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Two people have been arrested in Malaysia following a video showing a man wearing a headscarf while drinking alcohol at a hair salon.
Many Malaysians described the act as disrespectful to Islamic practices.
The clip
The 28-second clip, which was widely shared on Malaysian social media, shows a man wearing a green headscarf drinking from a can of beer while seated inside a salon.
In Islam, alcohol is considered haram, or forbidden, while the headscarf, commonly known locally as a tudung, is closely associated with Muslim women.
The combination of the two led to accusations that the act was mocking or deliberately provoking religious sentiment.
Police confirm arrests
Malaysia’s police confirmed that a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were arrested at about 4:30pm in Subang Jaya on Wednesday (Dec. 24) to assist with investigations, according to the New Straits Times.
The Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director also said that the case was being investigated for actions that could cause disharmony or hostility on religious grounds.
He warned that firm action would be taken against anyone found to have deliberately disrespected religious sensitivities or attempted to stoke tension in Malaysia’s multi-faith society, and urged the public to avoid comments that could inflame such issues.
Salon issues apology
The salon involved, LMD Hairlounge Sunway Geo, later issued a public apology on an Instagram story.
It said that the incident occurred on the night of Dec. 21 during a Christmas gift exchange gathering and involved two staff members.
It had then posted a video of the incident on its Instagram page. The video has since been deleted.
The salon acknowledged that the content shared was inappropriate and insensitive, particularly in relation to religious and cultural beliefs.
In another post, the management said both employees have been dismissed and that the company would cooperate fully with police investigations.
“We take this matter very seriously,” the salon said, adding that the staff were terminated the day after the incident.
The authorities have also reminded the public “to be responsible and prudent social media users”.
