2020 has brought about unprecedented times – after all, we’re dealing with a pandemic never before seen in most of our lifetimes. And while social media and the internet has been both a boon and a bane this year, 2020 has given us the time and space to reevaluate our relationship with social media and with the people around us. With the amount of time we’ve spent at home this year, we’ve learned the importance of staying connected even when staying apart as well as the dangers of sharing information with our loved ones that may be falsified or inappropriate. We’ve also seen more and more people take to social media to share their daily lives – and, for the most part, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, there is a line between giving updates on your life and using the people/events/situations around you for “clout”.
Most recently, Malaysian influencer and cosmetics entrepreneur Hafiz Mahamad has come under fire for a video he posted following the passing of his good friend, Loh.
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The 27-year-old wrote posted the video alongside a long caption dedicated to his friend, sharing:
“This morning I received a call that my friend Loh is no more. My heart was in shock. I immediately bought flight tickets to Kelantan. His friends and family were all waiting for me to arrive to take care of his remains. At the airport, tears welled up in my eyes. I miss and love my friend. When I arrived, I went straight to the mortuary, my heart could not take it. The friend that was always supportive. Now covered in a shroud and I can only hold his hand through it. The friend whose hand is the one who always prays and pats my head to calm me down.”
However, instead of posting a tribute video dedicated to Loh or their time together – which is what most people would do to commemorate the life of their friends – the three and a half minute video shows Mahamad as he arrives at the airport, as he goes to collect Loh’s body and continues on until the end of the burial. Not only does the video focus heavily on Mahamad as he mourns and prays for his friend, but it also includes clips of Loh’s shrouded body. Netizens have since taken to his post and onto Twitter to express their outrage and shock towards Mahamad. While no one is questioning Mahamad’s grief – the passing of a friend and loved one is difficult – they have found an issue with the way in which he decided to document Loh’s funeral process.
Some of the comments read:
“Is this how you respect a friend that has passed? It’s as if you were recording a music video,”
“Don’t need to record lah, what is this,”
“If you want to make a video about the loss of a close friend,or a relative, omit recordings of their remains […] Don’t take videos and avoid pictures too.”
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While Mahamad has yet to address the criticism, he has paid tribute to his late friend once again, sharing a video from a time when Loh had reached out for his hand for comfort. He captioned the sweet video with a reminder to everyone to appreciate their friends and loved ones while they are still around.
“As long as you have friends, do not have feelings of envy or jealousy. Love your friends, love them until they reach heaven.”
He went on to share his aspirations for 2021, citing Loh as his inspiration to continue to work towards success.
Fly FM has reached out to Mahamad with regards to the issue but has yet to hear back. Our hearts go out to Loh’s family and friends during this difficult time.
*Cover image credits: Instagram
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