similar to Twitter, which unexpectedly sparked a debate among Malaysian netizens. Here’s what happened:
In their post, the couple ranked cities they disliked, loved, and considered overrated, among other categories. Kuala Lumpur was listed as the city they disliked; reportedly, KL feels more American-like and is surrounded by international chains. This sparked significant outrage online among Malaysian netizens. Many apparently accused the explorers of being disrespectful, asserting that they didn’t care about their opinions. One netizen even commented under the explorers’ post, advising them not to return to Kuala Lumpur.
After the post went viral, they shared another thread, stating that many netizens were reacting negatively after only reading the first sentence and attacking them for being tourists. “We state everywhere here that we love Malaysia, not KL. Do you think KL alone symbolises all of Malaysia?” they posted. The content creators also stated that netizens shouldn’t attack them just because they have an opinion on a topic.
Shortly after their response, many local netizens apologised for the rude comments that were posted under the thread, stating that it’s a usual reaction from Malaysians whenever there are issues regarding the country. Some also defended the explorers, claiming that even as Malaysians, many feel that KL has become oversaturated with shopping malls filled with luxury Western brands.
What’s your opinion on this issue?
Source: Threads
Tiana contributed to this article.
