PETALING JAYA: Besides harsh criticism, netizens have reacted to a
video of an NGO leader snatching the microphone away from a university
student by creating comical Internet memes, songs and even dance remix
versions of the video.
Users ridiculed the leader for repeating
the word “Listen” seven times to stop the student from speaking and for
comparing the issues raised, such as free education and street protests,
to the “problems” faced by animals.
“Even sharks have problems.
“Have
you eaten shark fin before? Have you seen how people throw the shark
back into the sea to die. See how humans are more greedy than sharks?”
asked the speaker, Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) president Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin in the 24-minute video.
Controversial
singer Namewee was among those who came up with a parody of the video,
while another user posted a catchy dance remix version called “Listen!
Listen! When I Speak, Listen!”
The original video, which was
uploaded on YouTube last week, shows a student, who wanted to be known
only as Bawani KS being interrupted by Sharifah, who was a guest speaker
at the forum held in Universiti Utara Malaysia on Dec 8.
Sharifah told Bawani to leave the country if she was not happy in Malaysia.
“Don't compare Malaysia with other countries. If you compare, what are you doing in Malaysia?
“Go
to Cuba, Argentina, Libya, go everywhere. Because, you know what? All
the students in this hall are happy with whatever the government does
for them,” Sharifah told the student in the video.
When
contacted, Bawani, 27, who is currently pursuing a law degree, said the
speakers had promised a “Q&A” session after the forum but did not
allow more than two questions.
“I did not agree with some of the
views expressed by the speakers and wanted to share my own. However, she
cut me off while I was speaking, and said that I was being rude,” she
said.
The video even attracted the attention of Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who called Bawani.
“Even
if the speaker did not agree with Bawani, she should not have spoken
down to her in such a condescending and patronising way,” said Saifuddin
when contacted.
On Twitter, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin
refuted claims that SW1M was linked to Barisan Nasional, saying he had
never even heard of the group.
“Please listen to me, this lady does not represent Barisan,” he said.
