A Malaysian man’s viral social media post targeting a foreign worker in Shah Alam received almost universal backlash recently, with netizens condemning the poster’s 'heartlessness'.
In the post, the man attached a 'spy' shot of a foreign security guard at a mosque in Section 7, criticising him for filling two bottles using the mosque’s water dispenser.
In the caption of the now-deleted post, the man wrote:
"Foreigner filling up to two water bottles at Section 7 Shah Alam mosque. Locals only drink a glass or two."
Controversial Facebook group draws the line
The photo was shared to the 'Warga Asing Buat Hal Apa Hari Ni?' (What Grievances Are Foreigners Causing Today?) Facebook group, a public community where over 11,400 members share mostly negative posts and incidents involving foreigners in Malaysia.
However, even for such a controversial group, this man’s particular 'grievance' was deemed to have gone too far.
Near-universal criticism for the man’s post
While not explicitly stated in the original post, it is believed the security guard was visiting the mosque to perform prayers after work before filling two plastic bottles at the water dispenser to take back to his living quarters.
In the comments section, most Malaysians saw nothing wrong with the foreign worker’s actions, lambasting the poster instead for his lack of empathy, especially at a place of worship.
One netizen slammed the poster, questioning why he would attempt to make such a trivial matter go viral and stressing that what the foreign worker did was not a crime.
Meanwhile, another commenter urged him to delete the post, as it embarrassed not only himself but the entire Muslim community.
Here are other notable comments regarding the viral post:
"There are no issues with this… If you don’t want them to take water, then don’t put a water dispenser there. Just consider it as alms."
“Truly, your heart remains unpurified despite your constant presence in congregational prayers. Repent and reflect upon yourself.”
"Who knows? Maybe these foreign workers give to charity even more than Malaysians who like to condemn…"
"The man protects the safety of the public… There is nothing wrong with giving him some water."
“What’s the point of wakaf (an Islamic charitable endowment dedicated to public benefit) if we’re triggered when someone wants to drink some water? This happened at a mosque… There aren’t many people there outside of congregational prayer times. The water dispenser is paid for by alms given by the mosque congregation.”
It costs nothing to be kind
The overwhelming public response serves as a poignant reminder of the true spirit of community and Islamic values regarding hospitality and charity.
Rather than stirring up xenophobia, the viral post instead highlighted the collective empathy of ordinary Malaysians, proving that kindness and respect at places of worship transcend national origins and social status.
What are your thoughts on the now-deleted viral post? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section.
Saiful Ridzaimi (saiful.ridzaimi@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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