PETALING JAYA, April 21 ― Cosmetics mogul Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman has dropped a new song for Hari Raya, to the bemusement and dismay of social media users.
Rather than the jaunty tune itself, titled Kelepok Raya, it is the music video that has courted controversy.
The full video only debuted on Aliff’s YouTube account Rusa Music yesterday (April 20), but teaser clips posted on social media have been drawing ire from Malaysians over the past week.
It also appears that the teaser clips are made out to be more provocative than the music video itself.
Critics have slammed the flamboyance of the backup dancers featured in the video, particularly over a scene of them writhing alongside Aliff in a pile on the floor.
“I don’t understand why you need to dance ‘sexily’ with songkoks on,” said one user on Instagram.
Even Aliff’s mother, beauty entrepreneur Rozita Ibrahim, chastised her son in a video reply.
“How would you feel if I had men dancing around me like that, wouldn’t you be embarrassed?” said Rozita in her Instagram clip.
Aliff is no stranger to controversy ― just earlier this year, he posted a video with explicit advice for newly married couples to promote his “sexual health” supplement.
In this light, social media users have pointed out that the music video was yet another cynical attempt at generating publicity.
“His products must not be selling well, so he has to resort to cheap publicity stunts like this,” said one user on Twitter.
“Another marketing strategy at the expense of the LGBT community?” remarked another.
The music video has also garnered some homophobic remarks over the “effeminate” dancers, leading Aliff to respond that he was not promoting a “gay agenda”.
“Those involved in the video clip are professional dancers. They have full-time jobs.
“One of them is a lecturer, and another is a soldier.
“When people criticise (the dancers), do they know that they’ve all had higher education and have degrees?” he told Kosmo! Online.