KUALA LUMPUR: A female student named Aisyah has ignited a debate among netizens by criticising a nightclub afterparty allegedly organised by the Malaysian Society Club (MSoc) at a UK university.
A TikTok video posted by @thisisiasyahtrying had raised questions about religious sensitivity and cultural inclusivity.
According to the video, the MSoc, as part of its annual Malaysian Games, decided to organise an afterparty, extending an invitation to all members, including Muslim students.
Aisyah found this disrespectful, stressing that the afterparty activities, such as clubbing and drinking, conflicted with Islamic practices and Malaysian culture.
"Clubbing, drinking, and partying have never been Malaysian culture. We have our means of celebration and entertainment.
"So, why indulge in activities that aren't even part of our culture to begin with? It's not a very good look," Aisyah said in the video.
The video has garnered over 370,000 views and 28,000 likes, which prompted debate among netizens comprising those who sided with Aisyah and others who disagreed with her.
The majority of them who supported Aisyah argued that the MSOC should have organised a more inclusive event, given the presence of alcohol and the nightclub setting, which they regarded as discriminating towards Muslim members.
A former president of Nottingham Malaysian Society @gohciayee took to X to share the excruciating amount of labour needed to organise such an event.
"The games were a lot of work to organise. However, we didn't have an official afterparty at the club for one very simple reason.
"Half of the committee that worked so hard to make NMG (Nottingham Malaysian Games) a reality were Muslims, and they weren't the type to go drinking at the club. They broke their backs to make NMG a reality.
"To have the society organise an afterparty at a club where committee members and volunteers can't join seems like a disservice.
"Sure, organise an afterparty privately, but putting it under the society's name when one of the aims of NMG is inclusivity can give a bad impression," he said.
Meanwhile, those who disagreed with Aisyah's viewpoint claimed that she was imposing her beliefs on others, mainly because attendance at the afterparty was optional for club members.
Some accused her of being ignorant of Malaysian culture's diversity, pointing out that alcohol is essential to particular holiday traditions among different ethnicities.
"Nope. Drinking, clubbing, and partying have always been Malaysian culture. Malays back then loved all three. We had 'joget lambak' (marriage afterparty), cabaret, and dance clubs," says user @khaliqzulkepli_
Another user with the handle @bella_tannn said: "Um. Malaysia literally has a lot of clubs. With a lot of malays going as well. I'm pretty sure the afterparty is optional and not mandatory."