PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian Chinese social media “influencer” has apologised for taking out his phone to record a video as the national anthem was being played at an event.
Choo Hao Ren (pic) acknowledged that his actions, caught on video in a clip that went viral, were inappropriate and that he should have sung the national anthem solemnly and with respect.
In a statement on his social media pages, Choo said he was deeply sorry for his actions and promised to act more appropriately in such settings.
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“This is not a question of race or political party, but about how it’s the responsibility of all Malaysians to respect this country. That’s why we want such people to be punished severely,” he said in a Facebook post.
“It’s not that we want to play up the issue, but the issue of respecting the country is more important,” the Melaka executive councillor added.
In 2021, Choo also courted controversy after posting a video for a skin whitening product which featured a female social media influencer in brownface.
He apologised for the clip and took it down after receiving a backlash online. - FMT
