Kudos for lashing out at rude Malaysian tourists who mock mainland Chinese as “smelly lot”

 

Letter to Editor

‘OPPROBRIUM’ refers to harsh criticism, public disgrace or strong disapproval resulting from shameful or outrageous conduct. It describes both the act of being condemned by the public or media and the resulting state of dishonour.

Suffice to say, that noun perfectly encapsulates the storm engulfing a Malaysian social media influencer who behaved in a manner that has brought plenty of shame to all her brethren.

For those who missed the lady’s (@ekyn.wong) wonderful performance, she had uploaded a clip of her travels in China where she loudly complained of locals smelling a bit funky while covering her nostrils in mock disgust (as did her fellow travel companions from Malaysia).

Unsurprisingly, the clip has been deleted. A few things to note about this unpleasant episode.

First and foremost, this was truly unbecoming behaviour. That much is clear. It was rude, offensive and downright disrespectful. The trolling that has been directed at this foul-mouthed traveller is ample proof that majority of Malaysians take a dim view of her conduct.

Many netizens felt that she has brought shame not only to the country but also tarnished the image of Malays and Islam itself.

An example of the opprobrium aimed at the wayward social media addict can be seen on a lengthy post by Ahmad Mustaffa Goh on the Friend Dato Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay Facebook page where he implored tourists to respect the people of the places they visit.

“Malaysia’s name is also mentioned. Malaysians are also being evaluated. Even the religion we follow is often associated with our behaviour. Therefore, before becoming a great tourist, become a civilised human being (first),” surmised this eloquent Facebook user.

The contempt and disgust were apparent in the comments.

Secondly, I suspect that such lack of tourist etiquette arises from similar experiences of tourists from China behaving badly.

We have all recoiled in horror over stories of mainland visitors defecating in public, complaining loudly that no one speaks the language or some such rude and unacceptable behaviour here in Malaysia.

This, too, can be gleaned from some of the comments on the FB page.

For people of this ilk, I have news for you – two wrongs don’t make a right. If you felt that such Chinese tourists behave poorly when abroad, then don’t do the same. If anything, you should then know that anti-social conduct that smacks of entitlement is not a good look.

Thirdly, there is the suggestion that Malaysia follow China’s example in banning poorly behaved citizens from travelling and bringing shame to the country. In light of this clip, it does seem like a good idea.

Editor’s Note: The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) maintains a record of tourists whose behaviours is deemed “uncivilised” either domestically or abroad. Offenders are typically banned from traveling for a period of two to 10 years.

Last but not least, it appears that the aggrieved social media personality that is @ekyn.wong is seeking to take legal action against those netizens who have poured scorn on her travel adventures.

If there ever was a case of ‘tak sedar diri’ (not self-aware), this is it. As someone pointed out, imagine if the Chinese authorities had decided to do the same and punish her for insulting the country.

At the end of the day, nobody forced you to visit China for that matter. If you are not adaptable, best just stay home lest you become a national embarrassment for your country.

Either that or to make matters worse, you bring disrepute to other Malaysian citizens abroad. 

Sensitive Nostrils
Seri Kembangan, Kuala Lumpur

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.